The woman had border collies long before the local sheepdog trials. She couldn’t find enough for them to do on the ranch. While they had plenty of room outside to run, they had no work to do. So her dogs usually resorted to filling their hours by getting into trouble.[Read More…]

For years, the search for buried treasure has been taking place right before our eyes. One never knew when you’d happen upon someone wielding a metal detector, combing over an abandoned or empty lot. This area was never known for precious metals, although a few residents moved here after living[Read More…]

“Get out of my yard!” the angry male voice drifted across the wide expanse of green grass. “Oh, I knew you wouldn’t mind,” the woman answered, but stopped talking when she looked up to see the man wasn’t laughing. He went back into the house.

Living in a small western community seems to offer one a true sense of place. Although a 30-year residence requirement is in force before allowing participation in the annual Old Timers Dinner and Dance, some of the locals in residence feel as if the White River Valley is truly home,[Read More…]

The power of one can’t be overestimated, unless it is the estimate of the demographic of an area. Some folks were very upset by the statistical information gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau the last time (a decade ago). They objected to that information being used by the state highway[Read More…]

The rockslide in Glenwood Canyon produced an impromptu opportunity for all our Rio Blanco County boosters to get a new campaign up and running. Although the road may be repaired sooner than it was originally thought, the first and only “Detour Days” celebration will not have been held. Of course,[Read More…]

Every now and then a significant date comes to mind. Usually it has personal significance, as it marks a birthday or anniversary celebration for family and friends. Other times it is of a wider significance — a national holiday or a day that is etched in everyone’s mind.

The school district is facing massive budget cuts and once again a four-day school week is under consideration. As an elementary school teacher during those years, I had mixed feelings about it. I was a traditionalist and believed in the educational philosophy that an increased amount of time in the[Read More…]

Anytime the old cowboy was asked about the latest and greatest winter storm, he only had one answer. “It was just an ol’ equinoxer, I tell ya.” He didn’t launch into any meteorological explanation, make any excuses about causes, or otherwise rant and rave about the unusually severe snowstorm, gray,[Read More…]