Death of a hare

Not a bunny, for damned sure. From a distance, I see the telltale ears. Standing over him, I spend a moment damning Ransom Eli Olds to eternity. I whisper it, “Goddamn your soul,” seeing some limp-dick sonofabitch’s big-tired F350 festooned with the Gadsen flag flapping from the bed, racing around the curve and smacking the … Continue reading Death of a hare →

John Lewis Dyer – Christian Dogma on Snowshoes

About fifteen years after John Lewis Dyer began traipsing around South Park on homemade snowshoes, even traversing Mosquito Pass, the Colorado State Constitution was formulated in Denver. After the framers completed the task, the people of Colorado approved their work on July 1, 1876. On August 1, 1876, President U.S. Grant signed the proclamation admitting … Continue reading John Lewis Dyer – Christian Dogma on Snowshoes →

Black Bear – First Encounter

The first black bear I saw up close and personal nearly invited himself into our living room in 2014. The only thing that spooked the big boy from stepping over the threshold was the smack of the door against a stereo speaker when he’d opened it. A suggestion for new arrivals to the mountains: If … Continue reading Black Bear – First Encounter →

Dear Lady Denver

So, tell me, Old Friend, do those thick-fingered surgeons and steel and stone still build up where your soul was torn down? Now, hear me out. I am your native son, and there are precious few of us. So take some time from your fancy modern gyrations and listen to one who remembers. I … Continue reading Dear Lady Denver →

The Cow

Fifteen years ago I went to South Routt County, near Oak Creek, Colorado to buy a horse. I spent three days there, meeting folks who, for the most part, had lived their entire lives in that northwest corner of the state. I heard a lot of stories while I was there. One of which I … Continue reading The Cow →

Susie

and Maggie Long, her best friend... Susie was a sophomore at the high school when we first met her. She, her mother, and her brother lived just down the road from us. Susie’s mom stopped the car one day and introduced herself shortly after we’d moved up here. Susie was in the front passenger seat, … Continue reading Susie →

Coyote, Coyote Please Tell Me – Peter Blue Cloud

Coyote, Coyote, Please tell meWhat is a shaman? A shaman I don’t knowanything about.I’m a doctor, myself.When I use medicine,it’s between me,my patient,and the Creation. Coyote, Coyote, Please tell meWhat is power? It is said that poweris the ability to startyour chainsawwith one pull. Coyote, Coyote, Please tell meWhat is magic? Magic is the first … Continue reading Coyote, Coyote Please Tell Me – Peter Blue Cloud →

In praise of Turkeys

In the almost nine years we've lived up here, we've had wild turkeys stop by for five of those years. This year saw the most impressive visitation, and it's the first year we've witnessed breeding Toms or Gobblers. At one point, we had fourteen or fifteen Toms and just as many hens. Though it appears … Continue reading In praise of Turkeys →