What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
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The old adage about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence still speaks as loudly today as when it was first coined around the time of Christ. Attributed to the poet Ovid, it speaks to covetousness and the discontent we all share when there is something we imagine that we can’t do without, something that is oh-so-close yet manages to elude our grasp. Sometimes we allow ourselves to become so enamored with the thought of getting that we entirely forget that giving is also a c...
Soil erosion from both wind and water can happen nearly anytime in Colorado. When soil leaves a field due to wind or water, the field’s productivity is reduced. Topsoil that leaves a field is the best soil and is high in organic matter. Low organic matter soils experience reduced crop yields. In addition, blowing soil can have consequences on the field the soil is blowing into not to mention a dust storm’s effect on the environment with reduced visibility. Water erosion simply carries top soil off your field and into someone elses or the topsoi...
“What comes around, goes around.” I have no idea who to attribute this quote to. It’s about as common as “look at the sunset,” so I’m going to guess nobody knows who said it first. This concept has expressed itself in clothing for men and women, furniture styles, even eating habits as evidenced by the movement toward chemical free “organic” food. Grea-grandpa and grandma were eating “organic” 100 years ago. There weren’t any chemicals invented yet, if you don’t count moonshine. The point is...
We love structure even when it means restricting one’s own views. Structure prescribes rules and defines arenas for the games that we play — mental, political, relational, spiritual — in forms that are acceptable to the governing culture of the moment. When things are going well, we laud the architects of such structure, praising them for their prudence and foresight. When things sway in opposite less desirable directions, structure remains visible, though it is often used as scapegoat mater...
Trees are a major part of our landscapes. They can make a town memorable in a negative way or memorable in a positive way. Trees can brand a community. They are worth a monetary value for the air they clean, the erosion they can stop, the cooling capacity they provide and their aesthetic value. If we lived in an ideal world where all the trees, we planted were the proper tree in the proper location, then there would not need to be ordinances for trees placed too close to a sidewalk and creating overhanging limbs blocking visibility of traffic...
Anyone who has ever hauled a horse to a rodeo, team penning, barrel race, cutting or horse show, has had this happen. You’ve been tuning and grooming on old Bay for days, maybe weeks, even months. Today is the day it all comes together. Bay looks good and you feel great. The hours on the road fly by because today is your day. You have plans to take names and kick ... well, you get the idea. About five miles from the fairgrounds you begin to notice them. One over there in a field, two a...
Time flies when you’re having fun, or at least when you’re a National Weather Service reporting station. For the past couple of decades, the daily routine has included recording highs and lows of the previous weather day, precipitation amounts, wind velocities and directions and other noteworthy meteorological events. While ultimately compiled and collated with other volunteer observer sites across the nation, the original data is most often hand recorded prior to being sent in over the net...
High and dry gardens are needed now more than ever. What are they? A high and dry garden demonstrates which plants can survive on natural precipitation. There is a high and dry garden located in the northeast corner of the Washington County Fairgrounds in Akron. We have used it for trialing plants to see how well they fare in drought. What defines a drought? According to Oxford dictionary, a drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water . In the Golden Plains, a prolonged period could mean 10-14 days....
Equality of all citizens is a uniquely American concept. Historian G.K. Chesterton said, “America is the only nation in the world that was founded on a creed.” That creed comes from the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This declaration came at a point when slavery was nearly universal. Native...
It would be the world’s biggest understatement to say we are concerned about terrorism in our Country. Since 9/11, no corner of America has been immune to the fear terrorists have brought to our home soil. Our politicians have stood up and said, “Don’t worry we will protect you.” Personally, I find having that group protect me is a little scary all by itself. Normally I feel the need to be protected from them! Rural folks are generally unaccustomed to being taken care of by someone else. W...
The chainsaw hadn’t been touched but once or twice since the Dailey tornado, now several years past. The bar was embarrassingly corroded but was at least more recognizable than the chain that clung to it, securely bound in place by a combination of rust from exposure to moisture and layers of dirt, oil, and grease. This old mechanical beast, moribund, at death’s door in every regard, was too much of a challenge to pass up. Armed with naval jelly, steel wool, spray lubricant, air compressor and...
One of my favorite movies is Groundhog Day. In the movie, Bill Murray has a line in one of his reports that is also a favorite of mine. “Well, it’s Groundhog Day ... again.” That resonates with me more than you know. Well it’s pothole season … again. After a Colorado winter we see an influx of potholes around the state. This is not the fault of road crews, its just our weather tearing into the roads as it does every year. So why bring up these axel killers? They can also be dangerous for drivers. I see people driving along the roadway a...
Oh, for the good old days of the cowboy. Back when the horse was King, there was no internet (or electricity for that matter) and saddling your horse was so much easier. The saddling procedure itself hasn’t changed much over the past one hundred fifty years. What to put on old Dobbin’s back? That’s another story. Back in those good, old, golden years of the cowboy there wasn’t a lot of choice what he strapped onto his trusty steed. There were several saddle makers, but in a given region, their o...
Have you ever allowed someone to confide in you only for them to share something unwarranted and unwanted, something truly ugly? Such a predicament is usually of our own making as we rise to the surface and take the bait. Truth is, gossip tends to be a central element in casual small groups. We dress it up as information that simply must be shared out of concern for friends and neighbors, but too often it devolves into nothing more than click bait and abuse of prayer chains. Secrets are hard to...
Sometimes it seems Democrat strategists know the minds of Republicans better than Republicans know themselves. Consider the current scheme by Democrats to spend millions to influence the Republican primary. Organizations funded by Democrats are running ads to promote United States Senate candidate Ron Hanks and governor candidate Greg Lopez. One of their favorite messages is that Hanks or Lopez is “too conservative for Colorado.” Remember, they are intentionally sending this message to Rep...
These days, every new idea seems to involve the internet or a computer. That is, every new idea by everyone but me. While the rest of the world seems to think only in terms of e-mail, Web sites and Dot coms, I remain a hold out for hammer, nails, post holes and ideas that involve sweat. I’m never going to change the world with my ideas, therefore, to survive I had better join into this new way of thinking. I’ve decided to get modern, get hep, get digital or whatever you call today’s thinking All...
It is a good thing that we don’t have crystal balls. They would come to define our health, our mental prowess and our schedule in unhealthy ways. We would become calendar watchers consumed with fear, unable to stave off impending calamity while blaming others for our sorry lot in life. How fortunate we are, then, to rest innocently in the tension of knowing and not knowing. We are creatures in search of equilibrium, a challenging quest in a busy complicated world. That is not to say we should s...
Letter to the Editor, I encourage you to vote for Jessie Vance for House District 63. Jessie is a rock solid conservative. He is pro-gun (NRA A rating), pro-Life and pro-Trump. I have worked with Jessie for the last few years while he was Chairman of the Yuma County Republicans and I was vice-chair. I know that he is committed to our conservative values, rural Colorado and electing Republicans. Under his leadership we flipped the long held by democrats county commissioner seat in Yuma County. Jessie has the temperament and spine to be an effect...
Sue and I bought a new “cowboy car” a while back. In case you’ve never heard of a “cowboy car” before, don’t worry about it. I just made up the term a few days before we bought it. Everybody knows a “cowboy cadillac” is a fully customized crew cab dually with every creature comfort a genuine cow-type person could ever want. My “cowboy car” is different. Some cowboys occasionally buy regular cars. These cowboys are usually referred to as “married.” I’m in that category and doing my darnest to s...
Etched into the mature growth of our north pasture are an assortment of livestock trails. Some are quite direct while others aimlessly meander, unhurried in their roles. Most are quite narrow reflecting the tendency of the animals to walk in single file. Over time, dirt is displaced and erosion steps in to make sure each trail also exhibits depth. How deep? Just enough to bounce the truck once or twice if we’re not paying attention. When livestock comes off the pasture, little change is seen u...
The last State Championships of the 2021-22 school year have been earned and by this time next week, all-star season will have wrapped up, as well. Girls golf finished early last week and baseball concluded over the weekend with some thrilling contests. Eight-man and 6-man football had their all-state games last weekend, and the Colorado High School Coaches Association will host their all-state games in many sports this week. Class 3A golf hit the course at Broadlands in Broomfield early last...
The end of each year brings attempts to name the “best” of the past year, decade or even longer. Best actor, best news story, best jar of jelly, etc, etc. When we finished a year, century and millennium, the “best” lists were grander than before. I’ve decided to get in on the action myself this year. While there are “best of” awards in the fields of sports, medicine, literature and more, I noticed one glaring omission. There is no best of award for stuff that affects you and me daily. In sho...
Some things are just naturally made for one another; shoes and socks, nuts and bolts, coffee and cream, pins and needles. Who decides? No one is given the duty of waking each day and declaring that certain words or ideas or concepts should be configured with each other. Time and usage, however, results in combinations more favored than others. Most slide off the tongue easily which encourages even more widespread use. Another possibility is found in the grouping of objects based on...
The final week of the 2021-22 athletic calendar is here and a number of championships will be awarded to wrap things up. Locally, eyes will be focused on baseball and golf. Girls golf will see 18 local athletes attacking the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield on Tuesday and Wednesday. Burlington and Holyoke each qualified three ladies for the Class 3A state championships, with Anna Marie Schaal, Lauren Hays and Tatumlynn Walkinshaw representing the Lady Cougars, and Holyoke sending Emma Thomps...
I suppose it is the old “left brain, right brain” thing. You know what I’m talking about ... The difference between a guy’s thinking and a gal’s thoughts. Left brain right brain, of course means in any discussion, both husband and wife think they have the “right” brain while the other “left” their brain somewhere else. At our house these discussions usually occur over money. OK, usually over money I spend on what my wife sees as rather foolish things. I can’t believe how narrow-minded she c...
