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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In a recent column I explained why I never became an Olympic athlete. In summary, no talent. Besides, all I ever wanted to be was a cowboy. The previous explanation also applies somewhat to my cowboy efforts. It was tough enough for me the way it was, I hate to think how hard it would have been if “cowboy” had been made a regular Olympic event. An entire country or two of competitors able to rope better than me was bad enough. I shudder to think how it would have been to open the field to the...
One of the most intriguing items in our kitchen/household junk drawer (c’mon, you know you have one) implicates an iconic office necessity, the embossing label maker of old. It’s the one that uses stiff plastic tape and sports a rotary alphabet and number wheel atop a hand-held grip. No batteries for this baby. If you wanted to label something, you had to live with the hard work of squeezing a handle before moving on to the next letter or symbol. It was best not to allow interruptions while cre...
Throughout the ages, farmers have planted seed saved from their previous wheat crop. When making seed wheat decisions, they selected the best quality seed from the highest yielding varieties. Choosing wheat varieties based on yield and quality continues, but now seed decisions include a new consideration. With the advent of hybrid crops like corn, farmers discovered that they did not get the advantage of hybrid vigor when they saved their seed, the ensuing crop was not uniform and yields were poor. It was quickly learned they needed to buy new...
Recent political conversations have once more drawn national military conscription into the light, albeit reluctantly. Count that as no surprise given today’s geopolitics, but know also that it is nothing that has not been visited before. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, by most a brilliant Civil War strategist of his time, acknowledged the roles that were to be played. “Those who remained faithful to non-resistance faced persecution from the larger community. Early Confederate draft law had no...
I’ll never forget the day my daughter brought him home. He was so ugly. She was so in love. This was one of those, “Daddy it followed me home. Can I keep him?” events. It was obvious why this fine looking specimen was left to wonder about aimlessly. The truth of the matter is, nobody in their right mind would have wanted to be seen with him. As my female child stroked his dirty, tangle hair with uncommon tenderness, hundreds of thoughts raced through my mind. One question kept leaping to the t...
As a longtime resident of Haxtun and someone who has spent over three decades serving in various capacities — from education to corrections — I've seen the critical role healthcare plays in our rural community. While I currently serve on the Haxtun Health Foundation Board of Directors and work at the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, the views expressed here are my own, based on years of community involvement. Rural hospitals, including ours, are often the backbone of the community, providing not just physical care but also vital menta...
Like burning fuses for the upcoming Fourth of July, our garden delights in the moment are foxtail lilies. Sturdy stalks support tall conical blooms of bright yellow flowers. What most amazes, however, is the way the plant reveals itself. Over the course of 10 days or so, vibrant color explodes from the head, but only in a particularized manner starting at the base of the bloom. The blossoms open sequentially and upward. It is that disciplined but fleeting nature that endears the plants to us....
My Kingdom For A Horse. I think I remember that a King was suppose to have said this a long time ago, obviously thinking walking wasn’t too great a sport. More recently, just about every horse owner I know has uttered a version of that famous quote. Along about this time of year, rodeo cowboys and cowgirls, whether they’re haulin’ for the big time or making a few weekend rodeos, start to imitate the famous King. Most have spent all winter training on their trusty barrel, team or calf ropin...
By the time you reach retirement age, you may have accumulated a 401(k), IRA and other investment accounts, along with insurance policies and physical properties. You’ll use some of these assets to support your retirement, but the rest may end up in your estate — which is why an estate plan is so important. So, to leave a legacy for your family and those philanthropic groups you support, you need a comprehensive estate plan — and you need to avoid making mistakes. Here are some of the most...
Parasites can have a significant impact on cattle. During summer, flies can directly affect the growth of younger cattle as well as cows nursing calves. Thus, revenues are affected by flies as well due to decreased gains in young cattle and decreased recovery of cows. Controlling flies is relatively easy and has a positive return on the expense. The impact of flies on beef cattle has been studied multiple times over the past 50 years. As fly numbers increase on individual animals, weight gains become reduced compared to animals treated with...
An oft used small group exercise inquires of participants the characteristics they find most meaningful in church settings, the elements that hold the most meaning for them as a friend or a member of the church. Those present are tasked with winnowing out a hierarchy of responses. As the number of requisites are reduced, people find it near impossible to sit still and come up with a final short list on which everyone can agree. But, as hard as it might appear, most groups are reluctantly able...
Normally I don’t write about a specific person unless they are dead. There are two reasons for this. One, dead people can’t sue you if they don’t like what you say. Two, I usually write those pieces as tributes to them after their death. A close friend and traveling partner, Fred Roselle and another cowboy I only met a couple of times, Chris Ledoux, were men I wrote about with the deepest respect. Today, I’m going to break my long standing rule and write about a man who is still very much am...
We are pleased to write this letter to offer our full support and endorsement of Jerry Sonnenberg for Colorado Congressional District 4. There are several candidates you will see on the primary ballot this June and we would like to share our concerns surrounding other candidates and why we think Jerry Sonnenberg is the clear choice. Representative Mike Lynch is a good legislator and we don’t disagree with him on a lot of issues. What is concerning is that Lynch has been noticeably absent from the rural counties in CD4. CD4 includes over 20 c...
Sue quite often sends me off to town on an errand. It may be to pick up the mail, take mail to the post office or, as I often suspect, to just get me out of the house. Prior to every trip she issues these directions to me, “Try not to get into too much trouble” Honestly, I hardly ever get into any type of trouble. I do, however, encounter a few “memorable” situations, such as my most recent. This morning she called me into her office to tell me she needed me to go to the store and buy her a lemo...
It will never be said of me that I am a coffee snob. Is it black, hot, and at least lightly roasted? Good enough. I take some modest degree of pleasure, having waited in line as others’ coffee vocabulary is tested, in simply ordering the core components mentioned above. One would think that at least one or two thank you’s for my promptness would be forthcoming from those remaining in line, but the mental pressure can be acute in laying out coffee particulars. It’s usually best to let them work i...
Property taxes remain a hot topic in Colorado and rightly so. During COVID, economists expected home values to fall as the economy experienced a sharp recession. So in 2020, the legislature asked voters to eliminate a 40-year-old law that prevented property taxes from rising in unison with the value of that property. Voters agreed. Then something strange happened: the COVID recession was brief and instead of tanking, home prices soared because few homes were offered for sale. Without the 40-year...
You probably already guessed that cool-season crops benefit the most from partial shade. But why is shade more beneficial to some vegetables than others? There are two reasons. One, shade keeps the leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce and spinach more tender. With less sunlight, the plants will not grow to the same size as they would with more sun. Naturally, the more sun, the more energy and photosynthesis the plant produces. What is partial shade in terms of hours of sun per day? Partial shade is less than six hours of sun but a minimum of...
Ask any gardener this time of year what the signature bloom in their garden is in the moment and you will likely receive praises for the iris family; ruffled, plain, double, domestic, bearded, multi-colored, rustic, mysterious, bright, solitary and altogether amazing! Can one word give them justice? Let’s try ‘fantabulous!’ Each has a pedigree that is noted when purchased, then quickly forgotten in lieu of common designations to our liking, ones tied to family members or friends that gifte...
A popular song starts with the works “what a difference a day makes.” It must have been written by someone living in Morgan County! The other day I was excited over light snow falling! Snow makes water and water makes grass, grass makes me and the cows, happy! The previous day was hot and so dry that son David and I discussed whether we should be running our irrigation well on the drying hay field. Luckily, we decided not to. Today, after that very wet snow, the last thing we need is more wat...
The artful use of mnemonic devices can assist memory recall through association with related words and phrases. This is especially true for numbers of stories from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament writings from ancient scripture. From an early stage of understanding, and vacation Bible school classes, rose the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and three youth — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — who refused to fall into line with the king. As punishment, they were thrown into a fiery furnace (is...
As members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit #137 we hold a special place in our hearts for the parents, siblings, spouses and friends of those who served. We can’t help but think of all the men and women who have gone to fight for this great nation and didn’t return home. While we are all guilty of celebrating the unofficial start of summer and encouraging each other to “have a good weekend,” it is important to remember the reason for the holiday: Memorial Day is the day Americans set aside to honor those brave men and women who met tragic...
Homeowners are starting to remove sections of their lawns. The cost of water is rising along with electricity. Grass is the highest maintenance of any crop. There are xeric plants that are low maintenance and need little to no care once they are established. Low shrubs or groundcovers can replace some of the lawn area. Doing this in areas such as along the curb can save you from watering a section that gets extremely hot and dries out faster. Here are some suggestions below: 1) Mock Bearberry manzanita, Arctostaphylos x coloradensis, is hardy...
We used to joke that “no man’s life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session.” That’s no laughing matter in today’s Colorado. The collective sigh heard across our state when 100 legislators finally went home to mind their own business reflects the growing sense of dread that accompanies the Colorado General Assembly convening each January. Although some of their worst ideas died on May 8 when the annual session ended, many of them will rise again like zombies next Janu...
You’ve heard it said of someone who is really good at their job, “They are a natural.” These lucky folks just seem to have been born with all the talent necessary to be successful in their chosen field. Even though they might work at what they do just as hard as others, for these “naturals” things just seem to come out better. Then there are the rest of us. While some seem to be born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth, talent-wise, there are those of us whose spoon was plastic....
On the isolated plains of Eastern Colorado are found homestead windbreaks, shelterbelts that protect property in high winds, reduce erosion, and drop snow in the form of moisture granting drifts. Two inches of wind-driven snow can do wonders for the soil profile inside a windbreak. Wildlife also depends on the windbreaks to support links in the food chain including rabbits, kangaroo rats, gophers, snakes, owls and other raptors such as the red-tailed hawks and an occasional brown or bald eagle....
