Ragpicker Magic
MAGIC? AT A USED BOOKSTORE? You’d expect to find it at the tarot reader’s place, the Buddhist temples, or among the breathtaking 14,000-foot peaks towering over the small community of…
Whimsy, Welding and Nostalgia
COOPER THE WHOOPER, a pile of welded and painted farm tools and spare parts, stands on U.S. 160 in the center of Monte Vista. Cooper was my first sighting of…
Skier’s Remorse: An Early-Season Lesson in Inertia
THE TELEPHONE RANG MUCH EARLIER than I had expected. “Moeller, get up,” the excited voice blurted. “It snowed 13 inches at Monarch. Let’s get rolling.” I clambered out of bed,…
Old Souls and New Soles
…with Douglas Crowwolf Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Douglas Crowwolf is a Lakota artisan based in Monte Vista, where he makes custom moccasins, bracelets, wrist cuffs, medicine…
Stepping into Irish Culture
IRELAND IS A TOUCHSTONE FOR ME. A centering place, a home. I feel a daily pull toward the Emerald Isle. News stories, contact from friends, Irish music, carefree cussing —…
Hope for Haven
This piece has been updated. For the record: The Q&A skit was presented only to fifth grade students. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BUENA VISTA is — like the rest of…