Hazel Sunderman died today. In the ’60s, she was my 7th grade English teacher, and, in the ’90s, one of my best fans. I’ve been a published writer for over 20 years now, and I have a Ph.D. in Technical Writing. But I don’t think I’ve learned anything new about grammar or sentence structure since […]
You were our firstborn, which is enough in itself to make you special. But there is much more. From day one you were engaging, even captivating. Strangers thought you could read at three. They didn’t know about your incredible memory. Plus, your ability, even then, to sell an audience. Sometimes it got you and us […]
“Ray, you don’t look like you belong on a bicycle; you look like you belong on a horse.” The words belonged to my cousin Sheryl, at whose El Paso house my friend and I were staying on the eve of a 400-mile bicycle relay. Sheryl was right. Ray’s large frame, combined with an equally large […]
Mt. Elbert. At 14,433 feet, it’s the highest peak in Colorado, the second highest in the lower 48, and I plan to climb it Saturday morning. Well, not exactly climb. Hike. Real mountaineers call it a “walk-up.” Folks who scale peaks over 20,000 feet talk that way. But for one who gets lightheaded at 14K, […]
Bears. I sometimes think about them when hiking. No need to. Colorado and New Mexico – where I go – have black bears, who almost never attack. Unless. It’s the “unless” part that gets my attention. Unless you startle one. Unless you separate a she-bear from her cubs. Unless the creature is having a bad […]
If I believed in reincarnation, I would say I must have once been a Ute Apache. That would explain the connection my spirit has with this former hunting ground of Chief Ouray and company. For me, it was love at second sight. I first came here with the fam in the 80s to swim in […]
When my brother Craig was in his 20s, he ran a Christian coffee house on a seedy street in inner-city Dallas. I remember stories of self-proclaimed warlocks with whom he boldly shared the Good News of Jesus. Not long after, Craig moved to Arizona where he lived most of his adult life, much of it […]
Saw fireflies last night. We were walking in Crag’s Omaha neighborhood, shortly after sundown, and there they were: a small greenish blinking light in the yard to our left, two others closer and brighter in the street in front of us. Can’t remember seeing fireflies as an adult, nor in West Texas. My sightings were […]
In less than two hours will be on the road. Woohoo! Our 2010 vacation in Ouray, Colorado is about to begin. Will make a side trip first. To Omaha, Nebraska where my brother Craig now lives. Haven’t seen him since June 1 – the day after Dad died. Am bringing Craig some of Mom’s and […]
Wrote this entry late yesterday afternoon while sitting on the back porch, watching a thunderstorm try to form around us. I love thunder and lightening – although the latter can be scary when alone on the flat prairie or above timberline in the Rockies. Mountain thunderstorms are my favorite. Last summer we saw several, one […]