August 20, 1915 Dr. Willett buttonholed me on the way to work. He said, “I want you to stop this county veterinarian stuff. Use the telephone and call the hospital. We’re here for medical emergencies.” I stammered, “Yes sir. I don’t know why I didn’t call the hospital. It’s a new device I haven’t really […]

July 22, 1915 I decided to cross the river and walk to work through Steamboat.  Lately, I have gone along the railroad tracks because I didn’t want to think about Corina. But a little voice in my head said, Walk through town. It has been a while.  I shared the Second Street Bridge with a […]

July 22, 1915 “That dog is drinking out of the toilet!” Maggie replied, “Freshest water in the house, and he knows it.” Charlie left the water closest with only the slightest bit of water dripping from his muzzle. “Do you know who I am?” “You’re Fred C. Williams.” Looking up from the pot she briskly […]

July 2, 1915 The Steamboat Pilot reported, Dr. F.E. Willett has purchased the Steamboat Sanitarium. He is the kind, firm, knowledgeable physician who treated Corina’s broken wrist. The hospital was established a year ago and is a great benefit to the community. Unfortunately, the previous owner’s business management interfered with the complete success of the […]

July 25, 1915 “Rent a couple horses from the Whitecross stable. I’ll load up my pack horses with camping gear and a kitchen. We can ride to Dinosaur or Long Lake on Buffalo Pass. I bet the trout are hungry up there.” A.M. Gooding put his beer on the table and asked, “What do you […]

Sarvis Creek Lumber Company For the indigenous tribes and pioneers, the forest of Routt County was a blessing and a bane. It offered food with wildlife, native trout, roots, and berries. The spruce, pine and aspen trees gave shade on a hot day. Milled timber provided shelter during the deep snow and cold of winter. […]

The Mansion on the Hill IN MEDIAS RES   The man’s head bled into the garden soil. The rest of his body sprawled strangely, oddly angled on the flagstone patio. The revolver rested just out of reach, near his left hand. Dahlias bloomed with reds, pinks, whites, yellows and crowned the poor fellow’s head. His […]

Saving is Not Crazy My mother was born on a German speaking dairy farm in Moose Lake, Minnesota. She was the third of four siblings to survive to adulthood. She was twelve, when her mother died at childbirth. My grandfather grieved for his immigrant wife and the family stopped speaking German. Her duties increased from […]

My Cousin’s Anecdote   Fritz leaned against the outside wall of the barbershop and leisurely viewed the cars driving on Main Street. Hans pulled up to the curb in a new cherry red Mustang convertible with white leather interior, and the top down. He parked and waved at his cousin. “Beautiful car Hans, how did […]

I Travel a Lot I travel a lot. It takes up most of my time. I always fly, solo. My territory stretches from the mountains of Central Mexico to Northern Colorado in the spring and the reverse in the fall. My interests are insects, berries and sex. My journey is perilous. I face and flee […]