SPECIAL FEATURES JANUARY 2020 ISSUE
• Western Colorado Hot Springs

Pagosa Hot Springs, along the San Juan River. ©Kathryn R. Burke.
Western Colorado is riddled with calderas and geothermal hot springs, remnants of a violent geological past, historically significant to the Native Americans, and a soothing respite on a cold winter day. [Read more]
• Artist on a Harley!
This picture says it all! Read about Mike Simpson, our featured artist this month and our new columnist. This guy has a unique way of painting the land he loves. [Read more]
SNOW SPORTS & FESTIVALS. JANUARY 2020
• Let’s Play in the Snow

The author and her sister, Barbara Hunter, cross country skiing at Top of the Pines. Photo courtesy of the author.
Around the Western Slope, , we often have sunny, bluebird days and dry, powdery, and sparkly snow. There are so many ways to play in it! [Read more]
• Alpine Skiing

Sking at Telluride. Telski courtesy photo.
Whoosh! Wheee! Whoa! Ooh! Ah! That pretty much sums up a day for me on the slopes, except for “clink” at its end when I drink a toast to it.
• Grand Mesa Snow Adventure

Mesa Lakes Lodge, Grand Mesa. Photo by the author.
Grand Mesa is home to two longtime capitals of recreation: family-friendly, Powderhorn Mountain Resort, and the historic, Mesa Lakes Lodge, hosting a fundraiser for Hospice in February. [Read more]
• Ouray’s Ice Climbing Festival
This year’s celebration marks the event’s 25th anniversary which takes place January 23 to 26 and includes video and photo presentations by top climbers, vendor booths, music, food, and dance. [Read more]
• Chicks with Picks
ARE YOU A WOMAN in search of a new outdoor experience? Do you enjoy being challenged, learning new skills, and making new friends? Then why not head over to Ouray this winter and try your hand at ice climbing with Chicks with Picks? [Read more]
WESTERN COLORADO – JANUARY 2020 – ART & ENTERTAIMENT
Find out what’s happening, where to go, what to see.
Art About Town – Ouray County, North Fork, Montrose
![]() OURAY AND RIDGWAY. The Sherb, 610 Gallery, and Weehawken Arts. [Read more] |
![]() MONTROSE. Montrose Center for the Arts. Featured artists, events, classes. [Read more] |
PAONIA AND NORTH FORK. |
Of Note (Music)Find out what’s happening in the Western Colorado Music Scene. |
On Stage – Theater and Music
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Magic Circle Players. Theater Tickets online. |
Valley Symphony Orchestra Tickets online |
HISTORY, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, KID’S CORNER. JANUARY 2020
Historic Lathrop House
Learn the fascinating history of Montrose’s Lathrop Hardware store built in 1890, and how it was restored by present owner Glee Westcott. [Read more]
Educational Programs
Fort UncompahgreNew programs are continually being added, bridging youth and community projects. Delta School students will participate in future plans. [Read more] |
Botanic GardensBeginning a massive expansion program that will include an environmental education center. |
Kid’s Corner
Although the menu has expanded to include hot sandwiches, soup, and chili, a hot slice of pizza and a double scoop of Farr’s ice cream are the mainstays of Buckaroos Slices and Scoops. The business, located at 1518 East Main Street, the realization of an idea—a dream—and the LaJoy family which owns it acts on dreams. [Read more]
SECTIONS – JANUARY 2020
Fur Babies
You’ve probably dug out your parka, boots, gloves, and hat, but have you thought about weatherizing your pet? Most dogs and cats spend the majority of their time indoors, but you need to take precautions so their outdoor experience isn’t a nightmare. [Read more] |
Equine Adventures:![]() So what you do with a youngster—a 1½-year-old mustang that comes into your herd that’s mostly made up of older equines—can be challenging. [Read more] |
Shelter News:Life for cats is simply safer indoors. For their own benefit and for the benefit of the communities where they live, owned cats should not be allowed to roam freely. Stray dogs, foxes, coyotes, and cars are threats to free-roaming cats. And cats are a significant threat to songbirds. [Read more] |
Health & Wellness (NEW)
What better way to kick off a healthy New Year than to address the incredibly important but poorly understood topic of inflammation? [Read more]
Senior Activities and Services
No, I’m not referring to scams this time. I do want to discuss falls and the impact (LOL) they have on older adults, however; falls are not necessarily a normal part of aging. [Read more] |
Senior Resources
Where were you when you were in 3rd grade? Hopefully, inside each of us, that curious 8 year old still lives. At that age, life was full of things you either did or didn’t want to do. [Read more] |
Power Notes (NEW)
Way back in the “old days,” electricity was relatively unknown in rural Colorado and, in many cases, suspect. Becky Mashburn, Marketing Supervisor with Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), recalls visiting with one woman who remembers when electricity first came to her family farm. It was in the early 1930s. “She got an electric stove and left it sitting out on the porch for months, because she didn’t know what to do with it!” [Read more]
Tech Tips (NEW)
Technology continues racing forward at a blinding pace, creating powerful new tools, on-demand entertainment, the ability to chat face-to-face with someone on the other side of the globe, and a never-ending array of other amazing innovations. Bundled with the benefits is an organizational nightmare: managing and securing a gigantic list of logins and passwords. [Read more]
REAL ESTATE, LENDING, FINANCE JANUARY 2020
Living Well – Real Estate
Tiny Houses
The Tiny House movement has taken the country by storm, with Colorado leading the way. These micro homes, generally 400 square feet or less, either present an idyllic lifestyle of freedom or a panacea for affordable housing. [Read more]
FINANCING TIPS
Financing Modular, Mobile and Tiny Homes
When it comes to purchasing a modular, mobile, or tiny home, financing can be the most difficult part of the overall decision. Type and style variations between these structures warrant different kinds] of financing, not to mention what a specific borrower may or may not qualify for. [Read more]
MONEY MATTERS
When I was a child, my mother used to say, “Get your act together,” if she wanted us to straighten up and clean the bathrooms and our bedrooms, then tidy up the house. [Read more]