By Eilene Lyon Losing a Parent I abruptly abandoned the blogosphere a couple weeks ago. Usually I give a little notice that I won’t be reading, commenting, or posting. I'm officially back now. About ten years ago, my mother began exhibiting signs of dementia. For the past six, she has lived in memory care in... Continue Reading →
The Picketwire
By Eilene Lyon First, the name. Legend has it that an unauthorized expedition of Spaniards led by Antonio Gutierrez de Humaña and Francisco Leyva de Bonilla, came to what is now southern Colorado in 1594 (a much-disputed legend at that). On their way home, Humaña murdered Bonilla in order to make off with all the... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Getting Lei’d
By Eilene Lyon If my memory serves me correctly (and I won’t swear it does), this cowry shell lei landed around my neck when our flight landed in Papeete, Tahiti, at 3 a.m. on a December morning in 1998. Let’s just say I’ve had it so long I can’t imagine where else I would have... Continue Reading →
Absurdities #12
By Eilene Lyon As I was driving into town in the morning, I saw a cluster of at least 10 deputy sheriff and Durango police SUVs escorting an all-black bus heading the opposite direction. The bus wasn't like a large tour bus, but the size of the shuttles at the local ski area. All the... Continue Reading →
The Welsh-Adler File
Found Photo Project #5 By Eilene Lyon What might happen to your family photos if you do not pass them on before you die, or leave instructions in your will? They could wind up in the trash, or maybe scattered in a booth at a large antique mart in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When I saw... Continue Reading →
On a Personal Note
By Eilene Lyon Here we are, winding down another year, and I must take stock. My blogging output has been down a bit as it took a back seat to my book-writing. I completed the final manuscript for Fortune’s Frenzy at the end of August, and it will be released next summer. Almost immediately after... Continue Reading →
History Colorado Center
By Eilene Lyon On my recent trip to Denver, I spent a couple hours at the History Colorado Center museum. They had a mix of long-term and temporary exhibits to visit. Unfortunately, I was too early for the Sand Creek Massacre exhibit that began on November 19. As I write about Colorado pioneers, I find... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Anabat
By Eilene Lyon At the end of my freshman year at Fort Lewis College, in 2005, I did a 10-week internship in the Natural Resources department at Mesa Verde National Park. One of the full-time employees, Marilyn Colyer, invited me to join a bat survey in the La Plata Mountains. Though wandering the forest at... Continue Reading →
A Capital Visit
By Eilene Lyon I recently visited Denver to research my current work-in-progress at the Denver Public Library. Fortunately, a good friend was able to offer a place to stay, not far from a light-rail station. For $10.50, I could ride trains and buses all day and leave behind the hassle and expense of driving and... Continue Reading →