Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
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 →
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 →
By Eilene Lyon Having family in Oregon means I travel there regularly. The Willamette Valley is lush compared to where I live, so I always enjoy the change in scenery. Portland is very much a "garden city." I don't think I could tolerate the gray winters, though! The Japanese Garden is located within Washington Park,... Continue Reading →
Week 8: #52Ancestors – I Can Identify By Eilene Lyon With the weather sort-of thinking along the lines of spring, I’m anticipating some camping trips around the state. It seems I’ve been a camper my entire life. My parents took us camping throughout the eastern states and in Oregon while I was growing up. For... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
By Eilene Lyon In my first Artful Durango post, I shared a small sampling of murals around town, particularly more recent ones. This time I will share some sculptural, or three-dimensional art around the city. One thing I learned in doing this project is that it is very difficult to get good photographs of outdoor... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon This is the second in my series about historic buildings on Main Ave. in Durango, Colorado. I earlier covered the unique Durango Depot. Few buildings remain in the 500 block of Main Ave. from Durango’s earliest days, and this area was known for many years as the seedier side of town (south... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon The “From the Vault” series features an artifact or family photo from my collection to illustrate a tale from my distant past. The first real vacation I took as an adult, after college, was a two-week Windjammer cruise in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). I had been living in Durango for less... Continue Reading →
Fun With Genealogy
Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Navigating the second half of my life
A history of the people of the Willamette Valley as revealed through their structures.
Doing the best I can to keep it on the bright side
You might think you understand what I said, but what you heard is not always what I meant.
A New Twist on the Old West
Author, Speaker, Family Historian
thoughts about life from below the surface
tiny histories
... stories of significant others in the Allery, Cutting, McCulloch and Robertson tribes ...
Celtic, Mythical and More ...
Illuminating the Ancestral Journey
Tracing The Faces
Uncovering Family Legacies One Stitch at a Time
Adventures in Genealogy
Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana Blog
visual stories: fine art, artist books, illustrated gifts
Night Thoughts of a Literary Agent
Myricopia 