You may or may not be familiar with the phrase Olly, Olly, Oxen free and I think it would most assuredly depend on your age. It was a phrase used in many hide and seek games whereby finally, the person who is “it” calls out to everyone to come on in as they have given up on finding the hiders and they can run “home” without penalty.  

As a theatre artist and teacher, I believe the stage should be at the forefront of efforts to examine our personal beliefs and the major issues of the day.  It can be a place where injustice, …

Peter Sargent Middlemist, a longtime rancher and respected member of the San Luis Valley community, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2026, at the age of 92. 

Of course we all know that if you hang around long enough on this planet Earth someone will do a study on just about everything.  

What! - you mean police officers actually handle these calls for service? You better believe it! We receive more than our share of such complaints.   In my three decades of serving as a …

Way back in 1971 two realtors in the Seattle region erected a massive billboard with the phrase “Will the last one to leave please turn out the lights” on the sign. This was in reference to the …

Ol’ Dutch was never so glad to see a week end than I was this past week. As most  of you know Miss Trixie, her gorgeous self, and I drive the vans for Mountain Man Rafting in South Fork, Colorado.  

Growing up in small-town America, the circus rolled into town once a summer. It was actually cheap enough back then that parents could afford to take their kids without taking out a second mortgage. …

If you have never heard the phrase “button, button, who’s got the button?" it was actually a popular parlor game from the mid-1800s. And contrary to what Miss Trixie says, Ol' Dutch was not there to help invent that game.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, published in 1989, has sold over 15 million copies and has been translated into in 38 languages worldwide. The book remains …

There is nothing Ol’ Dutch loves more than a good DIY project. Judging by the packed aisles at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart, I’m not the only one feeding this addiction. Gone are the days of the local lumber yard, where ordering supplies took weeks and rejecting an item meant paying a brutal restocking fee. Today's big-box stores have everything you need, and if they don't, they'll order it risk-free. 

There’s the notion in the Valley, and elsewhere, that counseling is useless.  I disagree. It used to be called psychoanalysis (in those 50s and 60s movies where the uptown girl would see her analyst); and now there are personal appointments, group therapy, and groups addressing specific court requirements like violent offenders, and addictions.

We had never hunted the elusive Wapiti before, but through a mixture of blind faith and stubbornness, we soon found ourselves “ensconced” in an elk camp near South Fork, Colorado.

On Mother’s Day 2019, I wished readers oodles of hugs and kisses. Today, I’m asking you to think about what Mother’s Day means.

I think most of my readers know by now that Ol’ Dutch seems to be in a lifelong battle with the bulge. Not to be confused with the actual Battle of the Bulge, it is nonetheless a real struggle against a hardened belief system that was planted in me by the Kirkpatrick Clan as I grew up. 

I’ve been reading lately about the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, which is said to be hidden somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. The tale centers on a crusty old miner named Jacob Waltz, who lived in Phoenix and had a habit of disappearing for stretches of time, only to return carrying solid gold nuggets. 

"In My Midnight Confession" by The Grass Roots was vibrating from the small radio imbedded in the dash of 1968 White Beetle as racing Mustangs zipped by.  My boyfriend Dave was nibbling my right ear as I thought to myself, “I’m going to remember this moment forever.” 

CENTER — Concerns relating to disputes with a neighbor (or neighbors) certainly keep San Luis Valley police department & sheriff’s office peace officers quite busy. Oh yes, this is certainly …

Spring is a wonderful time of year for Ol’ Dutch. Elk season wasn't so long ago and I recall sitting in the beautiful aspen groves, watching golden leaves cascade down around me on their autumn journey to the ground. Without the promise of spring and fresh leaves to follow, it would have been a depressing sight. 

Got compassion? Got an understanding of the human condition?  Recognize your own short comings?  Then don’t leave home today without kindness for others.