Just this past weekend Ol’ Dutch decided to make the long journey up to Kansas and some of my past digs to see family.

According to Google, the phrase “cash is king” originated after the stock market crash of 1987. Just goes to show you that Google doesn’t know everything because Ol’ Dutch knew long ago that anyone with cash in any situation has a distinct advantage over others who do not.

The phrase “seeing the elephant” is a distinct piece of American verbiage that dates to the 1830’s and describes gaining knowledge from a particular experience. It was like going to town to see an elephant which had long been heard of but never seen to that point in a person’s life.

Many of you probably remember the movie “The Great Escape” produced back in 1963 and had a star-studded cast like no other films before or since. Steve McQueen was the main protagonist in the movie and his motorcycle stunts are still talked about today.

The Rio Grande County Commissioners are strongly opposed to Prop HH and urge all citizens of Rio Grande County and the State of Colorado to vote "NO" on Prop HH on the November 2023 ballot as it clearly violates the State Constitution, seems purposefully written to mislead voters, and obscures the fact that passage would eliminate future TABOR refunds and reduce the limits placed on the growth of state government.

For those of you who follow Ol’ Dutch and Miss Trixie on their weekly adventures, you know there is never a dull moment. And just like the character Roseanne Roseannadanna, who was played by the great Gilda Radner, used to say, “it's always something.”

It appears that another summer season has come to a close for Ol’ Dutch and Miss Trixie, and what a season it was indeed. It started out like a Kansas tornado and never stopped until just this last Saturday with the end of elk and bear season. No matter the long-winded promises by Miss Trixie all last winter about “taking time for ourselves” and “not overpromising to others,” she hit the ground running and, even short of breath due to the altitude, we soon were immersed in everything Colorado and more.

Now, most of you don't know that my Miss Trixie was friends with Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady of these great United States and the widow of our 36th President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Miss Trixie knew Mrs. Johnson long after LBJ died, of course, but she still heard stories from Mrs. Johnson and other alums from the Johnson administration.

I think most of you can relate to the use — and probably overuse — of Facebook by most people. As soon as you log in, Facebook asks “What’s on your mind” as a daily reminder to post any and everything that crosses the old noggin. And the main problem is people will tell you.

I realize you have to be a tad older to recall the phrase “I know nothing …NOTHING!” made popular on a sitcom called “Hogan’s Heroes.” “Hogan’s Heroes” was a weekly show about some Allied prisoners of war in a German camp whereby the prisoners got by with all kinds of sabotage and mischief right under their captors' noses. The goofy Kommandant Klink ran the POW camp aided by his trusty yet bumbling Sergeant Schultz.

This past week found Ol’ Dutch back on the river driving for kayaking trips for Mountain Man Rafting. Now this was not the plan and Miss Trixie kinda Tom Sawyered me into it as her schedule was full to overflowing. As usual. But there is never a bad day on the Mighty Rio Grande River and so I got to see some new places as we kayaked east of South Fork on Friday. The Mountain Man/Narrow Ridge kayaking trips are perfect for beginners to experience their first time. You'll learn new things and have a lot of fun.

Anyone that knows anything about Miss Trixie can tell you that she is a whirlwind of activity all year long. I guarantee you, the grass never grows under her feet for very long if she can help it.

Anyone that knows anything about Miss Trixie can tell you that she is a whirlwind of activity all year long. I guarantee you, the grass never grows under her feet for very long if she can help it.

As soon as you read BYOB, I bet you thought Ol’ Dutch had fallen off the wagon and was suggesting that you “Bring Your Own Booze” to some pending future social event. And that is what the acronym has meant probably since Jesus turned the water into wine as He only did that once leaving future weddings on the dry side unless someone snuck in a fifth.

Just this past weekend Miss Trixie drug Ol’ Dutch to the annual Creede Colorado Rock and Mineral show to look at the pretty rocks. And it's not like I am not interested but I have a pretty good collection of said specimens myself and so tramping up and down the aisles and having to talk to people is kind of a stretch for this old man. Oh, I don't mind once I get there and actually, I found some great people this time to talk to, so it was definitely a win in the end. But I think Ol’ Dutch is more like an old water pump these days that takes a little bit of priming to get me started.

Another 4th of July passed us by this past week and Ol’ Dutch let er’ slip by without nary a mention, which is bad on all accounts. So late, but not forgotten, I have to give credit to all the founding fathers who gave their lives, property, and fortunes so we could be free.

Another 4th of July passed us by this past week and Ol’ Dutch let er’ slip by without nary a mention, which is bad on all accounts. So late, but not forgotten, I have to give credit to all the founding fathers who gave their lives, property, and fortunes so we could be free.

Miss Trixie reminded me today that this is the 10th anniversary of my starting to write for the Valley papers. Since that time, I became syndicated, and it allowed me to meet many good people — and a few not-so-good ones — across the country. It's been a wild ride sometimes as you have traveled along with Ol’ Dutch and Miss Trixie on all kinds of adventures from the headwaters of the Rio Grande river to the outlet of the same into the Gulf of Mexico. Not a few people have told me that “it seems like a lot longer” when I told them it was my 10th year.

I am sure that most of you have heard the old phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished.” You also know by now that Ol’ Dutch likes to include some background of the origin of such phrases here so that you, my readers, will have some intellectual-sounding fodder to bring up at the next social meeting you attend. So, I went to the source for everything, aka The Internet, and there seems to be some schism about who came up with such wisdom.

This past week Ol’ Dutch celebrated another one of those pesky days that thankfully come along only once a year. Yep, you guessed it. Another birthday rolled around and right on past like a freight train off a washed-out bridge. And I see that most of you missed it as I didn't see you at the party nor did you send an appropriate gift to the house. Which I guess is my fault for not announcing the whole affair so you could come and honor so great a guest as me.