It is a day in late October. Not a particularly hot day—60 degrees at most; and I have made the deliberate and determined decision to pedal my bicycle to a local pond for a ceremonial polar-bear-plunge into what I know will be bracing autumn water—the kind of cold plunge that will immediately take your breath…
I have a cousin who has always been interested in very old things. An inveterate rock-hound and arrowhead-seeker, he is continually on the hunt for that rare item of hidden beauty, or historical significance. Such expeditions have led him into several old abandoned mining towns, and ghost-towns, of our Western United States, opening up a…
I recently caught up with a young friend who had just returned from an extended stay on the Oahu Island of Hawaii. When I asked how he found our Sanpete Valley after three months in such a lush, tropical setting, he answered me with a single word… “Brown.” I understood. Having lived in the verdant…
We are still going through a worldwide pandemic, which resulted in locking down whole towns. Gradually, things have begun to open up, especially after the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available. However, those from big cities who had experienced mob violence on both coasts, as well as violence in large cities, began a modern gold rush…
Let me begin by stating—unequivocally and for the record—that I have never actually seen a ghost. I’m not even sure I believe in them; at least, not those intrusively bothersome kind from the horror movies, that tend to lurk nefariously in closets and behind shower curtains. But I could definitely feel something—an ethereal, yet palpable,…
By Corrie Lynne Player Like most of you, I really thought we would have a bit more peace as the COVID vaccination became available and our governor put reasonable restrictions in place, including some deterrents that were most onerous. But my world has been turned upside-down in the last several months. Our primary client failed…
It’s been a long time—too long—since I’ve felt the need to warn neighbors of an impending clamor they could soon expect to hear from within the dusty bowels of our old pioneer log barn. Such rhythmic ruckus has become something of a summer tradition in the barn: dozens of eager young hands, each wielding a…
Adopting the Pioneer Persona of An Original Sanpete Settler It’s that time of year again, when I let my chin-whiskers grow a bit, dig the period costume out of my closet (blue, band-collar shirt, suspenders, wool breeches, suitably weathered scally-cap), and rehearse the history—the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, triumphs and tribulations—that all came…
As you know, if you’ve been following this column, three of my nine children are adopted; two of those children, Dolly and Sherri, are why we’re a happy, connected group. I’d like to tell you about the day they came to us and what their adoption has meant to all of us. Gary and I…
We’ve just come through a divisive, difficult national election that was preceded by riots and thugs who’ve used the unrest to create havoc and help themselves to jewelry, flat screen televisions, and whatever else they could grab or vandalize. We’re still dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic that has the world in an uproar. Because…
My wife and I are in the habit of taking ourselves out on a roundabout ramble: a circuitous loop that meanders through town, before turning eastward, up the canyon road, then north, through a sprawling scrubland of junipers, then finally westward, and back down toward the town. We go romping ‘round this loop most days,…
March is here, and we’re still struggling with COVID-19, the worst pandemic to strike our world since Polio made life miserable for millions of people, especially children and young people. I remember reading magazines filled with pictures of children in iron lungs, large machines that augmented the muscles involved in breathing. I lived on a…
Beam me up, Scotty! Realizing My Fondest SciFi Fantasy… Almost By Randal B. Thatcher 2-24-2021 As a kid, I looked forward every week to another episode of the popular TV series, “Star Trek.” It was thrilling to watch those courageous crew-members of the Starship Enterprise continue their intergalactic explorations, boldly…
Try to endure gratefully, or at least patiently 1-27-2021 The year 2020 brought challenges that none of us expected. Most of us are reeling from illness, loneliness, worry about loved ones, wondering whether we’ll be able to pay the rent or mortgage, and a host of other difficult situations. I received a…
Liz Clawson and the Navajo Nation By Alley Brotherson Miss Sanpete 1-27-2021 Give and Grow is a monthly article that highlights the outstanding volunteers in Sanpete County and the organizations that are in need.