I have never seen the Pacific Ocean, the coastline of Texas, or the Vastness of Alaska. I have only been out of the country once (A few...

Note: Sorry! The pictures aren't very good. 1924 CCHS Basketball Team I only knew Earl Crees (second from left) and Augie Menzel (third...

18 “Ten Commandments of Westcliffe” I used to tell my seniors in philosophy and government class that Change and progress are not...

Someone has said, “There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth.” Usually, no one is intentionally lying, it...

I begiin with Three past matriarchs of Westcliffe. I’m sure that most of you who knew them won't need a reminder, but I will provide the...

Breakfast in a Small Town This chapter of Walking the Same Ground doesn’t actually begin in Westcliffe, the Valley, or Custer County at...

Walking the Same Ground “Blizzards and Bus Trips” Some years ago, blizzards with blowing snow, zero visibility, huge drifts, and roads...

Solitude and Wilderness All heaven and earth are still—though not in sleep, But breathless, as we grow when feeling most; And silent, as...

Remembering A Few Valley Families One day, Ben Kettle and I were talking about how several people who grew up in the Valley, never...

Scrap Piles, Bone Piles, Local ranches once offered a visual lesson in Valley history. Today, it might be called junk, and some would set...

Old buildings have always fascinated me. Although unreadable, etched into the wood and stone are the memories and stories of generations...

Walking the Same Ground 10 “A Few More Friends, Neighbors, and Acquaintances” Earl and Dortha (Dot) Cress ranched below the Pines Road...

Westcliffe Community United Methodist Church: 100 Years In The Valley Last Sunday afternoon, I spoke at the 100th anniversary of the...

Walking The Same Ground 8 “Friends, Neighbors, and Acquaintances” In the next few chapters of Walking The Same Ground, I want to relate a...

“Neighboring” Although its is still done occasionally today, it used to be common practice for ranchers to move cattle from one pasture...

Clara Mary Reida was a rancher, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend. She died peacefully in her sleep on March 19, 2023. On Saturday May 13...

Walking The Same Ground 5 “Old Fences, Old Cabins, and Rhubarb” Over the years I have probably removed, repaired, and rebuilt at least a...

Walking The Same Ground 4 “Cars, and Jeeps, and Trucks,, Oh My!” Tucked away in old barns, sheds, and on vacant lots of Custer County was...

Walking The Same Ground 3 “Home” Custer County has changed in the last half century. There are five times more people (from 1000 to...

Walking The Same Ground 2 “A Westcliffe Education” It was March of 1974, the weekend we saw our first movie at the Jones Theatre, a new...