First of all, let's stop the rumors before they get started. No, me and Miss Trixie are not married. And no, I am not married to someone else. And it’s not Trixie with the broken coccyx (pronounced cock-seek) so you all can rest easy and she can sit without pain. If you hang with me on here, though, Ol’ Dutch will spin you a yarn worthy of even the most sour puss amongst you. 

Writer Karen Mockler was thrilled when her city of Tucson, Ariz., announced it was starting a pilot program to deal with hard-to-recycle plastics, turning it into building blocks. Then things got complicated as the plastic waste piled up, and Dow Chemical and Hefty bags got involved. Burning the plastic turned into the new solution, and Mockler now concludes: "Instead of recycling plastic, we need to focus on phasing out its use — everywhere we can.

Anyone alive who has ever been to a venue where a microphone is needed has heard someone testing out the equipment prior to starting. It happens at concerts, auctions, ball games, school functions, city council meetings and churches so we all have been exposed to the process of testing. I am not sure why people generally say, “testing 1, 2, 3” and not something worthwhile hearing but I guess it's just the way it is. 

SAN LUIS VALLEY — Colorado State University Extension believes every person from every walk of life can experience their healthiest, happiest, most productive life if they continually engage in lifelong learning.  

Having been raised in church and especially having a father who was a pastor, I thought that I had a pretty good idea what a heathen was. To make sure, though, I actually Googled it to discover the official Internet meaning. Of course, the word is usually used in a disparaging way when talking about someone. In general, it means someone who is irreligious, uncivilized or uncultured. 

Northern Lights, silence, calm and the brilliant stars of dark nights — these are just a few of the benefits of winter darkness in Alaska, writes Tim Lydon. And now, researchers have found that just as climate change increases the heat and length of summer, dark winters are vital for the health of trees, wildlife and even us.

I am writing this a tad ahead of the actual New Year to meet the deadline for the papers that carry my column. It is always a difficult writing so far ahead, especially around the Holidays. By the time you read this the New Year will be in full swing and hopefully it will be one of great promise for each of you and our Nation too. 

It is hard to believe the beautiful winter weather we’ve been having lately. The unseasonably warm days do give way to colder nights, but I know well that these temperatures could be much lower than they have been. Probably should be.  

The death of a famous grizzly and the possibility of Lake Powell facing dead pool, wolves and a 460-foot tower proposed for Bears Ears National Monument — they were just some of the opinion columns sent out by Writers on the Range this year. The common denominator: Every writer cared passionately about the West — its wildlife, its public lands, and the people who live in this unique region.

Last year, I resolved to write a column in mid-December that reflects on the connectivity of land, water, and people as an annual holiday tradition. I believe that these three elements of our lives are truly embedded in our DNA and are worth reflecting on each year and counted as part of the blessings that we celebrate around the holidays. 

There’s a small wooden cabin at the top of Northwest Peak, a few miles from Montana’s borders with Idaho and Canada, and Chuck Manning, 79, believes lookouts like this one deserve a second chance at being useful. 

CSU Extension believes that every person from every walk of life can experience their healthiest, happiest, most productive life if they continually engage in lifelong learning. At SLV Area Extension, everything we do is designed to foster healthy youth and families, prosperous farms, ranches, and businesses, and strong, resilient, proud communities. We offer a myriad of educational opportunities to SLV citizens, where they live, work, and socialize. 

In response to my apologies for a messy house, Patt Morgan-Lloyd would always say: "I didn't come to see your house. I couldn't care less. I came to see you." On the phone, she'd first ask, "How are the kitties?"   

As most of you know, Miss Trixie and I are in the final throes of building a house. And when I say “building a house” I don’t mean we are having someone build us one, but we did most of the work ourselves. This has been a real test of our relationship but living in an RV for 12 years together probably cemented us together in some kind of JB Weld bond that cannot seem to be broken no matter how sick that may actually be.

The writers Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder and Norman McLean all staffed high-elevation fire lookouts in the West—their experiences rich fuel for their work. But Jack Kerouac’s reaction makes me smile. 

At the time this is printed and circulated, most of you will have already had your turkey bird dinner on Thanksgiving and maybe even had the obligatory nap afterwards. And as written about in the last column, Ol’ Dutch and Miss Trixie will be with my son Bub’s and his family for the celebration and eats. 

President Donald Trump’s first term was a disaster for America’s public lands. While the prospects for his second term are even more bleak, Westerners across the political spectrum — even those who voted for Trump — stand ready to oppose attempts to sell off America’s public lands to the highest bidder. 

The cold early winter day dawned a few hours ago and I find myself still at the kitchen table sipping coffee and scrolling through Facebook. With my rear end finally getting numb enough to force a move, I slowly rise from the chair, finally ready to start the day's first task. Dressed in my light winter gear I jump in the pick-up and drive the short quarter mile to the local Christmas tree lot and park off to the side. The fenced area houses 50 or so trees lying on the ground, wrapped tightly in nets just waiting to snap open and display their true beauty. The lucky ones have already been placed in a metal stand and confidently stretch their limbs to show just how many ornaments they can hold. I select the best one I can find and only minutes after arrival, I jump back in the truck and... 

I recall growing up that all the old people would say that time goes faster the older you get. And while it actually does not speed up, it sure seems like time flies as a person ages. This past year seems to be a true example of that as it came and went like a Banshee. And having said that, one might surely ask “Ol’ Dutch. What in the world is a Banshee?” 

Last weekend we set our clocks back one hour to officially end what is known as Daylight Savings Time (DST.) Which in name alone is the silliest thing a person could ever say as no matter how you tally up the hours in a day, you can't save any for future use.  A Native American when told about DST said, “only a white man can believe that if you cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it on the bottom that you would be left with a longer blanket.” And he was exactly right as days are just 24 hours long no matter how you slice it or dice it.