January 2026 began with a drought that persisted through 2025. Signs were already apparent last winter, which saw the lowest average snowpack in a decade. Despite rains in September and October, for much of last year, all of Colorado was experiencing drought conditions. Both November and December saw less precipitation than average, and warmer temperatures […]
winter
Posted inNews
As winter hits Carbondale, residents stoke their fireplaces
Cathy Britt sliced apples on her kitchen counter and looked at an ironcast wood stove in an adjoining living room. It’s a Norwegian-made Jotul. The kind with a nostalgic swinging door and a black stove pipe. “We can’t imagine not having it,” she said. “It’s just so part of the house.” Cathy, a former Carbondale […]
Posted inFiction
Works in Progress
Winter Arrival By Linda Helmich © Nov. 9, 1985 Day after day,Week after week,As summer endsAnd autumn reigns,For me,There is an undercurrent Of dread.Our enemyIs crouching nearby,And will soon attack.I know it,And that knowledgeBrings with itA kind of tension. Then, one night,While we sleep unguarded,The world around us Is changed.But it is not a viciousOr violent […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Branching Out: What is it with winter?
All the other other seasons are linked together by bearable, warmer temperatures, tethered to things that are “alive.” We play, we gather, we grow. Days are longer, more sensual. Winter is different, almost separate, in a way. It’s here, truly, and I don’t hate it. The white stuff is sticking around, “cleaning” things up and […]