Poetry of the Great Plains – Letter to an Imaginary Friend
Thomas McGrath (1916-1990) wrote his epic long poem Letter to an Imaginary Friend between 1957 and 1985. Simply put, it is brilliant. It has no match in American literature except for maybe Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, although it is much lesser known than Leaves. McGrath is from North Dakota, and the poem […]
Poetry of the Great Plains – Buffalo Dusk
At one point in my life, I fancied myself a poet, but never mind that. Today’s post is hopefully the first in a series of posts that will contain poems that have something to do with the Great Plains. Unless I have a particular something to point out, I will try to refrain from commentary or […]
Timelapse Bison Photos
Very Cool!
What Makes a Place “Western?”
In the last decade or two, the American West has been a hot commodity. Boomtown after boomtown has risen from the ashes of a former economy that was based mostly on mineral extraction or timber harvesting. All across the West, tourism and recreation thrived as people came pouring in from other places in search of […]
Colorado’s Paint Mines
I just got back from a short foray on the plains of Colorado. It was my first time visiting Paint Mines Interpretive Park, but I guarantee it will not be my last. Paint Mines Interpretive Park is part of the El Paso County Parks system. It’s a small park (approximately 300 acres) about 50 miles […]
The Road is How
Trevor Herriot, a prairie conservationist based out of Saskatchewan, has just come out with a new book called The Road is How. He is the author of several books about various aspects of the prairie ecosystem in Canada, the best known being One Day, Grass, Sky, Song, which deals with the dubious fate of grassland birds. […]
Hidden Gems
An article has appeared in 5280, The Denver Magazine about some hidden gems in Colorado, and although it did not receive a large write-up, Pawnee Buttes and Pawnee National Grassland got the cover shot, as well as a full two page spread kicking off the larger article. Well done! With more articles like this one, […]
The Mickelson Trail in South Dakota
While we’re on the subject of rail trails, one of the best in the country is the Mickelson Trail through the Black Hills of South Dakota. It’s over 100 miles long and runs from Edgemont in the south all the way to Deadwood in the north. The scenery is spectacular, and the plan is to […]
Hold the Doom and Gloom – A Rail Trail Update
Here’s an update on the situation regarding rail trails, and the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. It appears the news is not all bad, but expect more litigation . . . “down the line.” More on the Supreme Court ruling
Rail Trails Take a Hit
From the Bad News Desk, we have this: The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a blow to rail trails. The implications are not yet clear, but it appears that any federally protected right of ways that exist on private lands my be in jeopardy, even if they are currently being used as trails. For more […]
Burrowing Owls
Burrowing owls are one of the coolest species of wildlife that can be found on the Great Plains. I realize that statement is an opinion, and you are as free as ever to disagree, but owls just seem smart to me, probably smarter THAN me, so they have my utmost respect, and I think they’re […]
The Bakken Oil Patch – North Dakota
When it comes to the Great Plains, it’s almost impossible to avoid a discussion about the Bakken Oil Patch in western North Dakota. It seems like every major news outlet wants to do a feature on the changes that have come to the area – from National Geographic to NPR – everybody wants a slice […]
