Southwest Life https://www.durangoherald.com/section/columnists-southwest-life/feed/ Stay informed with the latest breaking news, local stories, sports, business, weather, and community events from Durango, Southwest Colorado, and the Four Corners region. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:46:21 -0600 en-us 30 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/picket-wire-canyonlands-in-comanche-national-grassland/ Beginning in the 1860s, Hispanic families moved north from Trinidad and followed the Purgatoire River towards the Arkansas River. Using local materials they built houses of stone and adobe. Sheds and corrals came from pinon trees. What began as an... Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0600 40F7C6A6-7C5A-42AE-9B0A-3A20205F39EF https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/remarkable-bumblebees-stir-up-a-buzz/ A bumblebee flies around lupine. Note the long tongue! (Courtesy of Kestrel Detweiler) Mary Grizzard First, though – a few basics. There are no generic bumblebees but rather over 250 unique species worldwide, with 14 recorded just in La Plata... Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0600 7CD38682-A114-4596-A731-878D97A7017A https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/say-hello-to-the-western-tanager/ A male Western Tanager sits on a tree branch. (Courtesy of Mary Ann Bryant) Mary Grizzard Western Tanagers arrive in Southwest Colorado shortly after bears come out of hibernation, so setting out orange halves to attract them, as some websites... Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 -0600 4FC181A3-C797-4648-9730-558E3B4DF519 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/u-s-sen-ben-nighthorse-campbells-successes/ Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, seen here in his eagle feather headdress, stands next to Southern Ute tribal member Kenny Frost at the dedication of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in April 2007. The site’s protection was a direct... Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0600 CEC75903-E284-4AC5-8FD3-51E93E8A78D8 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/whos-ready-to-garden/ OK, a quick show of hands: How many of you are ready to get out there into the yard or garden? That’s what I thought. If we can’t ski without a snorkel, the least we can do is start planning... Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:48:27 -0700 EB284490-A85C-4B30-B267-95BC2435B0E6 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/gratitude-in-action-the-heart-of-4-h/ In 4-H, we spend a lot of time teaching young people important life skills like leadership, responsibility, resilience and service. One value that naturally grows alongside those lessons is gratitude. Being thankful for what we have, and for the people... Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0700 1BD7D53D-664A-477C-B47D-F4C64689CE14 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/what-polarization-tells-us-about-objects-outside-our-solar-system/ Everything we know about things outside of our solar system is from the light we receive. I am using the term “light” very broadly to include all types of electromagnetic radiation, since visible light is just a small part of... Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:00:58 -0700 797BB8CB-6AB6-445E-97D8-D6FFC6A81DEF https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/the-camino-real-bernardo-gruber-and-the-jornada-del-muerto/ Along the 1,700 miles of the Camino Real, the royal road from Mexico City to Santa Fe, one of the deadliest stretches was 90 miles of dry desert called the Jornada del Muerto or journey of the dead man named... Sat, 10 Jan 2026 16:00:00 -0700 21F0E115-34AA-48BC-94BE-98CFD8D1A4A6 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/getting-up-to-steam/ The 25th Anniversary of the Durango Railroad Historical Society Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:00:00 -0700 6273EAA2-E5D3-48F7-B9BC-963743236610 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/sjmas-trees-for-conservation-celebrates-13-years/ San Juan Mountains Association's Christmas Trees for Conservation tree lot opens Nov. 28. (Courtesy SJMA) Many are familiar with the San Juan Mountains Association’s Christmas tree lot. We offer wild, locally sourced trees and wreaths – along with farmed trees... Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:15:15 -0700 6DA81561-A718-4B13-8848-57A51DFA79A3 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/columnists/ive-got-a-corny-one-for-ya/ According to the Colorado Climate Center, this October’s precipitation event produced over 500% our normal rain for a typical October, in only four days, no less. Also, since I am strangely aware that almost every horror movie has been running... Sun, 02 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0700 BAD3AD3D-2C00-4147-8E54-97A3F699FEB5