Life in San Juan

Harry and Mike Goulding in Monument Valley.  Courtesy photo
By Janet Wilcox Contributing Writer John Wayne is credited as saying, “Monument Valley is the place where God put the West.”  Romanticized images of those rugged buttes, and dramatic monoliths still weave their charm today, enticing both tourists and movie makers into Navajo Country as well as to...
I recently discovered that mice had taken up residence in our garage, where they had chewed their way through all of the pumpkin seeds and garden seeds we had stored to plant (but did not, because of the drought). And I must say I did not find their cozy nest and the mess they left behind as...
The Monticello High School Class of 1976 recently held a gala 50-year class reunion over the Pioneer Day holiday in Monticello. A large number of class members attended to relive the days of yore. They include: (back row, left to right): Dave Garard, Sandy Porter, Doug Wright, Steven Hansen, Mark...
Bagpipe master Johnny Miner will transport you across the Atlantic to the Scottish Highlands at the Blanding Arts and Events Center on August 22.  Courtesy photo
On Saturday, August 22, 2026 you can hear the strains of Scotland when bagpipe player Johnny Miner comes to the Blanding Arts and Events Center. Johnny is a World Pipe Band Championship competitor with nearly 30 years of experience. Kigalia Fine Arts presents him in the first event of the 2026-27...
“Good evening, and welcome to the final event of the 2026 San Juan County Fair.  “Tonight as we gather beneath these wide-open skies for the Blue Mountain Youth Rodeo, we’re reminded that there is something special about small-town America. In places like San Juan County, our roots run deep, our...
Dinosaur in flight a few million years in the making. Photo courtesy NHMU and BLM
After 12 years of searching, Fran Barnes stood on a ledge, 250 feet above the canyon floor, staring at a 150-million-year-old petrified puzzle he had no way to move off the cliff. (See August 5 San Juan Record) It took another 38 years for the answer to drop out of the sky. In October 2025, the...
Angela Crowley swept the top two spots in the Quilt-N-Time Quilters quilt show. Her Red, White, and Cute entry took first prize and her Exploding Heart of Texas was second. The Quilt-N-Time Quilters would like to thank everyone who entered quilts and attended the show. They had lots of fun visiting...
Dystrophaeus viaemalae in what AI suggests East Canyon might have looked like 155 million years ago.  AI artwork
Dr. John Strong Newberry stuffed his crude rock pick back into his bag and stared at the bone fragments lying before him—the shattered remnants of a titan locked inside 150 million years of solid sandstone. As the chief scientist of the Macomb Expedition, sent from Santa Fe that summer of 1859 to...
Members of the San Juan Rodeo Royalty pose for a photo from left to right is Rodeo Queen picture is Brinkley Knight Rodeo Queen, Jade Hoggard Princess third attendant, Janaley Johnson princess first attendant, Austyn Monson princess, Paisley Monson princess second attendant, Lucy black queen attendant. Not pictured this week are Miss San Juan Madison Adair and attendant Samantha McDonald. Courtesy photo
by David Boyle News Director The San Juan County Fair starts up this week with an opportunity for residents to get their ‘Country Kicks in ‘26’. The multi-week celebration runs July 31 through August 8 with rodeos, livestock auctions, family games and a concert with Country music act Lonestar!...
By Janet Wilcox Contributing Writer With modern hospitals and clinics in both Grand and San Juan County today, it’s hard to imagine what life must have been like in the 1850’s when medical help was both distant and rustic.  For many years the nearest towns with hospitals or medical facilities were...

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San Juan Record

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