Tied to the Post

Dead In Dog Years

A while back I was walking through Twin Rocks Cafe on my daily quest for coffee when I noticed a man wearing a T-shirt with a skeletal dog image printed on the back. Above the canine cartoon was the caption, “In dog years I am . . . dead.” This experience started me thinking about the Grateful Dead...

Duke done it thataway. The old-time trader William Woodrow “Duke” Simpson. Courtesy photo

“Don’t think Duke woulda’ done it thataway”

The other day I was in the trading post working on the latest edition of Tied to the Post when one of our long-term customers came strolling into the shop. It was a blistering August afternoon, and the refrigeration units were blowing like a hurricane. Despite the cyclone of cold air, the...

Priscilla at the Twin Rocks Trading Post. Courtesy photo

A pair of three

As Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.” Lately we have been observing what is happening around Twin Rocks Trading Post and have grown suspicious. Priscilla, our old friend, trusted advisor and best buddy appears to be stealing our thunder. One longtime reader e-mailed to...

The Anasazi Bean Affair

“But I am 85 years old!” she exclaimed. “Oh my… that’s …that’s not at all what I had in mind,” I stammered. Like many things at Twin Rocks Trading Post, The Anasazi Bean Affair began innocently, but somehow went very wrong. It all began about a month ago when Mary Cokenour, food writer for the...

It’s impossible for a muffinaholic to refuse a tasty muffin, and quite possible that the Muffin King may be buried with some. Courtesy photo

The life of a muffinaholic

Of all the things one can be addicted to, I suppose my obsession is relatively benign. Yes, I am aware that’s what all addicts say, but in my case it’s true. So, let’s just name it; I am a muffinaholic. If there was a Muffinaholics Anonymous, I would be at every meeting. I can just see myself, “Hi...

Elvis has left the building

As is often the case on these hot July days, we were hunkered down, sheltering behind the Kokopelli doors. Outside the temperature was 104° and rising. It was hot! Inside, however, the store was cool, calm and tranquil. Despite our comfortable circumstances, a dark cloud hung over us and our mood...

A change of scenery in Durango

Winter, spring, summer or fall, when Jana and I leave Bluff for a daytrip we typically go to Durango, CO. That is often, but not exclusively, because we can find good chow for Pearl and Opal, collectively known as The Gems, at Creature Comforts Pet Shop on the south side of town. Although The Gems...

Children strike poses atop the welcome sign to Bluff. Courtesy photo

A cornerstone of hope in San Juan County

In Bluff, like most small communities, volunteerism is a way of life. In this town of approximately 250 souls, day-to-day functions like culinary water, fire protection, and government services demand the commitment of a few stalwart individuals. Having spent most of my life here, I have found...

A spectactular sunset over the Twin Rocks boldly proclaims the color red. In the Navajo tradition, red is the powerful and symbolic color of “The People.” Courtesy photo

Red: Color of the high desert country

Sunrises and sunsets over this high desert country are fabulous at this time of year. They often look as if someone took a match and fired up an entire bank of burners. Ripples of red, orange and yellow dispersed across the heavens warm the bones and afford great satisfaction. The deep red tones...

The Last Indian War

As a young man growing up in the small southeastern Utah town of Blanding, I often heard the story of Paiute warrior William Posey, and how he sparked the last Indian war in the United States. At the time, we lived on the south end of town, just two blocks from the home of Clarence Rogers, an old-...