Category Archives: David Feela

It’s not like one of those holiday scenes with snow swirling, caught inside a vigorously shaken orb of winter wonder. It’s only a glass cylinder about the size of a 5-pound coffee can, attached to my telephone post. A silver … Continue reading →

I’m feeling less and less tranquil these days despite our Constitution’s long-standing guarantee, and it’s not because of terror alerts or eco-radicals, gun-toting immigration militias or even government employees who work part-time as pimps. No, the people who make me … Continue reading →

I hate to sink anyone’s ship, but it’s not a naval story I’m about to tell. The Commodore I want to talk about is an old, old, old-style data processor manufactured at the dawn of the personal computer business. If … Continue reading →

I wish I knew why Harley riders stare straight through me when I’m coming down the street on my scooter from the opposite direction. We’ve all seen the secret signal they flash each other as they pass by, a quick … Continue reading →

Recently I purchased a book from a thrift store titled “The Good Spell Book.” When I first saw it on the shelf, I thought it was a text about vocabulary, though the grammar of its title confused me. As it … Continue reading →

We’d gone to bed, blithely unaware that our property was being cased. You’d think we’d have heard something but usually we’re deep sleepers, especially when the summer’s hot and a cool breeze finally works its way through an open window. … Continue reading →

Memorial Day had arrived and the graveyards all across America were being decorated with wreaths, sprays, and garlands. Pam and I were expecting a low-impact holiday, without any real plans in the works. No relatives stopping over, no picnics, nothing … Continue reading →

If you enjoy getting away from the house, feeling refreshed by an hour or so spent in more natural surroundings, and unloading your burdens onto a picnic table, then you may want to be a bit cautious when you go … Continue reading →

Recently I watched a classic film I haven’t seen in 40 years, “The Wizard of Oz.” It gave me nightmares throughout my childhood. The scene where the wicked witch’s foot shrivels up and disappears under the house that fell upon … Continue reading →

I had this feeling in my gut when I hung up the phone that deals like the one I was being offered ought not to be taken seriously. I’m not sure how such an awareness worked its way into the … Continue reading →

Somewhere inside an American public school a teacher had just about had it. It was nearly the end of the week. He slid a stack of essays into his briefcase, turned off the classroom lights, and headed straight for the … Continue reading →

Every professional sport and every athlete suffers the indignity of being under suspicion for using performance- enhancing drugs, whether they use them or not. I’ve got no problem with that. Professional athletes make serious money, enough for the entire pro-athlete … Continue reading →

I’m not sure I can remember the exact age when owning a horse amounted to a full-time thought, but I know when it occurred I spent my days from dawn to dusk thinking about it. I was maybe 4, or … Continue reading →

The television made it look so much better, and my neighbor had already bought one. Naturally, I didn’t want to be the first to purchase it, but I also didn’t want to be the last. Then I saw the ad … Continue reading →

Rodeo Days reminds us that the West is not only a tourist attraction but also a celebration of tradition for folks in Cortez. A law firm in Durango may have “partners,” but we still call them “pardners.” Irritants may get … Continue reading →

When I moved from Minnesota over 20 years ago to teach in the Cortez school system, I hoped my college had trained me adequately for the job of inspiring the youth of this community. After all, I had studied the … Continue reading →

Maybe it’s like a soap-opera romance, this ongoing affection of mine for the old-style single-wide mobile homes, more commonly known as trailers. To me their appeal is strongest when I’m driving a gravel county road and like an alien spacecraft … Continue reading →

“Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.” — Richard M. Nixon These days there’s not much to be said for the integrity of the American presidency, so when I say I admire … Continue reading →

When a spouse has a birthday, it’s customary to purchase some sort of gift, a token of affection and remembrance, a material pleasure that means, Gee, I’m glad you were born! Forgetting about this courtesy can lead to…well, let’s just … Continue reading →

A small, red Ford Fiesta would not be considered a luxury car, but the trip to Arizona felt luxurious. We had – or rather, the couple that took this trip had – an entire week. I’m not going to identify … Continue reading →

Prisoners supposedly pay for their crimes by hammering out license plates in our national prisons. Perhaps the practice appeals to the public’s desire for justice, but punitive measures may have gone too far in New Hampshire where inmates would likely … Continue reading →

Immediately after Valentine’s Day strikes at the heart, thoughts turn toward Easter, those sweet memories of hunting marshmallow chicks lurking in the cellophane grass. For a time we believed that rabbits laid eggs, or that the big chocolate bunny would … Continue reading →

In the winter of my 13th year, my junior-high PE teacher forced me to dance with a girl. I would have been happier outside, playing hockey, getting knocked on my butt, impressing people who passed by with the power of … Continue reading →

At the risk of exposing myself to ridicule, I want to get this off my chest: For the past 30 years all my clothing has come from thrift stores. With the exception of the occasional gift and the bulk of … Continue reading →

Standing in a grocery-store checkout line, I heard the unmistakable strains of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture coming from – of all places – a purse. After no more than two of those famous crescendos the music was cut short as a … Continue reading →

Drive across America along the Interstate and you’ll get the impression that sleeping, eating, and getting gas are the activities we hold dear to our hearts. I’m not saying they’re not, but of these three the greatest seems to be … Continue reading →

While the students darkened the bubbles on the survey forms with their No. 2 lead pencils, I sat in my chair at the front of the classroom and surveyed the class. They had been assigned the task of completing a … Continue reading →

It’s understandable that, living just a half-mile from the county landfill, I should regularly see truckloads of garbage heading past my house, which is why I’m completely baffled when I go to town and see the same crap scattered around … Continue reading →

Walking through the Cortez City Park during Memorial Day weekend, I admired all the hot rods and muscle cars parked on the grass. Every machine, chopped or partially restored, made me remember my red 1965 Mustang convertible. Just the thought … Continue reading →

Wisdom supposedly comes with age, when the urge to impress our ideas upon others takes on less elaborate proportions. A few weeks ago I got cornered by a Ute grandmother who simply shook her finger at me while flourishing in … Continue reading →

Three weeks after my article about the missing dump dog appeared in the Four Corners Free Press, I received an unusual call. Well, I didn’t actually receive it – my answering machine did. I’d run away from home just like … Continue reading →

We’d arranged a breakfast meeting for 10 a.m. but by 10:15 the other party hadn’t shown up. I’m referring to co-owner and operator of local access Channel 17 Bill Beasley, a name I can easily remember because when we finally … Continue reading →

In our 15 years residing at the top of Turkey Buzzard Hill – less than a half mile from the county landfill – seven cats and three dogs have found their way out of the ditches and up our driveway … Continue reading →

Cortez isn’t one of those places that attracts ghosts. We hardly ever endure the classic dark and stormy night, and the only rattling of chains occurs when the mountain passes are restricted by excessive snow or a threat of avalanche. … Continue reading →

As the snow begins its accumulation in the mountains, most of us stop fretting over how much water will be available for the coming year. Snowpack stands as a fairly reliable yardstick to measure what conditions the summer will bring. … Continue reading →

While the aspens are turning various shades of red and yellow, school buses keep returning to their bus garages. As we sweep fallen leaves from our front doorsteps, bus drivers are sweeping trampled candy wrappers from beneath rows of empty … Continue reading →