In 1919 Arthur and Alma Davis, with their baby daughter Leoma, traveling by covered wagon from Nebraska to Southeast Colorado, staked a claim to a piece of land outside of Walsenburg.
One hundred years later, the Davis family still runs the ranch and will receive a Centennial Farm award from the State of Colorado at the State Fair in Pueblo on Friday.
Leoma was my grandmother so I will be at the State Fair with my father.
I fly to Denver today, where I will spend a couple of days visiting with my brother, two nieces, and a cousin, then my dad and I will drive down to Walsenburg.
While in Huerfano County, my dad and I will also visit La Veta, where my grandfather was born. My dad and I haven't been to Walsenburg together since I was a teenager, though we've both been back there in the interim (when I worked for GateHouse Media, I arranged for a visit to the company's paper in La Junta so I could visit Walsenburg).
As is our practice, I'm telling you all this because obviously, when I'm out of town, it affects news coverage.
Billie is remaining in Batavia. We've made sure the people who normally help us with coverage -- Mike Pettinella, Alecia Kaus, Jim Burns, Steve Ognibene, and the fine folks at WBTA -- are all aware and available to help out while I'm gone.
My laptop finally got tired of the rigors of being my laptop last week and quit. Marc Johnson at Millennium Computers was kind enough to hook me up with a loaner so I won't be completely out of the loop. It's Windows but I can make do, I guess.
