In this episode we get to hear Delores Worley tell her story about how she ended up in Saguache, Colorado. She has lived such a rich and full life and this episode will try to highlight a brief snapshot of her life. She’s been a resident of Saguache for 50 years and is still going strong at 96. You can often see her out and about in Saguache with her patented walking stick. 

In Shaping Communities folks talk about how they have contributed and created a community of caring for neighbors through volunteerism, community-funded programs, and grant-funded projects to help with housing security, food security, supporting our elders, and a host of other ways that support local residents.

Lisa Cyriacks, Vice President of the Baca Land Trust speaks about what the land trust is all about. The mission:

“To conserve the beauty of the natural landscape, promote respectful
relationships between people and nature, and facilitate environmental integrity
through community cooperation in northeastern San Luis Valley, Colorado.”

To learn more or to volunteer please visit: https://www.crestonebacalandtrust.org/

For Everett Wilson Crestone, Colorado was only a footnote in a book about somatic meditation by Reginald A. Ray when he decided to follow his wife Anoushka on a spiritual journey from California to their new home. Everett and Anoushka met at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center about two hours drive inland from Monterey, California, and after a couple of years trying to figure out what to do after living in a Zen monastery for five years, they took a chance and visited Crestone, Colorado, where Anoushka attended a program at Dharma Ocean, and Everett did a solitary retreat at the Tashi Gomang stupa. Find out how they overcame the “weirdness” and tough living of this little town at the end of the road, to make themselves a home over the course of fourteen years. Don’t forget to stick around for some spoken word at the end of the story! 

For information regarding the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center referenced in the interview visit https://www.sfzc.org/locations/tassajara. To learn about Dharma Ocean, the spiritual center that brought Everett and Anoushka to Crestone, visit https://www.dharmaocean.org/. There is also a link for the Crestone Poetry Festival https://www.poemfest.com/ that Everett has helped organize since 2018.

This episode of Saguache County Stories focuses on the history of the region and seven generations of the local Archuleta family. Dario speaks on his own culture past and present, the history of the Mexican land agreement and even some ghost stories. 

This podcast is made possible in part through a generous Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Music created by Lydia Schultz Sprouts & Rob Treaphort with Golden Turtle Sound. Concept development by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan with Dusty Dog Films along with the staff of the Northern Saguache County Library District. If you would like to share your story, have questions, or would like to reserve your spot at an interview event—email Eden at [email protected] or call the Saguache Public Library at 719.655.2551.

The San Luis Valley has long been known as a land full of mystery and unexplained phenomena. The Northern Saguache County Library District presents an opportunity for folks to share their own unexplained stories from around the valley during its Unexplained Saguache County community storytelling events. Join locals on October 18th at 5:00 at the Saguache Public Library and October 25th at 5:00 at the Baca Grande Library to share your own mysteries- from UFOs to orbs to livestock mutilations and more. For now, listen to our special presentation from the NSCLD’s Saguache County Stories for clips from last year's event.  

Join Lisa Bodey as she describes her transition into tiny living and living simply here in the San Luis Valley. Lisa describes what it took to survive and transition from dwelling in suburbia to a more unconventional working and housing community.   

Alannah Godwin tells her story of home displacement in California, her plan to move to Ireland and her new life here in Colorado. This podcast is made possible in part through a generous Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Music created by Lydia Schultz Sprouts & Rob Treaphort with Golden Turtle Sound. Concept development by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan with Dusty Dog Films along with the staff of the Northern Saguache County Library District. If you would like to share your story, have questions, or would like to reserve your spot at an interview event—email Eden at [email protected] or call the Saguache Public Library at 719.655.2551. For new episodes, to read our blog, or watch our YouTUBE channel check out the Northern Saguache County Library District website: nscld.colibraries.org.

Finding Home Episode 8: Four Horses, Four Kids and Forty Dollars. Deb Skadberg brings us along on her journey from North Dakota to Colorado in a handbuilt stagecoach with her husband and four children in the 1980s, as she describes their once in a lifetime adventures that led them to Saguache County. This podcast is made possible in part through a generous Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Music created by Lydia Schultz Sprouts & Rob Treaphort with Golden Turtle Sound. Concept development by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan with Dusty Dog Films along with the staff of the Northern Saguache County Library District. If you would like to share your story, have questions, or would like to reserve your spot at an interview event—email Eden at [email protected] or call the Saguache Public Library at 719.655.2551. For new episodes, to read our blog, or watch our YouTUBE channel check out the Northern Saguache County Library District website: nscld.colibraries.org.

Searching for Sovereignty and Security: In Episode 7 of our Finding Home Series, local resident Jae Sanders discusses how displacement and codes affect many in the United States and how her personal journey led her to call Saguache County home. Jae currently owns property in KV Estates and plans on building a custom made home using locally sourced, natural materials.

Christine Gingrich de Mendez

Creating A Zero-Waste Lifestyle

In this podcast interview Christine Gingrich de Mendez shares the process she went through to create her life here in the San Luis Valley. With the goal of zero waste and no bills, she and her husband built a tiny straw bale house utilizing conventional insulation and solar power to create an off-grid, no-mortgage home in the community that is Crestone, Colorado. Enjoy Christine’s 19-minute podcast interview. —Have a story? Send an email to [email protected] to schedule an interview.