John Mackay


Latest Articles:

Life, love, and a little bit of Ned

Meet Lyla, of Santa Monica, California. She is The Mountain-Ear’s 2023 Pet of the Year. Only Lyla knows about her life before Daddo. We’re pretty sure it consisted of a cramped cage, cold concrete, and noise. Lots of noise. We know that when she was six months old, angels appeared and brought her to a foster home in Burbank, far... READ MORE >

Why are we here?

It had been the longest six months of her life. She didn’t lose any friends, and she suffered no major injuries. Physical injuries, anyway. She did not get out unscathed. Laura Cartwright grew up in farm country outside of Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was the 80s and 90s, and she was very much the tomboy – woods, tree forts, biking,... READ MORE >

Bang the gong

Cari Minor paced the waiting room while her partner, Ray Smith, endured his last treatment. The head of UCHealth Foundation joined her, followed by another VIP from the Foundation. In time, a nurse called them back to the treatment area. When they approached the nurses’ station, Cari remembers, “It seemed like the entire hospital was there to watch Ray bang... READ MORE >

Lost my donkey: The story of a local cowboy

The door to the New Moon flew open like it had been kicked open. A big man followed a dusty gust of cool air in. The weathered-skin, squinted eyes, and bow to his legs told me he lived on the outside. This man was a cowboy. He wore a white cowboy hat, leather vest, worn jeans, and cowboy boots with... READ MORE >

The Ned Effect

Cameron Beebe spent much of his youth balanced atop skateboards, snowboards, and wakeboards. This was back in the nineties and oughts, in Red Wing, Minnesota, a pretty little town on the Mississippi River, the home of Red Wing Shoes. Mom was an entrepreneur, dad worked in the family business, and they lived at the end of a cul-de-sac. Cameron calls... READ MORE >

A job well done: Ed Ranegar retires

Lorena and I have a lot of great neighbors on Lazy Z Road. Some of our favorites are Ed and Sheila Ranegar at the Rising Sun Ranch. Ed came to Colorado in 1980. He was a starving carpenter at the time. The cashier at Ned’s grocery store, located where the rock shop is today, invited him over for a homemade... READ MORE >

A hell of a guy: Ira Scherr

I normally give you some insight into the upbringing of the people I write about. Not so with Ira Scherr: I’ve got just two things. He was born in Philly in 1950, and he describes his childhood like this: “What’s the difference between a Jewish mother and a vulture? A vulture waits until you’re dead before it eats your heart... READ MORE >

The hurt. The heal. The home.

Part one: The hurt “I’m done! I’m done with it!” That’s what Michael Dunbar thought, as he picked himself up from a subway platform in New York. He had heard that the Navy didn’t go to Viet Nam, and he definitely did not want to go to Viet Nam. He had spent a year in preparatory seminary, planning to become... READ MORE >

Mountain Folk Tales: The Travel Book

If you live in Eldora or spend time in Nederland, you’ve probably met Amélie Pontoise. She is confident, independent, and charismatic, with outlandish dreads and a beautiful French accent. And if you visit Hessie Trail, you’ve probably seen Kiki, her Chow Chow and travel buddy. Kiki spends her days at the side of Eldorado Avenue, checking out the people who... READ MORE >

Eric Abramson: Back to the dirt road

Eric Abramson was born to 50 acres and a family business in New Jersey. The business was Tiny Tots toy stores, founded by his great-grandfather, then run by his grandfather and grandmother, then his father. Although Eric watched MTV and dreamed of being a big time Hollywood director, it seemed pre-determined that he would, in time, take over the stores.... READ MORE >