Do you know who I am?
When I first moved to town, one of the first jobs I secured was as a ski instructor at Deer Valley Resort. I had professional experience and industry certifications, and I enjoyed the fast-paced intensity of high-level skiing, coaching, and the guests who frequented the resort in that era. Despite my introverted tendencies, I had […]
A New Software Update Is Available
My eight-year-old daughter and I were sitting at the dinner table at the close of the day. The rest of the family had moved on to their business, and she and I had remained seated while having a thoughtful chat. After a dramatic pause in the conversation, she asked me, “Dede, if you had an […]
Kerouac’s Roadkill
Have you ever hitchhiked? It was long ago, but I used to hitch rides. I’m confident this will shock many who know my ‘reformed’ or ‘domesticated’ self today, but it’s an absolute truth and a defining milestone of my youth. Not only was I willing to stand on the side of the road, stick my […]
The Best That You Can Do
The human mind is fascinating. I marvel at how this wad of grey matter, with the subsequent spinal fluid and nerve network, encapsulates billions of individuals’ unique souls and personalities. As a hobbyist, I have dabbled with some light study of psychology and neurophysiology to understand self and core human interaction better. These fields are […]
Calculated Compromise.
While I delight in all of the seasonal transitions, the deciduous trees of autumn make an undeniable impression and are impossible to ignore. With that notion, Northern Utah weather fluctuations are not for everyone. During our vernal and autumnal shifts, one can expect weather reminiscent of the heat of summer and the depth of winter […]
We’ve Got Work to Do.
Utah state legislation grants certain powers to local government to create redevelopment agencies to facilitate new development and redevelopment of targeted areas. This tool is currently called a “Community Reinvestment Area (CRA)”. It involves using a portion of the property tax revenues (known as “tax increment”) generated by the renewal of the area to finance […]
Embracing Liberty.
In Utah, we celebrate the month of July a little differently. If you have lived in Utah for more than a couple of years, you will know about the near-month-long celebration from Independence Day to Pioneer Day. Liberty is a historically significant principle to the generational people of Utah. Citizens of the United States of […]
The Phantom Menace
Do you know what is hard these days? Believing in something. Believing in anything. I occasionally drift back to my time in kindergarten when I learned the Pledge of Allegiance and that George Washington cut down the cherry tree and physically could not tell a lie (which was, given my age, equally impressive to rumors […]
Destination Heber Valley
This past October marked my 20th year as a full-time resident and local businessperson of the Heber Valley. The changes over the past two decades in the Heber Valley will likely represent the most drastic pivot in our community’s history. With this milestone in mind, I find myself romanticizing the literal ‘History in the Making’ […]
Twisted Trunks
My relationship with aspen trees is a bit of a love–hate affair. I love them in the mountains. I hate them in suburban landscapes. The trees themselves are lovely. The round leaves make the most wonderful noises as they clip and rustle like organic coins colliding in a summer breeze. The airy light that passes […]
Brighter Side Of Life
We certainly get our fair share of bright and sunny days on an average summer in Northern Utah. As residents of the Heber Valley, our weather might be even a little nicer than surrounding geographies. Despite this wonderous and natural reality, all things community-minded in the Heber Valley are not always equally bright and shiny. […]
Daniel Tiger’s Shopping Cart
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood never connected with me when I was a boy. As a child born in the mid to late 1970s, I saw plenty of opportunity, as the show was regularly broadcast and Public Television was still a thing. I endured many an episode, quite simply, because it was what was on the airwaves […]
Within You Without You
With that clarity, it is possible to see your scenario through different eyes, as if a divine shroud, or “wall of illusion,” temporarily thins. I have had several such instances in my life, and I always take notice as I perceive these glimpses as a gift. The whole performance makes sense — just for that […]
Two Roads and a Rocking Chair
There has been far more change going around the Heber Valley than the weather over the past few months. The Heber Valley has an identity of being a quiet, pastoral community. While our natural resources are undeniably our most glaringly apparent assets, the citizens define the true essence of this community. Frequently in the advertising […]
Duck and Cover
Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best As a Utah resident, I have come to cherish my desert time. I love the Glen Canyon and using Lake Powell to share the desert grandeur with my children, who are not of the age to go hardcore canyoneering. A handful of years ago, I led my […]
The Truth is Out There
Do we have any X-Files fans in the Heber Valley? I loved this sci-fi TV drama when it was airing. For the younger, binge and streaming-on-demand crowd — we used to have to wait until the program aired on network TV to view new episodes. I would count the days in anticipation. When that time […]
Of Honesty and CommUNITY
I live in a messaging world as a profession, and I will share a trade secret with you all. Top marketers identified this concept on Madison Avenue decades ago, and we now have a multi-generational hive of well-trained consumers as a byproduct. Products for consumption may include goods, services, and ideologies — all of which […]
Your Move
I woke up this morning in a classic rock daydream. The tune echoing in my mind was ‘Your Move,’ from the 1971 release of The YES Album by the British prog-rock band, YES. I couldn’t justify a reason why this particular song should be forefront in my mind — so I took a moment to […]
Memento Mori
Being a teenager is rough. I certainly worked through my fair share of disillusionment during my run through the teen-to-early-adulthood years in my life. Reflecting on those years from my ‘present’ perspective can evoke some feelings of awkwardness. I would be willing to wager that I am not alone in the thought process: “if I […]
Let Us Anew
A Fresh Approach to 2021
Make That Change
I am a stubborn individual. Many times I have pondered whether this character attribute is, in fact, a virtue or a vice. I can see how being persistent in certain circumstances has led me to personal success. I can also see instances where my refusal to alter a course has brought unnecessary hardship to my […]
Leaning In
“Things are tough all over,” a phrase coined by a popular movie from the early 1980’s — but every bit as accurate today as it was then. Surrounded by a national economic crisis, social instability, and political unrest, I think it is crucial to acknowledge that this is not the first time that any of […]
Power in Positivity
By Ryan Bunnell Publisher, Heber Valley Life Magazine “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius – ANXIETY. It is safe to say that every single one of us has processed this feeling in the past several months. This edition of […]
Breaking The Mold
I have heard it popularly stated that by small and simple things – great things could be accomplished. Spring is a season where I feel this principle is illustrated quite clearly in nature. Consider the example of a small and seemingly insignificant seed, perhaps even invisible to the eye, that has been lying dormant under […]
How Human Are You?
One of my all-time favorite science fiction stories centers around a dystopian future in the San Francisco of 2021. In Phillip K. Dick’s 1968 classic “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” Earth is suffering from the remnant radiation of a global nuclear war. All remaining life is cherished. Due to scarcity in the marketplace, possessing […]
The Taxonomy of an Identity
I love taking nature walks with my children in the Heber Valley and the fall season is arguably one of the most favorable climates in which to do so. Sometimes we walk the Provo River trails and other times we head for higher ground on any of the numerous and growing trail systems along the […]
Living Sculpture
One of my personal hobbies is styling and tending to bonsai trees. The overall goal behind the art of bonsai is to create a portable window into nature in the form of a potted tree. That tree, in miniature, should illustrate all of the characteristics of an ancient and venerated monument of endurance and survival […]
Tread Lightly
The transition from winter dormancy to tender spring awakenings has a soft spot in my heart. Our mountain desert environment is so harsh, and yet the most delicate and intricate flora and fauna have somehow become specialized enough to survive our seasonal transitions. The annual rebirth is a miracle in my eyes. When those frail […]
Layer Upon Layer Of Snow
One of my favorite life moments is to wake up on a cold, crisp winter morning only to find that a new, deep layer of snow is covering the existing landscape. I love to gaze upon an unblemished field of light, fluffy powder. I adore that fresh coating of pure white; clinging to the trees […]
History In The Making
The autumn landscape is a perpetual sequence of change. Within a slight glimmer of time the heat of the high desert summer passes, days grow shorter, the landscape itself explodes with a celebration of color and morphs into a preparatory state suitable for the endurance of the season to come. As we assembled this volume of […]
There’s Something Fishy Going On
In spite of previous efforts to manage the Jordanelle fishery, the stocked rainbow trout returns have been in a steady decline since 2004 and sit below the state averages in both creel and gillnet studies. The population of smallmouth bass is seemingly stable; however, these fish tend to experience an unexplained stunted growth rate after […]
Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?
The seasonal transition from spring to summer in the mountains is a magical time. The deciduous landscape itself morphs from sterile dormancy to a vibrant, colorful and delightful palate of texture and color. The air is scented with the fragrance of blooming flowers, the dampness of the river bottom and the crisp cleanness that drapes […]
Raising The Standard
The secret is out on the Heber Valley. The growth is happening and we are going to get one shot at doing this right in our own respective lifetimes.