My fellow Ripper and I recently spent a long weekend in Silverton, Colorado, a throw-back mountain mining town in southwest Colorado, not far from Durango, Montrose and Telluride, but in a bit of a timewarp. It is best known today for its historic railroad that travels from Durango to Silverton each summer. The town basically empties out in the winter, due to the harsh and snowy climate. The year-round population of Silverton is roughly 700, down for a historic high of 2,000 during the peak of its mining business in the late 19th century. But the hidden gem of Silverton, hidden at least from the people who wouldn’t visit in…

Today is one of this Ripper’s favorite days, Earth Day! My work with young children allows me to embrace our planet on a continual basis, and especially during the month of April when signs of Earth’s reawakening delight the soul. Spring has unfolded slowly in Utah this year with our historic snowpack. Yet at the same time, smiles emerge on our faces when we think how each snowflake will help refill the Great Salt Lake. This brings me to the title of this short, but hopefully, inspiring post. This morning’s NY Times picked some of their favorite articles from their Climate Desk to share on this Earth Day. I recommend…