Courtney Henslee wears her heart boldly. She hangs it on her Brazen Bee logo and the names of her handmade products, à la Eff Off Face Wash. It shines through her warm smile and curls colored red. A self-described introvert, Read more
Lu LaVallie and Luke Cissell are in their LuStyle Local Goods shop on an off day, tending to odds and ends. Their baby boy, Arrow, sleeps in his carrier seat nearby. The occasional local raps on the window and pokes Read more
Sophie Cowman sits quietly behind a table in her quiet shop along quiet Lovers Lane. On the days Sophie opens a window while she works, she can hear Fountain Creek in its perpetual run beneath her seat, beneath the shop’s Read more
Kat Tudor often is described as the visionary behind SunWellness (SunWater Spa, SunMountain Center, Smokebrush Foundation). But the vision runs so much longer and deeper than these relatively new SunWellness expressions of her vision in Manitou Springs. Having moved to Read more
Nicole Nicoletta sits on her front porch in the late-morning sunshine, sipping from a cup of hot tea. The view in front of her is wide, and wide open. Red Mountain is dead-center, Iron Mountain to its left. The Miramont Read more
I’ve always said I can’t draw. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sets that limit on him/herself. And I’ve always wanted to draw. I’ve always wanted to be an artist, to feel confident identifying myself as an artist. Read more
The mountains and waters of Manitou Springs make an impression on visitors, whether stopping in for an afternoon or a lifetime. For many of us, they play daily feel-good roles as we field life’s ups and downs of health and Read more
Passions run deep in Manitou Springs. From world views collected from near and far. Through creativity that pours out in all forms imaginable. In governing and preserving the integrity of this historic town. In simply living. Becky Elder, 64, has Read more
On a recent Sunday morning, sitting outside Good Karma Cafe, drinking coffee and having a conversation, a thin, pony-tailed man in biker leather and boots strolled by. Then he turned around … Biker: You all say you’re musicians? Me: I’m Read more
Rockey sits at his weathered wood table in his print shop. Big storefront windows on Cañon Avenue in downtown Manitou Springs give him the light and views he enjoys. Rockey, 85, is an artist, a retired art teacher, and a man Read more
There’s 2,000-degree fire lighting up a 10’ by 10’ corner of the Makerspace at the Manitou Art Center. A pair of torches blow heat and possibilities, where straw-like sticks of colored glass morph on command by hand. This is Manitou Read more
There’s a haven for the childhood spirit in downtown Manitou Springs: the Penny Arcade. The first several times I went there with my two young sons was a couple winters ago. We’d be up early, as is our collective family Read more
From the back deck of Brenda Biondo’s house, there’s a sweeping view of Pikes Peak, the Manitou Incline, and the ups and downs of the surrounding terrain. The blue sky that sprawls above calls Brenda. The light, the color. It Read more
The summer jungle at Arapahoe Basin has taken over the slopes. I don’t easily recognize spots where my family and I spent last winter’s days gliding on planks of one kind or another. The thick plant life that tangles Read more
Rockey is a retired art teacher, an artist, a man beloved in Manitou Springs. At 85, he often is found in his print shop and apartment — adjoined and both full of art — on Cañon Avenue downtown. He watches passersby Read more
The childhood rite of passage that is a lemonade stand in summer is one I never passed as a child. Recently, at 41, I was part of my first stand. It was my boys’. It had been an idea that Read more
It’s Saturday. John Posusta sits on his porch with Cooper, a 6-ish-year-old Shih-Tzu/Bichon Frise. They watch the coming-and-going of Manitou in summer. Tourists march up Ruxton Avenue. With a raised seat on his front porch, John watches them stream. On Read more
I have not been truthful. I have told my wife I go fly fishing. Fly casting is more accurate. Fly drifting. Water watching. River wading. I am no risk to fish. Myth + Truth of Fly Fishing for the Scenery Read more
Update: Create Cafe closed in May 2018, nine months after this conversation. Yet the history, heart and craft of chef Lyn Harwell continues. So, this story lives on. An Ohio farm boy by way of New Orleans. A chef with Read more
Rockey is a retired art teacher. Thirty-five years. There is a lightness to the 85-year-old’s face and voice when he talks about teaching art to junior-high students. He taught in Colorado Springs. The second in this “Words with Rockey” series Read more