
Darby Lee Patterson
- 4 days ago
- 4 min
The Beast inside the Beauty
July is just around the bend of our country road. Up here at the 4000-foot elevation, we're under an umbrella of tall pines, and it's the...

Darby Lee Patterson
- Jun 15
- 4 min
Big Fire and Boy's Fort Bring Out Best of Humankind
Some of you know about my mega-project – creating a large bronze sculpture to honor the people and organizations that selflessly fought...

Darby Lee Patterson
- Jun 8
- 4 min
Policy Wonk at Work, Artist in the Kitchen
I’ve been waiting and watching to take in this country’s reaction to our extreme ownership and near-religious worship of firearms. When I...

Darby Lee Patterson
- Jun 1
- 5 min
Simple Moments of Calm Amid the Storm
As if there was not enough bad news in our world, a small school in Uvalde, Texas, stabbed us in the heart and sent us into...

Darby Lee Patterson
- May 26
- 5 min
Medals that Made My Memories
Memorial Day – a tradition in America since the Civil War. A day to honor the memory of the men and women who died in defense of this...

Darby Lee Patterson
- May 17
- 5 min
Social Media, Please Meet Social Conscience
Okay, my friends, I’m doing something unusual. Ordinarily, I wander off to gentle and personal places to write to you. But this week I’m...

Darby Lee Patterson
- May 10
- 4 min
Requiem of Hope for the Mountains
Up here, where a forest fire drove entire communities from their homes nine months ago, we’re approaching warming weather and dire...

Darby Lee Patterson
- May 3
- 6 min
A Home without a Heart
Stories involving nursing homes are rarely uplifting. But the one I'm about to share adopts my outlook on life's shades of gray. I check...

Darby Lee Patterson
- Apr 26
- 4 min
Sculpting a Thank You to a Firestorm of Heroes
I've been engrossed in a special project since the start of the year. Only a few local friends know what I’m up to. But I want to share...

Darby Lee Patterson
- Apr 19
- 4 min
When Nothing is Unforgettable
A Personal Confession: While cleaning up after cooking, I put a half-gallon bottle of Wesson oil in the microwave. Easter Sunday, I...