Dry Times

I admire columnists like Mike Littwin of the Rocky Mountain News who leave their desks far behind in search of stories. Littwin's "For Dry Cowpunchers, a Standing Eight Count" is a searing look at the drought that has struck southeastern Colorado. Littwin's taut, rhythmical sentences describe a desperate place and the anxious ranchers who are watching a way of life disappear. His quotes pack a wallop as well. The accompanying video by Sonya Doctorian and photos by Todd Heisler help convey the ranchers' rough times.