Last week’s column was all about Lou Dean’s latest book, “Autumn of the Big Snow,” selected as a finalist in the romance category of Colorado Book Awards. The purpose of this week’s “From Pipi’s Pasture” is to let readers learn a little more about Lou’s life — after all, she has been a Moffat County resident for 36 years. Her life has been, and continues to be, one incredible journey.

Lou Dean and her three siblings were raised on their childhood farm in Osage County, Oklahoma

(14 miles from Fairfax where the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” took place). She remembers those years as “a chaos of laughter and tears” (which later inspired three books of memoir). Years passed. Oklahoma was her home until the mid 70s. She had a son Scott by then. He developed asthma, and that’s why they moved to Colorado—Rangely at first and Blue Mountain later.

As a single parent, Lou worked construction jobs for three decades in order to support her son and writing habit. She was a welder’s helper on the oil shale project near Piance Creek; a pipeline laborer; a carpenter’s helper during the construction of Rangely High School; and worked for W.W. Clyde, building the railroad track for the Deserado Mine. She also worked several summers for the town of Rangely and taught creative writing for Colorado Northwestern Community College.

Scott’s health improved, and Lou moved to Blue Mountain (near Dinosaur). She remembers how she hated Northwestern Colorado in the beginning. She was homesick for Oklahoma. However, after she started hiking the hills behind her Blue Mountain home with her dogs, she fell in love with the country. So when Scott moved to Boise her family tried to get her to return to Oklahoma, but by then she had an intimate relationship with the hills, and her dogs were spoiled by never having to be restricted to leashes. (Lou has a strong and loving relationship with her dogs and saddle donkey.)

“I am home,” she says.

Over the years Lou has written countless articles for magazines and is regular contributor to “Guideposts Magazine.” She has also written nine books, including five of memoir, two young adult novels, and, most recently, her first adult romance novel. (More about her books in future columns.)

Lou Dean has received many awards and honors over the years, too, including four Colorado Authors League Awards and a prestigious Wrangler (Western Heritage) Award. Besides that, in 1995, she was interviewed by Harry Smith from CBS; was featured in “People Magazine” in 1996 (with a photo

taken at her home); and, most recently, a photographer from “Guideposts Magazine” visited her Blue Mountain home, following her article “Closer to Heaven,” to make a video about her.

On June 21^st, Lou Dean will be attending an awards program to honor Colorado books in various categories. “Autumn of the Big Snow ” is a finalist in the romance category. (The book is available from Amazon.) The incredible journey continues. Way to go, Lou Dean!