Swain, or Sven

In eighth grade, my nickname was Sven. I was new to the school and when the English teacher asked another student what my name was, the dude responded, "I don't know, Sven or something." And so it stuck. All year. My blog takes its name from the Old English word swain, which in turn comes from...

Utah’s French Loop

One of Utah‘s best kept secrets is it “French loop.” French Canadian trappers named the area south of the Uinta Mountains Duchesne (pronounced doo-SHAIN), meaning “from the oak.” What follows may exaggerate the European charm of this area un peu, but c’est la vie. Snowcapped Uinta Mountains north of Altamont. Today, Duchesne County is home...