Appearances can be deceiving in these High Plains of Colorado. A small gathering of snow clouds on the horizon can, within just a few hours, become a blizzard killing hundreds of cattle. The quiet, unassuming man in worn jeans and resoled boots may be, in fact, the largest landowner in three counties. A tiny, quiet, humble woman may actually be someone who lived a life full of determination, independence and a self-sufficiency that was against all odds and expectations, at the time. And, in an even greater surprise, that tiny woman with skin that bears barely a trace of wrinkles and eyes that are clear and bright may also be just a few days away from turning 100 years old.