En route to discover heroes in Freedom’s Frontier. Dog days of summer envelop us. Luckily this morning turns cloudy and rainy. We quickly get lost, which I enjoy immensely. Cathy not so much. Just north of the little town of Fair Play I misread the map trying to find 425th Street. Instead we take gravel roads […]
Three Prairies in a Day, 24 August 2024 Read More »
Crystal Quade, Candidate for Governor of Missouri
Four Locals in State-wide Races Fire up The Queen City of the Ozarks.
Talkative characters from our major parties enlivened our town yesterday as much as near record temperatures. As we approach Dog Days, Springfield seems unusually sleepy. Few university students speed by. Locals head to nearby lakes, mountains and rivers.
Heated Election Day, Springfield MO, 6 August 2024. Read More »
Highlighting special places for anyone thinking of visiting Costa Rica. We’re just north of the capital of San Jose near the Poas Volcan National Park and the nation’s central valley. This is Cathy and my second time to this Central American nation, which roughly equals Missouri in population, 5 million, but is one third smaller
From the Strawberry Capital of Costa Rica: Notes from five weeks travel. Read More »
Photo taken in James Turrell walk-in sculpture at Mass. Museum of Contemporary Art.
Instead of Sleep: Prayers around the Body Read More »
This mysterious sculpture exists along the Meramec River just upstream from confluence with the Mississippi, in Winter Park. A gravel and sand mining firm gave the land to create this awesome open space near Saint Louis many years ago.
Remembering Summer Read More »
Powered by sunlight and using rain for water, our cabin in Shannon County makes a fine solar home. Ozark renewable energy inspired the sustainable design.
Rise Up Ozarks! Rise Up Midwest! Read More »
Ozark ‘Tenore Assoluto’: From Mansfield, Missouri, to Montpellier, France. Opera has been a reach for many, especially us hillbillies. Seeing a world-class star in one of the great opera houses of Europe might just cause you goosebumps. An Ozark ‘baritenor’, as he calls himself, did that to a full house in southern France on
Ozark Singer Conquers Europe Read More »
The Saturday morning market along the Dordogne River in western France inspires me. It’s Pentecost weekend, lots of festivals nearby. In this ancient town enthusiastic crowds around the square in front of city hall meander, buy, eat, visit, hug, and kiss their friends. Booths spread into the narrow streets. Cathy and I have little trouble
Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Mon Amour Read More »
No, not my sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins or godchildren. It’s actually a real live squirrel! On our sixth-floor balcony! She must have taken up residence over the winter. I had no idea. Sometimes this squirrel would take naps on top of the trellis by the planter. No clue why. Now I know why. Cleaning
My Squirrelly Family Read More »
In early March I took an exhilarating yet exhausting drive across the Ozarks. Though Springfield and Salem lie nearly on the same latitude in Missouri, they’re about 75+ miles apart. The preferred routes on divided highways chosen by Google clocked in at about two and a half hours. The southern route followed US 60 to
At the Dent County Historical Society Read More »
Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night? Judging from ads on TV, this must be a common problem. Ambling toward the far side of seventy I occasional wake up and can’t fall back into the arms of Morpheus. Generally it’s not a problem thanks to a few meditations and prayers that usually bring calm.
Prayers Around the Body Read More »
What I remember from a local train show yesterday was the fleam. I hadn’t seen once since running the Ozark Agriculture Museum. It’s a simple device. They were used to induce bleeding in belief bad blood could be eliminated and health restored. The procedure almost cost the life of our first President. Luckily medicine has
Gun Show-Train Show Smack Down Read More »
I got to know Joan at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky. To me and a lot of others, especially on the East coast, she’s one of the best playwrights around. More theaters need to produce her plays. Everyone, look for her work! I was never a theater goer until my
At Joan Ackermann’s in the Berkshires Read More »
Later Cameron Powers did well as a highway construction contractor, but his real love was playing music. He and his partner Kristina Sophia traveled in a big RV for several years sharing with various groups Middle Eastern music they’d learned on the road in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and elsewhere. “The secret is limiting stops for
Driving Advice from the Pros Read More »
Best burger on the road: Kewpee Drive-inn, Lima, Ohio. A giant angelic baby stands atop the roof of the historic eatery. More dolls on the inside and a sign proclaiming, “Your grandparents probably ate here,” which may be true, as they were all frisky in the 1930s. This was near the end of our trip,
Selected Scenes from a Delta-Variant Summer Road Trip Read More »
This day of remembrance recalls twelve years ago when the Ozarks suffered a derecho. This squally system with dozens of tornadoes toppled millions of trees, smashed property, totaled our car and destroyed our solar collectors but thankfully took just one human life. In my forthcoming Ozark Voices: Oral Histories from the Heartland I write about
Biscuits & Gravy with Screaming Pope Read More »
OHA has an active webpage and blog that’s steadily updated. I try to keep up with news in the field, but good intentions often take me elsewhere. Nevertheless, I was honored the group chose a part of one chapter from my upcoming book, Ozark Voices: Oral History from the Heartland, to be their blog post for the
Post for the Oral History Association Read More »
A freak blizzard early this week has meant snowmen coexisting with redbud trees in full bloom. The cold front probably nipped Ozark fruit and spring soirees. This photo is a neighbors house, with red buds to the rear. An inch of snow set back Cathy and my travel plans. Fun to be pissed off at
Earth Day at the Homeless Shelter Read More »
One of these mysterious bird sings downhill at 5 a.m. The world’s going to be new once again. Warm enough to leave windows cracked, love ballads from doves, owl warnings, frogs’ splashing, nuthatches prowling and eventually my neighbor Timothy whistling an aria as he walks down the gravel road eventually spur Cath and I to
Whippoorwill Morning Read More »
