Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: DEATH OF A CHURCH I knew I would feel sad, but I didn’t expect to cry. Nevertheless, tears filled my eyes as soon as the congregation began singing the doxology. Every Sunday morning during my childhood, as the ushers carried filled collection plates to …
Remembering the Dead
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: REMEMBERING THE DEAD The cemetery was my playground. While Dad mowed, my 6-year-old self blew fluff off of dandelions. I traced the engraving on stones, and I climbed into the arms of a cedar tree and watched ants scatter as I peeled its …
Road Trip to Sedan
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: ROAD TRIP TO SEDAN Spring seemed to be stalled out somewhere, so Dave and I drove south one Saturday to see if we could locate the lost season and drag it north. It was early April and even near the Oklahoma line, we didn’t …
Keim Bakery
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: KEIM BAKERY When I hear of a Kansas place that I want to visit, sometimes that place sticks in my brain like a bookmark. And I can’t get rid of the bookmark until I make the trip. Keim Bakery in Ottawa had been on my …
Moving Toward Spring
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Strawberry pie – Hays House MOVING TOWARD SPRING For months our sky had been holding its breath. Finally in late February the sky exhaled, and a huge cloud of white flakes fell to earth. We found ourselves in deep snow, which is just what we …
The Way We Worked
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Tom Parker (photo by Dave Leiker) THE WAY WE WORKED “I saw unspeakable things done to cattle, and I lived through things I didn’t know I would,” Tom Parker said with a smile as he told me about his year-long photography project. Over the past …
Noticing
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Cafe, Leon, Kansas. NOTICING It was one of those early autumn days with the much-awaited tingly air. That air was still, not a lick of wind. A few white clouds smeared themselves across the sky but didn’t interfere with the sun. Dave and I were …
To Wonsevu
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Christian Church – Wonsevu, Kansas. Photo by Dave Leiker. TO WONSEVU Ever since Dave took a photograph in Wonsevu several years ago, I’ve wanted to visit this ghost town in southwestern Chase County. Dave’s photo captured a powerful moment: a white wooden church, a …
Explorer Research Voyage
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: 2012 Kansas Notable Book Award winners EXPLORER RESEARCH VOYAGE Sometimes the evening news from the Statehouse discourages me. I hope for and expect better things for Kansas than are sometimes decided for us. I had been feeling down, so I was delighted recently to …
Lunch at Ad Astra
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: LUNCH AT AD ASTRA At Ad Astra, beneath the sounds of restaurant conversation and the clatter of silverware, came the voice of Bob Dylan. He sang “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall,” and although the song isn’t really about rain, that Saturday was indeed a …
Detroit, Denmark and Lucas
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Bowl Plaza, Lucas DETROIT, DENMARK AND LUCAS Being able to travel from Detroit to Denmark within a couple of hours is just one of the perks of living in Kansas. It was a Sunday morning and the air was cool for a change. The …