By Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: MAXWELL WILDLIFE REFUGE A fragile white moon hung against a blue winter sky. Below that nearly-full moon a dozen bison grazed. Atop a nearby ridge, seven head of elk, “the bachelors,” looked on. The elk and the winter grasses were the same shade of …
Travelers to Tanzania
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Lion in the wild, Tanzania – photo by Jim Griggs TRAVELERS TO TANZANIA “We got charged by an elephant, but it was a false charge. A couple guys asked me, ‘How do you know it’s not a real charge?’ And I said, ‘Because the vehicle …
Grandma’s Ghost Chamber
Flyover People column for Dec. 31 GRANDMA’S GHOST CHAMBER Last week, on a cold winter’s night when the wind was scaring up noise outside, I pulled the blankets to my chin. At that moment, Grandma Unruh came to mind. When my brother and cousins and I spent nights with her during the winter, Grandma …
And So This Is Christmas
This week’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS Tom Flick’s raspy voice erased all uncertainty. “Ho-ho-ho” was a dead giveaway when that man put on the red suit. But the years that Santa wasn’t played by Tom, my friends and I had a dickens of a time …
Looking for Joy (Radio version)
“Looking for Joy” – Here’s my radio piece that aired this morning on Kansas Public Radio. There are 2 “listen” buttons. The 2nd button includes the intro and outro – with fabulous music. Listen here. *** ** *
The Sounds Around Us
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: THE SOUNDS AROUND US Last night I opened a bottle of cat treats and gave one to Tiger. Across the room, Zorro, who had appeared to be in a dead sleep on the couch, lifted his head and looked expectantly for a personal delivery. Our …
Flint Hills on KPR
Here’s a link to the audio version of my ‘At Home in the Flint Hills’ piece: LISTEN HERE. It aired on Kansas Public Radio on Dec. 4. *** *
Crossing Missouri
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: CROSSING MISSOURI As we made plans to travel to Dave’s brother’s house for a Saturday version of Thanksgiving dinner, Dave used a mileage calculator to determine how early in the morning we would need to leave Emporia. I was surprised to learn that it’s only …
Gathering Leaves
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: GATHERING LEAVES Thanksgiving is a time to gather the leaves: table leaves – and maybe leaves of a different sort. My dad and Uncle Laramie always performed the table-stretching maneuver at Grandma’s farmhouse when we arrived for Thanksgiving Dinner. They retrieved the leaves from the …
At Home in the Flint Hills
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: AT HOME IN THE FLINT HILLS Our favorite places are the ones where we feel most like our real selves. Maybe your preferred spot on the planet is in the Rocky Mountains, or on a tropical beach, or at your grandparents’ farmhouse. Whenever you arrive …
Travels With Mom
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: In Toronto TRAVELS WITH MOM The pumpkin cheesecake tasted even better than it sounded. When my mother visited recently, she insisted on taking Dave and me to Ad Astra in Strong City. So we had no choice but to go – and to eat …