By Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: THE ALLEY A small town is pieced together with alleys. As a teenager, I ran through shadow-filled alleys after dark, playing hide-and-seek with classmates. I hung on in the backseat as my friends, Kim and Tracy, fish-tailed their Suburban, Old Blue, through snowy alleyways …
The Alley
A small town is made of alleys. This was one in Pawnee Rock – the alley from our house to downtownish. However, this shot is looking from downtownish toward our house. Anyway, this was one of the three routes to the Post Office, to my dad’s shop, to the grocery store… You know, I could …
A Broken Arm Story
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: A BROKEN ARM STORY I heard the snap. And that snap came when Debbie’s knee pressed into my upper arm as we fell onto the hallway floor and then rolled. We had been running when Debbie and I slipped on loose papers on the …
Hoop Dreams
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: HOOP DREAMS When I was in junior high, I had my mind set on becoming a Harlem Globetrotter. Kids have Beginner’s Mind. As youngsters, we don’t know yet that there are obstacles in the world; our dreams are pure. I had watched the Globetrotters …
One Kolache Too Many
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Photo from kolacherolfs.com (College Station, TX) ONE KOLACHE TOO MANY If you’re not over-consuming calories this month, then you’re just not trying. Sugar, butter and chocolate are all over December like needles on a Christmas tree. You may find treats at work, at parties, at …
Macksville High
Several weeks ago, I had a Flyover book reading at the Macksville City Library during the town’s 125th anniversary celebration. After we ate lunch in the park, Dave and I wandered down the street so I could see my old high school, Macksville High. And it was open. Mike Harvey, the superintendent had just given …
The Aroma of Dinner Rolls
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Pawnee Rock School THE AROMA OF DINNER ROLLS A story in the online version of the New York Times caught my eye recently. The headline: “Schools restore fresh cooking to the cafeteria.” The article tells about a trend toward making school lunches healthier, which …
A Splash from the Past
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: A SPLASH FROM THE PAST A waft of chlorine hit me as I stepped inside of the white bathhouse with sky blue trim and puddles of water on its plain gray floor. I placed a dime on the counter next to my brother’s dime. Opening …
K. T. Oil
This old gas station is part of the museum complex in Howard.
Tanks
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: TANKS In April, I took a few days off to visit my mother who lives near Hot Springs, Arkansas. On my way, driving through Fayetteville, I noticed a sign pointing to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Without a second thought, I veered onto the exit …
The Western Flyer
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Self-portrait, second grade. THE WESTERN FLYER My mom once told me, “After we gave you that bike for your birthday, we never saw you again.” That’s true. I was on that bike like a birthmark. I rode it around Pawnee Rock on summer days from …