Ode to the Independent Bookstore

I was among friends. Some of them were worn and tired. Some showed classic lines. All had something to say. They were books. Many were well seasoned, having felt the hands of at least one previous owner. Some were brand … Read More

Out, out, brief candle

Within one lunar cycle they were gone. Over a 28 day period, Columbia endured a tragedy in three acts, and lost a major chunk of its soul when three of the city’s most visible luminaries died. City officials? No. Big … Read More

Curves

Sometimes the road gets tough.

Ozark Skyscraper

It was a landmark rising from the Ozark hills, for decades the tallest building between Springfield and Cape. The ten story Tower Inn came down slowly, leaving a million memories of Salem’s Ozark Skyscraper. Gone now.

Goodbye, old girl

We traced Highway 47, crossing the Missouri River into Washington’s movie star face, a gorgeous riverbank town with chiseled features, church spires and storefronts peeking from under a brow of hills draped in nature’s thick mane of hardwood forests. The … Read More

My Favorite Statue

From this most animated statue, John William “Blind” Boone’s arms are not merely extended, they’re launched forward, fingers splayed like ten cobras striking in precision. Warrensburg, Missouri.

Mark Twain, Fabius and Troublesome Creek

If you travel at all around Mark Twain’s boyhood stomping grounds, you’ll likely cross the Fabius River. There are three branches, paralleling Troublesome Creek as they all wind their way to the Mississippi. The Fabius rivers are named not for … Read More

On A Pedestal

Sometimes a photo jumps at you. This one had my name on it.

Early Spring

The calendar still hung to winter. But as they sat on the front porch, nature was bidding spring.

March Paddleness

My bracket was busted. I had little interest in Duke and Kentucky. Besides, a more compelling shade of blue was luring a platoon of paddlers to the Prongs. And our submarine. So we headed to the Prongs. 33rd year. 33 … Read More