In the past, I’ve shared with you a series called Newspaper Days about my career publishing small-town newspapers in Arizona and on the Pacific Northwest coast. During that time, I interviewed quite a few celebrities who came to the towns where I published to perform at fairs and concerts, a number of politicians including presidential […]
They say the ghosts of the past walk the empty streets of Mogollon, New Mexico. Located high in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, the old mining town was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon and was a center of commerce for those working the local gold and silver mines. […]
I have mentioned before that I collect police badges, and I occasionally pick one up in our travels. A few years ago I got something from an elderly gentleman I know in Texas, and while I’m not sure if it is authentic or not, I like it and the story that went with it is […]
Note: This story is from my book Highway History And Back Road Mystery. Poised high on a hill overlooking the Ohio River in the tiny Indiana town of Troy stands a beautiful testament to love that was conceived during a terrible period of ugliness and hate. The Christ of the Ohio monument towers nineteen feet […]
Sometimes you have to just nod your head and say, “Sure, go ahead.” Yesterday was an example. A long-time blog reader contacted me, asking me about purchasing a gun for self-defense. This happens occasionally, and I always try to give people sound advice. However, in this case he was asking me about a firearm he […]
Yesterday was a nice day, even if the weather was gray and nasty. After our morning cuddle session, we went to North Country Health Care for a quick doctor’s appointment. The primary care provider we have been seeing, Terilyn Brasher, is leaving the practice, and instead we saw Jessica Boone, who will now be our […]
Miss Terry has very fragile skin that is easily bruised or torn. I always say she has so many bruises on her arms that when she goes to the doctor, they must think I abuse her. And now, with her new look, I’m sure they’re just going to call the cops the minute we walk […]
Sometime after I posted last night’s blog around midnight our time, the print edition of Big Lake Parolee became available on Amazon. Several fans of the Big Lake small town mystery series have already purchased their copies. Long time reader Bernard Wulan wrote to tell me that even though he buys the e-book of a […]
Among yesterday’s batch of emails was one from someone correcting me about a blog post I wrote a while back saying that I wanted a .38 Super semiautomatic pistol for Christmas. The writer told me that anyone with as much experience with guns as I “supposedly” had would know there is no such animal. He […]
If you came to the blog looking for something exciting or newsworthy today, you came to the wrong place. There’s nothing to see here. We’re just rolling along, living life and enjoying every day. I haven’t done much except write a chapter or more a day in my new Tinder Steet book. As I said […]
I’ve heard it said many times that to be a good writer you have to be observant of the world around you, and I think that’s probably true. I’ve always been a people watcher. I can remember as a kid seeing someone at the grocery store or walking down the street or wherever, and making […]
As I said in yesterday’s blog, Terry made cinnamon rolls for Kenny and Tiffany on Sunday as a reward for all their hard work helping us get our house ready for the insurance inspection. While Tiffany has had the rolls several times over the years, Kenny never had, although he had heard about them ever […]
Standing regally on a point of land at the entrance to Ohio’s Sandusky Bay, Marblehead Lighthouse has guided ships and sailors safely along the rocky shoreline of Lake Erie for nearly 185 years. Noted for its beauty by artists and photographers, this grand old structure is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, […]
It seems like every time we get a storm coming through the area, we lose internet and cell phone service. And lately we’ve been getting a lot of storms. The one that rolled through early Sunday morning brought a spectacular lightning show, along with a lot of wind and rain. So I wasn’t surprised that […]
Happy Mother’s Day to Terry’s mom Bess, my daughter Tiffany, and all the mothers out there in blogland! What would we be without our mothers? Well, motherless, I guess. This year marks 34 years since my own dear mother passed away and I miss her every day. Do your mom and yourself both a favor […]
Another blog post about my days publishing small town newspapers. One of the perks of running a small town newspaper is that you get first shot at some pretty good deals now and then. I’ve always been into guns, classic cars, and motorcycles, and the people working the front desk at all of my newspapers […]
Because of all the research required, it took a little longer than I had hoped for, but yesterday I finished writing the last chapter of The War Years, the sixth book in my Tinder Street family saga. I started on the book April 12th, so a little over three months. It came in at 111,653 […]
Note: In researching my new book The War Years, I was reminded of this story about the amazing people of one town who made sure each service member who passed through was made welcome. My father and uncles were part of the generation that liberated Europe from the Nazis and wrested control of the Pacific […]
His name was Dave, and the first time I met him I thought he was an old geezer. What hair he had left was white and he walked with a noticeable limp, aided by a cane. But there was nothing old about Dave. Not at all! His daughter was visiting from California and called my […]
According to the weatherman, we have a wet week ahead of us. Or at least a good chance of a wet week. Starting today and tomorrow there is a 20% chance of rain, which increases to 80% by midweek. We won’t complain about that. The news says we are in a moderate drought, and our […]