I like to mention God in this column on occasion. Through my many life experiences, I have come to believe that God uses angels to help us in our times of need.
       I had one such encounter in the mid-90s. I was doing an assignment in college, taking photos at the famous Lamberts Café in Sikeston, Mo., home of the thrown rolls. Not giving it any thought I took off for Dexter, 25 miles away, and ran out of gas. There I was, sitting on the side of the road at ten o’clock at night, with no gas. Before long, a couple fellows showed up in an old junky looking car with no backseat. They offered me a ride to get some gas. With some reluctance, I climbed into the front seat, while the passenger crawled into the back. As we started to drive away, I began to wonder if this was such a good idea ,but it ended up working out. They took me to a convenience store where I bought a gas can and filled it up. They then decided to pull out a car that had driven into the ditch beside the gas station. After they pulled the guy out, I remember the driver saying, “Well, we’ve done our good deed for the day.”
        They took me back to my pickup truck, helped me put the gas in and waited until I got the truck started. Next thing I knew, they were gone.
         To this day, I believe those two men were angels sent from God.
        In the years since, Debbie and I have had several situations where we believe we had encounters with angels.
        On a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, we were driving south of Jefferson City shortly after midnight (we never leave early for anything). There had hardly been any other cars on the four-lane highway for miles. Then a car came up the entrance ramp and got in front of us, promptly slowing down. And another car came up close behind us, blinding us with their headlights. 
           We both felt as if something strange was going on and became concerned.
        Suddenly, a police car appeared out of nowhere. Both cars quickly exited at the next ramp. And the police car was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
           Another episode happened in 2007. Debbie and I were driving through the Lacey-Keosauqua State Park when our car died. I was able to get a ride into town to find a tow truck and Debbie stayed in the car.
        While she was there, a man approached the car. He was friendly at first, asked through the closed window if Debbie needed help. Debbie didn’t put down the window or open the door. The man kept trying to get her to open the door and she continued to refuse. He got angry and started pounding his fist on the closed window.
            Suddenly, a woman dressed in scrubs pulled up in front of Debbie and exited her car.
            When the man saw her, he ran back to his truck, jumped in a took off. 
            Debbie got out and was talking with the woman when I returned with the tow truck driver. While I was talking to Debbie about what had happened, we turned to talk with the woman and she was gone.
            We were sure glad she had shown up when she had and believe she also was an angel.
            In recent months, I developed a bulging disc in my back. The disc issue was causing me much pain and weakness in my legs, especially my right leg.
           Just prior to mu back surgery, Debbie and I were in Pella for an MRI at the hospital. After lunch, we had planned to stop and pick up groceries, when I mentioned to Debbie that I needed a restroom.
            Knowing there was a nice one with limited walking at the library, we headed there.
        Unfortunately, there were lots of people visiting the library at that time and we had to park some distance away from the front door. And it was raining lightly. 
I got my walker and Debbie and I headed toward the front door.
            Just as we reached the handicap spots, my right leg gave out, and I fell to the ground.
            With Debbie being unable to lift me, we decided to call 911.
            While Debbie was making the call, I saw a gentleman putting some books in the book drop.
            He came over and offered to help.
         About the same time, an older couple appeared in the parking lot. Both were tall and had staffs that were taller than them.
            They offered their help and the gentleman asked Debbie to hold his staff.
            Then both men reached down and picked me up with ease. 
         While they were helping me to the library, the woman told Debbie that everything was going to be alright and that she understood how we felt as she had gone through the same thing a week earlier. 
            We all walked into the library and Debbie and I headed to the restroom.
          When it was time to leave, we were both concerned about how we were going to get back to the car safely.
            I found a chair inside the door and sat down.
            Debbie went looking for our helpers to see if they could help us back to the car. She walked all around the library, but they were all gone. Which was odd as we hadn’t been in the bathroom long.
            Debbie then went out to get the car to bring it closer.
            While she was gone, I said a quick prayer, asking God to send some help.
            Debbie was also praying for someone to help while moving the car.
            About that time, an older gentleman came out of the library carrying his books. He stopped to talk to me and asked if there was anything he could do to help me.
            I told him what had happened and asked if he could help me get to the car.
            He said he could help and took his books to his car, then came back.
            Debbie parked behind the cars in the handicap parking spaces and came back in to get me.
            The man wrapped his arms around me, picking me up out of the chair.
            He kept his arms around me and walked me to the car, helping me to get in. He said he had a severely handicapped wife at home and knew what it was like to struggle.
            After leaving the library, Debbie and I decided that the happenings of that afternoon were encounters with angels. 
            And we’re not sure what we would have done if they hadn’t come to help us.
           I encourage you to ask for help in your time of need, watch for your own encounters with angels and be sure to help others who need a hand.
            Since surgery I’m doing a lot better and getting stronger every day. And for that, I am very thankful. 
Good things are happening, every day and always.

        Sometimes finding a subject to write a newspaper column about can be challenging.
        There are weeks that I just absolutely agonize over finding a subject.
        I’ll roll a dozen a more ideas through my head.
      And other times, I can come up with a column and sit down and put it together with no trouble in 30 minutes.
        This is one of those weeks where I’ve been agonizing, debating and dwelling on a column idea.
        Should it be informational? Should it be a story about my own life? Should it be funny or serious?
       So while pondering ideas for this week’s column, and flipping through the channels on the television, I came across the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz.
          I’m well familiar with this movie as my wife is a serious Wizard of Oz fan and collector.
          She can quote most of the movie word-for-word. 
        I know if I’m struggling for a gift idea for her birthday or Christmas, I can find a Wizard of Oz gift and she’ll be happy.
        We have visited The Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas twice in recent years and are excited to return again as they have added many new displays.
        The Wizard of Oz is one of the movies that in the end, you wonder if Dorothy really went to Oz and met the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowedly Lion and melted the Wicked Witch of the West or was it all just a dream?
         I searched the internet and came across some oddities and facts about the famous movie. Here are a few of them.
        It’s a film that has remained in the pop culture spotlight for so long that it’s hard to believe it was released the same year that World War II broke out in 1939. 
          One of the early major technicolor pictures, the film was a big budget feat and one that won two Oscars and catapulted Judy Garland into the limelight.
         Many people think that The Wizard of Oz film was an original screenplay but it was actually adapted from L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The original print run was ten thousand copies but by the time it became public domain in 1956, it had sold more than 3 million copies. Following the books roaring success, Baum adapted the story into a stage play and introduced several new characters including a choros line of poppies. The play opened on June 16, 1902 at Chicago’s Grand Opera House. A 1903 New York production became one of the most popular Broadway shows of its time. 
         Because the film was among the earliest to be shot in technicolor, it required large sets with cameras hidden in different corners and elaborate lighting that rendered the set suffocatingly hot.
         “We had enormous banks of lights overhead,” said cinematographer, Harold Rosson, in The Making of the Wizard of Oz. “We borrowed every unused arc light in Hollywood. It was brutally hot. People were always fainting and being carried off the set.”
         People assume Toto was a male dog but she was actually a female Cairn terrier named Terry. And it turns out that The Wizard of Oz wasn’t the pooch’s first big picture. Prior to Oz, she had also appeared in Ready for Love and with Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes. For The Wizard of Oz, her salary was $125 per week, which was more than what many of the human actors received and was roughly ten times what minimum wage was at the time.
         The film including more than 600 actors which meant a lot of costumes. There were nearly 1000 in all and most were highly detailed and elaborate.
         There weren’t hundreds of ruby slippers, but Dorothy’s red shoes, each one made of leather, satin and more than 2000 sequins, were not one of a kind. In fact, there are at least four known pairs, one of which were recently recovered after a brazen theft from a Judy Garland museum in 2005.
        The Wizard of Oz is known for its unforgettable score but a few songs didn’t make the final cut including an original song called The Jitterbug which referenced the popular dance style at the time and was supposed to come as the group was making their way to the witch’s castle.
        MGM hoped the film would be a hit but nobody predicted it would capture imaginations for generations to come.
       “We didn’t know it was a classic,” said Jack Haley. “It was a job and we were getting paid and it was a lot of weeks of steady work.”
        Haley played the Tin Man.
       There’s a lot more out there about The Wizard of Oz and I hope your curiosity about the movie will cause you to dive in and learn more.
        Hope you have a great week and remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always!

       The last year and a half have been quite the health journey in my life. First, I was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2025. Then I had a blood clot in my right leg in the summer. And just as that was clearing up, I started experiencing sciatica in my legs along with lower back pain. I was diagnosed with a bulging disc in November. That was followed by a cortisone shot in December and a double cortisone shot in February, neither of which helped at all. 
        Debbie and I opted to switch medical providers. We traveled to Iowa Ortho in Pella where we were able to meet with orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Trevor Schmitz, on March 24. He knew right away what the issue was and after additional x-rays, explained the process of what was needed to get me safely back on my feet again.
My operation took place on April 8 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines where Dr. Schmitz installed two screws and a small rod in my back and cleaned out the soft tissue that had been pushing on my nerve. 
The surgery was successful. The only pain that I’m currently having is minor pain in my back and around my right knee.
       I’m very thankful to be recovering nicely thanks to the help of Debbie and my family. I even have a temporary ramp installed in my garage that will allow me to get out of the house safely.
         I have also been receiving physical therapy since mid-January and that has been a great help.
        I am now using what they call a log roll to get in and out of the bed. And the in-hospital physical therapy people taught me about BLT. Not bacon, lettuce and tomato but no bending, lifting or twisting. Guess I won’t be dancing for a while.
       I’ve been talking about it for years, but once I get through all of this, I’m going to go fishing. It’s about time for Mr. Parker to catch a big fish!
         In fact, I’d like to catch one big enough to mount on the wall. But it might have to be in the garage.
A trip to the Lake of the Ozarks wouldn’t be bad either. I’d also love to take another trip to Oklahoma to spend time with family. And I would like to finish organizing my post cards.
      It will be good to get back out and visit with the townsfolk and take photos. I couldn’t attend many basketball games and have had to miss events like the pine car derby and some of the community breakfasts. Most of my reporting has been via email, text and telephone. And I’ve missed being able to sit down and visit face-to-face with people and covering events going on in the community. 
        My next goal is to be at my youngest nephew’s graduation party and attend the graduation ceremonies in Montezuma and Brooklyn. I look forward to covering the Memorial Day events, Brooklyn Flag Festival, Fourth of July events in Montezuma and Grinnell and the county fair. 
       I’m also looking forward to being able to walk around at both the Iowa State Fair and the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant later on this summer. 
        I’m looking forward to enjoying what life has to offer. 
        Remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always.

       I was taking it easy in the Lazy Boy chair watching American Pickers the other day when I started thinking about my love for old antiques. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds like Mike and crew have to travel around the country looking for treasures. However, Debbie and I do enjoy visiting antique malls on our travels. Some of our favorite stops are the Brass Armadillo in Des Moines, Antique Iowa in Story City and Heartland Antique Mall in Lebanon, Mo. 
      Last summer we were lucky enough to return for a second time to Artichoke Annies, which is located west of Columbia, Mo. where I found a nice collection of old postcards and Debbie found a Wizard of Oz framed treasure. On the east side of Columbia is another great antique mall. It is called Midway Antiques and takes hours to go through as it is housed in an old horse show arena that became a factory before it was turned into an antique mall.
     We have also enjoyed great antique stores in Kirksville, Mo.; Jenks, Okla.; Ozark, Mo., Joplin, Mo.; East Peoria, Ill. and Hannibal, Mo. 
      I enjoy watching the Pickers and remember watching the first episode that aired in January 2010. At the time, I was iced in at the Quality Inn in Grinnell and couldn’t make it home. I had flipped on the TV, hoping to find something to keep me occupied when I stumbled across Mike and Frank. I thought it was cool that they were from Iowa and that they went around picking treasures.
       I watched the show faithfully after that.
      Debbie and I were able to meet Frank Fritz, who has since passed, at the 2013 Iowa State Fair, where we had our photo taken with him. We saw him again in June 2014 in Savanna, Ill. at his store. We were looking around the store when we were surprised to see him walk through the door. He had a photo taken with some fans, grabbed some signed T-shirts and was off again after acknowledging the rest of us who were in the store. I purchased a Frank Fritz signed Oilzum oil can before we left.
      We have also visited the home base of the Pickers in LeClaire, Iowa three times but have never met Mike or Danielle.
     Collecting antiques is in my blood as my dad loved finding Ma and Pop stores. Often times, these were roadside attractions where he would chew the fat and look for a bargain. He never cared much for the big box type antique stores.
      I first started collecting old cigar boxes. My first one was purchased in Hereford, Texas in June 1989 on a trip to the Grand Canyon with my dad. I paid a quarter for the cigar box. My interests have changed through the years. I now have a really nice collection of old postcards. Most of them are categorized by state or topic. Some of my favorites are WWII military postcards and outhouse postcards. I probably have a week’s worth of work to categorize the others that I have purchased in the last few years. I have several old postcards that were postmarked before my grandmother was born in October 1909.
       Other things that I collect include metal can openers, old tools, saws, seed corn books Pepsi collectables and old games. I also enjoy collecting Gaso pump items and Skelly Oil items because my parents worked there.
        I also have a nice collection of Midwest Old Threshers buttons.
      Our love of antiques is continuing with our nephews. Our oldest nephew has been collecting items for years and now runs an online auction business. I enjoy checking out the items he offers for sale on his auction website. Last fall, I picked up a nice box of antique barber razors from one of his auctions. I plan to enter them in the antique contest in Pioneer Hall at the Iowa State Fair. Our middle nephew and his fiancé often visit antique stores on their travels and call to let us know what they find that might fit into our collections. And even our youngest nephew has enjoyed collecting various items over the years. 
         It’s good to get out, do something you enjoy and spend time with loved ones.
        Have a good week and remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always. 

        Having grown up in Tulsa one-half mile from Route 66, I am somewhat familiar with the Mother Road, as it is called, and some of the quirky roadside stops along the way.
         I’ve never driven the entire road from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif. However, I have driven on sections of the road in Oklahoma and Missouri.
       The Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla. is a beloved historic landmark and popular stop along Route 66. Catoosa is a Tulsa suburb on the northeast side of the city.
          The Blue Whale is an 80’ by 20’ concrete structure built by Hugh S. Davis, a zoologist, along with a friend, Harold Thomas, a local welder. The duo spent two years welding the metal framework and applying hand-mixed cement, one five-gallon bucket at the time, during the two year period between 1970-72.
        Sometime in the 60s, Davis and his wife, Zelta, opened Nature’s Acres. It was a Route 66 animal attraction with a replica of Noah’s Ark, alligators that roamed free and a pit of poisonous snakes that were used in sometimes life-threating wildlife shows.
         During the shows, Zelta would often wrap her body in live snakes. She was nearly killed when an alligator named Big Betty grabbed her hand and dragged her into a Nature’s Acres pond. She escaped by banging on the alligator’s nose. She saved Hugh’s life at least once by knifing open his arm and bleeding out the poison when he was bitten during a snake-milking demonstration.
          After retiring from wildlife shows, the couple decided to slow down to a more calmer and safer lifestyle.
In the late 1960s at the age of 60, Davis began to doodle pictures of a “fish” that he wanted to build at the pond. From that fish evolved a whale - larger and larger he drew from sketches on napkins to drawings on over-sized sheets of paper.
      According to info on the Blue Whale, Davis envisioned the whale as a special place where his grandchildren could play and swim in the nearby pond.
          After it was completed in July 1972, the whale, which was beached on the shore of one of Nature’s Acres old gator ponds, began attracting people who wanted to fling themselves off of it’s tail, slide down the water-coated fins and poke their heads out of the holes in the whale’s head.
     On Sept. 7, 1972, Davis officially presented the blue whale to Zelta on the couple’s 34th wedding anniversary.
        Davis kept records and the rough cost of constructing the whale was $1,783.46 in 1969 dollars. 
Zelta later recalled that Hugh had considered painting the whale black-and-white like a Killer Whale, but she vetoed the idea.
        “We don’t have mean things,” she said, and so the whale became the friendly Blue Whale.
       Hugh and Zelta viewed the project as a private whale, to be used only by their grandchildren. But its location along the Mother Road drew curious visitors, and eventually the Davises opened it as a public attraction.
        Blessings were showered upon the Davises during the time the Blue Whale was in operation. No one was ever seriously injured, no one ever sued and no one was ever bitten by a snake. It was a good time. It was a good place.
      Years passed, and by the Davis’s 50th wedding anniversary, age had caught up with the couple. The whale, despite its continued popularity, was closed to the public in 1988. Zelta posted “Trespassers Will Be Shot” signs and backed up the threat with a loaded shotgun. 
      Because of Hugh’s crippling arthritis, the Blue Whale was closed in 1988. Hugh died Jan. 11, 1990, and Zelta, died on Aug. 1, 2001. The former swimming hole became an over- grown, swampy mess. The Whale’s blue skin faded and peeled. But it was not forgotten.
      Restoration of the Blue Whale has been an ongoing effort. In 1997 the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce refurbished the fading land-mark. By the early 2000s local officials had expressed an interest in preserving the whale, and fans of the Mother Road -- partnered with the city of Catoosa for property maintenance. 
     “This hardcore group would come out here and spend days repainting and doing clean-up,” noted information on the blue whale. Hugh’s solid construction (and Zelta’s shotgun) had kept the whale standing long enough to be saved.
       At the time, then Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating himself painted the pupil of the Blue Whale’s eye. Volunteers, private companies, family members and the local Hampton Inn motel had pledged time, money and energy to maintain the site. 
        The City of Catoosa finally purchased the 14-acre property in 2020, turning it into a city park. Blue Whale Park now has picnic tables and a gift shop (where visitors can purchase turtle food for the pond’s residents).
        And in the summer of 2025, the City of Catoosa closed the Blue Whale location and broke ground on park renovations. The project is expected to be completed by May 30 this year as part of the Route 66 Centennial.
        The project includes a new visitors center with an exhibit on the Blue Whale’s history, a playground, new neon lighting, expanded parking, walkways and restrooms.
        And the exciting thing is guests can still walk around and check out the Blue Whale.
       The Blue Whale is located at 2600 US Route 66, Catoosa, Okla. 74015. Hours are Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The phone number is 918-857-0676.
        So, if you take a trip on Route 66 this summer, be sure and make a stop at the Blue Whale in Catoosa.
         Remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always.

         I recently celebrated a milestone in my life. 
        Saturday, March 21 marked one year since I had colon cancer surgery at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines.
         As of my last check, I remain cancer free.
         A couple weeks ago, I started thinking of ways to celebrate this milestone.
         One idea that popped into my mind was a family cook out. 
         I was a little hesitant, due to some health issues that I’m currently experiencing in my back. I mentioned my idea to Debbie, who encouraged to move forward with the celebration.
         It all started to come together a week ago when we picked up supplies for the cookout.
       Because my back issues are causing me to not be as mobile, the entire family worked together to make sure my celebration happened.
      My middle nephew and his finance retrived my Blackstone grill from the back of the camper at my mother-in-law’s house, brought it to my house and put it together. After doing some yard work for us, he grilled the burgers and hot dogs. He even cleaned everything up afterwards.
        Debbie did a quick cleaning of the house. We pulled out some extra chairs and mother nature helped out by giving us an extra warm evening. 
        All 10 of us gathered in the living and around the grill in the garage to visit.
       Once the food was ready, we all moved into the living and enjoyed the hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and salads. 
        Desserts included homemade cinnamon rolls, bars, and birthday cake left from an earlier celebration.
        They were paired with my surprise for the family - a batch of Wheeler’s homemade ice cream.
      Throughout the evening, we reminisced about my cancer surgery and recovery. I spend ten days and nights in the hospital and Debbie was right there by my side the entire time.
        It was a very scary ordeal. I am very thankful for all who prayed for and supported me during that time and continue to support me today.
         While celebrating the milestone, Debbie and I have enjoyed some great NCAA basketball games. 
        In the first round of the tournament, Iowa State won easily over Tenneesee State, 108-74, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a nearly 20-point victory over Kentucky. And Iowa took down last year’s champion, Florida, to also advance.
         There is no way to watch all the games, but it was fun to watch Nebraska’s victory over Vanderbilt.
         We are looking forward the Iowa versus Nebraska match up.
        We have also enjoyed watching the Iowa and Oklahoma women’s basketball teams take care of business this weekend.
        It’s always fun to watch those tasked with the important job of running out with their brooms to clean up the court after players take a tumble.
       And we are also making sure to watch the Oklahoma Sooners softball team as they start conference play. The Sooners have already hit 127 home runs this season, setting the SEC single-season home run record in just 32 games, passing the previous record of 121. The team is averaging 3.8 homers per game and has surpassed 100 home runs faster than any team in NCAA history. 
       We have been lucky enough to watch the Sooners play in person in the past and hope to get the chance to see them again soon.
        If you get a chance, be sure to catch one of their games on television. 
       Life can be a challenge at times. I encourage you to keep a smile on your face, stay positive and be kind to others. Also, pray for our country and your loved one.
       Be sure to enjoy life and all that God has given you.
       Remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always.

        I was resting in the Lazy Boy chair the other day and Debbie asked me if I needed anything to eat.
        A bacon sandwich sounds good, I told her.
       With my back issues, Debbie has been doing double duty of late making sure I’m well taken care of and well fed.
        Anyway, she asked about cooking the bacon in the oven. It sounded good to me. I typically fry my bacon, but cooking it the oven is just fine.
        I enjoyed the bacon feast before taking a nap.
        While eating the bacon I was reminded of a dear friend who I met in the early 1980s.
        I worked at Skaggs Alpha Beta as a night janitor at 51st and Memorial in Tulsa for about 2.5 years. I swept and mopped grocery aisles, cleaned toilets and helped strip and wax floors.
          I worked alongside a stocking crew, that stocked shelves during the night time hours.
          The store also featured a full bakery and deli that served breakfast and lunch.
          It was in 1981 that I met Jane Walker, who went by Mama Jane.
          She was a former restaurant owner in Broken Arrow, a Tulsa suburb.
          After closing her restaurant, she went to work at Skaggs, working in the deli.
          We became friends and during my last morning break at 4 a.m., I would head to the kitchen and snatch a few pieces of bacon that she was cooking in the oven for the morning breakfast.
           She was much older than me, but we had a deep friendship.
           I used to stop at her house in west Tulsa and visit, especially in the years since I worked at Skaggs. She had a cat named Princess who wouldn’t walk on the floor. She would jump from a lap to the back of a chair or piece of furniture.
           Jane was married in the late 1950s to a military man. I believe they lived in Germany for a short time. They had one son who was a couple years older than me. He lived for a time in Jane’s garage that had been converted into an apartment and later lived in a travel trailer parked in the driveway.
        Jane’s husband passed away at an early age and Jane never remarried. She said God gave her one husband and that is all.
            That is a different philosophy than some have about marriage.
           When stopping to visit at her home, I always found a chair while Jane set on the couch and crocheted. In fact, the couch was her bed.
           Hanging on the wall behind the couch was a piece of lattice with many photos of friends and family. It included my photo.
         We often talked about the goodness of God and just chatted about life. In continued to stay in close contact with Jane, even after I moved to Missouri to go back to school.
       In 1981 I purchase a new stereo, cassette tape deck, turntable and speakers. I wanted to buy an inexpensive stereo cabinet and it just happened that Skaggs had one for sale for $50. While pushing a broom in the pharmacy, Jane went walking past to get to a freezer in the back of the store. I said something to Jane about wanting that stereo cabinet.
            “How much is it,” Jane asked.
            “$50,” I replied.
            She said she would give me the money on Monday.
            I was really surprised she said that and during the weekend, wondered if it was really real.
When Monday rolled around, Jane handed me a crisp $50 bill.
          I was going to buy the stereo cabinet at the store I worked at, but they were out of them, so I went to another Skaggs in south Tulsa and bought one. It was $40 on sale there instead of $50.
           I bought it and offered the change back to Jane.
        She told me to use the money for something else, so I went to the Sound Warehouse, one of many record stores in Tulsa, and bought a new album.
         I bought the double disc “Platinum and Gold” by the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It had such songs as “Gimme Three Steps,” “Free Bird” “Saturday Night Special” “What’s Our Name” “Sweet Home Alabama” “Simple Man and more.
           It’s funny that as I get older the simple blessings I’ve been given can lead to a life full of memories that come back with the smells from a pan of oven-baked bacon.
Jane passed away in 2010 with what I believe was from the effects of Alzheimer’s.
           Thank you Jane for the memories.
           Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

In the late 1990s, while working at the North English Record, I heard about a new book, “A High Porch Picnic,” an autobiography of Hayden Fry, the legendary University of Iowa football coach.
         “A High Porch Picnic” is a Texas expression for an exceptionally good time. Based on Fry's glorious career as one of college football's most unique coaches, that's a good way to describe his life. Ranked 10th on the all-time collegiate list for Division 1 victories, Fry successfully combined his football coaching savvy with a down-home charm to make him one of the game's most colorful personalities.
           He was also known for painting the visitor’s locker room pink at Kinnick Stadium.
Hayden co-authored the book with long-time Iowa Hawkeye sports information director George Wine. The book details Fry’s 20-year career, 1979-1998, rebuilding the Hawkeyes, his coaching philosophy and personal life. I reached out to Wine and was able to secure an interview with him. Wine grew up in North English, where he graduated from high school. 
         It just happened that on the day of our interview, Fry was at the Coralville Mall near J.C. Penney signing autographs and Wine asked if would like to meet him. Of course, I said yes. There was no need to stand in the long lines that stretched outside the mall. Wine just took me up to the front of the line where he introduced me to Fry. I shook Fry’s hand and received a free signed copy of the book. The book covers Fry’s childhood days in Odessa, Texas, his time in the Southwest Conference and his 20-year tenure at the University of Iowa.
         Wine was inducted in the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. He died on June 5, 2012 at the age of 81.
         That reminds me of a few other sports personalities from our area. Mace Brown, the son of a custodian at North English schools, enjoyed a long major league baseball career. After graduating from North English, Brown attended the University of Iowa on a track scholarship, starting in 1927. He left college to pursue professional baseball, beginning his career in 1930. He was a prominent pitcher for the Pittsburg Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. He appeared in major league baseball largely as a relief pitcher over 10 seasons. Brown posted a 76-57 record with a 3.46 ERA and 44 saves in 387 appearances (55 as a starter).
          Brown became known as one of the first full-time relief specialists in the Major Leagues. In 1938, he led the Pirates with 15 wins (all in relief), led the National League with 51 games pitched, and became the first reliever to play the All-Star Game. In 1943, with the Red Sox, Brown also led the American League in games pitched with 49.
      Brown was born May 21, 1909 in North English and died on March 24, 2002 in Greensboro, N.C.
         Following his playing career, Brown served as a coach and North Carolina based scout for the Red Sox organization from 1947-1989. He was the major league pitching coach for the 1965 Red Sox team serving on the staff of manager Billy Herman. As a spring training coach for the Red Sox, Brown worked with both the pitchers and catchers. Among the later was Carlton Fisk who credited Mace with teaching him technical and leadership skills that stayed with him throughout his career. He was 92 when he died. 
      Another area major league baseball pitcher with Iowa and Poweshiek County ties was Jackie Collum, who was born in Victor, and graduated from Newburg High School. He played for eight different teams - St. Louis Cardinals (2 times), Cincinnati Red Legs, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians - between the 1951 and 1962 seasons.. Collum served in WW2 with the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Theater of Operations where he was stationed in the Philippians. Following the war, he returned home and married Betty Bells on Feb. 28, 1948. 
        He pursued his major league dreams after going 24-2 in 1948 for Class A St. Joseph Cardinals of the West League. Primarily a reliefer, Collum also served in starting roles. Collum’s most productive season came with Cincinnati in 1955 when he recorded numbers and wins, earned run average 3.63 and complete games, 5, while pitching 134 innings. His last major league season was 1962 with stints playing for the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. 
          Following his baseball career, Collum worked in the automotive business and was owner of Grinnell Pioneer Oil. The building is located on the Southwest side at 4th and West Streets and dates back to the 1920s when it was associated with a local farmers’ cooperative. One of the services they provided was selling gasoline. The building was expanded in 1931 in a more traditional filling station as selling fuel became a more prominent part of the operation. The building attained its present appearance in 1937 when the service bays and brick veneer were added. It attained its original name, Pioneer Oil Company, throughout its time as a service station even though it became affiliated with Mobil Gas in 1936. That affiliation ended in 1962. During WW2, it became an inspection center under the wartime tire rationing program. The service station ceased operation around 2004. Later, the building was repurposed into the mobile wash and watch, an automotive detailing business. It was also home to Candyland Café. It currently is home to Maria’s Fresh Mex. I’m not sure what is located in the old filling station garage bays.
         A more recent ball player with Montezuma ties was Jamie Arendt, a 1990 Montezuma graduate and five sport athlete, who played minor league baseball while attending Central College. His brother, Brad, a 1989 Montezuma graduate, who played football at Central College has two sons, Jayson and Bryan, both who play baseball.
       Jayson plays and performs on the Savanah Banana Texas Tailgaters entertainment baseball team based in Savanah, Ga. He recently tried out for America’s Got Talent, where he made it to the second round. His younger brother, Bryan, is currently attending training camp and will suit up and play major league baseball with the Oakland Athletics this year. The brothers were raised in North Carolina and attended and played for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks.
         And another minor league ball player with Montezuma ties is Rich Grife. As a player in the mid-1990s, Grife, a right-handed pitcher, was a minor league pitcher for the Burlington Indians and Watertown Indians, as well as the Columbus Red Stixx and Sioux City Explorers. He went on serve as the head baseball coach for the Marshalltown Community College.
         If you know of others who played professional sports from Poweshiek County and the surrounding area, send me a note and I will share their stories. 
        Editor’s note: Much of the information for this column came courtesy of Wikipedia and other baseball internet sources.

         I enjoy relaxing in the Lazy Boy chair and watching old television shows. The other day I was watching the first episode of the Andy Griffith Show, which aired on Oct. 3, 1960.
      In that show, Andy invites Aunt Bee to Mayberry to help raise Opie after the former housekeeper, Rose, gets married.
       In the early going, Opie struggles to accept Aunt Bee, as he missed the way Rose did things.
         Rose would play ball and fish with him and he wanted Aunt Bee to do the same. It wasn’t Aunt Bee’s thing. So, Andy tries to teach her how to play ball and fish, all with no success.
       They all go fishing together and Aunt Bee is holding her baited fishing line out of the water. When Opie questions what she is doing, Andy explains that where Aunt Bee is from, that is how people fish.
        So Opie and Andy encourage Aunt Bee to put her line in the water and when she does, she catches a fish.
         That leds to Aunt Bee deciding to leave until Opie realizes how much he needs her. It was the beginning of a family bond that touched hearts for generations.
Watching that show brought back a lot memory of camping and fishing trips I went on with my folks.
         My dad loved to fish and after my parents were married, they would spend most summer weekends at Lake Oologah northeast of Tulsa.
      My dad loved to fish off the rocky banks below the dam. I remember as a youngster watching Vietnamese families using cane poles and catching fish by the basketfuls.
         I would sleep in the back seat of my dad’s 1959 Chevrolet Impala, which later became my car in high school. On one fishing trip, I heard a commotion in the middle of the night. I learned later that my mom had gotten up and found a big snake hanging from a tree at our campsite.
        One of the most memorable fishing trip was in the summer of 1969 (not the Bryan Adams song).
        I was age 10. My mom was pregnant with my brother, Tom, who was born in October that year.
         We were camping at Grand Lake northeast of Tulsa at a campsite near the water.
        Dad and I went fishing and I snagged big ole fish. I got so excited that I started jumping up and down and then dropped my fishing pole before reeling in the fish.
        I was thankful as my dad reached down and grabbed my pole to keep the fish from getting away.
         Dad helped me reel the fish in, which was a four-pound carp.
        That’s not my favorite fish to eat as it’s boney and tough. But my mom gutted and skinned the fish and we all ate it.
         I couldn’t have been happier to enjoy fish and fried potatoes cooked in an iron skillet on a Coleman camp stove.
        Many years we camped and fished at Greenleaf Lake, a man-made lake near Braggs, Okla. Braggs is about a 12 miles from Muskogee, Okla.
         I’m sure you’ve heard the Merle Haggard song, “Okie from Muskogee.”
        The lake featured a heated dock, as many Oklahoma lakes had back in the day. Fisherman could enjoy fishing inside a bait dock. Some of the featured bait shops sold pizzas, deli sandwiches and cold drinks.
      For a few dollars, you could fish on the dock all day. On one particular trip, I caught somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 crappie.
          I cleaned some of them and we ate them for supper.
When I got older, I used to fish a lot with my friend, Rob. Everyone called him Rob Bob and he knew how to catch fish.
        His family had a large pond southeast of Tulsa near the town of Coweta. Rob’s dad had a 17-foot boat that folded in half. Large bolts with rubber plugs and wing nuts were used to seal the boat once it was open. We’d row out into the lake and fish.
         I caught my biggest bass, a 3.5 beauty, in that pond. That area now is a golf course.
I brought the fish home and cleaned it and my mom cooked it for me along with some fried potatoes.
      We used to swim there some until the time I got out of the water and saw a big snake swim past. That was end of that.
       Rob had an uncle who had an A-Frame house on Grand Lake.
       We’d fish off the family boat dock several times during the summer and enjoyed a deli sandwich and cold Pepsi’s.
        Those were some great trips and times of fellowship.
      When I worked for the newspaper in Tulsa, there was a fellow I worked with that lived north of town. He had a huge pond and I often fished there and would catch some nice bass. And when I was in college at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a family near where I lived let me fish their pond. I always caught a mess of fish.
        I have lots of great memories of fishing good times.
         I’m looking forward to trying my hand at fishing again. It’s been way too long.
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

         Debbie and I watched Hollywood Week on American Idol on Monday night.
     As we watched the various performers and listened to the judge’s comments, I started thinking about how hard that would be to be a judge on show of that caliber.
     Some of the performers knocked it out of the park while others struggled and faltered.    What I noticed is some performers make too many excuses and then beat themselves up for missing it or not going on to the next round.
        Folks, that is life.
        Sometimes you have try again.
     Sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board and reevaluate and give it another shot.
        I pray for those folks that they find their purpose and fit in life.
       Anyway, I judge 4-H photography. I don’t begin to claim that my judging skills are on the same level as American Idol judges, because they are not.
       But they are important to the young people whose I judge.
       My goal in being a judge is to help young people improve.
      Some years ago I was asked to meet with 4-H’ers at the Grinnell Drake Library for a pre-county fair photo judging session.
       I worked with extension staff to give 4-H’ers tips on making better photos.
      This young 4-H member from Jasper County, who was in a Grinnell 4-H Club, brought me a photo of a herd of cows next to a barn.
     I scanned the photo with my eyes before turning to the young man and asking, “What is your focal point or subject?”
       I explained that he had a photo of all these beautiful cattle, but what makes it a good photo? What draws your attention to the cattle?
       I asked a little more about the cows and where he took the photo. Then I asked him to return to the barn and get close up of one of the cows and focus on that animal.
I could see that a light bult went off.
      He returned and brought home a beautiful photo of a cow chewing its cud, almost with grace.
      That photo won a blue ribbon at the county fair and then went on to win blue at the Iowa State Fair.
       It was a proud moment for me as a photography judge.
     Sometimes the key isn’t being the best or having the best, but giving your best in everything you do.
      It may not make the final cut, but what a proud feeling it is to know that you gave it your all.
Moving on
       I’ve been struggling with a number of health issues for almost a year now.
       To be honest, I’m getting kind of tired of it all.
    First, it was colon cancer and then I had a blood clot in my right leg during the summer months. And since last fall, I’ve been dealing with some back issues.
      Somehow I developed a bulging disk in my lower back and that has put pressure on my sciatic nerve. I’ve had a couple cortisone shots and I am currently going to physical therapy in Grinnell.
       It’s been slow going and I’m doing my best to push through the pain.
       I know that this too will pass.
       Better days are ahead.
     I encourage you this week to go out and give your best. Don’t settle for seconds. Learn from your experience and challenges and make the best of every day of your life.
And while you are at it, smile and encourage those around you.
       And if you have a few extra dollars, do something nice for someone else.
     Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.