​      Photojournalist and author Dave LaBelle, left, checks out the Iowa State Fair photo book while J.O. and Debbie Parker look on during the 2023 All-Iowa Writers’ Conference held on Saturday, Sept. 16 in Montezuma. The Parkers, who host the writing conference, donated the State Fair and Midwest Old Threshers Reunion books they published to LaBelle. J.O. first learned of LaBelle and his work as a student in the 1990s at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

       It was the spring of 2010.
      I stepped into the house after a long day at the Poweshiek County CR and Debbie, who was seated in the living room, said, “I want to hold a writers’ conference.”
      “And I want to invited Donald Harstad to speak,” she added.
      Harstad of Elkader is a 26-year veteran sheriff’s deputy in Clayton County turned author. He wrote his first novel, “Eleven Days” in the late 1990s, which became a New York Times Bestseller. He went on to write several other novels including: “A Long December,” “Code 61,” “The Big Thaw,” “Known Dead,” and November Rain.”
      I didn’t know anything about hosting a writers’ conference, so I was a bit leery at first, but encouraged Debbie to reach out to Harstad.
       She found an email and wrote him that evening. He wrote back at 3 a.m. and said he’d love to come speak at our first conference.
         Shirley Damsgaard was there that first year as was Tamera Jones, Alan Loots, Mike Manno and others.
        We’ve had a crime lab employee speak at our conference one year, and a Grinnell Police officer spoke of police duties and dealing with crime.
        Our third year, we had Larry Weeks with Brownells come and talk about gun identification. He said some authors write about crime and don’t know a thing about guns. It was an educational presentation.
       We’ve had nationally known authors, editors, illustrators, historical fiction, romance, crime, Christian and children’s authors. There are far too many to name.
      And one year we received a grant to bring national best seller Laura McHugh to Montezuma. We also enjoyed a presentation by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby, an agriculture journalist and author of a number of Iowa books, including “The Lincoln Highway in Iowa,” “Classic Restaurants of Des Moines” and “Iowa Agriculture: A History of Farming, Family and Food. 
      The first nine years we held the conference in the Montezuma School, Memorial Hall and Community Hope Church before moving it to Grinnell for one year in 2019.
        Then Covid hit and the writers’ conference came to a grinding halt for three years. But thanks to Debbie’s persistence, we brought it back this year.
      She spends from four to six months finding authors to speak each year. She receives a lot more “no’s” than “yeses.”
       And what a great lineup we had this year for the conference held on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Community Hope Church. They included Crystal Ferry, aka Stella Bixby of Montezuma, Laura Snider, a lawyer an author; Iowa State University Professor Kevin Kimle and his wife, Patti, who gave a moving narrative on the Underground Railroad in connection with their book, “The Only Free Road.”
      Also speaking was Joseph LaValley, who has seven books based on fictional newspaper editor Tony Harrington. And Adrianne Finlay, an English professor at the University of Northern Iowa spoke about the writing process and shared about her books.
      And lastly, a royal treat was Dave LaBelle, who calls Dyersville home. LaBelle is one of my favorite photographers and is the author of “The Great Picture Hunt,” and The Great Picture Hunt 2,” “I don’t want to know all the technical stuff..I just want to shoot pictures,” and “Lessons in Death and Life” His most recent book, “Bridges and Angles: The story of Ruth,” is a novel based on his mother, who was swept away in California flood in the 1960s when LaBelle was a senior in high school.
        I first learned about LaBelle as a photojournalism student at the University of Missouri. I have followed his work for years and have all of his books.
       When I learned that he had moved to Iowa, I reached out to LaBelle earlier this summer via Facebook and he agreed to come speak. I was on Cloud 9 all day as I shared my story with him and donated our books on the Iowa State Fair and the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion.
        LaBelle spent his time not only telling his life story, but talking about how words and pictures go hand-in-hand. He closed his presentation by encouraging the conference attendees to find their purpose in life and make the best of what is in front of them.
         We all have dreams and purpose. Today is the day to make a step to see those dreams come to pass.
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

       Jim Good, a good friend and former roommate back in the day in Tulsa, knew a thing or two about building a fast car. He did machine work on engines and also built his own engines.
     He could set the points on cars using the cyclophane wrapper from a package of cigarettes. He would slide the wrapper between the points (for those who know what points are in a distributor) and turn the screw and set it.
      In the early 1980s, Jim owned a 1970 Oldsmobile W-31 that came with a one-piece fiberglass front end. I was thinking it was a 442 Oldsmobile, but Jim said it was a rarer car than that.
      Anyway, when Jim bought it, it had a 350 Oldsmobile engine.
     “It was pretty fast that way, but it had been driven hard and didn’t have the best oil pressure,” Jim said via social media. “So, I built a high performance 455 for it.”
     The car had a 3.91 rear end gear, which made it accelerate hard. Jim said the previous owner had installed the fiberglass front end, but gave him all the original parts so it could still be restored to original down the road.
     “It was definitely a fast car,” said Jim. “The exhaust exited in front of the back tires so it was loud when I got it.”
      Jim said the car had the bare minimum exhaust that would pass state inspection, a requirement for vehicles in Oklahoma.
    “I could get a third gear scratch when I was getting on the freeway,” recalled Jim. “It was a little spooky to get a scratch and go a little sideways at that speed.”
     I loved riding in that car. It was loud and fast. I remember one weekday night, Jim wanted to take the Olds for a spin and blow the cobs out, he said and that’s what we did.
    We ended up on the Crosstown Expressway in Tulsa (an expressway that goes around downtown Tulsa) and I was hanging on for dear life.
    We had to be going more than 100 mph. I mentioned something about the cops and Jim said, “They are on the other side and wouldn’t get us.”
      Jim ended up selling the Olds when he decided to go back to school.
     “I couldn’t afford it as a college student,” said Jim. “I couldn’t really afford it when I was living with you and just barely getting my rent paid every month.”
     “You and your parents were very patient with me and helped me through a rough time financially,” he added.
     I don’t remember any of that, but enjoyed having Jim around. He loved God and we went to church together. That was more important than the rent.
    I got to thinking about Jim’s Oldsmobile 442 W-31 and my second cousin’s Studebaker Lark while strolling around taking photos and interviewing folks at the 50th Grinnell Show & Shine Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 26.
     It was a great show with a record-breaking 279 vehicles on display. There were lots of people to visit with and learn about their cars.
    I met a fellow, Jay De Young, from New Sharon who has a rare 1914 Apperson Jackrabbit Touring Car that was made in Kokomo, Ind. It had been in his family since his dad’s great uncle purchased it new from the Shee Company in the Ottumwa/Oskaloosa area. When the great uncle passed away in the early 1930s, his two daughters took ownership of the Apperson. It survived the World War II scrap heap and Jay and his brother, Lee, who lives in Chicago, inherited the car from their father some years later. The car won the most original trophy at the Grinnell show.
     That is quite a story behind the car and I enjoyed visiting with Jay. Maybe down the road, I can get a chance to write a longer story for a magazine article.
    There were a lot of old and new cars at the Grinnell Show & Shine. I don’t remember seeing any Studebakers at this year’s show. They were a good car back in the day.
    I had cousin from the Chicago suburb of Wheaton who moved to Tulsa to attend welding school in the early 1980s after graduating high school. He had a Studebaker Lark that was in a state of rebuild.
    It wasn’t as fast as the Oldsmobile, but it was a nice vehicle with a piece of beef under the hood. I enjoy cruising through town with the windows down and one arm propped on the window ledge.
The first car I purchased was a 1977 Chevrolet Monto Carlo with the long front end. I bought it used in 1980 and ended up rebuilding the engine in 1981.
    It barely had any power. After tearing the engine apart, I discovered it had a bent piston rod and that more than half the values were burnt. The thrust bearing on the end of the crankshaft was shot. I had to replace the pistons and add a used crankshaft in the engine and torque convertor in the transmission.
    A friend of mine, Scott, helped me rebuild the engine. I put too big of a carburetor and the wrong cam shaft, but it was still a nice running car that I enjoyed driving for several years. 
    I ended up selling the Monte Carlo and a 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier that I bought new to help pave the way to go back to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1992.
    A lot has changed since those days and it’s been a great ride filled with lots of memories that keep getting better as the days roll along.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

​     Every now and then I come across a story that pulls at my heartstrings. That was the case the other day when I was talking on the telephone to a friend, Rosemarie, and her husband, Mark, who live northwest of Columbia, Mo.
    I first met Rosemarie 20-years ago at the Missouri Photo Workshop. The workshop brings together photographers of all skill levels to a different small Missouri town each year where they work with editors from the National Geographic and major newspapers to hone their camera skills. That year the workshop was in Louisiana, Mo., south of Hannibal.
      Rosemarie and Mark raise sheep, turkeys, and chickens and they also raise and sell livestock guardian dogs on their farm. The dogs are used to watch over and care for livestock such as sheep and goats.
       A couple years ago, there was one particular female puppy that was outstanding. In raising these animals, Rosemarie said she puts a dab of different colors of paint on each puppy. The purpose is both to keep track of each pup’s personality, and to see whether they might become a trustworthy guardian dog or simply a companion.
      This outstanding puppy was painted with a dab of turquoise paint, and appropriately named “Turquoise.” Rosemarie became quite fond of the puppy, and decided to keep her for breeding.
     When the litter of pups were 12 weeks old, Rosemarie received a phone call from a family who lived two hours away who said they were on the way to purchase a puppy and were only 10-minutes from their farm. 
    “I like to interview the families first to see if they would be a good fit for one of my pups,” Rosemarie recalled. “That wouldn’t be the case in this situation.”
      The family showed up and the mother, her two young boys and a girl about age 15 got out of the vehicle. The man stayed in the vehicle and told Rosemarie he didn’t care what they got, he “just wanted somethin’ to keep the ‘coons outta the yard.”
       The children looked at all the pups and the girl pointed to Turquoise. “I want that puppy,” she said.
       “She’s not for sale,” replied Rosemarie.
       “I don’t care, I want that puppy,” the young girl said.
    “I don’t know what caused me to have a moment of weakness, but I sold Turquoise to them,” said Rosemarie. “ She told them that if the puppy didn’t work out, to give her a call and she’d come get her. 
      Rosemarie, who adores all of her animals, said she didn’t have a good feeling about selling Turquoise to this family, but Mark insisted since their dog food bill was quite large with feeding 10 hungry pups plus their own guardian dogs.
      “I really regretted the decision I’d made, and often with tears I prayed for Turquoise and wondered about her new probably very difficult life. 
     “I tried to contact the mom to check on Turquoise, but she gave no feedback except to say they had named the pup “Whiskey.”
     Just nine months later, when Turquoise was almost a year old, out of the blue Rosemarie received a text message that read, “We don’t want this dog! My kids don’t like her and she’s causing trouble. If you don’t want her back I’ll do something else with her.” Rosemarie commented that she shuttered to think what  “something else” might be.
     She replied to the text message that she would meet the mom that afternoon to retrieve the dog, and she and Mark happily headed to Columbia to do so.
     As they met the family and opened the cage door, Turquoise pulled away and peed all over herself. She looked rough, and had obviously been abused.
    “I was sick and determined then and there that Turquoise would never again leave our farm,” said Rosemarie. 
     She’d received no additional veterinary checkups and at nearly a year old had not even had her rabies shot. Several weeks after Turquoise’s homecoming, when she’d had veterinary care and had begun to heal and trust again, a friend from the Kansas City area called. She and her husband had an organic dairy farm and also raised turkeys. 
      The friend was asking if Rosemarie might have an older puppy that she could give her parents in Illinois. Her mother had ovarian cancer and wasn’t expected to live much longer—leaving her father alone to grieve. She wanted a dog that could help her dad during this time and be a companion for him when her mom passed away. 
      Mark and Rosemarie knew they took good care of the current guardian dog they had. The friend said she would promise that Turquoise would be well cared for and deeply cherished if allowed to become her father’s companion.
       “I wasn’t planning to sell her, but I felt that this was where Turquoise needed to go,” she said.
      Rosemarie said that shy though Turquoise was, when the friend came for the dog, Turquoise jumped in her car and off they went— as it was meant to be. 
        “I knew I had done the right thing,” recalled Rosemarie. “God had worked it all out.”
        The friend took Turquoise to Illinois to meet her new family. As her mother was still living at the time she was able to meet Turquoise and told the daughter that remarkably it is the turquoise-colored ribbon that represents ovarian cancer.
      This was truly a match made in Heaven. In a recent checkup the dog, who is now named “Bella,” has become a wonderful companion for this man after the passing of his wife. 
       Rosemarie recently received a photo of the two sitting next to each other—each with their own dinner plate watching TV together.
        A happy ending for Turquoise and all involved.
       We all make choices and decisions in life and sometimes, like in the case of Turquoise, they don’t work out at first. But God is ever faithful and has the ability to turn what was meant for harm into something good in the end.
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

     I spent the 50th edition of RAGBRAI as a volunteer photographer during the ride’s visit to Grinnell on Thursday, July 27.
     The heat and humidity were muggy and miserably uncomfortable. There was a nice breeze and some cloud cover on occasion and that made the day a touch more bearable.
       It reminded me of my growing up days in Oklahoma when summer temperatures were well into the 90s most days. Our house wasn’t air conditioned until the late 1960s when my folks bought a 400 BTW Frigidaire window unit. That AC was as big as Mack semitruck.
       The temperature had to reach 92 before Mom would fire up the air conditioner, and it ran most days. We used box fans to circulate the cold air through the house.
      At night, the air conditioner was turned off and all the windows were opened. The attic fan, a common fixture in Southern homes, was turned on. By morning, I was usually wrapped up in a blanket.
      At RAGBRAI, I found a bench on the southwest corner of Fourth and Broad Street across from Grinnell’s Merchants’ National Bank, commonly referred to the “Jewel of the Prairie,” where I met some of the most interesting people.
      Folks from all over the United States, and probably the world, came through Grinnell and they all had a story to share.
       Everyone I talked with, I asked where they were from and how many times they had ridden RAGBRAI. I was surprised at the number of first-timers.
       I met a plant-based vegan, a retired lawyer who was on the ride with his brother, a retired judge. There was a father and son duo from Marquette, Iowa who was with a group of bicyclists called, “Team No Rules.”
       This was the father’s 28th RAGBRAI and the son’s 20th ride and the first in eight years. The father still lives in Marquette, but the son, a U of Iowa grad, now calls Los Angeles home.
        Some of the bicyclists’ articles of clothing adorned with unique and fun items.
         I met a lot of first time riders and some were passing through Grinnell for the first time, too. Many were appreciative of the town folk’s hospitality and event organization.
       “This is the best stop over town,” said Ryan Clark, who was on his first RAGBRAI. “Grinnell is easy to get through and there are lots of choices.”
        The event was starting to wind down around 2:30 p.m., even though bicyclists were still rolling into town. It was just after 8 a.m. when I met my first bicyclists of the day. One man said he left Des Moines at 5 a.m.
         I’m glad he didn’t hit a deer on his early morning ride.
         I wanted to stay past 3 p.m., but my body was telling me it was time to find the comfort of my lazy chair at home. I had hoped to stay for Whiplash, the Grinnell-based rock band that has been playing together since the mid-1980s, but it was time to go home.
         This was the fourth RAGBRAI I have been involved with as a journalist since coming to Iowa. My first was when the ride rolled through Montezuma in 2001 and a second time in 2006, which was a lunch stop. I was not involved when RAGBRAI rolled through Montezuma in 2018.
           I can still hear Harold Wheeler’s booming voice, “Welcome to Montezuma.”
           The biggest hit was the hot coffee that greeted riders that first year.
         And it was 2011 the last time RAGBRAI rolled through Grinnell. That year, Grinnell was an overnight stop. The town square looked like the Grand Concourse at the Iowa State Fair with people everywhere.
        There’s a lot of work, planning and organizing that goes into hosting RAGBRAI. Thanks to the chamber and all who were involved in the Grinnell stop. Everyone did a great job!
        In my thoughts, RAGBRAI is an Iowa institution. You’d never find me riding RAGBRAI, but it gave me a chance to meet and mingle with lots of good people. It would be nice to know what positive things the pass-through towns will do with the money they made from RAGBRAI.
          Come on back, Poweshiek County is a great place to call home!
          Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.