I’m always looking for an opportunity to visit with others. 
      That was the case on Saturday as I walked around the Montezuma American Legion Car Show taking photos and talking with and interviewing vehicle owners.
       While there, I noticed a fellow using his cell phone on a hand-held device filming the cars and trucks at the show.
        Curious, I introduced myself and asked what he was doing.
       He said his name was Jeff Brewster from Knoxville and he enjoys attending car shows around the state and making videos for his YouTube channel, Corn Rows and Car Shows.
       “I come to these shows because I love the old cars and love talking to everybody,” said Brewster. “I love to hear the old car stories.”
        He currently has 66 videos on his YouTube channel from car shows this year and last.
        We talked more and I mentioned I was from Oklahoma.
        “I am too,” he said.
         I said that I grew up in Tulsa and he said he grew up around the Oklahoma City area.
        “I attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa,” I told him.
        “My mom attend Will Rogers and graduated in 1953,” he told me.
       He said his family has a piece of marble from a window seal at the school that has been made into a small table.
         Of course that peaked my interest, as I mentioned I would like to see it. 
       We exchanged phone numbers and I mentioned next time I was going to be in the Knoxville area, I would give him a call in hopes of seeing this piece from my Oklahoma upbringing.
     You just never know when and where you will meet someone with a connection to your family or upbringing.
        My dad was a master at finding those connections and I believe I have inherited some of those skills that have benefited me greatly in my life and as a community journalist.
        Debbie and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary on Sept. 25. Instead of buying each other a gift, we got a new puppy, a Border Collie / Great Pyrenees mix, from Mark and Rosemarie Adams of Missouri.
Our new puppy, Daisy Mae, is three months old and is three quarter Border Collie and one quarter Great Pyrenees.
        Our new puppy joins Boomer, a dog we got from the Adams’ two years ago. Boomer is three-quarters Great Pyrenees and one-quarter Border Collie.
        I met Rosemarie at a community photography workshop in 2003 in Louisiana, Mo., on the banks of the Mississippi River, just south of Hannibal.
      She was working for a local newspaper in her hometown northwest of Columbia and attended the workshop to hone her photography skills.
        We stayed in touch through the years and while Debbie and I were at a book event in the Quad Cities area in June 2023, I saw a Facebook post from Rosemarie looking for homes for a litter of five pups. I showed the post to Debbie and we both knew that one of the pups would soon be ours.
          We picked a male and named him Boomer and hadn’t even met him.
        I reached out to Rosemarie and we met our new puppy on Labor Day weekend that year. Fast forward two years and we welcomed home Daisy Mae.
         Boomer is such a loving, caring and protective dog.
        Debbie is slowly introducing Daisy Mae to Boomer and we believe that they will complement each other in the coming days and weeks.
       I believe that Debbie and I complement each other and together we are doing great things and being difference makers in this world. I thank God every day for her and for all of life’s experiences we enjoy together.
         You can be a difference maker in the lives of others as well.
          Some J.O. tips include:
          Finding the positive in life’s experiences and challenges,
          Doing good to others,
          Going the extra mile even when it is not appreciated,
          Giving more than you take,
          Turning off the negative and focusing on the positive,
           And learning that no matter what you have on your plate, it is OK to take a nap every day.
           Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

        It’s good to be among friends, eating good food and talking and learning about God.
        That was the case on Sunday, Aug. 24.
        I attended the joint church service of the Malcom and Sheridan United Methodist Churches followed with a picnic.
        The event was held at the Malcom City Park Shelter.
       It was a wonderful service of praise, worship, fellowship and children’s church. An offering was taken up using hats, one of which was Pastor Boyd Sparks Cowboy Hat.  
       Pastor Sparks, 91, of Montezuma has been ministering at both churches for a number of years. He asked if anyone would like to make a song request.
      I raised my hand and said the photographer has a song. I suggested we sing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
       I mentioned that I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and that song was one of my mom’s favorites.
       “I used to play it on the piano,” I told those gathered in the park. “I don’t think I can do that anymore.”
        Pastor Sparks found the song in the church hymnal and we all sang it together.
      After a short message on listening to God from Pastor Sparks, the gathering prayed and everyone stayed for a bite to eat
    The McDonald and McCammant families of Malcom and Brooklyn prepared and served the meal of barbecue pork and chicken sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and homemade pie.
      Harold Wheeler of Montezuma arrived with a batch of his famous Wheeler ice cream and served it to all.    Some topped off their piece of pie with the ice cream. I opted to enjoy a bowl full.
      Having grown up in the South, having an outdoor church service and picnic is about as downhome as one can get.
      I learned of the joint church service after seeing a flyer at the Montezuma State Bank earlier in the week. I gave Pastor Sparks a call and asked if I could attend and take some photos. He said that would be fine.
     When asked about the service, Pastor Sparks said he thought about having a cowboy church service, but opted instead to have a joint service and picnic.
     After the service and meal, I made the rounds and interviewed attendees from both churches. And to my surprise, I learned that three families representing four generations each were present. I took photos of each family and enjoyed visiting with them all.
      Small town churches are the fabric of many communities in Iowa and across the country.
    There are some who would brave a snowstorm to attend church and others who rarely attend, but still support and love their home church.
     For many, the home church is where they grew up, met their mate, got saved and baptized, got married and are now blessed to watch their children and grandchildren carry on the family traditions.
     As I rested on one of the picnic tables while tucking my camera in my worn backpack, a young boy who was at the service with his mother stopped and gave me a big hug. His sister then gave me a big hug.
      I appreciate the children sharing their love and friendship with a hug. It really touched me and showed me the importance of church in nurturing and raising families.
      It had been a busy weekend up to that point. I covered the Grinnell Show & Shine Car show on Saturday and then attended the Whitetail Banquet that evening.
       I struggled to get up Sunday morning, but I’m so thankful that I did.
       It’s hard to beat small town living with good people.
       I’m blessed with so many wonderful opportunities in life and thankful for it all.
       Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

​         It was a different kind of Iowa State Fair for 2025.
       Unlike in past years when we’ve camped most of the 11-day state fair, this year, Debbie and I only spent five nights there.
         We’ve had a lot of outside projects on our plate of late and had to put the fair on the backburner.
         Anyway, I visited the fairgrounds three days and Debbie was there four days.
       We did watch a horse show and a cattle show this year. We also toured the culture center and the agriculture building.
         Our oldest nephew, Gavin, took on the job of the Boer Goat Superintendent at this year’s fair. Family and other volunteers helped him register participants showing goats in the open class shows.
         We are proud of Gavin for taking on this new role in his life.
        He’s been raising goats for years and has showed them at the state fair a number of times. He now raises goats and has them processed and sells the meat at farmer’s markets and craft events.
        As in past years, I entered 10 antique items this year and won one third place ribbon for a birthstone broach that belonged to my grandmother. The broach featured the birthstones of all of her siblings. I found the broach in my keepsakes while cleaning in the garage this summer.
        Other antique items I entered this year included postcards, pop bottle openers, a carnival glass bowl, a cut glass candy dish, a pressed glass ice tea pitcher, a two-piece painted cast iron toy fire truck, a singletree (used on horse hitches), a Wizard of Oz children’s book and a set of native American drinking glasses.
       And as we have since 2007, we sponsored two food contests at the state fair. One is “Fair Favorite Foods,” our oldest contest where folks make a dish that is special to them and their family during the fair.
We also sponsor a children’s book contest. The contest asks youth to make or create a dessert based on their favorite book.
         Looking back, this year’s fair had its share of hot days.
         There were a few nice days, but it was hot more so than in past years.
          It was so nasty on the last Saturday of the fair that I stayed in the camper all day.
      And on Sunday morning, Debbie and I ventured to the Pioneer Hall and made stops at the two fairground museums before heading back to the camper.
         There was no breeze and it was too hot!
        In spite of the hot weather, the state fair drew a record 1,160,121 fairgoers. This year’s turnout was the third-highest in fair history.
      And speaking of hot, growing up in Oklahoma, it was 95 degrees plus with high humidity most summer days.
         It didn’t bother me that much when I was a kid, but now that I’m an adult, I don’t seem to handle the heat as well these days.
         I was age 10 before my folks bought an air conditioner.
         It was a Frigidaire 400 btu window unit that was installed in one of the dining room windows. It was later moved to the living room.
         We used box fans to circulate the cool air throughout the house.
        Mom’s rule was it had to be 92 degrees or higher outside to run the air conditioner. It ran every day all summer long.
       At night, we’d turn off the A/C, open all the windows and turn on our attic fan. Attic fans were common in the south.
         A lot of the older homes featured big windows and large screened in porches where folks gathered, sipped on some ice tea and visited.
          I don’t recall our vehicles having air conditioning and my elementary and junior high schools didn’t have air conditioning. My high school had a newer building on the campus built in the early 1970s with A/C, but the main three-story building with basement was unairconditioned.
           I think air conditioning has since been added to my high school.
        The days are getting shorter and fall, homecomings, holiday and craft events will be here sooner than later. And this year, our youngest nephew, Peyton, is playing football at Montezuma. A year ago he was battling cancer and beat it and this year, his senior year, he went out for football at Montezuma.
           We are proud of him and all of our nephews!
           We plan to attend his games when possible.
         Of course, I will be on the sidelines with camera in hand and a notebook stuffed in my back pocket covering the game.
          Enjoy the rest of summer and take time to visit with family and friends.
          Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

       A recent trip to northeast Iowa in late July with family to take senior photos of our youngest nephew reminded me of the beauty of Iowa.
     There are such breathtaking picturesque scenes looking across the sun draped valleys toward the Mississippi River.
      Our trip include a stop at the Maquoketa Caves, but we didn’t stay as it was busier than a New York City subway.
       The next stop was the Hurstville Lime Kilns, a historical park near Maquoketa featuring old limestone kilns, picnic tables and a trail.
        The kilns and rock crusher made natural backdrops for photos.
        There was lots of history at the old mill and that made it a fun place to explore.
     We then headed northwest outside of Dubuque to Ballstown, where we enjoyed a late lunch at Breitbach’s Country Dining. The eatery claims to be the oldest restaurant in the state of Iowa. The food and atmosphere were good.
       When then made our way to Pikes Peak State Park where we hiked a bit of the trails. We thought about making the journey to the Bridal Falls, but opted for another day after learning that there were 253 steps down to the falls and that many steps back uphill.
        Our last stop was at Backbone State Park, Iowa’s first state park, dedicated in 1920 and located south of Strawberry Point. We drove through two low water dams at the park and after coming across a third low water dam, where the water was really flowing, we turned around and left the park from another exit.
        If you find yourself in that part of Iowa, the park is worth a visit. You can hike, climb rocks, boat, fish and even stay a night in one of the park’s cabins.
      I’ve always wanted take time to travel around the state visiting different cities, towns, parks, museums, historical sites and more.
         The idea is to have a travel blog or publish a calendar with of my Iowa photos.
         I started a list a couple years ago that I labeled “Iowa photo ideas.”
         These are places that I would like to visit or make a return visit and take photos.
         This includes the Everly Brothers House and museum in Shenandoah in the southwest corner of the state. I’ve driven by, but it is usually too late to visit the museum.
       Debbie and I travel to Clarinda in late October each year to sell our books at the Clarinda Craft Carnival. It is one of the best operated craft events in the state.
        On the way there, we drive by Villisca, home of the Ax Murder House. I’ve visited the home three times, but I have never toured it. A few years ago, Debbie and I met a couple ladies at the craft carnival who grew up in Villisca in the 1950s and never knew about the Ax Murders of 1912.
         After graduating high school, the sisters took summer jobs at a resort in Colorado. While introducing themselves and saying they were from Villisca, another summer intern mentioned the Ax Murders of 1912.
       When they called home and asked their mom about the murders, she said the family never talked about it because some relatives of the deceased still lived in Villisca at the time.
        One of the ladies said she went to a dance in the house in high school and saw the ax above the front door, but didn’t think anything about and never asked. Touring the Ax Murder house is on my bucket list.
       Other stops in southwest Iowa include the Creston Phillips 66 station, Stranton, home of the coffee pot and coffee cup water towers, which now sit on the ground as tourist stops.
        I would like to see the Albert, the world’s largest bull in Audubon. I would also enjoy visiting Denison, home of actress Donna Reed. Reed bequeathed her Academy Award to her hometown and it is on display at the W. A. McHenry Museum in Denison and the Johnny Carson Birthplace in Corning.
       I’ve been to the Gothic House in Eldon, but have not been inside or visited the museum. Another stop on my list is the Museum of Traffic Control in Pella.
      The covered bridges near Winterset, some of which Debbie and I have toured, and the John Wayne birth home, which we have not toured, are on my to-do list for a return trip.
      I’d like ride the dinner train in Boone with Debbie and visit the Kate Shelly bridge in Boone. Other stops include the Shrine of the Grotto, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, the Matchstick Marvels in nearby Gladbrook, the salt and pepper shaker museum in Traer and the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire, home of the American Pickers. A stop and tour of the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Burr Oak, in far northeastern Iowa, is also on my list.
      Debbie and I have visited the Blue Bunny Ice Cream museum in Le Mara in northwest Iowa, but would like to return. I think the museum and ice cream shop have a new home. We’ve also been to the Surf Ballroom and Buddy Holly crash site, but would love to return and tour the inside of the dance hall.
     My Iowa journey wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Woolstock in Wright County to see Superman’s phone booth and memorial to George Reeves, who played Superman in the 1950s television series, “Adventures of Superman.” Reeves was born in Woolstock and was considered by many to be the “Original Superman.” The memorial is an old pay phone booth with a mannequin dressed as Clark Kent starting the process of revealing himself as Superman.
      The above mentioned is just a small portion of all that Iowa offers. There is so much to see and do in this beautiful state. I recommend taking a day trip with family and visiting one or two of Iowa’s attractions, museums and parks.
       It’s a great way to connect with family and spend time together.
       Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

        I have now attended the Iowa State Fair every year but one since 1998. And I have camped at the Iowa State Fair every year since 2004.
        Those who follow me, know my story of meeting Debbie in 2003 while doing a newspaper story on Iowa State Fair campers from the Montezuma area.
         It’s a story of a match made in Heaven that gets better every year.
         I learned about the campground almost by accident.
         The first year I attended the Iowa State Fair, I got on the wrong tram and ended up in the campground.
         I didn’t have my hand stamped at the entry gate and almost had to pay to get back into the fair from the campgrounds to get to the parking lot.
        The ticket seller had pity on me and let me in the fairgrounds.
     After surviving that ordeal, I made my way down the grand concourse where I found a couple police officers on a golf cart.
       I asked for directions to the parking lot and they offered me a ride. Then I hung on for dear life as we sped down the grand concourse.
         It’s funny looking back on all that.
       Fast forward a few years to 2003. I was at the Montezuma Republican office and was looking for story ideas. I thought a story on state fair campers from the Montezuma area would make a great story and a fun project.
        So, on the first Saturday of the fair that year, I made my way to Des Moines. I ended up at the campsites of Raymond and Connie Thompson and Myron and Tina Widmer, where I spent the afternoon.
      They had an outdoor sink and refrigerator at their campsite at the time and were grilling hamburgers. I was invited to join the families for supper.
        I returned to the campgrounds the next Tuesday, Aug. 12.
        While walking around the campground, I saw Debbie standing by her camper.
        We looked at each other. I don’t recall saying much.
       I then returned to the campsites of the Thompson and Widmer families, which was just up the road from the Tindle campsite, and asked about her.
       “That’s Debbie, our neighbor,” said Connie. “She’s a nice girl.”
      Later in the week, I met Debbie’s grandmother, Louise Smothers Tindle, and her mother, Carole, who I interviewed for my story.
       I was at the camper of Farrell and Iona Johnson, which was behind the Tindle camper and one spot to the south.
       Debbie, Carole and Louise were outside the camper under the awning.
        Iona said something about that being three generations and that I should go take a photo, which I did.
       Debbie offered me a Pepsi and captured my heart.
      I returned to the state fair campground the last weekend of the fair and stayed in the Eugene and Mary Lou Mann camper. That gave me a chance to meet and interview more fine folks and families from Montezuma.
        I wrote and published the story a week later in the Montezuma Republican.
      Debbie sent me a card thanking me and for including her family in my story. And later in September, while     I was at a photography workshop in Missouri, she sent me a birthday card.
        To make a long story short, I was a little slow responding to her.
         We went on our first date on Nov. 9, 2003.
         I took her to Wal-Mart in Newton and then to a Mexican restaurant on our first date.
         It wasn’t my finest moment in life, but Debbie hung in there with me and the dates got better.
         I proposed to Debbie on May 1, 2004 in Hannibal, Mo. in the city park along the Mississippi River.
         On one of our earlier dates, we had talked about our love for Mark Twain and Hannibal. It just happened that Debbie loves visiting Hannibal and so do I. 
        We were married on Sept. 25, 2004 and every August since, we have spent time at the Iowa State Fair. This is our 22nd year to camp at the fair.
        Two years ago, we were featured in a display at the Iowa State Fair Ralph H. Deets Historical Museumabout couple’s who had found love at the Iowa State Fair.
            Since getting married, we have published eight books - two Iowa photo books, four romantic suspense books in the Hope Series, a novella about an Iowa town who almost didn’t have Christmas and my newspaper column book entitled, “Good Things are Happening.”
       This September we will host our 13th All-Iowa Writers’ Conference in Montezuma. And I continue covering the news all across the county, including 26 Poweshiek County Fairs since coming to Montezuma.
           We survived my colon cancer journey together earlier this year and I’m thankful that Debbie was by my side.
           I’m so blessed and thankful for every moment and breath that life offers.
           I hope you enjoy some time at the Iowa State Fair.
           Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.

         My dad would be proud of me.
         If he were still alive, he’d pat me on the back and want to talk about the good old days.
        And that puts a smile on my face.
        The reason is because I recently became the owner of an antique horse-drawn potato planter.
        It was a gift from Howard and Sue McDonough of Grinnell.
        I first laid eyes on this piece of American heritage in 2011 or 2012.
        That year Howard and Sue where named the Grand Marshals of the Fourth of July Parade.
        The couple lived northeast of Grinnell at the time, but have since moved to town.
     Howard farmed and helped install stadiums for Stadiums Unlimited that was later renamed Outdoor Aluminum.
        “I installed stadiums so I could farm,” said Howard.
        He’s also a collector of antique implements, many from the turn of the century. 
       During my visit and interview at their farm, Howard gave me a tour of the barn. That’s when I spotted the potato planter.
       I asked if it was for sale.
       Howard was gracious in his “no” response.
       He said he’d never sell it or anything he owns.
     It was a nice piece of Americana and in the years since I have remained hopeful that someday I would have the chance to own the implement.
      Every so often, I’d see Howard and would mention the potato planter.
      “I still have it,” he’d tell me.
     I was at the Grinnell Show and Shine Car Show in August a year ago and saw Howard. I mentioned the potato planter and he said, “If he wanted to get rid of it, he’d give it to me.”
      I saw him again just before Thanksgiving last year at the Grinnell Jingle Bell Holiday event. I was standing on the southeast corner of Fourth and Broad Street by where the horses give folks rides.
      Howard saw me and said I could have the potato planter if I still was interested.
“What a gift,” I’m thinking.
     I was so excited that I went home and told Debbie that I was adding to my collection of rusty farming antiques. I’m already the proud owner of John Deere hay rake and may soon be getting an antique two-row International horse-drawn planter.
       It took a while to get it home. Thanks to Seth Cline for hauling it to our house a few weeks ago.
       Howard said the potato planter was made in the 1800s and he believes in Michigan.
       Howard said he’d have to look it up.
       When asked, Howard said the potato planter came from Valley City, ND.
       He said he got from a fellow he knew there. He said he’s always loved collecting farm implements and old antiques.  
       My plans are to display the implements in our yard.
       Like my dad, I’m interested in preserving history.
     My dad had a nice collection of horse-drawn implements including cultivators and according to my brother, he also had a horse-drawn potato planter.
      I don’t remember the potato planter, but do remember the cultivators that were in the backyard at my parent’s farm.
      He also had a vast collection of old hand saws, cultivator seats, singletrees and doubletrees, most of which I brought to Iowa from Oklahoma.
      My brother and I divided some of our dad’s antique collection and sold some of the items in our family auction.
       I wish I had hung on and kept them all, especially the old two-man saws.
     My dad enjoyed attending steam engine shows in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. He loved to make a deal.
    One year while visiting a steam engine show in Pawnee, Okla. in the late 1980s, my dad found an old cultivator seat he was interested in having.
    A lot of these steam engine shows have dealers selling old antiques and my dad enjoyed stopping to checkout their offerings.
       I think the seat was $12 or so, which to me is a bargain.
     Anyway, Dad offered the seller less and was turned down. So, he’d walk around the grounds for a while, then return and try and buy the seat from the same dealer, but a different person. It took a few tries, but he ended up getting it for about half price.
      He got the biggest chuckle about that.
      I also have a full set of horse reins. My dad said his father used them on a team of horses to build roads in Oklahoma during the WPA days.
     I don’t have any history on that outside of what my dad said.
     I tossed the idea around about donating them to the Midwest Old Thresher Reunion. I spoke with the folks there a few years back, but have done anything yet.
     Debbie and I enjoy going antiquing on occasion. In addition to the implements, I have a large collection of old postcards. I love trading with other dealers.
     I also have more than 100 old cigar boxes, Pepsi collectable, old hand tools, old board games, pop bottle openers, old shirt patches and many other smalls.
     Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day