State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

  • Apple Blossom Time… In September!

    The last six weeks have broken me. Few things are going as planned, yet that is somewhat normal. Read more

  • Protecting the Midterm Vote

    My first assignments as a poll worker dropped this week, a reminder of how soon election day will be here. Early voting starts October 14 in Iowa. I drew three shifts helping in the lobby at the county administration building, and expect to draw an election day assignment. The county auditor is well-organized to cover… Read more

  • Miller-Meeks Dodges the Real Problem

    In November I will get my seventh opportunity to vote for Mariannette Miller-Meeks for Congress. I will decline, again. The incumbent is not doing enough on important issues of our times. I am thinking particularly of Social Security. She made a splash with her support for Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s bill to open… Read more

  • 25 Years Since the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

    I wrote this post on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. What has changed is then it was Iraq and Afghanistan, now it is Iran. I was scheduled to fly from Moline, Illinois to Philadelphia on Sept. 11, 2001. My flight was cancelled. I returned to the office,… Read more

  • September Stress

    Everyone I know is experiencing stress in September. Read more

  • Using Up Eggplant

    In an effort to extend the life of too many eggplants, I quartered a baking sheet full of them to roast. This kept well in the refrigerator, yet was reaching the end of the line. I decided to use it all in a casserole made with tomatoes, rice, and other vegetables. It came out well,… Read more

  • Hot Sauce Destination Story

    Where did that 1977 enamoring of all things hot pepper and capsaicin lead me? In part, it led to today’s kitchen garden. Read more

  • Summer’s End 2026

    At least once each summer I take the long way around the trail. I walk on the road toward Highway 382 and enter the Hoover Nature Trail, which leads south to an intersection with the state park trail. This route take more than twice as long to complete, and the change in scenery is welcome.… Read more

  • False Hope of Spring

    Our lilac bushes are in their second bloom of the season. It is not normal. They have leafed out, at least in part, and the number of blooms is as good as it was during Spring on some of them. I simply take this as one more example of the climate crisis disrupting natural cycles.… Read more

  • Labor Day Weekend 2026

    Our garden is going strong as we enter the weekend that signifies the unofficial end of summer. Public school started this week, and political candidates keep saying there are less than 70 days until the election. It is time to take stock of what remains to be done during this unusual year. I hope readers,… Read more