State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

  • Book Review: The Only Plane In The Sky

    Those of a certain age have living memories of Sept. 11, 2001. What we may not have is the sweeping scope of what happened, which is contained in Garrett M. Graff’s book, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. I checked it out from the public library and read it during… Read more

  • Canned Goods – 2026

    I put up what I can use in the kitchen. Over years of canning, I learned to abandon the idea of preserving every bit of extra food coming from the garden. Maybe it was that dozen quarts of sweet pickles from 2016. These days, I donate excess to the local food pantries and that serves… Read more

  • Vote Yes for a New Jail

    I visited the current Johnson County Jail soon after it opened in 1981. I remember saying to myself, “My God! They made it too small!” The current board of supervisors approved a referendum for the November ballot to build a new jail and sheriff’s office. I support it. Opinions on the current referendum, previously published… Read more

  • 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