State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

politics

  • The Sun Rose in the East

    The morning after the 2024 general election I went walking on the state park trail at dawn. It was light enough to see the ground, and the sun rose in the east as I entered the main part of the trail. The air was clean and I took deep breaths. I needed that a few… Read more

  • 2024 Local Election Results

    Here are the election night vote totals for the top four races in Big Grove Precinct. I will update these numbers, if needed, after the official canvass. It was another Republican night in Big Grove Township, and in Iowa. Race Republican Democrat President Trump Harris 699 598 U.S. House Miller-Meeks Bohannan 700 617 State Senator… Read more

  • One More Wake Up

    Tomorrow is election day in the United States. At lunch on Friday, a candidate asked the sheriff if he was coming to the election night party in the county seat. He wouldn’t be, he said. Because of the election they had extra officers on duty to address uncertainties of what might happen when the polls… Read more

  • Last Political Dance

    I can’t get the general election off my mind so I’ll write about it again. This cycle will be my last dance as an activist. Inevitably, I’ll attend a few events, donate money, and offer counsel when asked in 2026. I would like to see the governor thrown out of office, along with her coterie… Read more

  • 13 Days Until Tomorrow

    The contrast between our major presidential candidates could not be more stark. On one hand a candidate promises to be a dictator on day one of his administration and praises Hitler’s generals, wishing his would be like them. On the other hand, Kamala Harris represents everything good about our imperfect American Democracy. I continue to… Read more

  • Cook County Experience

    During the period 1987 until 1993, I spent a lot of time in Chicago. We lived in Lake County, Indiana just across the Illinois-Indiana line, yet for a while I worked in the loop for Amoco Oil Company. My work took me often to truck driving schools in Chicago and throughout the upper Midwest, where… Read more

  • Political Rush

    I continue to do two or three things daily to contribute to Democratic wins on November 5. I don’t know how successful I will be, but every step forward is of value. After my bout with COVID-19, I gained a different attitude about writing. I don’t believe that will resolve at least until after the… Read more

  • Malarkey Innoculation

    I expect the Republican nominee for president to declare victory shortly after the polls close in California on Nov. 5, regardless of how many votes are counted. It’s his thing and it will tired us constantly until the next president is sworn into office on Jan. 20. When Trump loses, his malarkey will drag on… Read more

  • Senior Network: Activated!

    My cohort of septuagenarian and octogenarian political activist friends organized an event before the primary. (Some nonagenarians are still around, yet are taking a well-deserved break. Their work beginning with the Adlai Stevenson campaign is appreciated, they earned their spurs). We held a “meet the candidates” event for local voters, something not often done these… Read more

  • Ed Chabal For Education

    With all the education talk before the Nov. 5 election, Ed Chabal should be a shoo-in to be elected to the Iowa state senate in District 46 (located in Iowa, Washington, and parts of Johnson counties). He served as director of business and finance for the Mount Pleasant Community School District from 1997 until this… Read more