Monthly Archives: June 2017
With a muffled groan the shaft jerked. Creaking and popping like an old man’s knees, the mill slowly sprang to life. Corn disappeared into the device’s dark maul, and emerged moments later as freshly ground corn mill. Transfixed, young Dane watched the huge wooden gears turn, and listened intently as his Dad explained how water from the stream turns the water wheel, which then turns the wooden gears. More than a half-century earlier, I was that young boy, raptly listening…..
Before I retired, an unwanted visitor oft frequented my chambers. He arrived in the wee hours and woke me from my slumbers. Thankfully, these visits were rare, but just who was this nocturnal guest? Perhaps the ghost of Christmas past? No, my specter was sadly mundane – “’twas work what roiled me dreams.” Jarred rudely awake, my heart raced as I blinked away the last vestiges of my sleep. I would then find my brain already engaged on a nagging…..
Father’s Day is just around the corner, so I’ve been ruminating on Dads. Now before I start I must confess something – God blessed me with a great Dad, Don Dahl, and with a great Grandfather, J. Harold Tower. Knowing these men made my trip through life much easier. Dad has been gone for a while; however, he is often in my thoughts, perhaps more since he passed than before. A mild-mannered Junior High School teacher, Dad’s example molded three…..
The State Trooper idled along the camp road, headlights stabbing through the moonless night. Halfway around the circle he stopped, killed the lights and peered into the dark sky. Here and there stars emerged from behind the clouds, but the moon remained AWOL. It had been a dangerous storm, especially north of the camp. Trees were down and roofs damaged. It was a real mess. His shift over, the Trooper decided to check on the scout camp. Despite the storm’s…..