Preharvest Moon

The last full moon preceding the Harvest Moon shimmered in the morning sky before setting, and conjured memories of a distant past and a Nebraska farm along the Platte River. Days became shorter, nights cooler, and an autumn tint began to appear on some of the trees while the kids moaned about having to returnContinue reading “Preharvest Moon”

Shadows of the Past

The setting sun cast shadows of objects in our window onto the wall and brought back memories, some recent, some distant. More recently, the enchantment of Bora Bora was captured in the photos and the shadowy silhouette of a wooden dolphin on the lower right. The carving was given to us by friends in BoraContinue reading “Shadows of the Past”

Plum Creek Railroad Attack 1867

This memorial is about four miles from my childhood home near Lexington, Nebraska, which had been a homestead of Michael Delahunty, a railroad section boss at the time of the raid. Cheyenne Chief Turkey Leg (or Turkey Legs, depending on the source) had fought at the Little Bighorn in defeat of General Custer, and hadContinue reading “Plum Creek Railroad Attack 1867”

Secrets Locked

In the mid 1960’s, my dad was digging in a field that lay along the north banks of the Platte River in Nebraska. He felt the shovel hit something solid, so he reached into the hole and pulled out this rusty old padlock. It has a crown and “VR,” in honor of Queen Victoria, stampedContinue reading “Secrets Locked”

Sore Sower

Rising 400 feet above the plains of Nebraska, the state capitol building displays a statue of the Sower broadcasting seeds by hand. It represents the agricultural foundation of Nebraska. When I was young, a story circulated about a grade schooler having visited the capitol with his class. Afterwards the teacher asked the students to drawContinue reading “Sore Sower”

Pleased to Meet You, Guess My Name

In the autumn of 1970, a young lady and her friends were bantering about good-naturedly in this building. They were part of a college weekend retreat, and I happened to be in the area visiting my parents who lived near there. I had seen her around school, but did not know her name. When theContinue reading “Pleased to Meet You, Guess My Name”