As some of my readers know, I’m working on a coffee table book titled Evergreen: A Photographic Portrait of Washington’s Thirty-Nine Counties. I’ve put the project on hold due to present circumstances, but I can still dream, right? The coffee table book focuses on the history and culture of each county. The counties I’ve already…
We moved to Stockton, California at the end of the fifties.. At that time, thousands of people were moving into Califoria each day. Think about that: each day the state’s population increased by over a thousand people. (California jumped from 10,586,223 residents in 1950 to 15,717,204 in 1960, an increase of 48.5%.) The Joads had…
Dinah, the Ur-MinPin When I was just a wee thing myself, my parents decided that every boy needed a dog. Could it be they thought that living with an infant and living with a puppy would work out? They had heard of a new litter available in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston. Accordingly, we…
I read, a lot. Anyone looking at my 2020 Reading List can see that. Twenty-five books on the fun side and five more on the Educational side. Most of the “Fun” books are froth. When I was a child, I’d go to the library to get a book for the upcoming book report assignment. Momma…
In 1962, at age twelve, I bought my first LP, Finlandia and other music by Jean Sibelius. Listening to The Swan of Tuonela inspired me to read the Kalevala. The Kalevala is the Finnish National Epic. I read it in 8th grade. I had long known the prayer from Finlandia. It appeared on page 73…
The 1970 Pontiac LeMans Sport showcased on the Green and White of the El Cerrito High School Gauchos. One of the outstanding members of the Pontiac Motor Car family.
After serving Mountain View Church in Butte, my Father accepted a position at Rocky Mountain College, in Billings, Montana. Hired as Executive Vice-President and Acting President, Poppa wore many hats at Rocky. He spent a lot of time on the road, raising funds and recruiting students. Recruiting made him the happiest. I have no pictures…
“They” tell us to stay at home. If we must go out, we should keep a “social distance” of at least six feet between people. Don’t go out to eat, unless the restaurant serves take out. Don’t go out for entertainment. Even Kevin’s morning dice game with the old farts has been suspended. Is it…
The largest rya in the world is Rudy Autio’s Montana Horses tapestry. I would like to tell how this remarkable work of art came about, as I was there. When I started working in the Dean’s Office at the University of Montana’s School of Fine Arts, the School lived in a variety of buildings spread…
In June, 1954, Poppa became the pastor at Mountain View Methodist Church in Butte, Montana. This was the summer before I turned five in October. The circumstances surrounding our move to Butte were sketchy at best, and in many ways the move was uncomfortable. It is not my intent in this blog to draw attention…
