CrowMac Creek

     “Where the hell have you been?”      I couldn’t help but notice the vein standing out from Howard Ray’s forehead. He motioned for me to close the door and sit down.      “Let’s see. I sent you out on Tuesday, the 12th. Am I incorrect?      “Yeah Boss.”      “And what were my instructions to you?”      “You asked me to fly to Kansas City, then to Osawatomie, a Midwest town with a population of a little more than 4,000 in the dead of winter to find entertainment? Instead, I sent you something real, a story with a message.      “Yes, and it was a good story! A really good story” Howard’s scowl morphed into a partial smile. “We printed it in the Sunday edition. But the next time you write something like that, send a couple of boxes of  tissue. There were more tears in this office than there’s been since the election. And the comparison between the Kansas tax debacle causi...

     I woke up this morning at the Comfort Inn, showered, shaved and made ready for my trip to Osawatomie. The drive didn’t seem too long, perhaps because I enjoy the trip south from Kansas City. There’s not much traffic, and I can think and prepare a bit before I reach my destination. There is, however, one frustration. It seems that one raptor (hawk) sits atop every three or four telephone poles, just hoping that I will stop, jump from the car, prepare my camera for a shot, and just prior to my fine focusing, the damned bird will fly off to another telephone pole and wait. He’ll do it three or four times, then I give up, and move on. He’d do it more, but I have limited patience. If raptors can smile, I’d bet he’d have a big one for me.      The sign says three miles to the exit for Osawatomie so I’m close. Osawatomie is a small mid-western town with a main street and two or three cross streets. The population in 2016 was 4,308, just 89 less than 2015. I ...

     Howard had his secretary arrange my airline reservations and I needed to travel to Sky Harbor in Phoenix to make a 2:00 PM flight. At least I had enough time to make my flight without driving like a mad man. At my desk, I looked for events, if any in Osawatomie, about which I could report.      “Damn!!! Mid winter, Mid Week? And I need to report on something happening in a no-where place like Osawatomie, Kansas. I lowered my head onto my hands, rubbed my temples and released a loud sigh. As I glanced up, I noticed everyone in the room watching me. Taking a deep breath, I opened Firefox, typed Osawatomie in Google Search, and began my research.      I found the official Osawatomie website, and looked for anything of interest. First I checked to see what was happening this week, and there was nothing but a Legislative breakfast, and that was last Saturday. Then I looked for events in March.      “Hmmm. Nothing,” I thought...

     Howard Ray, the owner of the CrowMac Creek Crier, called me into his office and told me to take a chair. Perplexed, I took a seat as he rattled through a stack of paperwork. As he did, I noticed that he towered over me. I felt as if someone had cut the legs off my chair, and realized that someone had. I scooted my chair closer to the desk and Howard scowled as if I had broken a cardinal rule. His gaze became more relaxed and I thought I saw the remnants of a smile that had all but dissolved.     “What’s up boss?     “First, I made a changed the name of the paper yesterday”       A bit perplexed, I thought it best to stay silent. Howard had purchased the paper in 1999, and the last owner had begun publishing the CrowMac Creek Crier, an advertizing rag, in 1968. It had been a free publication, totally funded by advertising sales, and his wife’s father. And it  hadn’t grown much since then. Howard had told me that we would ...

     Last Thursday may sister, Alyson drove to from Prescott to CrowMac Creek for a visit, and it was like a breath of fresh alpine air. We hadn't talked since I told her that I wouldn't be able to make it to my father's funeral. I had been in Kansas, and my financial condition had gone to hell. Further, I was angry with myself for not being able to drive out to AZ to see him before he passed away. Anyway, we lost contact and didn't work to fix whatever had happened between us.      A few days ago we made contact on Facebook and used Messenger to begin reuniting. I decided to move to CrowMac Creek the next day.       I was surprised when Alyson arrived. I hadn't seen her since my hip surgery when she flew to Kansas City to help me put my socks on. We had spent a day sightseeing and discussing life as we saw it.      It was surprisingly relaxing to share time in the cabin where our family had spent many occasions enjoy...

      It had been a beautiful day at CrowMac Creek, peaceful and seventy-five degrees as Laura arrived at the cabin. Her 20 mile drive through the pines from Payson painted her with a peaceful demeanor.             She discussed her day, telling me that Pastor Sands had told her that I was the new Entertainment and Events writer for the CrowMac Creek Crier as he purchased gas for his Toyota.         I smiled and nodded. "I am also the newest photographer for the paper." It is good news. I finally will be where I want to be and do what I love. Tomorrow I begin my new life.

     Dwayne and I took one of our many driving tours, Sunday, January 28th and, as my friends know, I like to take off in any direction and end up where I end up. Dwayne doesn't so we headed south anyway, looking for landscape photography possibilities. In short, we ended up at the Somerset Vineyard and Winery.      Now, I became a wine enthusiast after I graduated from Arizona State University and was transferred to Los Angeles. I became interested in wines while in Arizona and I made a trip or two to the Brookside Winery (now deceased) just south of Phoenix. In the 80s I began to explore Santa Barbara County for it's wines. I was a frequent visitor to the Firestone winery and Zaca Mesa, both presenting rich red wines. It was there I learned that great wines come from regions where there is sandy soil, and cool Fall seasons. The soil here in Kansas is composed of clay with a little dirt on top, and the temperatures are extreme: I thought not a good area f...