An Arkies Musings

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 31, 2018, issue of The Mena Star. It was shortly after eight in the morning when we pulled up in front of the building. Outside was a sandwich board sign with the words “vote here” written above a rippling American flag. Even though it was early, there were several cars parked out front. My wife and I were headed out of town and decided to vote before we left. When we walked into the room to vote, all of the voting machines were in use, and there were a couple of people in line ahead of us. The people working the polls were friendly and helpful. Before long, both my wife and I were standing in front of our respective voting machines. After voting for the statewide races, for the U.S. representative, the state senator, local races, and the ballot initiatives, I carefully reviewed the ballot before giving my final approval. I was now one of the more than two million voters who have cast early ballots. Many people are expecti...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 24, 2018, issue of The Mena Star. The Datsun pickup was loaded, and Duane was finally ready to head out into the night. It had been a very long day at work. He had a job that had to be completed before he could leave for a family function in Salt Lake City. He hadn’t made it home until after 2 A.M. In an hour, all of his tools and equipment were unloaded, and he was ready to go. As he headed west out of Denver, there was unrelenting darkness in the mountains. The night was starless, and the moon was covered with clouds that blended in with the rest of the sky. Duane was tired and worried. The Datsun’s engine was grumbling and straining as it made its way up into the mountains. The little pickup didn’t have enough power, and the engine would sputter and cut out as it climbed in elevation. Because the engine was running so poorly and couldn’t keep the pickup traveling at normal speeds, the trip was taking a long time. “What is wrong ...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 17, 2018, issue of The Mena Star. A light drizzle had begun to fall as the big yellow Peterbilt pulled into the driveway. The right windshield had a big crack and needed to be replaced. Because the exhaust smokestacks on the truck were too tall, I couldn’t get it under the roof of my workplace. “I guess I will just have to work outside in the rain,” I thought. Installing windshields in big trucks has never been my favorite thing to do. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the job. I pulled the hood assembly forward to tip it open so that I could climb up to the windshield. The drizzle soon made everything wet and slippery. I had to climb very carefully to maintain my footing. Once my foot slipped, but I was able to grab the grab handle and keep from falling. As I was removing the old windshield, the rain became heavier. It was no longer a drizzle. Once the windshield was removed, I quickly picked up the new windshield and began to c...

I am new to self-publishing. I published my first book in the spring of 2017, and just released my third book. I have learned a lot in the last year and a half; at least I hope that I have learned from my mistakes. One of the first things that I discovered was how hard it is to self-edit. By the time that I have written and re-written a story, I am so familiar with it that it is hard to see typos and poorly written elements. My mind sees the page as it should be instead of how it actually is. The second thing that I discovered is how uncomfortable I am with self-promotion. There is a line from the movie Field of Dreams that says, "if you build it, he will come." In popular culture, the line is more often misquoted as "if you build it, they will come." I must admit that I had that mindset when I published my book. I now have a book, surely people will come and purchase it. The reality that every author, musician, artist or other creative person faces is tha...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 10, 2018, issue of The Mena Star. It was a beautiful September morning as we headed west out of Denver on I-70. The mountain views were impressive as we drove along. When we turned onto Highway 91 heading toward Leadville, there were colorful stands of quaking aspen trees that seemed to stretch for miles. Aspen trees have a golden-yellow fall foliage color and on rare occasions turn to orange. The fall foliage was incredible. Several locals that we talked to said the color was the best it had been in years. Aspen trees are called "quaking," because the foliage of aspens shimmers or "quakes" when there is a breeze. My wife, who grew up in Colorado, loves the quakies. The smell of an aspen grove and the rustling sound that the leaves make when the wind blows through them are some of her favorite things. The scenery on our drive that day was incredible. There was a deep blue sky, and the groves of golden aspens shi...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 3, 2018, issue of The Mena Star. The fresh, clean, early morning air filled my lungs as I quietly slipped out the front door. No one else was awake at the guest house on the Kirkham Horse Ranch in Austin, Colorado. The sun was still well below the horizon as I headed out for a morning walk. The ranch is nestled in a narrow valley that runs north and south, with adobe hills abruptly rising to the east and the west. On our vacation in Colorado this year we wanted to visit the Grand Mesa and the Cedaredge area. My wife’s family were some of the first settler’s in this area of Colorado. From the first time that I visited the area, I have thought that the Grand Mesa is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. The Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world, covering over five hundred square miles with an elevation of more than 10,000 feet above sea level.  There are more than three hundred lakes spread across the Gr...