Backroads Journal
A Walk on the Prairie
Pulling my wide-brimmed straw hat down low on my forehead to keep it from taking a flyer down the hill and throwing my daypack of supplies over one shoulder, I began my walk up the backcountry trail in search of Palmer Creek. It’s located at the extreme north end of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. You see, […]
Stephen Jones’ Dream on the Upper Fox Creek
“Louisa, my love, it’s a land where the grass grows so tall that you have to stand in the saddle to see the horizon. It’s a land of milk and honey, of clear water springs and opportunity. I’ve heard the rail line has just opened the land for development and we can build our dream […]
Wandering Down the Road of Life
I’ve heard it said that your first memories can shape the rest of your life. It seems that mine have done just that. The earliest memory that I can place is looking out the window of my parents’ old Plymouth at the tree-lined river we were following on our way to my Grandpa Perry’s house. […]
Wander
The theme for 2011 is “Wander”. Unfortunately, that’s a word that is not used much these days. When it is, it generally takes on a negative connotation, most often associated with aimless or lost.Wander happens to be one of my favorite words. To me it has a positive connotation of following your curiosity and having […]
The Value of Ten Minutes
What is the value of a minute? Of five minutes? Can ten minutes make a difference in a day?Flying along the Kansas Turnpike at the usual 5 mph over the speed limit rush, returning from a doctor’s appointment in Kansas City, we were commenting about the profusion of yellow flowers along the side of the […]
Adventure on the Art Fair Circuit
We just returned from a month of grand adventure. Last year we made a commitment to jump into the art fair circuit and were able to participate in a few local shows. With the addition of hand-tinted color added to the prints in my portfolio over the winter, I was pleased to have been accepted […]
Sunday at the Emma Chase
On a whim we found ourselves seated at the locally famous, old fashioned, down home friendly Emma Chase Café in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, sipping our iced tea from a large canning jar. We had ordered our Chicken Finger Dinners from the three blackboard menu selections, fried chicken, chicken fingers and chicken fried steak and had […]
South with the Snowbirds
Yesterday I spotted several bunches of Crocus with their bright, sunny yellow and lavender blooms popping up in the neighbor’s yard. I guess spring is just around the corner! We’ve been without snow for quite a while, but it’s been cold and grey most of the time. I think you will agree with me that […]
On the Edge of the Flint Hills
Gazing out over the rolling hills that fall off into the West Branch of the Fall River Valley, I truly feel like I’m one of the luckiest guys around. I have designed the perfect job to take advantage of both of my loves. Wandering the backroads of Butler County, looking for an interesting and creative […]
My Journey into Creativity (Cont.)
With the weather settling in to the dreary, monotone of grey skies and most of the fall color gone, I have made a commitment to concentrate on new art processes and images for a while. My goal is to master the product called Solarplate Copper, a photo-sensitive polymer coated plate. Information about the product can […]