1993 Floodstage Tribute: “Dog Mike,” poem by Erwin and Ruth Thompson for a brave flood fighter
DOG MIKE by Erwin and Ruth Thompson
Mississippi Headwaters
This picture is a corner of a post card that my father saved for my brother to scan as I continue my travels in Northern California. Gary says, “This is the headwaters of the Mississippi, at the Itasca State Park in Minnesota. My family was there once. I think Daddy and Mother were there also…
2008 Mississippi River Floodstage, by Erwin A. Thompson (& Janet Riehl)…floodstage series continues
The folks around here have been nervous, not knowing. It is hard to realize, but we do not have a tenant that was here during the 1993 flood. Of course the predicted crests are never guaranteed. The predicted crest has been changed upward several times this year, and no doubt would have been higher except…
River Love from Childhood & Changes in the River, by Erwin A. Thompson
River Bluffs I have lived on the bluffs that overlook the Mississippi River for all but the first nine months of my life. The family owned a good pair of field glasses, and they were one of my great experiences, to look through them and watch things like the building of the rafts when they…
How to Pack (truth and humor)
Old-school travel It’s hard to leave home. I pack at the last minute. Sort of. It’s a layered affair. 1) The basic layer is a suitcase always at the ready with toiletry kit and swimsuit and such ready to go at a moment’s notice, anywhere, anytime. 2) Then, as I ready for a trip, I…
POD as Community Project: A Gem of an Idea
Click here to read about how “Gems of Yesterday: The Poetry and Philosophy of Bee Lewis,” our latest book release, is being used as a community project. Yvonne Perry’s Writers in the Sky explains it pretty well. POD = Print on Demand
Floodstage Mississippi River, 1903, 1943, 1973, 1993…add 15 years = 2008: “Man, the Meddler,” by Erwin A. Thompson
Floods — 1903, 1943, 1973, 1993, and then add fifteen years Of course, this is an attempt to put “A little humor” into a series of tragedies. Obviously there have been other floods in years that did not end with a three. It seemed appropriate that I preface my review of the floods with a…
From Floods to Flames…series on Mississippi Floodstage starts tomorrow just as I go towards the firestorms.
For those of you who know your geography and follow the news, you know that for the past month we’ve had flooding here in Missouri and Southwestern Illinois. Some of you have emailed me asking for updates since I haven’t posted about the flooding on Riehlife. My feeling was that I wanted to wait until…
July 4th poem: “I am the Declaration of Independence,” by Genie Keller
July 4, 1976, the United States celebrated its Bicentennial. In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. As the N Y Times board blog says: “It makes sense to think of the Fourth of July as the start of a season and not as a one-day holiday moored off by itself. But it…
Social Snobbery delicately lampooned: “The underdone bottom of the uppercrust.” by Erwin A. Thompson
At dinnertime recently, my father recalled this story, and I asked him to share it with us. What follows is his author’s note from his novel “The Upper Crust.” —JGR _______________________________ Pie! THE UPPER CRUST An explanation of the title might be helpful. I was raised by three maiden aunts and my maternal grandfather. They…