Creekbank Blog

On the Dangerous Side of I-49 I sped along Interstate 49 on the way to Lafayette. Looking ahead, I changed lanes at the sight of a disabled vehicle on the right shoulder. A woman stood in the ditch, watching a squatting deputy change the flat on her car. His patrol unit, blue lights flashing, sat ahead on the shoulder. It …

Herman Clemenson lived 24,500 days after Sgt. Leroy Johnson saved his life on Dec. 15, 1944. The place was Leyte Island, Philippines. The story is one for the ages. 24,550 days. That’s a long time.  That’s 67 years and over two months. Close to a lifetime.  And Herman Clemenson,  a North Dakota soldier had this gift of a lifetime thanks …

King Mockingbird The Northern Mockingbird, that most Southern of birds. Each day he sits up there—on the highest limb on the tallest oak. I call him “King Mockingbird.” The area around the oak and our back yard belongs to him. He is the biggest and loudest mockingbird around. It is easy to recognize him high up in the tree. His …

Listen to an Audible audiobook free sample of As the Crow Flies. A Time to Read   There have been so many challenges and opportunities during this time of uncertainty. I’m reminded of a quote in The Art of War by Sun Tzu, “In the midst of chaos, there is an opportunity.” Webster’s defines opportunity as a “good chance for …

Trail Magic “Be ye kind one to another.” -Paul in Ephesians 4:32 Frank and I climbed up a steep ridge on the north Georgia part of the Appalachian Trail. We were on a remote and dry portion of the Trail and were parched on this warm day. Our water bottles were empty and we consulted a guidebook for the next …

How to Fight a Bear I’ve got hiking fever. It’s strikes me several times a year and I find my heart, if not my feet, on a trail in Arkansas or the Appalachian Mountains. In both of these hiking locales, encountering black bears does occur. I want to share a few good bear stories along with information from a “Bear …

  Uncle Quincy’s Goose   (From Curt Iles’s third book, Wind in the Pines.) “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” -Proverbs 21:23   You are probably familiar with the old story of the gossip who was confronted for spreading an untruth throughout the community. The offending “tale-bearer” apologized and volunteered to go back to …

A Good Time to “De-clutter”   As many of you know from my stories I love to hike in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and along the Appalachian Trail (or the “A.T.” as it is called.) One thing backpacking quickly teaches you is the priority of traveling light. When you are carrying a 30-40 pound pack on your back for …

One Step at a Time I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.  -Psalms 32:8   I grew up in the woods at the end of a dead-end country road. Clayton Iles Road was unpaved a mile long, and extremely dark on moonless nights. It’s …

A word from Curt The following story, about King George VI and his famous Christmas message and poem to the British people during the darkest days of the War. Scroll down to read this remarkable story   January 1 Lagniappe A New Year  This is the final post from our book, Christmas Jelly. We’ve enjoyed visiting with you during the …

December 31 New Year’s Eve   Finishing Strong   Ted Williams is generally considered the greatest hitter in the history of major league baseball. Two events from his career speak about the concept of “finishing strong.” In 1941, Williams entered the last day of the season with a batting average of .3995. This would qualify him for a rounded off …

        A Word from Curt   Grateful. Gratitude is one of my 6+ words for 2016. I’m thankful for the wonderful gifts in my life. Today I’m thankful to have the calling of writing. It’s what I do. Who I am.  I’m thankful that you have chosen to read this blog and allow my heart to hopefully …

For the next week, through January 1, I’ll share a daily short short story with thoughts to help us all navigate that wonderful week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I lovingly call it “Bah Humbug” Week. It can be the most difficult week of the year. Stay tuned  daily for a story, thought, or insight that hopefully will make …

A Story for Christmas  During December we’re featuring one short story per day from my latest book, Christmas Jelly.  Today’s story is my favourite from the thirty-two stories.*   Enjoy! Christmas Jelly contains thirty-two chapters– 0ne for each day in December plus January 1.     MY GRANDPAS’ BOOTS CURT ILES       My name is Abe and this …