My Portfolio

Richard Bach, an avid aviator and writer, once wrote of fear.  He had halfway completed flying a loop when his plane for some inexplicable reason instead of completing the maneuver, began falling from the sky.   He described the fear that welled up and bubbled forth in the question, “What am I...

On the road…again! Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek  A to Z Word Potpourri   The Chronicles of a Footloose Forester were compiled over a number of years, one story at a time. Events, observations, encounters, and episodes were the ingredients in the mix that got filed into his...

Acer rubrum To Zyzyphus jujuba Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Trail Mix   Remembering the name of one of his favorite snacks proved to be a task that would not be completed until early the next morning, upon waking from sleep. Going to...

Travel, we are told, is a broadening experience.  Exposing ourselves to exotic foods, exciting or calming new landscapes, dipping our toes into both pleasant and dangerous waters, ascending the heights and plumbing the depths of our world exalts us above the mundane and breathes life into what would otherwise be mere...

  We lived on the sixth, and highest floor in a new housing project on Glenwood Road in Brooklyn. I remember the bird's eye view of the edge of civilization across Ralph Avenue, where beyond Krasne's Supermarket and the odd selection of shops that lined the avenue there stretched out weedy...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Arguing With Sheila   It took a long, 5,500 mile trip with GPS guidance to finally convince us that it is not a good idea to trust the GPS for all the answers.  Although our superior...

A long-time resident of Salem is Nedra Hanks.  She was born in the family home in Payson on March 21, 1936.  She smiled when she said her birth certificate didn’t list her weight but read “Born alive”.  She was the first child born to Ned and Edna Taylor.  Her Grandmother Rebecca...

After taking on the challenge of hiking up to Mount Lukens, we felt that we were ready for an even more challenging hike, three peaks in one day.It would take two cars to accomplish our goal. We drove up to Vincent Gulch and left Marv's car there. We then drove back...

I'm not a 're-gifter' by nature but an idea came to me this morning when thinking about what I wanted to give my Dad on Fathers Day. Like most Dads, he taught his children valuable life lessons, priceless gifts we still use today. My sons learned many of these lessons because...

            Elliott and Ann Nielsen  A couple who would help you with anything is Elliott and Ann Nielsen.  Both of their families lived in Orem, but Elliott was born at Utah Valley Hospital and Ann was born at Payson Hospital.  Elliott was the son of Leland O....

Acer rubrum To Zyzyphus jujuba Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Grass Clippings, Fertilizer, Green Manure   Tis now the season when homeowners around the country get out the lawnmowers, fertilizer spreaders, and weed whackers in their yearly quest to make their lawns more...

On Memorial Day we'll show our respect and appreciation to military heroes who gave life and limb for our freedom. While we remember these incredible men and women, their families are often forgotten. It is impossible to measure the degree of sacrifice and pain these families have suffered. Many provide constant...

I was born at a very young age :).  Seriously, I was born on November 12, 1961 at Concord Hospital in Concord, N.H.  My Dad is Paul Edward Rogers and my Mom was Maureen (McCarthy) Rogers.  I have 2 siblings, my older sister Elaine May Sherburne and my younger brother, Brian...

Acer rubrum To Zyzyphus jujuba Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Drs. and Doctorandus Titles, degrees, and honorifics are important in some circles to distinguish the achiever by the achievement, the apparent status of the individual by the designator before the name, or the...

Acer rubrum To Zyzyphus jujuba Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Gadabout and Gadfly   When the Footloose Forester was finally ready to fill in the biographical content for the cover of his third memoir: Acer rubrum to Zyzphus jujuba: Volume II in early...

Ninety-six and loving life!!  Vanita Ward was born in Delta, Utah in her parents’ home on December 11, 1919.  Her parents were William Sanders Jenkins and Betsy Luceen Cook Jenkins.  There were 12 children in her family and she was number seven.  Her father owned a grocery business, and during the...

This week's legacy question is, "Who is your favorite ancestor and why?"   I don't actually have a "favorite ancestor", but I have chosen to write about my great, great, great, great grandfather, Burrell Price. Burrell Price was born in 1810 in what is now called Mecklinburg County, North Carolina.  Imagine...

On the road …again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   A Talk Story to a 2nd Grade Spanish Class   Sharing ideas with children is an important part of their formative education.  So is showing them things that are all around us; and teaching them...

Salem is home for Paul and Karen Hair.  Paul was born in Salem to Delamar B. and Zelma Johnson Hair on November 9, 1936.  Karen was born in Spanish Fork (625 North 100 West) to Joseph Ford and Lily May Stebbins Lucas on September 6, 1939.  When Paul was 7 years...

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, For the want of a shoe the horse was lost, For the want of a horse the rider was lost, For the want of a rider the battle was lost, For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost, And...