A dead beech log across Crooked Bayou This companion passage to Joe’s visit to the baygall occurs over a year later in our story. It’s near the end of The Wayfaring Stranger. It’s my favorite passage and when I read the end of it to groups, their reactions are always a mixture of nods, smiles, and tears. Enjoy it! -C.I. Chapter 41 January was normally the coldest month of the...

Terry and Sara Iles We had a wedding today. DeDe and I didn’t lose a son, we just gained another daughter. It’s a bittersweet moment when your youngest child marries. There is a finality to it. We’ve had a partial empty nest for two years, but the nest became truly empty today at 10:00 am. And that’s a good thing. It’s as it’s supposed to be, and I’m...

Sergeant Leroy Johnson U.S. Army1941-1944   A Soldier’s Story Every soldier has a story. It’s a story that needs to be told. Some soldiers, often the bravest, Never get to tell their story. Then it becomes our job to tell their story… This is the story of Sgt. Leroy Johnson, United States Army. Since 1965, a bronze plaque has stood on the median of Louisiana Highway 10 in...

  Clayton Iles Bio I was recently asked by the East Beauregard Elementary Student Council to write a short bio about my dad, Clayton Iles. These students adopted a stretch of Louisiana Highway 394 named in memory of Daddy. Daddy worked with youth for his entire life. He enjoyed young people and was committed to teaching them about God as well as having fun. Last Sunday I spoke at a...

The Sign Phantom It all began in the spring of 1974, just prior to my graduation from high school. A rainy April had kept the local streams flooded in “Dry Creek.” (The world’s most overworked cliché, “Well, how wet is it in Dry Creek?”) One afternoon I went down to the green “Dry Creek” sign that informs the northbound traveler that they are entering our community. Over the...