Devotions

“Catfish Lies” When is the truth a lie? We talk about “little white lies” and half-truths. Is there such a thing? Here is one of my favorite stories. You decide for yourself if the parties involved told the truth or a lie: American catfish farmers of the South are having a hard time economically. As is true in so many …

The Pine Knot Pile: A Lesson on Earthly Treasures All of a sudden, the February wind picked up and turned out of the south. Instantly what had been a small controlled fire in my back field became a raging monster. The flames spread rapidly through the dead knee high grass – as fast I as I could, I ran ahead …

A Word Called Resolve It is one of my five favorite words.* It is the word resolve. There are several uses of the word, but I love the definition that speaks of persistence and grit. Webster’s defines it as “to act with determination, boldness. To be steadfast and faithful.” Resolve is a trait found in the lives of all great …

Ready to move out This summer DeDe, Terry, and I took part in a youth camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This area of majestic mountains, covered with vast stands of tall Ponderosa Pines, is one of my favorite places in America. To get to camp, we wove deeper and deeper into the Hills following a long snaking …

Info on my new book… The Mockingbird’s Song The wheels are turning for the release of my fifth book, The Mockingbird’s Song. Tentative release is scheduled for November 2006. This new book by Curt Iles from Creekbank Stories will be printed by Wise Printing of Sulphur, LA. To learn more about this book and my other works, visit www.creekbank.net This …

Two friends: Sept. 11, 2001 “I am staying with my friend…” Of all of the soul-touching stories from September 11, 2001, I believe the story of two friends named Abe and Ed is the best. It is gleaned from the excellent book, 102 Minutes, by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn (Times Books copyright 2005) When the first plane crashed into …

Le petit baton rouge* By Curt Iles Creekbank Stories copyright 2006 Of all of the memorable places to visit in my home state of Louisiana, Avery Island is one of my favorites. Situated on the coastal marsh below Lafayette, “The Island” is an elevated area that rises above the surrounding flat marsh. It is not really an island but is …

Stuck on Devil’s Tower . . . I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.       On October 1, 1941 parachutist George Hopkins did something incredibly stupid. He parachuted onto the top of Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower. Recently while visiting this impressive national monument, I read about Hopkin’s stunt. He did it to get attention and …