Louisiana Stories

  My Favorite Jimmie Barrett Story Excerpt from my upcoming short story collection, Where I Come From. I close with my favorite Jimmie Barrett principal story. One day, I was teaching chemistry when he slipped into the back of the classroom to observe me. He got comfortable.  He always looked kind of sleepy and was soon leaning on his elbow. …

            ”The Old House at Night”  1963  tempera on cardboard by my uncle, Bill Iles. The Old House in Dry Creek. First constructed by my great-great grandparents circa 1892, this family home is my favorite spot in the world, the source of many of my stories, and my best writing muse. Below is the opening …

  On Leadership   As I begin my 68th year on Planet Earth, I can sum up what I’ve learned about leadership in one sentence: “I want to thank you ahead of time for doing this, and I know you won’t disappoint me.” I’ve been a youth leader, parent, coach, teacher, principal, camp manager, missionary, and now a grandfather. That …

Audio Podcast of “Professor Cavanaugh’s Best Lecture. ”   A word from Curt Teacher. There’s no higher calling. Few professions can influence as much as a dedicated teacher. The best teacher I ever met was Charles Cavanaugh. This is his story. “Yes, God’s will—most often—is simply doing the best we can, right where we are.” Professor Charles J. Cavanaugh and …

“Six Foot Deep” in Trouble     A word from Curt: Emotion The best stories elicit emotion. Sometimes tears. Other times laughter. Even anger or sadness. A good story creates emotion. Today’s blog is a funny story from an unlikely location,  Dry Creek Cemetery. Enjoy. Laugh. Retell.   “Six Foot Deep” in Trouble   One of my ministries is helping …

A word from Curt Leaning Trees “When I observe a young person, I experience two strong emotions. First, I feel great affection for the young person they are. Then secondly, I feel a deep respect for the adult they will one day become.” -Louis Pasteur   On the morning before Hurricane Rita arrived, I made one last survey of my …

    Scroll down to learn of ways you can be part of The Creek Family. My favorite passage from A Good Place. I read the following story to a senior adult group earlier in the week. One lady laughed so hard that I thought we were going to have to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on her. Here is it …

    Thoughts on Stewardship   Saturday, June 1 It’s the first day of a new month. June 1. It’s the first day of hurricane season. June 1. It’s my birthday. Number 68. 68. That’s a lot of hurricane seasons in Louisiana.   June 1. It could be considered the half mark of the year. It’s a good time to …

A Note from Curt: As long as I’m alive, the story of Sgt. Leroy Johnson will be remembered.     It’s a story worth telling, worth passing on.  We need to be reminded that freedom is never free. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid with their lives for our American freedom. There is no better example of …

  This is a reader favorite from my third book, Wind in the Pines. You can order Wind in the Pines on Amazon. VIEW   Join Curt as he shares at the Creekbank YouTube Channel:   @curtiles56 LISTEN  Listen to the Creekbank  Audio Podcast or at  Spotify: Curt Iles/Creekbank Stories As always, enjoy. Curt Watch out for the Fish It’s trendy …

    Listen to Curt read “How to Feed a Stray Cat” at our Creekbank Podcast. How to Feed a Stray Cat   I’m a dog person. I’ve always loved dogs. I like cats, but I love dogs.   What I really have is a soft heart for any strays. Maybe that’s why the stray cat in our Wal-Mart parking …

There is one cardinal sin of the Pineywoods:   “Forgetting where you come from.”   Or to state it as a maxim: “Always remember where you came from.” Many of my friends have stayed in Dry Creek their entire lives. That’s a good thing. Some leave the nest and fly on to bigger and better things, but they shouldn’t forget (or …

A Visit to Spring Ridge “Lord, help us to remember our past, so we know where to go in the future.” -Ken Terry Stay tuned to this blog post over the next several days. We’ll be traveling to a time and place that most don’t know exist. Journey with us to Spring Ridge Cemetery Day in the Aimwell Hills of …

  VIEW   Join Curt as he reads this story on the Creekbank YouTube Channel:   @curtiles56 LISTEN  Listen to the Creekbank  Audio Podcast or at  Spotify: Curt Iles/Creekbank Stories   My Dad was a remarkable man in many ways. He had a deep, unshakable faith that he shares so well in the following treatise. Please feel free to pass this …