Deep Roots

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 …

    Bro. Hodges’ Best Sermon The preacher stood in the middle of the muddy red clay road, staring at the problem straight ahead.   It was a long way from his pulpit, so he had no idea he would preach “his best sermon” right here in a few minutes. This preacher standing in the middle of the road was Kenneth …

The Evening Holler   This is the first story from my first book, Stories from the Creekbank. Over thirty years later, it is still my most requested story. You can hear an audio version of the “The Evening Holler read by the author, at the Creekbank Podcast  as well as Spotify. Our YouTube Channel episode comes straight from my rocking …

  Today would be the birthday of my precious great aunt,  Letha Stockwell Reynolds.  In honor and memory of her life, we’re posting a reader favorite story, “Running Through The Lobby.” It’s a post about love and Aunt Letha and her husband of seventy-seven years, Gordon, are the stars.   Learn more about Deep Roots at http://www.creekbank.net/books/deep-roots/         …

                 Dead End   Mr. Frank Miller stormed into my office. Maybe stormed is too strong a word, but he was evidently highly upset. When a man over eighty storms into a room, and he is your mentor, you quickly want to find out what is wrong. I didn’t have to ask as Mr. Frank got right …

It’s Christmas and time to help you with stock stuffers and difficult gifts. We are offering five of our Creekbank books for sale during Christmas. Each book is for sale at a discount of $10 per book and to encourage multiple purchases, there is a total shipping fee of $5 regardless of purchase size. Each book is personally autographed. You …

“The Door” is one of my favorite stories.  It blends humor with a poignant twist.   Coach Larry Greene   The Door A warning: Be careful with the doors at the Lake Charles Civic Center! I was there last week and as I entered the men’s room, I recalled Roy Greene’s story. The Lake Charles Civic Center opened thirty years …

You can order Deep Roots in various formats including ebook and Amazon. Learn more here.  92 Dry Holes   A Story on Perseverance and Resolve Once my wife, DeDe, and I visited Ft. Worth, Texas where our son Clay and his family lived. One of the places they took us was the Amon Carter Museum of Art. It featured wonderful …

Wow!  I wrote my first book, Stories from the Creekbank, in 2000. Not only is it still in print, but it’s a steady seller. I’m so grateful for friends and readers like you who’ve kept my thirteen books “evergreen.” Evergreen is the book-selling term for a title that continues to sell long after its publication. We’ve been blessed in this. …

A word from Curt Respect.  What a fine word. Today is Mother’s Day.  This is my favorite story about a mother’s love. I share it with humility and respect.     This story is from my short story collection, Deep Roots.  A Thirty-Year-Old Picture As the older woman wrote her check, she laid down her billfold. Then I saw the …

Trespassing   He sees me about the same time I see him. And I’m trespassing. Trespassing on his land. The way he looks at me, I know he knows it. And so do I.   The trouble is I can’t go back: Behind me is a creek I can’t cross And I can’t go back. So I watch him carefully. …

Today is DeDe and my 37th wedding anniversary. Wow. This story, from Deep Roots, expresses how I feel after all of these years.   Running through the Lobby: 8 short minutes; 30 years ago It’s nearly midnight– Mountain Daylight Time on the last night of a great Writers’ Conference. I’m sitting on the floor in the Marriott Denver lobby. (I’m …

    Yesterday’s post concerned the issue of land ownership in Uganda.  If you missed it,  you can read,  “This Land Ain’t for Sale” here.     The story featured in both the podcast (audio) and post (below) is called “The Friendship Lane.”  It’s one of my favourites on the art of getting along. The podcast is a early draft …

From the Curt Iles book,  Deep Roots.  www.creekbank.net  Readers are given permission to share this story as long as proper credit is given.   You’re the Man   I’d never heard of the Broken Wings Award until recently. I haven’t met helicopter pilot Edwin Steve Coleman, one of the few two-time winners of the award. I believe I’d like Chief …