Corporal Howard Vidrine When I came to work at Dry Creek as a thirteen-year-old, one of the first people I met was Howard Vidrine. He served as the camp night watchman during my early years at camp. “Bro. Vidrine,” as we called him, lived in the Evangeline Parish town of Reddell, which is next door …
Category Archives: The Old House
A Reader Favorite: The Wash Spot on Crooked Bayou
The Wash Spot on Crooked Bayou Hear Curt read this story. The darkness always comes more quickly down in the swamp. I’m always amazed to come out of the dark woods at dusk using a flashlight, and then upon entering the open fields, realize there is still a good deal of daylight left. Deep in …
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Story #2 April 6 Whippoorwill Day 2011
A note from Uganda: I’m spending Whippoorwill Day 2015 in Uganda. Lord willing, I’ll be on Crooked Bayou Louisiana for 2016’s Whippoorwill Day. No whippoorwills here but several cousins, including the song of a dusky nightjar each morning and evening. Since today is Whippoorwill Day in Louisiana, I believe you’ll enjoy this story. If you’d …
A Prophet Has No Honor . . .
A Prophet has no Honor in Dry Creek From The Old House by Curt Iles Copyright 2002 This story is nearly too good to be true, but it actually is.The funniest things in life are not fictitious, but real events that take place all around us. My next-door neighbors …
The Sign Phantom
DeDe and I are out of country with limited Internet. Enjoy today’s “reader’s favorite” from our second book. The Sign Phantom of Dry Creek From the book, The Old House, by Curt Iles Enjoy the Audio Podcast of The Sign Phantom It all began in the Spring of of 1974, just prior to my graduation …
The Evergreen Cedar Tree
The Evergreen Cedar Tree From The Old House by Curt Iles I was born in a small town. And I can breathe in a small town. Gonna die in a small town, That’s probably where they’ll bury me. – John Mellencamp, “Small Town” Driving through the fog of an October morning, it is hard to …
Wet Paint
Epilogue: Wet Paint This painting by my beloved uncle, Bill Iles, hangs in DeRidder’s Beauregard Museum. It features one of DeRidder’s earlier meeting places, The Royal Cafe. Uncle Bill is my greatest writing encourager as well as a mentor and friend for life. The following essay is from my second …
. . . wonder what the dogs are doing . . . ”
Homesickness and Friendship Fires Today is our son Clint’s 30th birthday. It’s only fitting that I drag out his most famous story. As the fire warmed the cold Arkansas night, our mouse friend enjoyed leftover pieces of our macaroni supper. As we sat there and just enjoyed the sounds of the night, I looked …
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A Friendship Fire…
A Friendship Fire From The Old House by Curt Iles It’s a beautiful March night. During this third month of the year, the nights are cool and the days are normally mild. The blossoms of spring begin to show off- the azaleas, dogwoods, and honeysuckle. Most of the days are full of blue skies and …
The Sign Phantom of Dry Creek
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 …
A Friendship Fire
A Friendship Fire Author’s note of 5/20/09 : This story, written eight years ago in 2001, is one of my favorites. It is especially poignant because our son Terry, who the story revolves around, gets married in three days. At the end of this, I’ve added a postscript about a very special friendship fire we …
Revival in Shreveport Aunt Margie
Aunt Margie and the “Shreveport Revival” (Pictured above) My musical heritage. My great grandmother, Theodosia Wagnon Iles, on the fiddle, my grandfather Lloyd Iles “playing the saw” and my barefooted Aunt Margie Nell Iles Walker on the piano. This picture is circa 1950 and taken at The Old House in Dry Creek. The Revival comes …
An Unbroken Circle
The following story comes from my second book, The Old House. An Unbroken Circle of Music One of life’s greatest joys is gathering with friends and family to share together in something we all enjoy. It may be fishing, playing dominoes, or just eating a meal together. But anything we do with those we love …
Wet Paint
Epilogue: Wet Paint This story is the final story from my second book, The Old House. It describes the strange mix of emotions a person feels when they finish a big project—regardless of if it’s a painting, a book, or building a house. I’ve just finished my next novel, A Good Place. Well, if you …
