By Eilene Lyon -- November 12, 2019 On this date 55 years ago, drag racer Paula Murphy broke her own land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, with a two-run average speed of 227.36 miles per hour, to become “the fastest woman on wheels.” The previous year, 1963, she hit over 160 mph in a... Continue Reading →
Lone Star
Week 45: #52 Ancestors – Rich Man By Eilene Lyon This really isn’t about a rich man, or even a poor one, or actually, even about a man, though it starts out with one. Robert J. Halse was born in Highland Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa, in 1860.1 Along with most of his family, he relocated... Continue Reading →
Northern Velebit National Park
By Eilene Lyon Your first question must be, “Where on earth is Northern Velebit National Park?” The answer is “Croatia!” This park lies in the north region of the greater Velebit Nature Park. Another national park is located in the southern end. Northern Velebit is Croatia’s newest national park, established in 1981. It isn’t even... Continue Reading →
For the Birds
By Eilene Lyon The latest issue of Living Bird Magazine from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a clarion call to bird and nature lovers everywhere. I urge you to at least read the editorial "The choir must become a force for change." Somewhere between 45 and 50 million Americans say they are bird watchers.... Continue Reading →
Wrong-Way Emily – Part 3
Week 43: #52 Ancestors – Transportation By Eilene Lyon Part 1 and Part 2 Stranded Robert and William Ransom had meager funds. There was no way for them to send a message to their family at home, or to Henry Jenkins in California, to let them know of their predicament. Families in Indiana and elsewhere... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: Costumes
Week 44: #52 Ancestors - Trick or Treat By Eilene Lyon The Slide Years is a series in which I select an image my dad took from 1957-1982 with Kodachrome slide film, then I write a stream-of-consciousness essay – a sort of mini-memoir. When I was a kid, trick-or-treat meant making a costume at home,... Continue Reading →
Wrong-Way Emily – Part 2
Week 42: #52 Ancestors – Adventure By Eilene Lyon Part 1 Emily Sets Sail The steerage passengers on the Emily "... were divided into messes of ten men each and had 6 pints of water including our tea and coffey … ½ pound of bread ½ pound of flour whitch we made into what we call... Continue Reading →
Wrong-Way Emily – Part 1
Week 39: #52 Ancestors – Map It Out By Eilene Lyon Note: This three-part series is adapted from my California gold rush book. Sources will be listed at the end of Part 3. Background The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in January 1848 set off the largest mass migration to a single destination up... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: UC Bearcat
By Eilene Lyon The Slide Years is a series in which I select an image my dad took from 1957-1982 with Kodachrome slide film, then I write a stream-of-consciousness essay – a sort of mini-memoir. The last of the "slide years" coincided with my graduation from the University of Cincinnati in 1982 with an Associate's... Continue Reading →