Archive for March 2014

My Other Blog: Radio Broadcasters   1 comment

small-market-storiesIt was just over a year ago when I started interviewing radio broadcasters, and publishing those interviews for Smarts Broadcast Systems. Each interview publishes on the Smarts website as well as in a weekly radio industry email, the Small Market Radio Newsletter. Since I started, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great broadcasters … some award winners, and some that just quietly serve their communities.

It’s what radio is all about.

Please enjoy these 25 profiles that have published in the last year:

Beth Mann/Cadiz, KY

Brett Paradis, General Manager & owner of      KXRA-AM,    KXRA & KXRZ-FM/Alexandria, MN

Brett Paradis, General Manager & owner of
KXRA-AM, KXRA & KXRZ-FM/Alexandria, MN

Bill Coleman/Ponca City, OK

Bill Willis/French Lick, IN

Brett Paradis/Alexandria, MN

Bruce Goldsen/Jackson, MI

Bud Walters/Nashville, TN

Craig Donnelly/Hampton, IA

Craig Eckert/Kearney, NE

Dawn Konold/Mobridge, SD

Greg Pyron/Branson, MO

Henry Royse/Glasgow, KY

Jimmy Sledge/Monticello, AR

Joe Jindra, General Manager & owner of KNCK AM & FM/Concordia, KS

Joe Jindra, General Manager & owner of KNCK AM & FM/Concordia, KS

Joe Jindra/Concordia, KS

John Kennedy/Greenville, IL

Jon Benfield/Radford, VA

Kathy Lepak/Grand Rapids, MN

Ken Sutherland/Elko, NV

Larry Fuss/Las Vegas, NV

Paul Tinkle/Martin, TN

Paul Wilson/Clarksdale, MS

Ricardo Salazar/Greeley, CO

Rick Keefer/Clovis, NM

Roger Gelder/Cody, WY

Roger Utnehmer/Sturgeon Bay, WI

Roger Utnehmer, General Manager & owner of WBDK, WSBW, WRKU &    WRLU-FM/Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Roger Utnehmer, General Manager & owner of WBDK, WSBW, WRKU & WRLU-FM/Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Wayne Johnson/Fort Morgan, CO

Please enjoy … and if you’d like to nominate a broadcaster for a future profile, please advise!

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AdAge.com: What Medium Scores Highest ROI?

Guadalupe Mountains National Park   2 comments

Guadalupe Mountains NP 00Where Is It: The Park is 110 miles east of El Paso, or 56 miles southwest of Carlsbad, NM.

The Birth: From Wikipedia:

Felix McKittrick was one of the first European settlers in the Guadalupe Mountains; he worked cattle during the 1870s. McKittrick Canyon is thought to be named after him. In 1921, Wallace Pratt, a geologist for Humble Oil and Refining Company, was impressed by the beauty of McKittrick Canyon and bought the land to build two homes in the canyon. Both constructions were used as summer homes by Pratt and his family up until 1960. Wallace Pratt donated about 6,000 acres of McKittrick Canyon which became part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which was dedicated and formally opened to the public in September, 1972.

It Happened Here: The Park was the last Apache stronghold in Texas. It also became a campground for the Buffalo Soldiers – all Black Regiments formed in the years after the Civil War. They were called Buffalo Soldiers by the Cheyenne for their dark skin, curly hair and fierce fighting spirit. The Apache Chief Victorio’s last skirmish with the 10th Cavalry occurred in 1880, only 40 miles south of the Guadalupes in the Sierra Diablo Mountains, at a place called Rattlesnake Springs.

Size: 86,367 acres

# Visitors: Only 145,670 people visited the Park in 2013.

Plants: From the Park’s website:

Plants that grow here are tough. They survive not only the components that make up the landscape, but also the extremes of temperature, aridity, and relentlessly powerful winds, all common factors of the park’s desert climate. Plants have evolved elegant methods of tolerating or avoiding desert conditions. Some such as cactus have thick fleshy stems that store water, and spines that not only serve as fierce armor against predators, but also help reflect the sun’s radiant heat.

Animals: From the Park’s website:

Desert animals are often difficult to view since many of them are nocturnal. Many desert animals adapt to the hot, dry environment by coming out after dark, when temperatures are much cooler and conditions are not quite so dry. Nocturnal desert animals include the kit fox, coyote, mountain lion, bobcat, badger, Texas banded gecko, and about 16 species of bats. Mule deer, javelinas, and black-tailed jackrabbits are seen early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler.

Desert reptiles include the western diamondback rattlesnake, bullsnake, coachwhip snake, prairie lizard, collared lizard, crevice spiny lizard, and the Chihuahuan spotted whiptail.

Fees: The entrance fee is $5.00 per person for adults 16 years of age and older. This fee is good for 7 days.

Staying There: Walk-in campsites are $8.00 per night.

Contact Info:

400 Pine Canyon Drive
Salt Flat, TX 79847-9400Pine Springs Visitor Center: (915) 828-3251Dog Canyon Ranger Station: (575) 981-2418

 

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National Park Service: Guadalupe Mountains National Park

 

Green. And Pink.   1 comment

Taken at the Cumberland Island National Seashore. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/27/14.

Taken at the Cumberland Island National Seashore. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/27/14.

Red Hair Wins Again   Leave a comment

July 1952. "Photographs show models posed leaning shoulders against mirrors, resulting in reflected images. Includes women wearing furs and jewels; various hairstyles." Color transparency by Louis Faurer for the Look magazine assignment "Reflected Beauty: Hair Now Gets Double Exposure." From Shorpy Historical Photos; see link below.

July 1952. “Photographs show models posed leaning shoulders against mirrors, resulting in reflected images. Includes women wearing furs and jewels; various hairstyles.” Color transparency by Louis Faurer for the Look magazine assignment “Reflected Beauty: Hair Now Gets Double Exposure.” From Shorpy Historical Photos; see link below.

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Shorpy Historical Photos: Doppleginger: 1952

Posted March 28, 2014 by henrymowry in Photography

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Sentinel Dome’s View   11 comments

A shot of the Jeffrey Pine at the top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park (made famous by Ansel Adams) set against a backdrop of stars! This is a single exposure by Jesse Summers. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/26/14.

A shot of the Jeffrey Pine at the top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park (made famous by Ansel Adams) set against a backdrop of stars! This is a single exposure by Jesse Summers. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/26/14.

Time To Stop And ….   1 comment

A bear doing what bears do in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Well, one thing they do, at least. Photo by Lisa Hupp (USFWS). Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/23/14.

A bear doing what bears do in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Well, one thing they do, at least. Photo by Lisa Hupp (USFWS). Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/23/14.

Things I Learned At The Street Fair   12 comments

Here's the Graham Street Fair, circa 1958. I don't know the kid on the bicycle. I'm the one relaxing on the counter of the booth. Don't you love my cowboy shirt with the pearl buttons? When I went to the Street Fair, I was styling. The lady to my left is my Grandmother, Juanita Boring Mowry.

Here’s the Graham Street Fair, circa 1958. I’m the one relaxing on the counter of the booth. Relaxing is something I did at the Street Fair. Don’t you love my cowboy shirt? When I went to the Street Fair, I was styling. The three ladies were running a game booth … a ball toss … as a fund raiser for the Good Luck Club. They are, from left, my Grandmother, Juanita Boring Mowry, Blanche Holaday Miller, and finally Thelma Wade Rowlett – now over 100 years old – who lives today in Savannah, MO. The little lady on the right is my sister, Mary Elizabeth Mowry. The boy on the bike is unidentified.

The past weekend was Mrs. M’s Handmade’s first retail event … a parking lot pop-up in Santa Clarita called the Street Fair.

I grew up in rural northwestern Missouri, near Graham, MO. Graham had an annual event called the Street Fair, and I thought that was the height of entertainment in the early 60’s. There was a parade with the high school marching band (the best band EVER). There were contests for the best quilt. A greased pig contest. A cake walk.

The Graham Street Fair didn’t take over a parking lot … it took over Main Street.

When I was a baby, I won for being the kid with the reddest hair. Well, actually, I would say that Mom won (HA). But she gave me the ribbon.

The Street Fair was a wonderful thing.

Flash forward, uh, 50ish years, and I went to a whole different kind of Street Fair last weekend.

This time, I didn’t win any prizes. And I definitely didn’t have the reddest hair at this Fair. It was the inaugural retail event for Mrs. Mr’s Handmade, though, and I did learn a few things:

1. In Santa Clarita, there are no marching bands at the Street Fair.

2. Food is not served by the nice ladies that are your neighbors. Rather, it’s served from gourmet food trucks.

3. In LA, “gourmet food truck” is not considered an oxymoron. The trucks have websites. They have fans. They have Truffle Mac & Cheese (yum).

4. You won’t see all of your neighbors at the Santa Clarita Street Fair. We only saw two people from our neighborhood. It’s a big world out there.

5. People don’t dress up to go to the Santa Clarita Street Fair. I didn’t see one cowboy shirt, and I didn’t see one kid laying down on a counter. Come to think of it, I didn’t see a counter, either.

6. No bicycles. I did see 3 skate boards … Penny boards, actually.

Logo-300x7. Mrs. M’s wasn’t the only store there offering handmade products, but we were on the more uncommon side. The sweet young ladies running the booth next to us sold unique handmade jewelry that they make for ankles & feet. They were good neighbors, and Little Girl even approves. Check out their website, here.

8. The lady across the way started her business because she was tired of buying cat clothing for her dogs. Doggie Custom Couture was born. I’m pretty sure that back in Graham, I never heard a complaint about not having suitable clothing available for dogs. Or cats, for that matter. Maybe that’s a Missouri benefit that I never knew: pets are properly (un)clothed in Missouri. Always. It’s only in California that there’s a problem (insert rim shot or snappy comeback of your choice, here).

9. Is this a good thing to hear when someone tries a lotion? “I might want to gnaw off my arm that smells so good.” When people start talking about eating body parts, I’m not on board. Self-cannibalism was never an issue at the Graham Street Fair.

10. The Santa Clarita Street Fair required each shade canopy to be weighted down with 100 pounds. Note the Graham booth in the picture, above: all wood construction, and no extra weights on board. (On board. HA. I kill me.) The result of our new fangled shade structures in Santa Clarita: an unweighted shade structure took flight. It was pretty, in the wind. I didn’t see it land; that would not have been pretty.

11. Our south side neighbor was a little odd on Sunday. Best dialogue we heard: “Are these dresses for little girls?” “No, they’re towels.” Remember, we’re in Southern California, 5 years ahead of fashion in the midwest. Just sayin’.

12. Heard from a vendor: “We’ve been doing this Fair for so long together, she’s going on vacation next month and I’m going to man her booth.” Now, that’s neighborly, and that’s a kind thing … in Santa Clarita.

13. Almost everyone walked by my cheese boards, and said “Ooo, pretty!” They touched them … and then they walked away. And so I learned, it’s not fun being the prettiest one at the dance if no one wants to take you for a spin.

At the end of the day, we had patrons ask if some people had gone home early. They expected more, you see. I guess this Street Fair was not the height of entertainment for them.

Mrs. M and Mrs. M, before they opened on their first day. Smiles on faces, and that is a very good thing!

Mrs. M and Mrs. M, before they opened on their first day. Smiles on faces, and that is a very good thing!

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Mrs. M’s Handmade Products

 

Posted March 25, 2014 by henrymowry in California, Living Life

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A Wooden Collaboration   Leave a comment

There are 2 kinds of woodworkers. I’m the kind that cuts wood with spinning sharp objects like saw blades … and my brother-in-law Steve is the other kind.

He thinks it’s a good idea to spin wood at a very high rate of speed … and hold a sharp object against that wood to make it conform to his desires.

He’s crazy.

So, a perfect collaboration was born. I do my thing, and he does his thing. The pictures below are what resulted.

The spindles (from Steve) are made from walnut; the routed platters (from me) for the 3-tier are red oak. The 4 Sauce routed servers are hard maple (from me), with walnut handles (from Steve).

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Turn, Turn, Turn

Done- Round 3: The Bowl Adventure

Round Three: The Bowl Adventure

A Day Of Finishing

Round Two: The Bowl Adventure

Football Snack Bowl

Making A Snowman

Birds   Leave a comment

Posted March 23, 2014 by henrymowry in Photography

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Mrs. M’s Handmade   1 comment

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mrs. M’s Handmade. Velda and Alley have been working on what I’ve called their nascent lotion business … and today, they make their retail premiere at the Santa Clarita Street Fair. They have a checking account. They have an official business name, website and tax ID number. It’s as real as it gets!

Logo-300xA future post will be talking about our experience at their first retail event, happening this weekend, 10a-5p, Saturday and Sunday. They’ll be selling their handmade lotions as well as my cheese boards and a few routed bowls that Velda is willing to part with.

So, please, join us today at the Santa Clarita Street Fair, in the parking lot of the College of the Canyons campus. If you can’t make that, then, please, go to MrsMsHandmade.com. With any luck, the website will be live, the E-commerce functions will work and you’ll be able to buy anything you like.

If it’s not working … tell me. Don’t tell Velda; she’ll blame the webmaster and that might get dicey for me. YaknowhatImean?

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Who Doesn’t Like Cheese & Crackers?

Mrs. M’s Handmade

Posted March 22, 2014 by henrymowry in Living Life, Selling

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