On The Fly

Main Street, Cuba, Il. Allow me to share a story with you. You see, 2014 is the 40th year anniversary of Cuba High School’s class of 1974. My class. You’ve all heard the tiresome cliche, “Times flies.” Well, it does. No kidding! While going through scanned photos of my High School year books, I was transported back in time . . . “You know how this goes,” said my sixth grade teacher. “Face the chalk board, feet spread apart, bend over, hands on the desk - sssmaaack as the paddle hit its mark on my hind-side.  Honestly, I don’t even remember what this paddling was for. But I do remember the sting, and the embarrassment I felt standing in front of the class. No, I wasn’t the only one. Like all schools we had our share of misfits. In our small, rural farming community of west central Illinois I’m happy to report there was no teen violence, no shootings, and no serious vandalisms. Well, ok, we did tend to torment the local policeman, who we dubbed Barney Fife. A group of us wo...

“It is our attitude toward life that determines  life's  attitude towards us.” I must have been about nine when that quote first entered my subconscious, growing up in Cuba, Illinois. My family’s morning breakfast routine was to listen to Earl Nightingale’s daily five-minute radio program, “Our Changing World,” on the local radio station: “WBYS - AM and FM—Canton, Illinois.” That jingle vividly echoes in my mind. Nightingale’s deep, resonant voice captivated my imagination. Little did I know that program would have such a profound impact on my thinking. Subsequently, Earl Nightingale shared many profound quotes that have influenced my life. “Your attitudes and expectations are a merciless reflection of you.” I’m proud to say that I’m a life-long learner. A student of the game of life. Almost 50 years later I still start my day with this positive daily routine. Set aside time just to listen, read, and reflect. All these years I’ve read and lis...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates An image of a turquoise door popped-up on my computer screen, [Incoming video from 1740 Tsavorite Lane ]. Magically, his front door opened and Hercule Peridot appeared on my monitor. As always, he was impeccably dressed; a fine silk vest, and dashing gold necktie. His lean, congenial, smiling face radiating from my screen. Sensationnel, how in the world does he do it? I thought. He is always dressed to the T. “Adamas Bontemps, how are you my boy?” “I’m better than ever Peridot, and you?” “Fine, absolutely splendid. Have you considered the trip to Dubai?” “Yes, I’ve been reminiscing about my last adventure there.” “Your thoughts?” asked Peridot. “You mentioned visiting a Pearl dealer but . . . ” I hesitated a moment, “I’m wondering?” “Yes?” “Have you made plans for our accommodations yet? I asked.” “Well, interesting that you ask.” said Peridot. “I’ve narrowed it down to three possible hotels; The Emirates Tower, ...

Clay Jenkinson (click here) as Thomas Jefferson Recently I accepted and participated in the #ALSIceBucketChallenge . Subsequently, made a video, posted it to YouTube, FaceBook, and Twitter of me getting doused with ice water, made my donation to the ALS foundation , and challenged three friends to reciprocate. Currently over 1.7 million donors have contributed over $79.7 million. Honestly, it was fun, created awareness within my community, and was a refreshing summer cooler. The fact that this quirky social phenomena went viral, got me thinking. What would happen if people were challenged, no money involved, to build a better you. Would this in turn build a better social community?  The challenge: Recite out loud, in front of a mirror, the following oath every day for 32 days, I remember it well: “On my #honor, I will do my best to do my #duty to God and my country and obey the Scout Law; to #help other people at all times; to keep myself physically #strong, mental...

Finishing Strong “Tomorrow my plan is to bike ride at least 60 miles, we’ll see how it goes.” “What did you say?” asked Lori. “I thought we were riding 58 miles?” Since my 50th birthday my self-proclaimed yearly goal is to complete a bicycle ride, in one day, at least my age, on or near my birthday. On August 17, 2014 Lori and I completed this years ride; a total of 63.5 miles in 5 hours and 17 minutes. A metric century! With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets I’ve been able to shout from the mountaintop my proposed goal to all who will listen. Even to those who could care less. This serves two purposes, to sustain a foundational fitness level as I get older. Cycling provides a exercise regiment and long-range goals to keep me motivated. Two, it challenges me to live up to my time commitments in daily activities and relationships. Yes, I truly love cycling. I’ve been a devoted bicyclist since about 15 years old. The fact is, it’s not the ...

Still somewhat giddy from our adventure with the bear, we moved on. “Little Lakes Valley trail is very popular,” said Brendan. Expect to see more day-hikers than usual.” Trailhead parking was already full when we arrived. Quickly we found out why from one of the locals. “We love this place; it’s an easy hike with glorious views.” We consulted our map, and the elevation gain from the trailhead to Chickenfoot Lake was less than 600 feet. An easy climb. Obviously, many weekend visitors and fishermen came to enjoy the scenic beauty and fish the abundant lakes. I paused to admire the graceful arc of a fly-line as a fisherman stood casting his line to the edge of tall green grass at Marsh lake. The weather patterns changed constantly. Our hike began with intense blue skies, blanketed by wispy clouds and interspersed with low-hanging cumulous clouds that framed the mountain peaks. Human sounds faded. Nature took over; murmuring waters and leaves shimmered as the breeze lightly ca...

I awoke to the steady patter of rain on my tent in the black velvet darkness of our cozy mountain camp. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, I sat up and listened, there it was again, some strange sound. Anxiously, I reached for my watch and clicked the Indiglo light. It was just after 1:00 a.m. and sleep eluded me. What was that sound? Was it a Bear? The skies were ominous that night. The steady rain began at dusk, we had retired early camped near Chickenfoot Lake , in the Inyo National Forest, elevation 10,789 feet, in the Sierra Mountains just northwest of Bishop, California. This was the second night of our annual wilderness backpacking trek. Our evening conversation always centered on BIG , ferocious bears. It wasn’t that long ago campers simply hung their food in trees. Not anymore, the bears had wised up to that old trick. Proper precaution requires every scrap of paper, food, trash, toothpaste - anything that has a smell gets packed into the bear proof canister for the nig...

Over the course of a career teaching gemology, students have asked me many questions that gemologists tend to take for granted. This hit home recently at a writers group meeting when I casually used the term refractive index in one of my fictional works and the question immediately came up, “What is refractive index?” This brief column is devoted to you, the curious student. It is an opportunity to ask anything you ever wanted to know about gemology (within reason) but were afraid to ask. So let’s begin. What does refractive index (R.I.) mean? Gem-A Refractometer The amount to which a gem slows light is called its refractive index (R.I.). R.I. is calculated by the ratio of the speed of light in air to its speed in a gem. It is one of the measurable properties that gemologists use to assist with a gemstone’s identification.  For example, using your smartphone or computer, go to the computational database WolframAlpha . Type in “What is the speed of light in air?...