Articles & Essays...

Kiplinger Arena is fulfillment of a dream for McCook cowboy

Picture six full-sized basketball courts, placed side-by-side in rows of three. Then imagine the courts being lifted up and placed inside a building with sidewalls spiraling high into the sky. By taking this mental leap, you are experiencing what it's like to step inside one of the largest indoor equestrian arenas in America's Great Plains.
more.

My son's first Husker game

Making the 165 mile trip from Holdrege to Lincoln on a football Saturday is one of my favorite things to do. This day was extra special as my seven year old son was accompanying me full of excitement and anticipation of his first trip to Memorial Stadium. Leaving town I had the choice of driving our comfortable van or driving the much more economical 1992 Ford Festiva that had been totaled by hail several years earlier. Being the tight wad that I am, of course I chose the Festiva. After all the focus was on football, not on how we looked...
more.

Notes of a Novice birdwatcher

For most of my life, my skill of identifying various species of birds has lain dormant. I could pick out a robin, a crow, a Canada goose and an ostrich fairly reliably, but most of the rest of the avian world I classified as “LBBs” meaning alternately “little brown birds” or “little black birds”. more.

Looking for love in all the right places

Who could have thought how thoroughly my life would change? Just over three years ago I made the decision to move to a place I couldn’t even locate on a map if you’d asked me. At 43 I was just ready for a change. So, although content with myself and life in general I moved to Holdrege, Nebraska, based on little more than looking at a few places on the computer. And although the town, church and people won my heart, still something was missing. I’d never gotten over that childhood dream of finding Mr. Right. more.

Concert promotion has grown into unusual hobby for Holdrege couple

Those of us who are not necessarily blessed with musical talent can still participate in music in ways that go well beyond just singing with the radio in the car. Take, for example, the case of Tim and Bev Rehm of Holdrege. Tim and Bev are great fans of live acoustic music and had gone to concerts and folk festivals for years. more.

A southwest Nebraska craftsman makes a living as a traditional "cooper."

Thomas Jefferson imagined the future America as a continent full of independent farmers and artisans, but today such people are the exception. In some ways, Jim Gaster of Indianola is a throwback to Jefferson’s day, leading a rural life while practicing the traditional craft of coopering. In other ways, he and his wife, Marilyn, are tech-savvy Internet entrepreneurs connecting to a global market. more.

Fire and ice: Interest in hockey heats up Nebraska

Ice, cold weather and falling down all have something in common. They torment the population of the Midwest every winter, of course, but they are also the elements of a sport gaining interest and excitement in Nebraska — hockey. more.

A mountainless man finds a home on the plains

The nearby Rocky Mountains were not the only rugged aspect of Josh Gill’s life in Denver. Between the fast-paced lifestyle and the high cost of living, there were a lot of things about the city life that were pointing him in the direction of something simpler for his wife and daughter. more.

100 mile race at age 65? Jim Wheeler says you can do it, too

At age 65, many adults think about slowing down. Not Jim Wheeler of rural Franklin in south central Nebraska. In the 2007 Silver Run, Jim finished first in his age group in the 10K. That race was a mere warm-up for the Buffalo Springs Triathlon that he finished a few weeks later. He raced the half triathlon, which means he ran 13.1 miles, biked 56 miles and swam 1.2 miles – all in 100-degree heat. more.

Two short poems by Craig Simpson

The Farm
Dark brown earth; life too me
stalks of corn; furrows between
fields of bales; waiting to be moved
Meadowlarks singing; goldenrod swaying
more.

Pick Up Trucks
Loyal as a puppy, but dented all over
carrying smells of many years on the farm
she’s only 12 years old, still does her job
I think she was blue when I bought her
more.

How 'social capital' is helping preserve and add vitality to rural small twons

Since the 1980s, the demise of small towns on the Great Plains has been predicted by academics and pundits – but almost all of those small towns are still here. What happened?more.

New grocery store in town is cause for celebration

In many ways, a grocery store is as vital to the identity of a small town as the school is. Both contribute to the vitality of a community by drawing in people from the outlying areas; both are usually large and visible; and when either a grocery store or a school is shuttered, it sends a shiver through the spine of a town. more.

E-Bay ad turns software programmer into small-town newspaper publisher

Bob Willis is an unlikely newspaperman. In the 1990s, Willis developed software for a large company in Scottsdale, Arizona, his hometown. During the technology boom at the end of the last century, Willis’ company was sold to a software developer in Denver, Colorado. When he was offered a position with the new firm, Willis moved with his family to the Mile High City.more.

Where dreams take flight: a pilot discovers Nebraska

“When I’m flying nothing else is on my mind,” says pilot Elisa Tyson. “I focus on the task at hand. When the plane lifts up, my troubles fall below me.” more.

Bonus feature: the pilot in her own words

First Thunder Storm
At 0100 my shift has finished and I walk home through the dimly lit streets.  Every once in a while I notice a single light on in a house as I pass by.  This is a quite town at night.  Far off at times you can hear the train whistle.  That seems to depend on which way the wind is blowing. more.

For a Moment
The large tan hanger stands out in the otherwise flat surroundings. Without looking I know what's in there. Dream planes for sure. Planes so far out of my financial reach I can only look and let out a long sigh of longing. The green and white new twin Beechcraft. The older red, cloth Beechcraft Bi-Plane. more.

Why Nebraska - A Personal Experience

The country lifestyle required a bigger adjustment than we first thought. Even though the cost of living is less than in Phoenix, gas prices have nearly doubled since we moved to Nebraska, and we didn’t imagine how many miles we’d drive to handle to our business needs,  meet with friends, and  visit members of our church congregation. more.

Why small towns still reflect life in TV’s ‘Golden Age’

My daughter was flipping through the channels on the television the other day, and I saw a few minutes of the old Andy Griffith Show. more.

Birding Adventures Abound Along the "Chicken Dance Trail"

Even if you can’t tell a waxwing from a warbler or a grebe from a grosbeak, there’s fun to be had along the Chicken Dance Trail. more.

What the 'Good Life' means to me now...

Rural life is not for everyone. And that’s fortunate, because if everyone from the cities started living rural, we wouldn’t be rural anymore! more.

Where else but in a small town?...

“Salt of the Earth.” Those were the words used to describe Lela Russell Monday morning at her funeral in Curtis. Lela’s service was a crowded affair with a large group of people gathering to honor a life spent in service.more.

10 Good Reasons to Move to a Small Town...

Not troubling to lock your bike in front of the library is just the first one.
Click here for 9 more.

The 1-Finger Wave...

And no, It's not that finger. The wave that means you're almost home... more.

You Grew up in Rural Nebraska if...

Many of my readers may have been asking themselves what it is like to have grown up in rural Nebraska. For those who have wondered, here are some clues. more.

A Nebraska Bed and Breakfast Story...

The story of Bed and Breakfasts in Nebraska is an example of a perfect synergy of entrepreneurship and the preservation of Nebraska's heritage... more.

How To...

How - and why - to start your own business in rural Nebraska... more.

It's nicer in Nebraska...

I recently returned from a two-week vacation in Nebraska. When I tell that to friends on the East Coast, they ask, "Why there?" This is their shorthand for a longer question, which is "What's in Nebraska, if anything?" more.

To learn more about how you can be a writer for Nebraska Rural Living, and have your essays posted on this site, visit our 'Writers Wanted' page.