Rusty and Kathy Jones

More from DCA. Here's some news from Rusty Jones: "we are doing good, getting older,but doing good. We have 3 grandchildren and one more on the way. We are still in love with Jesus as is our whole family."

Former members of DCAnglers will appreciate this photo and email quote: "We got into a school of redfish a couple of weeks ago and caught 21 in about 2 hours it was awsome! rusty"

Jackson and Susan Plauche

OK. Heard from Susan and she directed me to a place on Josh and Ashley's site with a pic of them. Here they are: two very special people to Peggy and me, as well as a lot of DCA alumni. (It doesn't look like they've aged any. How do they do that?)

From Susan's email: "Joshua is now 27.....hard to believe. He majored in creative writing and graduated from UT. He played in a Christian Band for several years, was a Eagle Scout & Captain of the wrestling team in high school. We have been very blessed to have him as our son."

Katrina 2-Year Anniversary

It has been 2 years this month since Peggy and I were on the Gulf Coast following the immense Hurricane Katrina. She was there with Convoy of Hope and I was there for TPE, reporting and shooting photos. I made my photos into several slideshows. Here is one that clearly shows the devastation. (My sister, Pat, who lives in Pascagoula, MS, just got out of a FEMA trailer and back into her home.)

Hummingbirds at Maranatha

Viewed from Peggy's mom's balcony on Thursday, 8/23.

Ken With Thomas Trask

Taken yesterday. It has been my privilege to work with Bro. Trask the entire time I have been at HQ. He will be missed!

Thomas Trask, Charles Crabtree Appreciation Web Sites Online

I have been privileged to put up special Web sites for our two outgoing leaders in the Assemblies of God, Thomas Trask (top photo) and Charles Crabtree (both photos mine). I have felt blessed to know these men and have the opportunity interact with them frequently. They will be missed. I encourage you to visit the sites and leave comments.

Express Your Appreciation


Please express your appreciation for the ministry of Thomas E. Trask, who steps down as general superintendent of the Assemblies of God in October, and for Charles T. Crabtree who steps down as assistant general superintendent at the same time. Click on on the links below to visit their sites and leave your comments of appreciation and memory.

Thomas Trask Appreciation

Charles Crabtree Appreciation

Rain, Mexico and a Three-Toed Box Turtle

It started yesterday, a huge thunderstorm, giving us the desperately needed moisture for our dying lawns. It continued throughout the night and morning, knocking out electricity. We were down for a couple of hours off and on at Headquarters. It was part of a massive front described by Fox News today this way: "Severe flooding in the midwest and southern plains had claimed at least 20 lives Monday, after relentless thunderstorms...."

By noon the rain was gone and the mercury climbing. As I went to my car in the parking lot a little before 6 I was surprised at what I saw in the road—a turtle walking right into traffic on Division. I watched as 3 cars ran over him, luckily straddling him, after which I rescued him. This is downtown Springfield. Where could a turtle come from here? Peggy and I have each rescued turtles several times as they tend to charge into traffic and we tend to be turtle-rescuers. One thing I knew—there was no place to put him at HQ where he wouldn't soon find himself back in traffic. I was meeting Peggy and her mom at Red Lobster for dinner. I took him with me, and, finding no good place to put him, we put him in a box with some water between our cars while we ate. (Very appropriate ... he's a box turtle.)

Peggy had to bring her mom home so she took him to Maranatha in a Christopher and Banks bag and deposited one very lucky and very happy turtle in a very nice pond. These are really good photos; they seldom stay out to be photographed. They are called box turtles because they totally draw into their box-like shell when threatened.

He's a three-toed box turtle: "Out of the 17 or so kinds of turtles native to Missouri, none are as well-known as our two species of box turtles. Even folks who aren’t into fishing, hunting, hiking, bird watching or gardening have had opportunities to observe box turtles. Too often, unfortunately, such opportunities involve these reptiles trying to cross roads or highways" (MO Conservation Dept.). See, I didn't make it up.

In other news, as Hurricane Dean prepares to slam Belize and Mexico, I am getting ready to go down to report with a team on Weds. or Thurs.

(Read my Vantage Point from yesterday's issue, about storms.)

Reagan Adviser Michael Deaver Dies

From AP:

"Longtime Reagan Adviser Michael Deaver Dies From Cancer
Sunday, August 19, 2007

"WASHINGTON — Michael K. Deaver, one Ronald Reagan's closest advisers during in the White House and the director of the president's picturesque and symbolic public appearances, died Saturday. He was 69.

"Deaver, who had pancreatic cancer, died at his home in Bethesda, Md."

I read Deaver's book A Different Drummer: Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan. If you are interested in Reagan even a tiny bit you will enjoy it. I recommend it. (Of course, I am a Reagan fan. I even have a sister who is a Reagan!)

Congratulations to Mel & Dorothy Zecher & My Aunt Ruby

I have been way late in sending special greetings to these special people. Just got them ready to go today.

Mel and Dorothy are my second parents. Peggy and I love them very much. They just had their 60th anniversary!

My Aunt Ruby Horn celebrated her 90th birthday!

This is the photo of us we sent both.

Peggy's Dad With "Bob" the Bob-Tailed Squirrel

Peggy has been missing her dad today. So I searched for this video clip of him with a squirrel he named Bob, because it had no tail. This was one of his favorite pastimes before they moved to Springfield.