Author Archives: Marty Ryan

Is it Fair?

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Marty Ryan

It’s fair to say that competitions at the Iowa State Fair are fair. I submitted three entries in the Food Division, anticipating that one of the three might be rejected because there was a small bubble in the jelly about … Continue reading →

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A different Field of Dreams

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Marty Ryan

There was a time of living in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. It still exists in a few rural areas, but the entertainment may be slightly, more difficult to find. Job opportunities and declining populations of young … Continue reading →

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Vote NO!

Posted on July 28, 2026 by Marty Ryan

This year’s November 3rd ballot will offer Iowa voters the choice of accepting or rejecting an Iowa constitutional amendment that is similar to an amendment proposal proffered to voters over twenty-five years ago. If the amendment is approved by voters … Continue reading →

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Hitching a ride

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Marty Ryan

Since I moved away from Vail over thirty-five years ago, I haven’t seen many trains. Vail, of course, is on the Union Pacific railroad (formerly the Chicago & Northwestern). When I was growing up there, freight trains were a common … Continue reading →

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“On your left”

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Marty Ryan

My mother, God rest her soul, never had much of anything, and she left practically nothing material to anyone after her death. But I did inherit her legacy – Hay Fever! It crept up on me. I didn’t notice it … Continue reading →

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Congress sprung a leak

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Marty Ryan

On January 19, 2026, “a broken sewer main poured more than 240 million gallons of waste into the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C.,” A month later, The New York Times headline read: “A sewage spill pollutes the D.C. area.” … Continue reading →

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