Things are cooking and jumping here in the
Midwest. We rolled out of Chicago in a booming thunderstorm while listening to
the radio news that 75 people were shot in the city during the four–day July 4
holiday period. Reports varied but it appears 12 people died of gunshot wounds
in a variety of shooting incidents and more than 60 were wounded. Two of the
critically wounded were little boys who were celebrating in city parks with
their families and were hit in separate incidents of random gunfire.
We breathed easier after rolling out of the storm
and big city traffic and into the undulating cornfields of Iowa. Not exactly
quiet here, either. Talk radio everywhere, including one show devoted to the
highlights of nudity so far in 2013. Been a good year, I gather, with a nice
selection of celebrity women having posed nude for the cameras. This is Iowa?
We found the Midwest we expected when we
pulled into a campground just southwest of Des Moines. Just down the road is
the town of Winterset, birthplace of John Wayne. He was born there May 6, 1907
to Clyde and Mary Morrison who named him Marion Robert Morrison. His father was
a pharmacist.
This is America, so the birthplace is much celebrated. They are raising money to build a new museum that will teach new
generations “the character quality of
John Wayne.” It costs $7 for adults to get into the current museum. Here you
can buy a Duke Talking Pocket Watch, a Duke Calendar, a John Wayne Bobblehead
and a Green Berets mug.
There’s
another movie connection in this area. This is Madison County where the bridges
were featured in the 1992 book and 1995 move The Bridges of Madison County.
Back in
Canada it takes a canoe, compass, and machete to find the disputed burial place
of Tom Thomson, the now famous Canadian painter, and subject of one of the
country’s most enduring mysteries. (click the Old Guy’s website for details
about his Tom Thomson book).
More
cornfields tomorrow. Meanwhile, remember the Duke’s words:
“Courage is being scared to death . . . and saddling up anyway.”
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| John Wayne Birthplace/Museum |
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| Proposed New Museum |
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