Along Our Way

The third annual membership banquet of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association was a huge success Saturday night, February 20, at the Panorama National Conference Center. About 200 people attended. Auctions and a few cash donations helped raise $10,604 to help market and promote the RRVT, the paved rec trail in west central Iowa that's in the midst of an expansion, 56 to 89 miles.
[TO READ THE STORY, AND TO SEE THESE AND OTHER PHOTOS IN LARGER FORMAT, CLICK HERE]

A conversation

COPING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins, follilcular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, and is undergoing treatment. We post updates weekly here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

''The Lord will overshadow you, and you will find refuge under his wings.''

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews


FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!


''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.


TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!


FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!


Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey



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Farm Photos, 2006 - 2008
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Along Our Way



What's the deal with the Saddle Shoes?
What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?



Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm


After the toughest, snowiest winter that either of us can remember, we have now reached the point in early February where snow is stacked everywhere. Piles are six or seven feet high. The dogs can drop full-body into snowdrifts if they're not moving fast enough. Some drifts are five or six feet tall, and 30 or 40 feet long. Whew!
Click here for larger format

Earlier photos in this series


Here are the details on where, how you can purchase Chuck’s new book “GARY THOMPSON: All-American”

My new book “GARY THOMPSON: All-American,” about the life and times of one of the state’s greatest sports heroes and all-around good guys, is available now by direct purchase or U.S. Mail order.

All proceeds are being donated to Gary’s alma mater, Iowa State University, so we’re trying to do as many direct sales as possible and to avoid sales commissions.

Books are available for direct purchase at the Swift Stop convenience stores that the Thompson family operates in Ames and at their Phillips 66 station store on Iowa Highway 141 just north of Interstate Highways 80 & 35 on the northwest corner of the Des Moines metro area.

The books are also available at Borders bookstore in Ames; at the Iowa Hall of Pride in downtown Des Moines, which has several new exhibits you need to see anyway; at Beaverdale Books, a fine independent bookstore in northwest Des Moines, and at Oskaloosa’s Book Vault, another neat bookstore you need to experience.

You can also order them easily by U.S. Mail. Where?

Well, the publisher is the Hexagon Grandhaven Group, of Milwaukee, headed by Thompson’s 1957 Iowa State classmate Roy Reiman. In fact, the book was edited by Reiman himself, and then he put together an excellent design and printing team to produce it. And Reiman is also the publisher of that new “Our Iowa” magazine, and they are helping us process book orders and shipments.

So, books can now be ordered by writing to:

“GARY THOMPSON: All-American”
% Our Iowa Magazine
1606 Golden Aspen Dr.
Suite No. 109
Ames, Iowa 50010

Checks should be written to “Our Iowa” for $19.95 per book, plus $3.95 for shipping of one book, or $4.95 shipping for two or more books.

Thanks!

– Chuck Offenburger

KMA 960