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Rainy Day Writers, Cambridge, OH (2026)

05/23/2026

John Anderson tells the story of a pelican rescue in Florida. Perhaps John will join their rescue group. Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Bird Rescue with Ginger Smith by John Anderson

Sunday morning, Redington Beach, Florida

Ginger, a woman with short hair, wore green-rimmed glasses, a hooded sweatshirt, and jeans. Her new-looking Hoka shoes contrasted sharply with her shabby black apron with yellow smudges. Ginger stood on the edge of the seawall staring intently toward the bay and holding her camera, screen showing.

William, an early morning fisherman, saw her and was curious. Cautiously he approached Ginger. William feared that getting too close might startle and frighten her, so he stood about 10 feet away and waited.

When Ginger looked sideways, she saw him and nodded politely.

William asked, “Are you filming birds?”

Gesturing at a pelican floating about 50 yards out from the seawall, Ginger said, “I’m waiting for him to fly. A local fishing captain brought him to me. There were two hooks with line still attached binding his wings to one of his legs. The captain told me he was certain the bird would die soon, but I sheltered him for ten days.

“After I cleared the fishing line and hooks, the poor guy was exhausted. He didn’t move for the rest of the day. I coaxed him to accepting hand-feeding. After the second day, he was walking about and feeding himself. Each day, he has become stronger. Today it’s time for him to return to his home.

“As a volunteer with state and federal bird rescue societies, I rescued and released over 700 birds last year. The local fishermen know me and bring me fish to feed the birds while I nurse them back to health.

“Sometimes people ask me how much I get paid. Not everyone understands the satisfaction in volunteering. Once a man asked me, ‘How can saving birds without getting paid be rewarding?’

“I invited him to join me in spending a day helping pelicans. Now, he and I work together. He drives the birds that need medical attention to Bush Gardens. The vets there repair the damage caused by fishhooks and lines.”

While Ginger and William talked, they were thrilled to see the pelican rise from the water and take flight.

“This can be an emotionally demanding job,” Ginger continued as the pelican soared. “Even with care provided by the most dedicated vets, some birds are so damaged that euthanasia is the only humane recourse. Sending an injured bird, with no hope of recovery, to a zoo is a long slow death. I won’t do that. And so, I must euthanize it; I have never gotten used to that.”

William and Ginger chatted as they walked to her car. “I moved here from Philadelphia nineteen years ago and, about two years later, became involved in pelican rescue,” Ginger told him. “I love it and find it very fulfilling, but the day-to-day is physically and emotionally demanding.

“Yoga saves me,” she said. “I start each day with 45 minutes of poses. Like everyone else in these so-called golden years, I’ve had some injuries and hardships along the way.”

William nodded. “I start my day with yoga, too. If I miss a day, I’m out of sorts all day long.”

Ginger agreed. “Yes, then you understand.”

Even in Florida, mornings can be on the chilly side. The wind picked up. William wished he had thought to put on a hoodie before he left his home.

Ginger had released the pelican. William walked with her to her Subaru where she stowed the crate in back. He thanked her for her good work then headed home to be out of the wind, have a cup of hot coffee, and consider volunteering for pelican rescue.

05/21/2026

Betsy Taylor tells about Lois Lenski, an author who inspired her. Have you ever read any of Lois Lenski's books? This article appears in May's issue of Crossroads magazine.

05/19/2026

Claire Cameron tells how moments with mom live on in many ways. Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

An Orchid for Kate by Claire Cameron

Although she was having a busy day, Kate held the phone and patiently listened to her mother read another of her original tales. Writing wasn’t her thing, but she enjoyed reading and listening to her mother’s stories. Since she worked two jobs, her reading time was limited. Her mother’s voice was soothing and uplifting. It always blessed Kate to hear her speak. When Mama had finished reading, Kate assured her that this story surpassed the others. Her mama told her how good it made her feel that her daughter thought so highly of her work. “I may even try my hand at writing a book!” she exclaimed.

During the next few years, Mama continued sharing her stories with her daughter. They were both excited when Mama began getting paid for her work. During the afternoon of Kate’s 24th birthday, Mama stopped by with a box of chocolates and told Kate that her completed book had been selected for publication. Kate reacted with lavish praise and encouragement reminding her mom that she was a talented lady. They celebrated Kate’s birthday and her mother’s success with a steaming cup of herbal tea served from Kate’s great grandmother’s antique tea pot.

The pair reminisced about Kate’s childhood bedtimes when she curled up beside her mother. Mama wove thrilling stories of beautiful fairies and exciting adventures involving a magical looking glass. Mama’s voice, a gift, she used to enchant brought her characters to life.

Before they said their goodbyes Kate said, “Mama, I wanted to thank you so much for the beautiful orchid you sent for my birthday.” Kate loved orchids. Their exotic look made her feel elegant. Since she’d turned twenty Mama had arranged for an orchid delivery on each of Kate’s birthday.

“I love giving them to you, Kate. Their beauty reflects yours.”

Years passed. Mama continued writing poetry, stories and books. And every birthday Kate opened a gift-wrapped box containing colored tissue and a delicate, beautiful orchid.

One icy early December day as Kate worked at the school where she was employed, she was called to the office. When she saw her brother with tears in his eyes, her jaws clenched, her heart started racing, and she felt nauseated. The secretary ushered the siblings to the empty conference room for privacy.

“Kate,” her brother said softly, his voice shaky, “I’d rather do anything but tell you this. As Mother drove to her dental appointment, the driver of a pickup truck slid on the icy road and lost control of his vehicle. He swerved into Mama’s lane and hit her car head-on. The ambulance was called but the paramedics were unable to save her.”

Kate’s face turned a ghastly pale as she collapsed in her brother’s arms.

The next two weeks passed in a daze. Kate tried throwing herself full force into her job. She sought solace in reading Mama’s stories to her twin girls. But she felt a deep emptiness in her heart.

On the morning of December 16th, her 45th birthday, Kate beheld winter in all its splendor. Icy snow crystals glistened like diamonds on the pine branches outside her window. It was Saturday and, although her heart was broken, she looked forward to preparing her home to celebrate the upcoming holy holiday.

The pain and sadness of her mother’s passing continued to trouble her, so Kate drove to her Mama’s resting place. Soon the snow-covered ground was adorned with a pine arrangement rich with red berries and a bright red ribbon.

Sleet fell as Kate made her way to the car. Ten minutes later she pulled into her drive. Once inside Kate hurried to her bedroom to slip into her fuzzy socks. On her bed, sat a square box embellished with brightly colored ribbon. Inside lay a beautiful purple orchid. A smile spread across her face and a tear of joy ran down her cheek. The note inside read, “Happy Birthday, beautiful daughter.”

Kate whispered quietly, “I’ll love you forever, Mama.”

By arrangement, each year until Kate’s life ended, a beautifully wrapped box containing an elegant orchid arrived with a card that read, “Love never fails.”

05/16/2026

Several Harrison County America 250 events are featured in May's Crossroads magazine. Look for America 250 events in other local counties featured in various issues.

05/13/2026

Rick Booth tells the story of an opera singer, Chauncey Moore, from Cambridge but known around the world. Read his interesting story in May's Crossroads magazine.

05/05/2026

Martha Jamail challenges the brain with a calculator. Which one will win? Read her great example. More Rainy Day Writer stories can be found on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Brain vs. Calculator by Martha Jamail

Just so you know before you read any further, I think the brain beats calculator every time – at least in the fundamentals of 4th grade multiplication facts.

It just happened to be an ordinary day in my 4th grade classroom at Park Elementary School. Math was usually the first subject I instructed in the morning when students’ minds were the sharpest.

We had been trying to master the basic 100 multiplication facts, and there was a practice sheet we used each morning. The students only had to read the numbers (e.g. 6 x 3) and write the answer – 18. The lessons were timed (only three minutes allowed), and they were to stop immediately when the timer rang. We traded papers for scoring, and the students recorded the number correct. No matter what the score was, they were encouraged to get a higher score the next day. The goal was for everyone to master the 100 facts.

As with all children, some are better at memorization than others, but one day I had an unexpected assist in proving its importance. A box of new calculators arrived for our class, and everyone was excited. One of the students blurted out, “Hey, now we don’t have to memorize those multiplication facts. We can do them with our new calculators!”

I decided right then was a good time to show the power of memorization. There were already a few students who could complete the sheet in less than 3 minutes, so I asked for a volunteer.

I made a transparency of the worksheet and placed it on the overhead projector for the whole class to see. Then I asked the student who favored the calculator if he would like to compete with the volunteer. He eagerly answered, “Sure!”

The timer was set and they both began. The student completing the problems on the overhead projector was finished long before the timer rang, and long before the calculator-assisted student. They were good sports about it, and eventually the entire class mastered the fact sheet in less than three minutes.

Score one for the brain!

05/02/2026

Betsy Taylor writes about tornadoes in the United States and their dangers. Tornadoes happen in Ohio more often than you might like to believe. Be prepared!

Ohio Tornadoes by Betsy Taylor

The U.S. tornado season had been especially disastrous in 2025. I use the word “disastrous” because of the human casualties it produced. When huge geologic or weather events occur in uninhabited or sparsely populated regions with no human cost, we consider the event to be noteworthy. But the same event that directly impacts humans is called a catastrophe.

Due to our geography, the United States has a tornado-prone region just east of the Rocky Mountains nicknamed Tornado Alley. It is here that cool northerly air from Canada rushes southeastward and clashes with warm, moist air from southern regions and the Gulf of Mexico. This collision produces violent thunderstorms and their offspring, tornadoes.

It is understandable that these condition result in an actual “season” in which tornadoes occur most often (although they can occur at any time of the year). That season occurs during spring and early summer. Energetic windstorms are most common in the U.S. plain states. Remember the song Oklahoma from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical of the same name? “Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain . . ..” That pretty much describes it.

We in Ohio have become somewhat complacent about the dangers of tornadoes in our home state. Relative to the prairie states we’re removed from the tornado threat – or so we like to believe.

I remember being nine years old and hearing the news about a tornado outbreak. Science class had given me an academic idea about that weather phenomenon, but that was all. The reality scared me. My dear grandmother who had only been able to attend school through her eighth-grade year tried to soothe me. She said that we, in Eastern Ohio, didn’t need to worry about tornadoes because our hills would “break up” the winds and stop them before they could hurt us. I bought right into that. I imagined those whirling winds as a battering ram slamming into our hills and shattering to puffy little bits of air. The explanation sounded logical and I wanted it to be true.

But is it true?

Sorry to report that the ability of hills to scatter tornadic winds is a dangerous myth.

The National Weather Service tracks about 20 Ohio tornadoes each year. But in 2024 and 2025 the number of tornadoes during each of those years has been recorded at nearly three times that number. The blame rests in part with the warmer winter and spring temperatures measured during that time. An additional reason for noticing the increase has been the development of better tracking systems.

Better tracking systems, enhanced methods of measuring potentially dangerous conditions, and improved warning systems give all of us an edge in surviving deadly twisters. So, we’ve gained some ground. But, if it’s a contest between human technology and dangerous weather events, we must be honest. Tornadoes have made gains as well because, with a warming climate, they’ve become more violent in recent years and increasing populations have provided them with more human targets.

What can we do in our defense? We can be aware. Always pay attention to weather alerts. Prepare a safe place in your home or designate a place of shelter. Have a disaster plan in place. Learn safety procedures to follow if you’re away from home or shelter.

The National Weather Service provides a list of precautions to take and publishes them online. It’s always a good idea to consider your safety net before you’re faced with jumping into it. So, give tornado defense a serious thought even though we don’t live in the heart of Tornado Alley.

04/24/2026

Dennison Depot Museum tells a delightful WWII story. This weekend join in their America 250 celebration there with many special events.

Dennison Depot Lives On by Beverly Kerr

Step back in time to 1942 at Dennison, Ohio. Learn more about this small town from Jim Gamble, one of the soldiers aboard the military train, which will stop in Dennison.

Jim got on the train in Columbus, Ohio and was headed to Pittsburgh, PA with New York as its final destination before the men boarded ships for Europe. Steam engines needed water every 100 miles. Dennison just happened to be exactly in the middle of the 200 mile stretch between Columbus and Pittsburgh and had the largest railroad yard in the nation. In its heyday, forty trains stopped in Dennison nearly every day.

Jim sat with his friend, Dan, as they traveled the rails. Jim asked, “Have you heard the stories about Dennison? I wonder if it's half as good as they say.”

Dan commented, “I've heard that the ladies serve food to the men on the train but that's impossible. There's often six hundred men on the train. No group of women could serve that many.”

As the whistle blows and the conductor calls, “Dennison, next stop,” all the men on the train put on their jackets, combed their hair, and straightened their hats to look their best for the friendly ladies meeting them with food. They reminded them of their girlfriends, moms, daughters, and grandmothers back home. It was a dream come true, thus the name Dreamsville,U.S.A.

“Hurry, Dan. The stop is only for five to seven minutes while they water up the train's engine.” When the train stopped 600-800 men would step off the train to get a lunch sack filled with treats from the ladies of the town and a cup of hot coffee. The sack might include a bologna or cheese sandwich, boiled eggs, piece of fruit from local farms, cookies baked by the local women, and some surprises...maybe a magazine.

It didn't matter what time of the day the train stopped; the ladies at the Salvation Army Servicemen's Canteen in Dennison were always there. Somehow the 4,000 volunteers always had food for the men on board. Everything was free!

“Wow! I don't know how they do it. One lady told me they served over a million soldiers. Sometimes over 4,000 in one day! That's amazing,” Dan remarked as he was eating a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie.

Jim replied, “ That's one stop that I'll always remember. Bless those ladies for their kindness.”

Today you might enjoy visiting Dennison Depot Museum during America 250. On April 25 & 26, they will be hosting The 250 Buckeye Train & Transportation Celebration with a fly over both days of Vintage Aircraft and on Sunday of the Goodyear Blimp, take a ride on the 250 Buckeye Train, or visit the 250 Vehicle Car Show.

Sounds like a great plan for your weekend.

04/17/2026

Claire Cameron finds strange meanings to many of our nursery rhymes. Some will surprise you! Read more Rainy Day Writers stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

04/15/2026

Mark Cooper has some special thoughts about the arrival of Spring. Have you been noticing the arrival of spring where you live? Read more Rainy Day Writers articles on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

This Spring Evening by Mark Cooper

This spring evening might be more fun than Christmas morning. Excitement mounts as I complete the day’s responsibilities, or at least complete them enough that I can allow myself to rush outdoors, similar to how a child runs to his pile of gifts on Christmas day.

From afar, my garden doesn’t look like a pile of gifts. But sometimes the best presents are concealed by rather common wrapping.

Hidden under dead leaves from the nearby maple tree, I uncover the young cone-flower plants with their vibrant clusters of leaves. Only an inch or so in height now, a couple months longer and they’ll be tall and proud, crowned with purple blossoms.

And nearby, against the rock border, appear the minuscule tips of day lilies that were a thoughtful gift from a daughter-in-law to mom, years ago. Each spring they return, offering their warm yellow blossoms to grace the month of June.

Here against the walkway are the spikes of lily-of-the-valley. In no time they will unwrap their leaves and open delicate and complex white blooms. Why can’t they be larger, easier seen, for the benefit of those hurrying about their day? Or is their diminutive size an invitation to slow down, draw close and absorb their beauty?

A spreading family of spearmint gathers under dry grasses and weeds that I failed to pull last year. Their gift is the gentle fragrance that will soon waft over that corner of the garden.

Here and there is the silvery lamb’s ear. The friend who gave me my first cuttings warned, “Be careful or this will take over your garden.” And yes, they do have the tendency to playfully pop up in unexpected places. But who can resist those fuzzy, velvety leaves? And who would deny bees the pleasure of feasting on the sweet nectar offered by the plant’s purple blossoms?

This spring evening I dream about the garden’s traditions yet to appear. Like the waves of petunias that reseed year after year. Or the enthusiastic spider plants; love or hate them, one can’t deny their zest for life.

I love fun surprises. Last year a tiny impatiens unexpectedly appeared between two mossy bricks. By season’s end those two or three leaves had become a mass of beauty. Will they return this year? Probably not, but their memory lingers.

Disappointed, I find no evidence of chrysanthemums reappearing. Perhaps the extreme cold of this winter has been too harsh. Or maybe they simply grew weary. I’ll miss their autumn colors, but will embrace the adventure of selecting something new to flourish in their empty place.

Yes, just like a beloved holiday, this spring evening bursts with reassuring traditions and fun surprises. True, there is a disappoint or two, but that will not mar my anticipation of the colorful new season quickly approaching.

If Tiny Tim had been a gardener, surely on an evening like this he would proclaim, “A beautiful spring to us all; God bless us, every one!

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