Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals September 1985

  

 Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

A continuation of Jody’s Journals.

September 1985

• to church > on calls to Gallipolis with Pete
• to clinic/barn > to Dairy Barn > rode over to Tim Wagner's, Tim rode back
• cut, piled burrs in garden area > went after milk > stopped at Mary Morgan's store in Amesville > herded sheep down to white gate bottom with Colonel and Junie, rode around through woods
• Pete up for lunch > ran errands > to barn, Junie coughing, Pete treated her
• R. Muhn here to work on appliances > went after FKK [?] at Dr. Bratton's, took Puff, Colonel
• to clinic > went to Pat's, brought SW back > J here for dinner, took Bingo > walked dogs, Sissy stroke?, took her to clinic
• worked at clinic/surgeries
• to clinic/barn > saddled Junie, rode Alrod, Junie cough
• to clinic/paid bills > Pete, Allen, Mitzi, got lumber - Amish > Robin Byers party (Conrath's on way down)
• to church > to clinic, tried to take abandoned dog back to Nelsonville > Joy MillerUpton potluck, bizarre house, beautiful setting, nice walk to falls/Buckeye Trail
• to clinic, surgeries > put minnow traps out in bottom > to barn, took Puff, Colonel, walked dogs > wrote letters
• to clinic/groomed dogs/cats > took Subaru SW after minnows, several dozen in traps, sorted out largest, put back in stream > to barn, herded sheep down toward pines/white gate bottom with Streak on line, walked dogs > read some more Eudora Welty stories
• dryer caught on fire, hung clothes out on line > to clinic/barn, drove truck to get hay in 
• to clinic/barn > dinner at Pat's > movies "Teen Wolf"
• to church > to clinic > rode Alrod, Pete rode Apple, saw Ann H. on way back > Pat helped Pete with lumber/plastic
• dewormed sheep > ran errands
• to clinic/barn > walked up bottom with Puff, Colonel
• to clinic/barn > called wildlife re stream pollution, George Ledbetter looked at it
• to clinic/barn > ate at CJs, J met us, tried to watch fight at bar, left > Anniversary, Hangar 5, Fannigan's Isle
• to clinic/church/OU Inn > contemporary works in wood at Dairy Barn > rode Alrod, Allen Crippen, daughters, Mitzi, rode around Phillip's place, Pete started putting guardrail to stop erosion on pond dam
• to clinic > EPA, Health Dept. got stream samples > to barn > ATC, took Puff, Colonel, got Californian doe rabbit $5.00 J L'H Humane Society Committee meeting - re dog licenses, spay/neuter clinics, etc. > called Mom
• ran errands, saw J at Landmark > to barn, took dogs for a walk, Purry Furry there > Pete at Sam Jones' > 12:30 am, beautiful sky, mist off pond rising up to the trails
• worked on demineralizing copper teakettle > worked at desk > to clinic/barn
• Farm Science Review, Border Collie Trials, 2nd cousin, Henry Shriver talked, ate at CJs
• to clinic/barn > helped Pete with putting guard rails around dam to slow erosion by wave action > to barn, walked dogs > Tammy, Pat, Robin, Dan, to the Union, Mimi Hart 
• helped Pete at clinic > early church, went to Sunday School, 10:30 church > went to auction, stopped and fed calves at Pat's > rode Junie, watched motorcycles > Pete rode Apple > went to harp, flute, violin, cello concert, kept falling asleep, stopped at DQ
• worked Colonel, Puff > to clinic > Tim S. brought two Collie-type puppies in > to barn, worked Colonel 

For Exclusive Photos Follow on Facebook @ Milliron Clinic

Connect with Gina:

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian. 

 

Stone Soup and Crickets: An interview with Ohio Author Dale W. Geisel

 

Stone Soup and Crickets: An interview with Ohio Author Dale W. Geisel

 

Ohio author Dale W. Geisel is stepping onto the literary stage with his debut collection, Stone Soup and Crickets. A new voice with a gift for weaving everyday detail into layered storytelling, Geisel invites readers to pause, listen, and discover meaning in unexpected places.

 

His work balances simplicity with resonance, echoing folk wisdom while exploring the rhythms of contemporary life. With Stone Soup and Crickets, Geisel offers stories that linger—quiet yet insistent, rooted in experience yet reaching toward something universal.

 

In this interview, we’ll talk about the inspirations behind his first book, the journey of becoming an author, and how he hopes his stories will connect with readers.

 

Welcome, Dale!

 

GM: Congratulations on your new book! What inspired you to take the leap from aspiring writer to published author, and how has that transition felt?

DG: I don’t remember. It just evolved over time. I always admired Isaac Asimov and wrote a few short stories that still remain in folders because sci-fi is not my favorite writing genre. I wrote a few articles for base newspapers when I was in the Navy. Then I began submitting articles to newspapers that were based on my genealogy research. When my articles appeared front page above the fold, I saw that I could become an author.

 

I lost my daytime job for six months and used that time to write my first (too long) novel but the experience allowed me to polish my writing skills and I began submitting stories to short story contests where I was perennial runner-up. Finally, I collected my stories, cleaned them up, and submitted for publication.

 

There is nothing to compare to seeing your work in a book form and then to have people wanting to get autographed copies.

 

GM: As a new voice in Ohio’s literary landscape, what do you hope readers discover about you through your work?

DG: I hope that they see me as someone who can write in different formats. My book of short stories, Stone Soup and Crickets, seems to be doing well, and I am on the way to getting my memoir of my Navy years published. I have also completed the first draft of my novel set in the Civil War. Following that, I have the material collected for a guide on how Senior Citizens can ride the entire length of the Ohio to Erie bike trail. So, it is my desire to be seen as a versatile and talented writer.

 

GM: Can you share the story behind your new book- what sparked it, and what do you hope readers carry away after turning the last page?

DG: I have always disliked the requirement that a short story should be metaphorical. I have read many metaphorical stories that are pure metaphor with very thin story lines. I lean toward a good story that may or may not be a metaphor. In my book there are several stories that are metaphorical, but they are stories that carry the metaphor forward and not the other way around. Because my book is all short stories, there are 18 different last pages and each last page should illicit a different response. I love to read my own stories and have them bring me to tears. One response I had from a reader gave me great joy because a reader was so upset with Hokey Pokey that she couldn’t finish the story. I was attempting to portray an offensive, obnoxious, obsessive man who wanted women to notice his “equipment.” The reader found him to be over the top offensive and I congratulated myself for writing him so well. Unfortunately, she did not read to the end where the protagonist found redemption of sorts. However, I was a tiny bit upset that she did not catch the humor in the character and the story.

 

GM: Were there any unexpected challenges or joys in bringing this book to life that shaped you as a writer?

DG: I think I was surprised that I could write something that would elicit emotions from ME! I wrote it. I know how it ends. But, I can laugh and I can cry at my own writing. So the lesson is to bring out the emotion in myself; then I will feel successful.

 

GM: Which authors or books have most influenced your style and how do they echo through your own writing?

DG: I always like the stories that have surprise endings. In Stone Soup and Crickets the Crickets part refers to the fact that some people will eat crickets and love them. Other people will find them offensive. Much like the story mentioned above, a particular story will be both offensive and entertaining, depending on the reader. There are a few crickets in the book, but I won’t try to judge your taste.

 

GM: Do you have a favorite book you return to again and again and what makes it timeless to you?

DG: I always liked The Count of Monte Cristo. I don’t re-read it, but I will occasionally meditate on its multiple messages; revenge, betrayal, justice. I always like happy endings, but sometimes the appropriate ending is not happy. My short story Diasperein is certainly not happy, but the ending is sort of related to Monte Cristo in that the antagonist gets what she deserves.

 

GM: What are you currently working on and how does it build on or break away from your debut?  

DG: I am currently working on getting my memoir (Twenty Years With No Mast) published. The challenges are different because the goals are different. In my memoir I feel that my goal is to provide a message of “up from destitution,” and I must present myself as a model of that message. The message is carried forward in the same spirit as Twenty Years Before the Mast by Charles Erskine except the life and cultures depicted are set in the 20^th century instead of the 19^th.

 

GM: How do you balance discipline and inspiration in your writing routine?

DG: I never give it a thought. When I am writing I am focused without motivation. I hate distraction when I am pouring words onto paper/keyboard. I sometimes have to force myself to get on the computer, but once I get there, I have no trouble keeping going. However, inspiration is tough. The best thing I can do is challenge myself to write a certain subject or word, etc. The story Hokey Pokey was such a challenge. The story Happy Birthday P U was a challenge to write a story with dialog only – no interludes of author describing the settings.

 

GM: How does your philosophy on life shape the stories you tell and what truths do you hope to illuminate for readers?

DG: I really don’t cogitate on the meaning of life when I am writing. However, I won’t write something that is counter to my belief system. The story One talks about how we are all one, even in a horrific genocide. Replete talks about caring for those we love without looking for reciprocity. Just God asks us to think outside ourselves, to care for others above ourselves.

 

GM: If you could distill your outlook on writing and living into one guiding principle, what would it be?

DG: Live what you write and write what you live.

 

GM: What’s for lunch?

DG: Fried baloney. DID YOU KNOW; in the 1960’s the Navy did a survey of what the sailors thought of various meals. The favorite food: fried baloney. The least favorite food: fried baloney. Go figure.

 

Connect with Dale…

Buy the Book: Stone Soup and Crickets

Follow on Amazon: AmazonAuthor Page

Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals August 1985

  

 Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

A continuation of Jody’s Journals.

August 1985

• to clinic; on calls with Pete to Charleston, ate at Duff's; Maranatha Farm
• R. Muhn repaired refrigerator; to clinic > took Doris flat tire in > went to Alden Library, photo exhibit > Pam met me at the barn > wrote letters to Mom, Betty, Abbott, Susie
• to Bob Evans Farm, wild horse, burro adoption; Bill Wells, Stewart Watterson potluck, hog roast, took poppy seed cake
• to church > to clinic > rode Junie, Pete rode Apple > to movies/drive-in "Silverado", "St. Elmo's Fire", took Puff and Ruff
• to clinic/barn, worked with Trista Collier, Sweetie; picked out ceramic "decorator cats"
• dewormed sheep, goat, Ivermectin, foot vax, trimmed feed, castrated late lamb, cryptorchid > to county fair, watched calf roping, dog show, etc. > Pete on calls
• took down dog pen, put Streak in alleyway, Sissy, Bullet in barn; Gordon bulldozed dirt against well, Pete cleaned horse shed > got Doris aligned > worked at desk briefly, wrote Marshall
• to clinic/barn > worked on turnovers, paid bills until 12:00
• Bullet out, put him in yard, groomed him > to clinic/barn > party above Rumpkin Inn, Bishopville, met Pete's boxing buddies
• early church, drove to Ohio State Fair, Janet Mercer, Kathryn Foster; Calvary platoon, dog house, wildlife, etc. > Pete, Pat worked on fence for feeder calves
• to clinic, Vickie had heifer calf end of long field > ran errands
• went to Gary's office, Pete broken tooth fixed; bought shrimp, etc., for lunch at GA's; vacc Kurt, Tina's dog > went to State Fair, Canadian Mounted Police - excellent; Border Collie 4H demo; saw Joette Weber, Polly F., Sheila, Becky Theis/Sam in swine barn
• to clinic/barn > 1985 doe rabbit died > picked up yard, hot/tired, air conditioner broken, laid in hammock for a while, nice summer night sounds
• slept in > swept roof, cleaned out gutters > rain errands > Vickie broken leg, Pete shot her, sold calf > Pete on calls, Vestry
• worked Colonel > to clinic/barn > rode Junie, took Colonel, Streak; tailed him up steep hill; rode on bottom, etc.
• Ralph Guthrie swabbed well > on call to Toni Clark's; party Mike K's/Liz, great pork, obnoxious drunk there
• to church, OU Inn > to clinic, briefly > rode Junie, Pete rode Apple
• to clinic/barn, rode Junie saw deer, brought Marshall's dog up to house > Pete on calls
• to clinic > moved dog houses to pen by barn, put Streak in; got Subaru SW from Tim; got groceries, supplies, drugs; to barn, walked dogs
• to church, OU Inn > Jim B., Pat Black, Joan Swindell > to clinic, rode
• to clinic/barn > Pete, WOUB > ran errands > rode Junie
• to Charleston on calls with Pete, ate at Bob Evans, stopped at Gallipolis on way home

For Exclusive Photos Follow on Facebook @ Milliron Clinic

Connect with Gina:

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian. 

 

Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals July 1985

  

 Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

A continuation of Jody’s Journals.

July 1985

• to clinic/barn, wagged, took Puff, Colonel, Banjo > Pete on calls
• grass whipped yard > Pat brought wagon over, hauled grain, mowed yard
• to clinic/barn > Pete up for lunch > cattle in Lucas' corn, put them back in pasture, used Colonel; drove message around to Eric's; worked at clinic > dinner, CJs, hay crew, Dee, Gordon, Mitzi, Allan, Brent, Kim; went out to Rainbow's Inn, Allan, Pete played pool
• to church > clinic > rode Junie, Pete rode Apple, Ann rode Blue > popcorn, read
• wagged, very hot > Pete on calls > to clinic/barn, briefly > Farmer's Market, no one there > Concert on the Green, took Puff, saw Joy MillerUpton, went out to Pharmacy/closed; got rabbits (4), 2 hutches, brought them back in Scottie; radiator leaking?
• put rabbit cages in backyard > ran errands, copying, oxygen, rabbit pellets > to SEOVA meeting, boat ride, Blennerhassett Island (Dr. Truman sick/flu couldn't go)
• moved rabbit cages onto RR ties against fence, shrubs, grapevines > to barn, walked dogs, cleaned Junie's feet, fed sheep, geese; let "Rabbi" rabbit and 2 does out in the yard, brought up supplies for fence > Pete jogged
• put rabbits back in hutches, doe had gotten in dog run > CJs dinner > packed
• to early church > Pete took me to L'H's, looked at rabbits until her mother came, left for N. Carolina, pleasant trip, new air conditioner car, classical tapes, called Mom from Maggie Valley, met us at the Jarrett House, good dinner
• Senior Citizens Center for lunch, had SW checked, went to Franklin after Mom's new Ford wagon
• up at 2 am, not feeing well, probably too much sugar; ate at Senior Citizens Center again, looked at photo exhibit at college; visited Susan Benson, ate at Cullowhee Café, walked around to visit some of Mom's friends.
• drove home, pleasant trip; to barn, caught rabbits - both dogs in dog pen; took dogs for walk > Pete to Charleston
• wagged, took Banjo, Puff, Colonel, repaired one side of upper 2 snares > to clinic, paid taxes, ran errands 
• to church, Beard's buffet, good but expensive, several people from church sat with us > to clinic > rode, pulled out snares, bedded horse shed down with sawdust, straw; sheep shed, hay
• to clinic/barn > packed > Pete, Ann H. checked Marshall in at AMHC > wrote Jessica letter
• up at 4:15 am, left for Columbus, plane, hour late leaving; to AVMA, Indianapolis, changed planes at Kansas City, great flight over Grand Canyon, arrived in Las Vegas, Landmark Hotel (Mr. Travel) meetings/convention center; saw Dr. Frandson, Pete Matthews, dinner.
• Wednesday meetings, alumni receptions, saw Ann/Orley Arthur, Ron Bell/new wife; dinner with Dr. Frandson, show - Stardust
• Thursday meetings; Pete to pool, walked, rode strip, antique auto collection
• Friday meetings; left noon, arrive Columbus 9:20, ate at Spanish fast food, home 12:30 am
• to clinic, Pete to barn > Bowens, frog legs, fish, etc.
• to church, ate at O'Ryans; art exhibit Dairy Barn, Murray Stern, etc., picked up Marshall's car > to clinic late > Pete rode Apple, I rode briefly, shoes loose; bedded down horse shed, sawdust, hay, took dogs for a walk; picked up yard > read
• unpacked > to clinic, Pat here, got 2x4's set Pete's watch, etc. > to barn, turned rabbits loose in yard, 2 does, older buck (Rabbi)
• took Junie, Apple down, Gordon pulled Junie's shoes, trimmed; tightened Apple's shoes > ran errands > Ron Muhn check refrigerator

For Exclusive Photos Follow on Facebook @ Milliron Clinic

Connect with Gina:

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian. 

 

This Week @ Monday Creek: Hocking Hills Book Fair, Hocking Hills Lodge November 15, 2025

 

LOGAN, OH — The heart of Appalachian Ohio will welcome authors from the Midwest on Saturday, November 15, 2025, as the Hocking Hills Book Fair returns to Hocking Hills State Park Lodge, 20020 St Rt 664 S, from 10 AM to 4 PM. This premier event features 52 celebrated authors, each ready to sign copies of their newest releases and cherished classics.

     From poetry to thrillers, memoirs to mysteries, the fair showcases a rich tapestry of voices that reflect the spirit, grit, and imagination of the region. Whether you're a lifelong bibliophile or a curious newcomer, there's a story waiting for you.

     To spark your own storytelling journey, attendees will receive a free Creative Pack filled with materials for journaling, scrapbooking, and creative endeavors. Available while supplies last.

     Admission is free. All are welcome.

Come for the books, stay for the community, leave with inspiration!

More about the Hocking Hills Book Fair:

Follow on Facebook for Upcoming Events, Exclusive Photos, and more!

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Email: hhillsbookfair@gmail.com

This Week @ Monday Creek: Live long and prosper

 

Live long and prosper

    A re-run of Star Trek was on TV late last night. Mr. Spock doing his thing - "Live long and prosper." I always wondered what the Vulcan salute symbolized. For some reason, my husband is unable to make the gesture; his fingers don't have the dexterity needed to form the "V" with his middle and ring finger. When I signal him, he can't signal back...one more thing that I can do that he can't (ha). 

    Curious, I researched to find the origin of this gesture (because I couldn't sleep and was intrigued). Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) created the Vulcan salute for his Star Trek character. Drawing from his Jewish heritage, Nimoy adapted the Aaronic blessing from synagogue—a hand formation representing the Hebrew letter “Shin,” associated with the divine name “Shaddai.” In transposing this sacred symbol to Star Trek, Nimoy performed a kind of cultural translation, one that resonates with literary audiences.

    The salute, then, is not merely a sci-fi gesture. It is a ritual act, a sign of reverence, featuring the ways in which literature often borrows from liturgy to lend weight to imagined worlds.

    Spock himself is a likeable character—half-human, half-Vulcan, caught between logic and emotion, duty and desire. His salute becomes a visual synecdoche for this duality. It is emotionally neutral, yet it carries the warmth of a wish: “Live long and prosper.” In literary terms, Spock functions as a liminal figure, and his gesture is a ritual that marks the crossing between worlds. It is a symbol of peaceful coexistence. It is also a reminder that gestures—like words—can be world-building tools: a single hand shape that conveys an entire philosophy.

    I like Spock's iconic gesture, it feels whimsical and sci-fi. But, at the same time, it's offering a real blessing. It teaches us that even in imagined worlds, ritual matters. A hand raised in peace can speak volumes.

    Live long and prosper.

    Biblical reference: Numbers 6: 24-26

    "I am frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life."

  ~ Mr. S’Chn T’Gai Spock, Chief Science Officer, USS Enterprise

Fred Rutter Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

 

Welcome to the Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast!

Where Books Meet the Rolling Hills of Southeastern Ohio

NEW EPISODE! 

Meet Author Fred Rutter

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN! 

Hello, book lovers, wordsmiths, and unapologetic hoarders of half-read novels! Welcome to the Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast—the one place where southeastern Ohio’s literary charm gets amplified through your headphones. Whether you’re tuning in from your favorite reading nook, your car as you dodge potholes, or your kitchen while waiting for your coffee to brew, we’re thrilled to have you here.

This podcast is your backstage pass to meet the brilliant authors who grace the Hocking Hills Book Fairs with their wit, wisdom, and occasionally questionable coffee habits. These fairs are more than just about books—they’re about community, creativity, and perhaps an unspoken competition to see who can entice the most readers.

Find us on Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio, and more. Follow us on Facebook for Book Fair Events and connect with seasoned and new authors.