William Herrmann

Thanks to John Stark for asking me to assist modifying a romantic creative writing effort, and to Mark Jeske for brilliant editorial insight in spotting a masterful poetic revision published in The Pilot, I've been writing various types of poetry, a number of hymn lyrics, and several songs, etc., ever since. From too many haiku to a six part series, totaling 283 quatrain stanzas about a mythological western character, Dixon Smith, its been a fun avocation. Apart from that its been Star of Bethlehem, 1978-1988, in Santa Maria, California, Trinity, 1989-2000, in Bangor, Michigan, and Heritage, 2000 - present, in Gilbert, Arizona. Judy remains the best gift that God ever gave to me. Each child only enhanced the life until The Great Eight was fully formed.

During track practices, working the assumption of my reserved, good boy image to the max while getting Mike Welch into trouble with Coach Baxman. Ex.: Once, running behind him on a training lap, I picked up a handful of cinders and threw them at Mike. He turned on me, and started pegging handsful at me. Baxman saw him, yelled at him, and told him to take extra laps. Of course, God has a sense of humor. There is payback. Once, Found called me to the office, and accused me of stealing money from someone's unguarded wallet while we were in the locker room after phy.ed. I denied it, so he took me to my locker, rummaged threw it, tossed everything onto the floor. And when he couldn't find the money, told me to clean up the mess and come back to the office. I cleaned up the mess, and went back to class. He never looked me up, and I stayed clear of him the rest of the week. He did send me home one day to change my "shoes." Apparently, the suede and leather dress cowboy boots I purchased in Arkansas one summer and wore to school that day weren't appropriate footwear. I kept that long bus ride home and back in the back of my mind. So, in my senior year, when Scott Sponholz and I presented the cross country championship trophy to Found in an all school assembly, I wore those same boots for the presentation. I still have the picture.

Grand Canyon, South Rim. Canyon De Chelly. Monument Valley. many others.

Point Sal, California. The General Sherman Sequoia. Muir Woods, just across the bay in San Francisco. Pismo Beach, CA. Monterrey, CA. Morro Bay,CA. Montana de Oro, CA. South Haven, Michigan, South Beach. Flat Iron, west facade, Superstition Mountains. Navajo Sacred Pools, Gold Canyon, Arizona. Casa Grande Native American ruins. Grand Canyon, North Rim. South Mountain overlooking Phoenix at night. Kartchner Caverns, Benson, AZ. Coolidge Dam, San Carlos, AZ. Theodore Roosevelt Dam and Lake. Tombstone and Boot Hill. Hoover Dam. Las Vegas. Reno.