Along with Clint’s “toon” this week, he sent this:
Clint wrote, “The roots of so many things we take for granted can be traced to the imagination of creative individuals. Such was the case of O. M. Wells.
I met his grandson, John, in Big Bend N.P. some years back. He and his wife, Mary, were hiking when we chose the site next to theirs. They were in the same brand RV as ours. We became friends and have since met up in several southwestern destinations as well as their home in Maine.
John and I exchange emails on occasion. Most recently I responded to something he forwarded with a brief bio of my granddad. I mentioned that I was becoming aware of sounding and behaving much as he had:
‘My grandad was born in 1890 in Oklahoma Territory, one of twelve siblings, the son of a muleskinner on a subsistence farm. Their nearest neighbor was a Cherokee family. At age 10 he rode a circuit on a mule, sharpening scissors and knives for seamstresses, butchers, and barbers. I’ve seen a photo of him on the seat of a buckboard pulled by mules. I look back at him the same way my grandson sometimes looks at me, unable to imagine a time before computers. Like my granddad, I dislike changes I can’t keep up with. I frown on device addiction, poor penmanship, and the brief attention spans of youth, which are more likely a greater capacity to digest multiple stimuli.’
John came back with…
‘Granddad O. M. Wells set up the highway numerics we all tour on today. He died the year I was born – 1947 Also a travel writer for the NYT, tested autos, and made a few maps for Tydol. I think it is in the genes.’
Clint, love your work and look forward to it every week!!!! Keep up the good work and God Bless!! Happy Trails
My husband worked for the Tennessee Dept. of Transportation as a truck driver, and his boss was an 80-year-old man who knew every side road and byway in East Tennessee. These are the actual directions he gave my husband one day. “Go out Hwy. 163 about 4 miles and turn left at the brown house with a cedar tree in the yard that has a concrete block leaning against it. Keep going until you come to the house with a German Shepherd and a big doghouse in the front yard. Turn right there, and keep going until you see a little white church up on the hill. It’s a Baptist church. Turn left, then left again for the turn-off to the gravel pit. If you come to a white church that’s a Church of Christ, you’ve gone too far and you’ll have to backtrack.”
I’m glad to get a chance to comment. While each of Clint’s cartoons is a gentle gem, it is the cumulative effect of all of them that I really appreciate. He presents a whimsical view of the world which is a refreshing change to the often harsh humour of much of today’s cartooning. I don’t often laugh out loud, but I almost always smile and nod my head.
The toons are great. I am a wood carver and wish I had a little of your artistic ability. I look at people who can draw from a whole different set of eyes. Great work!
His toons are quite enjoyable, having been an over the road truck driver traveling the U.S. highways and byways I have been some pretty crazy directions to follow. I only wish I could remember some of the better ones, Clint might be able create cartoons out of some of them. Good day and God Bless
Love Clint’s cartoons- the commentary, but particularly, the colors. Very intriguing.
Love the story behind this one! Love the toons and missed last weeks’. Thanks Clint!
I always enjoy Clints cartoons mostly because I get through life by knowing how to laugh at myself! His humor does just that…reminds us to never take ourselves so serious! I missed his cartoons these past days and am glad to see him back in the newsletter. Thank you Clint for your awesome work.