Harry N. MacLean's Blog, page 9

Windmills

The kids have been hearing me talk about the Sand Hills for years, and they were anxious to see the place where I grew up. I told them how my ancestors homesteaded the country, described by some as the great American desert, after the Civil War. The ranchers built windmills to pull water up from the Ogalala aquifer to water their cattle. With the introduction of the center pivot sprinkler in the 50s, which allowed crop irrigation, ranchers have been turning the prairie and farming some of the...

Leaving — 2

We debated a long time whether or not to bring the kids with us on the trip. In our better moments, Julya and I envisioned a journey with no boundaries, and no end point, where we could go where the wind blew us. The last few years of her schooling had left her slightly over-focused, and she was ready to lift her head up and take a look around. As for me, everything in my head seemed used and worn out. New thoughts or ideas had a tough slog to the surface, if they made it at all. For both of...

Sand Hills

A few miles out of North Platte, the Sand Hills rise from the plains like a great stormy, green sea. The waves are steep, the troughs deep, and the wind often blows fiercely. You drive on the straight, hilly road for miles, without seeing a car or a cow, only endless barbwire fences and occasional windmills. Andy spots a cowboy boot stuck upside down on a fence post alongside the road; then a little farther on another, and another. Ann wants to know why the boots are there. All I know, in my...

City Kids

We didn’t make it out of town until early evening, due to late-arriving movers and a variety of small crises and last minute details. The kids were in tumult by the time the loaded CRV pulled out of Denver. Despite being raised in Omaha and Denver, they were city KIDS, and the notion of a trip to cowboy country in north central Nebraska enthralled them. They couldn’t see much beyond that, although the idea of being gone for a year scared them. The day in the Sand Hills was hot, the sky blue w...

Our Year On the Road — Leaving town

As you can see, the kids, who just finished sixth grade, are loaded up and ready to go. Annie in particular was feeling restless. Julya graduated from college, Harry found himself bored to tears, and Andy was willing, as usual, to go with the flow. We won’t talk about the process of leaving; it was terribly hard on everyone. New horizons.

No related posts.

Skidmore this weekend

I’ll be in Skidmore this weekend. If you’re interested in talking about the case, the book “In Broad Daylight,” the town or northwest Missouri in general, let’s meet in front of the old post office on the main street at noon on Sunday.

Related posts:

Visit to Skidmore — Books signed
Skidmore – Forever the Town that Killed Ken Rex McElroy
The Killer and the Sex Offender: A Visit to Skidmore.

Goodreads giveaway: “In Broad Daylight” Classic print edition

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Classic Print Edition of In Broad Daylight

I’m excited to announce the availability of a new Classic edition of “In Broad Daylight.” This print edition contains the original Edgar Award-winning “In Broad Daylight,” as well as the first print edition of “The Story Behind In Broad Daylight.” I bring the story of Ken Rex McElroy’s unsolved murder up to date as of March 2013 in this edition.

http://tiny.cc/ClassicPrintEdition

As most of you know, “In Broad Daylight” has been out of print for over a year. The only versions available were use...

Keepsake Edition of In Broad Daylight

I’m excited to announce the availability of a new keepsake edition of “In Broad Daylight.” This print edition contains the original Edgar Award-winning “In Broad Daylight,” as well as the first print edition of “The Story Behind In Broad Daylight.” I bring the story of Ken Rex McElroy’s unsolved murder up to date as of March 2013 in this edition.

http://tiny.cc/KeepsakeEdition

As most of you know, “In Broad Daylight” has been out of print for over a year. The only versions available were used b...

Cover of “In Broad Daylight” keepsake edition

In the next week we will be announcing the publishing date of the latest edition of “In Broad Daylight,” which will include “The Story Behind ‘In Broad Daylight.’”

In addition to including updates about the cold case through spring 2013, the book will be published in a larger paperback size (5.25″x8″).

Related posts:

“The Story Behind ‘In Broad Daylight’” is finally here
The Story That Never Ends
Amazon–The New Godzilla of the Book Business