A math problem arose the other day while I was getting a haircut at 95 years old. I've had my hair cut seven or eight times each year that sums up to over 700 haircuts. I won't even address the cost of haircuts in my lifetime but am still blessed with hair to cut!...

Our son, Randy LaFoy, visited us last week. He lives in Birchwood, Minnesota, and he brought his new family addition, an Australian cattle blue heeler dog named Tilly. Tilly was only 3 months old and a ball of energy. She wanted to play fetch, tug of war and beg at the dinner table. Didn't take her long to figure out who was the most likely candidate to slip her a snip of food: Me. I am a sucker and easy prey for food. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for dogs...

Several days ago, our driving took us to the State Pier on the waterfront at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. We viewed it from the comfort of our van. Wow!...

Jules Verne published a book in 1872 entitled "Around the World in Eighty Days." In the story Phileas Fogg and his newly employed French valet circumnavigates the world in 80 days on a wager set by his friends...

Our Earth is huge and contains many people in many countries. According to Google, in 2020 there are 8 billion people on the earth. I read someplace years ago that each and everyone has a twin. I don't know about you but I can't recognize myself except when looking in a mirror. Even then I wonder who that old geezer is who is looking back at me...

Driving the paved, blacktop roads and interstate freeways in the U.S. today are great. Connie and I have driven vehicles in every state except Oregon. Our annual back and forth trips to Arizona were wonderful. Over the years we drove many different routes and observed the wonders of the United States. Detours were common, slowing us down, but we understood repairs had to be made to keep the traffic flowing...

What 4th of July traditions does your family have? The day is to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence from British rule. The celebrations have changed from the early years but regardless the red, white and blue colors seem to dominate through the years. American flags are prominently displayed in towns, cities and homes. It is with pride that we do this to show our love for our country and for what it stands for...

Lately, I find my feet have become a problem as they are seen to be further away from me than they used to be. Putting on my socks is a major endeavor — darn, when did that happen? They are the same two feet that have been there for 95 years and look the same as the ones that I dressed in socks for as long as I can remember. Maybe I should just go barefoot like I did when I was a kid...

There are 365 days in a year but only one day is your birth date. Mine is June 16, what is yours? I have spent every birthday celebrating with my family except for two. Those two were when I was in military service in WWII. I was in India (1944) and in China (1945) on my special day and have a scar for each to help me remember...

In 1932 the public had no access to West Lake Okoboji, but by 1933 that would change. In the years of 1933 and 1934 acquisition of property marked a long-felt need for a public area on Iowa's largest and most famous lakes. The Iowa State Board of Conservation announced the purchase of 71-acre tract on West Okoboji Lake at Gull Point, to become the major state park in the Iowa Great Lakes Region...

Arnolds Park again has a Roof Garden Ballroom. We bought tickets to hear the Glen Miller Orchestra. Wow! I remember dancing to his orchestra in 1940 at the Roof. For those of us who grew up in this area, it is a dream come true to have the new Roof Garden. ...

Will the daily newspaper disappear like our gas-driven vehicles? We subscribe to two daily newspapers, one here at the lakes and a different one in Arizona. Some seem to shrink in pages but not the price. The Dickinson County News still has plenty of pages as does the Lakes Shopper and Okobojian. Years ago, each community in the county had a newspaper and some had more: Spirit Lake Beacon, Milford Mail, Lake Park News, Terrill Record and Arnolds Park News...

World War II began for the United States on Dec. 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Young men and women readily volunteered to serve but many men had been drafted into the military prior to Dec. 7. The population of Dickinson County in 1940 was 12,185. Before WWII was over, 1,000 men and women served in the military from this county...

In our world today we do not suffer from lack of communication: TV, radio, daily newspapers, smartphones, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. The big question today is, how much of it can you trust to be true?...

Friday night is "party" night, TGIF, at the Emerald Hills Golf Course clubhouse and a social at the Okoboji Yacht Club. We see lots of our friends; make new acquaintances and lots of conversation. The entrance fee at Emerald is some snacks and your presence. ...

What Fourth of July tradition does your family have? The day is to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence from British rule...

Highway 71 through the Iowa Great Lakes is a history lesson...

My only La Foy first cousin, Larrie LaFoy, recently passed away. He was born in 1935 when I was 10 years old and that year was a turning point in my life. The following article will illustrate those events or changes...

Traveling around Big Spirit Lake had been a problem for many years. Many people went to Crandall's Beach or to McClellan's Beach but going from one to the other required traveling several five miles into Minnesota and back from west or east. ...