Posts by Nancy Bo Flood
Sand in bottles? Andrew Clemens made mind-boggling art
Andrew Clemens, an Iowa deaf mute, knew his sands. He collected colored sands (42 in all) from his own state to arrange into bottles forming pictures. His few surviving artworks…
Read MoreA Cowboy’s Prayer extends beyond rodeo
On page 12 of Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, I share a version of “A Cowboy’s Prayer” I heard shared during the Grand Entry of a Navajo rodeo. The…
Read MoreDo you remember this water song by The Beatles?
In 1966, John Lennon tired of people complaining about the weather. With Paul McCartney, the song Rain was born. See and hear it here, in one of three promotional films…
Read MoreWater led Helen Keller to the world of words
Imagine not speaking. Not hearing. However, you still learn your first word. You feel it. That’s the power of water. Visit that famous water pump that introduced a new world…
Read MoreA whole town made of sandstone?
Anyone who ever watched the cartoon The Flintstones knows that everything in the town was made of rock. How about Sandstone, Minnesota? Not quite. However, the town was named after…
Read MoreA candy cane you’ll never be able to eat
In Sand to Stone and Back Again, I loved sharing my discovery of candy-cane columns. These striped sandstone creations would have been popular in December! Peek at a festive formation found…
Read More‘The Beast’ moves and changes lives
In No-Name Baby, adoption becomes part of the story. In reality, some children face danger before finding new lives in new places. La Bestia, or “The Beast,” is a nickname…
Read MoreWater music is enjoyed, above and below
Water makes me want to celebrate. It seems I’m not alone. Check out the joyous sights and sounds a floating orchestra discovers from an audience of whales. (Thanks to Linda…
Read MoreThe Navajo know not all rains are created equal
In Water Runs Through This Book, I note that the Navajo separate rains into “male” and “female.” Guess which kind of rain brings floods and other problems to places like…
Read MoreNo more thirsty lawns! Xeriscaping is the answer.
Not all plants are greedy water gobblers. Xeriscaping is the art of planting only drought resistant, low-water-use plants, which can cut water consumption by 60 percent. Here’s an introduction to…
Read MoreRodeo excellence begins with the right lariat
In Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, entrants may get to know their favorite lariat almost as well as their horses. Is a rope just a rope? Not in rodeo!
Read MoreYoung rodeo competitors seek a trophy they can wear
In Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, young entrants learn that champions are rewarded with decorative belt buckles. In the early days of rodeo, many contestants were former boxers. If…
Read MoreCoconuts sustain Warriors in the Crossfire
Find a coconut, find hope. That’s how Joseph and Kento respond to stockpiled coconuts, all while worrying about food and freedom. Modern cooks might deal with the coconut differently, turning…
Read MoreGhost crab materializes in Warriors in the Crossfire
Joseph and Kento find their island of Saipan becoming a World War II battleground in Warriors in the Crossfire. As they hide on the beach, a ghost crab is one…
Read MoreItalian marble links past and present in No-Name Baby
Sophie’s grandfather’s World War I death was marked with a small headstone of Italian marble “from our homeland,” said her Nonna. The famous marble has a history dating back centuries.
Read More