Slightly Off the Mark: Still Seeking Fire Photos, Despite Distractions

I mentioned in the last newsletter that I set my latest non-fiction project on the back burner several months ago. I was collecting photographs for a very picture-heavy history of our local fire department, which has the working title of Awesome Albion Fire Picture Book Insert Title Here.

I mean, the book has that title--not the fire department. That would be silly, and require us to letter all the trucks A.A.F.P.B.I.T.H.F.D.

Not fiscally responsible.

At the time I had a logical reason for putting it aside and working on some other writing projects, including the first draft of my favorite novel yet, We Love Trouble. (It's about a couple who, well, loves trouble.) I also wanted to get More Slightly Off the Mark published, which we have, although I've delayed promoting it until we have a chance to update the website.

I'm sure you're wondering why I decided to push back the fire photo book, which also has the proposed working title of Firefighting photo folio.

What? You're not wondering about the delay?

Well, I am. Because I have no idea.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, that's the best I can come up with. I really did have a plan, I swear. It's just that I didn't write the plan down. It doesn't help that I have a list of several dozen story ideas waiting to be addressed, from a Storm Chaser prequel to my own Oz book, not to mention the demand for my autobiography should be starting up any time now.

Now I'm back to collecting pictures--I've already got most of the framing text for the book done. You'll probably hear a fair amount in the future of me begging to borrow any photo anyone has involving the Albion Volunteer Fire Department, be it volunteers, firefighting action, the trucks, or the old firehouses. (For those of you not from around here, I'm talking Albion, Indiana, not one of the two dozen others around the USA.)

I'll have been a volunteer forty years this coming July, and I suppose to a certain extent this is my coda, as you music buffs might put it. My tribute to our people and our 130 odd year history, which sometimes could get very odd, indeed. I want to do it right.

So--and here's the part where I beg to borrow--if any of you have any photos involving the AFD you'd be willing to loan me for the project, I'd be greatly appreciative. I (by which I mean my wife) can scan prints into her computer, then return the original. I'd especially like to see our people in the book, past or present--this is about them, more than anything.

By the time I'm done, with any luck at all ... I'll have come up with a better title.