Miracle Mindset

Written by Ken Hulsey Yesterday, while driving home from work, Randy Newman's 1983 hit "I Love L.A." came up on my Spotify playlist. As I listened to the lyrics, I was hit by an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It's amazing how music can transport us back to the time when we first heard a song. These moments become part of our collective memory and carry a sentimental significance that evokes cherished feelings and memories.

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey I've actually had these photos in the queue for over a month now. I took these during the Rock the Red celebration on July 4th. Naturally, I posted the pictures of the fireworks but neglected to feature any other images from the event.

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey This past week I was granted special permission to photograph the Ouachita Railroad facilities in El Dorado, Arkansas . The Ouachita is a small railroad that switches cars from a chemical plant south of town and exchanges them with the Union Pacific . The railroad used to operate over former Rock Island Railroad trackage into northern Louisiana through the nearby town of Junction City. In fact, the facilities that the Ouachita now occupy once belonged to the Rock Island.

 Written By Ken Hulsey Have you ever felt like the universe is trying to send you a message? For me, it’s been all about Del Taco over the past three days. It all started when my wife was reminiscing about Taco Tuesdays, where you could snag three tasty tacos for just $1.49 (I still remember when it was only 99 cents!). Then, yesterday, I was listening to a radio station from Albuquerque, KDRF 103.3 eD FM, and I heard a commercial bragging about how Del Taco now has twenty items for under $2. Crazy, right?

 An old abandoned truck sits rusting away in the weeds in Ferriday. Photos and Story by Ken Hulsry Over the past few months, I have been taking a ton of photographs as I travel all over Louisiana. I have been wanting to share these images for some time, but I just couldn't make up my mind on just which ones I wanted to do individual posts about. As I perused all the images that I amassed, it became clear that it would be way to time consuming to share them this way. Instead, I took the time to weed through them and pick out the ones that really spoke to me and conveyed what I believe to be the essence of what summertime here in Louisiana really looks like.

Written By: Ken Hulsey The film “Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet” may be the most interesting science fiction film to be produced in the 1960s’. Although the film in itself is very well done and features some excellent special effects shots, it’s the film's origin and two different Americanized versions that may be of most interest to fans of this genre. You see, the film was not an American product, but a film made in the former Soviet Union. Although scenes that starred Basil Rathbone and Faith Domergue, filmed by Roger Corman, were inserted into the film for American viewers, the film is still basically “Planeta Bur” (Planet of Storms – 1962) in most respects. In this version, almost all Soviet references were removed from both the film and its credits, although it was hard not to notice the Russian insignias on all the spacecraft. American International must have been very nervous about releasing a Soviet sci-fi film during the middle of the “Cold War.”

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey Have you ever been leisurely driving down a remote highway when all of a sudden you spot something so unusual that you immediately stop and make a U-turn to try and figure out exactly what you thought you saw?

 Photos and Story By Ken Hulsey Back in 2012, the San Bernardino Railroad Days in San Bernardino, California, featured a true star of railroading: the ex-Santa Fe "Northern" locomotive #3751. The event attracted a lively crowd of railroad enthusiasts and photographers who eagerly lined the tracks in front of the beautifully preserved vintage passenger depot, all hoping to capture a glimpse of this remarkable piece of living history. As expected, this proud locomotive of the Santa Fe steamed down the Metrolink tracks from her home in Los Angeles, presenting an impressive sight for all to behold. 

 Written by Ken Hulsey A couple of weeks back, I decided to start posting the trailers from some of my favorite movies. Being a child of the 70s, I naturally opted to start my new series in that decade. The first film that I went with was the 1976 action/comedy Silver Streak. Today I decided to feature The Apple Dumpling Gang from 1975, which holds the distinction of being the first film that I ever saw in a movie theater. 

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey Last week, I posted a very popular article about the Dardanelle and Russellville Railroad 2-6-0 Steam Locomotive #10 at Ford Park in Shreveport. Thanks to Brad Driggers of the Abandoned Louisiana group on Facebook, I learned that old Number 10 isn't the only transportation-related relic residing there. Thanks to the directions provided by Brad, I was able to go on an expedition into the remote northwest section of the park where, deep in the tree line, sits the remains of an old Shreveport Railway Trolley Bus. At this time, the old trolley is barely visible, with only the tail end sticking out of the vines. Though I wanted to explore it more thoroughly, I could only manage to climb through the flora enough to access the rear window and stick my camera inside for a few photos. I also want to give a shout-out to Rick Lewis of Abandoned Louisiana for warning me that the area is home to several venomous snakes. Thanks to Rick's warning, I made a lot o...

Photo By Ken Hulsey "Lighten Your Burdens: Practical Steps for Finding Rest in God" In this inspiring sermon, learn how to lighten your burdens through practical steps and spiritual insights. Discover the importance of rest and renewal, and how embracing God's teachings can radically change your life. Pastor James W. Greer breaks down the four key words that can transform your approach to handling life's challenges: Come, Rest, Learn, and Light. Join us as we explore how to find true rest in God and make your burdens easier to bear. Don't miss next week's sermon on the deeper meaning of the Sabbath and its blessings!

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey One of the things that I really used to love about living in the small farming town of Lecompte was the ability to take quiet walks around town every Sunday evening. I rarely ever encountered a soul on these walks, and it provided me the opportunity to meditate and have a conversation with the Lord while enjoying the beauty of his creation.

 Written By Ken Hulsey As each day passes, it becomes increasingly clear to me that the state of Louisiana is for sale. Every day, we Louisianians hear about new data centers being built, farmland being converted into solar farms, and plans for carbon capture facilities. If you spend any time reading comments on social media, you can see the frustration many residents feel right now. Many are confused about what is happening in our state.

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey I honestly should change my official title to 'Louisiana Railroad Archeologist' because I have the knack of finding all sorts of abandoned railroad equipment all over the Pelican State. Case in point, last week I was driving around Cross Lake in Shreveport looking for a place to view and photograph the water when I stumbled upon this old steam locomotive just off the road in a closed portion of Ford Park. Wanting to get a good set of photos of the locomotives I snuck in an open gate and weaved my way through twisting roads to the back of the park, dodging crews cutting down all the trees along the way. The old steam locomotive is in bad shape, as is the case with all such locomotives in the state, and it was obvious that the workers at the park had stopped taking care of it long ago.

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey When we lived in California, one of the things that my wife and I loved to do on a Saturday afternoon was to pack up a picnic lunch and travel up into the San Bernardino Mountains for a hike around Big Bear Lake. The mild temperatures were a relief from the hot temperatures down below in the Mojave Desert. The trails that follow the rim of the lake are easy to navigate, and there are plenty of scenic places to stop and enjoy that packed lunch. On this particular outing, my wife and I picked up a bucket of fried chicken on the way to eat.

Written by Ken Hulsey Over the past couple of weeks, Terri and I have been enjoying Ken Burns' series on The National Parks on Amazon. We truly love learning about our great nation's history and certainly love seeing all the vast beauty that we here in America have been blessed with. The early episodes of the series focus on the efforts of acclaimed naturalist John Muir to preserve many of our nation's most majestic locations, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and even the Grand Canyon. Muir considered the mountains and meadows of Yosemite to be one of God's most majestic temples, a living example of his divine power of creation. From viewing scenes of this amazing natural wonder, one can do nothing but marvel at its beauty and gaze in awe at its majesty. 

 Written by Ken Hulsey This morning I was going through more of my photos from the Monster Island News archive when I stumbled across this one of the puppet used for 'Grumpy' the Tyrannosaurus who menaced the Marshall family in the 70s Saturday morning science fiction series Land of the Lost. I believe that the image originally came from a 1998 Sid & Marty Krofft memorabilia auction when it was sold to a private collector.

Rocks That Seem To Extend Endlessly Into The Pacific Ocean - Oceanside California - By Ken Hulsey  Written by Ken Hulsey "Huh! I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and... heh heh heh... wisdom." - Dexter Jettster (Star Wars) Only this Space Cowboy would start off a post about wisdom with a quote from a Star Wars movie. It may be a sign that I need some of that elusive wisdom because I chose not to quote a wise Star Wars character like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi in favor of something uttered by an intergalactic fry cook in a movie that I don't particularly care for instead.

 From Visit Anaheim If you’re dreaming of your perfect summer getaway, look no further than the beautiful beaches of Orange County, California ! Whether you want to ride the waves, unwind on golden sands, or wander through charming coastal towns, there's a slice of paradise waiting for you. From the iconic Huntington Beach Pier , alive with surf culture, to the serene coves of Laguna Beach , you'll find that SoCal's beach vibes are the perfect escape this summer.  

 Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey In its heyday, Route 66 was a literal haven of roadside attractions and souvenir emporiums. Some of these landmarks were rather interesting, while the others truly deserved the title 'tourist trap'. Indeed, the 2,448-mile highway that spanned from Chicago to Los Angeles was a thing of wonder for anyone who pulled over from time to time as well as anyone who simply spent the hours staring out the window.