Smith: Remembering France

The balmy temperatures of last weekend allowed for a respite on my back patio which led to a memorable flashback to a late spring trip several years ago to a nice address in the city of Conques in France’s Southern Pyrenees.

Smith: Strawberries in winter on the way

Now that some time has elapsed since Kentucky went down in hoops defeat to the upstart Bulldogs, it is nice to savor the victory and what might come about.

Smith: Herb White

Every now and then, I will get a call from Herb White, the “Elevator from Decatur.” He calls from his home in Mexico, where he literally can play golf every day of the year. He lives in the region of Lake Chapala, which is 30 miles west of Guadalajara, which is 791 miles southwest of San Antonio.

Smith: Verne Lundquist

When you arrive at Dallas–Ft. Worth Airport, you always notice the sprightly atmosphere that prevails. There may be a recession elsewhere in the country but not in this sprawling metroplex. Like all big cities, Dallas has problems.

SMITH: Aiming for a three-peat

There will always be interesting vignettes in sports histories, some current, but most of them retold with a new perspective as a fragile world turns.

SMITH: More on Darien

After a weekend here, I came away with new friends and an insight into the life and times of a seaside community that has experienced the vagaries of life—some good, some bad—but now appears headed for headier times. Darien will be a place to visit for a variety of reasons.

SMITH: Get to know the town of Darien

This coastal town is pretty much like all the small communities that dot the nation’s eastern seaboard from Ft. Kent, Maine, to Key West, Fla. There is a unique sameness about each one, though there is usually something that makes every spot different, owing to a feature that sets them apart.

SMITH: Saturdays in Jacksonville

It is interesting to see the reaction taking place in the city of Jacksonville regarding the playing of the Georgia-Florida game each October. It is easy to understand why Florida doesn’t want the game to go home and home as they are worried about what might happen.

SMITH: Charley Trippi

The immigration stories of the 19th century are fascinating. People from the old countries of Europe, primarily, came to America, the land of opportunity, with little more than the clothes on their backs.

SMITH: The progression – or regression – of coaching

Already, we are seeing, graphically, the effect that money is having on the coaching profession today. It is nothing new, but the intensity and the pressure have been ramped up dramatically. You win, praise is over the top, although there will always be carping and griping.