Who was Maurice Stalker of Pond Creek, Oklahoma?

My sister sent me an article Titled The Strange Lure of Other People’s Photos (click title to read) written by Bill Shapiro, “Bill Shapiro is a former editor in chief of Life magazine and a co-author of “What We Keep.” Mr. Shapiro has an enormous collection of “found photos”- from other people’s discarded photographs. He has no idea who is in these images but in the Above article you can read how his viewing and thinking of the subjects affect him.

For Throwback Thursday today I’m posting a “found photo” from a box in my own house. I don’t know who the man is in the photograph. Well I know he is Maurice Stalker. But there’s a story there. I just don’t know what his story is and why his photo is in my family’s things.

At least there is information and a name written on the back of the photograph. And his Track and Field stats.  So many of us have unidentified photographs from the past. Will they end up in a flea market or funky shop after being discarded, or a landfill?

.

I found “Pond Creek is a city in Grant County, Oklahoma, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 856, a 4.5 percent decline from 896 at the 2000 by Google and saw Mr. Stalker was President of Pond Creek School board in 1948-1949.
since he was born in 1906 and he’s 19 in the photo, this was taken in 1925. He passed in 1978.

He’s not the Maurice Stalker (with the same name) I found In an old 1945 newspaper in Warren PA who committed a murder of his girlfriend‘s mother and wounded the girlfriend and then killed himself.  Oh my.

 

 

Three Mountains with Snow 

The Salzburger nockerl. A dramatic finish to our dinner. Laura and I ordered one to share and couldn’t finish the three mountains of soufflé. I asked how many egg whites and was told six but it seemed like more. It was immense! The server suggested taking a picture right away if we wanted one -before it deflated -but it seemed to remain at full volume for quite some time. 

With elegant flourish, we were served a mountain peak, embellished with warm berries from underneath and told the story of the signature dessert.(see link above)

It was like eating clouds. Laura said it was like angel food cake without the cake. 

   
 Here’s the story of the rest of our adventure and how we came to be in the fanciest restaurant in Salzburg. 

After a lengthy walk in a torrential downpour, hungry baby in tow, we finally arrived at a restaurant our hotel had suggested.

 Uh-oh, the Kellar was closed.

 Sunday night!

But wait, there’s another restaurant on the sixth floor! A fast ride in the mirrored,sparkling elevator.  Yes, we ended up in probably the loveliest restaurant in the city,Imlauer Sky Bar and Restaurant. I was reminded of Pittsburgh’s LeMont where Mark snd Erika had their wedding reception.   Floor to ceiling  glass walls with a city view, white linen cloths, a hushed quiet ambience but-

Charlie was really crying at full pitch and beyond eager for his dinner. He’d had it. The entire staff was so welcoming to us, took the stroller to the cloak room, hung our soggy coats, the borrowed umbrellas and seated us as if they didn’t mind our appearance or loud, hungry baby, or that we didn’t have a reservation.

They extended gracious hospitality to us and acted as if it was no problem at all.   We’d travelled all day on two buses and three trains as the train borders were closed. 

A few well dressed diners glanced our way as we were seated, I like to think with empathy, but once Charlie started his dinner and we awaited ours, all was quiet. It really wasn’t the type of restaurant, one would take a four month old infant. 

We started with a cream of carrot and ginger soup with delicate slivers of ginger root. Delicious. A basket of two kinds of bread.  We ordered, sighed with relief we were dry and so grateful to be served delicious food. 

When we ordered the dessert our waiter said it would take twenty minutes but all was quiet so we went ahead and ordered.

We were able to get a large bottle of water for “take away”, too. 

They never rushed us or made us feel we shouldn’t be there at table, in the loveliest restaurant in Salzburg. 

Front Porch Summer Garden Bouquet

After breakfast at Joan’s she invited me to cut some flowers from her beautiful garden.  Zinnias, dahlias   different shape petals, vibrant colors.  Slipped them into the cobalt blue vase with some cool water and photographed them on the front porch, looking for the best available light.

Zinnias and Dahlias in a Cobalt Blue Vase on My Front Porch
Zinnias and Dahlias in a Cobalt Blue Vase on My Front Porch