After giving approximately 30 presentations since April 2011 that dealt with the book Crossings, the bridges, and old-timers’ bridge stories, I’ve rolled out a totally new presentation. In this one, I talk about the adventures of Crossings pertaining to the bridge celebrations in 2011, this blog and how it led to the second book, and everything involved in putting the second book––The Crossings Guide––together.

I had been asked to speak on March 14 to a local Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) here in Florence. (This group raises money for women’s education.) There were approximately 30 to 35 ladies present for this first run-through of my new presentation.

I was given 20-25 minutes, so decided not to add photos, not to do a PowerPoint. This is a group that heard my previous PowerPoint presentation almost two years ago. I think just about every member has a copy of Crossings by now. So I was not surprised that they bought a total of 14 of The Crossings Guide and a few told me they already had a copy. It was great fun.

Here I am with Stephanie Begley-Smith who asked me to speak to the group.

It’s always fun to talk to a group that pays attention to every word and laughs at all my jokes. So I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It also pays to be prepared.

I wrote out the new talk on Monday and practiced it and tweaked it in several places a couple of times. I spent much of the day working on it. On Tuesday I practiced and tweaked it a couple of times. And on Wednesday I practiced one more time with no changes. So by Thursday (yesterday), I felt ready for the meeting.

Here I’m making good use of the bridge poster showing nearly all of McCullough’s coastal bridges.

While I was at the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum the day before on duty as a docent, I received permission to borrow a large bridge poster showing all of the types of bridges McCullough designed for the Oregon Coast Highway. The poster was most helpful during my presentation. I have the same illustration of the bridges in the book Crossings, but the large poster was much easier for the group to see.

On Thursday evening, while everything was still fresh in my mind, I planned out where to fit in photos to turn it into a PowerPoint presentation. I have most of the photos that I want to use. I still need a few, such as one of Bob and me. We’ll do that next week. I also need to make a couple of calls to see if I can obtain any photos of the bridge celebrations in Reedsport and Newport held in 2011. I forgot my camera for both of those. Drat!

When I do longer presentations, such as the Eugene Library where I’ll be giving a presentation on July 27, I will add more edit. I’m to fill an hour. So I’ll talk and show photos for 40 to 45 minutes and then have 15 to 20 minutes for questions.

I’ve also been asked to speak to the Soroptimists in Gold Beach. Once the word gets out that you have a PowerPoint program, and in my case, a new one that people haven’t seen, the invitations will roll in. That’s what happened before. I may even consider doing the Friday evening campfire program again at Honeyman State Park just south of Florence.

So I need to get my photos together, in the right order, and in the PowerPoint format for this presentation . . . .  now that I have something new to talk about.