Ingrid Martine claims that most of America wants “common sense gun policy.” She goes on to attack our elected representatives and their proposed policy changes without offering any of her own. This sounds suspiciously like “hope and change” or “build back better.”

It’s time to reinstitute the Toad Relocation Program which had been temporarily discontinued due to lack of problematic toads. Some years there’s a burgeoning toad population here.

The Fowlers, the Thorpes, the Leo Sands family, the Kerbys, the Ellingtons, the Hodges, Nellie Sheets, Will Sands, Mrs. Burkhalter, to name a few that pop into my mind after all these years were really good people, down-to-earth kind of people.

When 90 % of Americans want common sense gun policy and can’t move their legislatures to get it, something is terribly off. Something is terribly off in Texas when the governor, Lieutenant Governor, and both senators make outrageous statements after 19 children and two teachers get gunned down in an elementary school.

It’s funny how things come full circle. It may take decades. I learn so much from my grown kids. Not exactly a non sequitur. Stay with me here. Some of it’s actually helpful. My son keeps me up to date on computer stuff and introduces me to new products to make my life easier. ---Like Aftershokz bone-conduction headsets that send sound through a bone near the ear instead of into an ear bud that keeps falling out. Or my Oura ring that provides metrics on sleep, heart rate, 02 and other things. Or the best nail clippers I’ve ever owned. Or the best vegetable peeler. Josh ferrets out good stuff as he navigates the internet--- usually involving basic necessities, techie stuff, fitness, DIY, snow-boarding--- or more recently baby items.

One of the lessons that the city boy learned was that you should not ever drive your family automobile off of the black-top road onto a black dirt road just after a day or two of rain. I should have known better.

I want to thank everyone who supported and elected me as your next Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 starting January 1st, 2023. I don’t think it has hit me yet and I think maybe it’s because I have worked in the office/court for such a long time that it is just who I am. This has been a goal for me, and I have wanted this for a very long time! I truly can’t see myself working or doing anything else. The job itself is not always a day of “sunshine” per say, but I know that I have what it takes to be compassionate and professional on those cloudy days.

The tragedy that occurred last week at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde is front and center on the minds of most of us. In light of this recent tragedy, we are asking our readers to share with us what they believe is the solution to ending mass shootings. We must find an answer as atrocities such as Uvalde become more frequent. Although important, we cannot simply pray for the victims. We have to do more.

I usually wait a bit to write about Zack’s many misadventures until danger has hopefully passed. We all live with mental signs in our heads --- whether or not we choose to acknowledge them ---that say, “Beware, curves Ahead”. But Zack jokes that he doesn’t even buy green bananas anymore. At least we’re still joking and laughing. So after these last six months with his two new knees and the requisite PT, recovery, pain meds, weaning off pain meds, and caregiving for each knee we thought we could take a breather. But it wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes things just fall from the sky, and growing older ain’t for sissies.

For a city boy raised on a busy city street in Fort Worth, it was so terribly dark and quiet at night in the country. There were no passing cars. There were no streetlights, no lights in the homes after about 9:00 p.m. There was an occasional night light on a barn, but you really couldn’t see your hand in front of your face on dark nights. But when the moon was full it was eerily beautiful.