Sunday, December 21, 2025

Cool night air, lingering now at dawn, drifts through the open windows of the house. We want to huddle under covers and stay in our warm beds, but not today - a school day.

The most important election in farm country this fall won't be in presidential swing states like Iowa and Wisconsin nor will it involve mad cows, angry Brazilians or even promise-spewing, glad-handing politicians.

The swirling hurricane season keeps pounding away, and everyone I've talked to in recent days is concerned about friends and family living in the southeast.

"Some days, we would simply walk the fields and stroll the woods just for enjoyment. It seemed we didn't really need a good reason, but sometimes we would offer to check the north fence or insist upon checking to see if the latest storm knocked any trees about in the back woods.

As November's election nears, U.S. presidential candidates are criss-crossing the country to woo rural America, particularly Ohio.

Traditionalists who believe that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman are undoubtedly heartened by the knowledge that America's reigning queen of overexposed celebrity, Jennifer Lopez, walked down the aisle this summer for the third time.

My feet splashed through the couple inches of water that covered our basement concrete. Where should I start to clean up? The narrow path through the stuff piled everywhere overwhelmed me.

Before September becomes a blur of harvest dust, election mud and campaign slurs, it's time to catch up on some of the characters who have waltzed through this space.

In the heartland of this great nation, we've apparently all entered the Witness Protection Program. Our exact locations must remain a closely guarded secret.

It's hard to believe that summer break from school is drawing to an end. Many of us are already involved with sports practices and band camp that kept us thinking of school and schedules.