Columns & Editorials

With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding Texans to be on the lookout for these impressive birds as they move through the state.

Eustace Texas- I’ve always said, long term friendships can be created faster in the outdoors when like minded folks get together than any other way I’m aware of. Through the years, I have made a great many friends while on story assignments. When I stop and give some thought to the reasons why, it’s pretty obvious. The people I find myself writing about and I have one thing in common that bonds us: A lifelong love of the outdoors!

The road goes on forever they say. And if you have the right companion along, the many miles seem short compared to the distance to the destination. The road a graduate in Forney ISD travels is as different for each student as their own personalities.

Sitting in line at McDonald’s in my low-slung Chevy Cruze, where I was preparing to order my standard Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper with extra ice and senior coffee (black), I looked up to see a “giant pick-up truck” pulling in to the other ordering station. In the style “older” Forney High School buddy, Don Morrison, loved to quip, “I said to myself, ‘Self, those giantsized vehicles are why I am scared to drive out on the Interstate!’”

I will admit that these two singer/songwriter “cowboys” came along in the midst of my “oldie, country, pop, early rock era”! I was rather indecisive concerning just what song/music category I would call FA- VORITE! However, both had “hits” I enjoyed, and both will be missed in not only the Country music scene but also in the total music experience.

In spite of the cool temps and drizzling rain, my First Annual Sporting Clay Shoot drew a great crowd! I’m appreciative of Comptroller Glenn Hegar who was our keynote speaker. I stand humbled and honored at the continued support I receive from the great people of HD4!

Bye Bye Blues

Dear Aunt B,

I’ve had a lot of blogs, like a lot, a lot. It started back when I had cancer. There are only so many times you can tell your most recent doctor’s appointment story to the masses. You have stinking cancer, after all. You’re tired. You just want out of the scratchy wig. You want pajamas and hot cocoa and fur babies and an I Love Lucy marathon. Sitting down for hours long conversations with all of your loved ones isn’t high on your list of things that soothe. Expecting one person to relay your info doesn’t work either. That’s a game of telephone waiting to happen. Cancer and necromancer sound too much alike for my taste. My solution was a newsletter of sorts. I can sit down and type it up for everyone to read at their leisure while I watch the episode where Lucy’s in Cali and lights her fake nose on fire. That newsletter worked so well that it turned into a blog. And, that blog spawned a blog, and so forth. Turns out creative writing blogs are about as interesting as cold oatmeal, but guess what? I still have one. Guess what else? I scraped the bowels of my 2008-2009 blog to bring you this little ditty about the hilarious slapstick comedy of cancer treatment. All we have is laughter, sometimes. It really is good medicine. Enjoy.

Like everyone, you want to remain physically and financially independent throughout your life. But if you lose some of this freedom, the last thing you’d want is to become a burden on your family. How can you keep this from happening?

I had an interesting exchange with an educator on Twitter today. She was an advocate of public schools and acknowledged the persistent shortcomings of the public school system. However, she believes that public education can be fixed with some “radical, innovative thinking” as opposed to parents pulling their children out to homeschool or send to private schools. According to her Twitter bio, she has 30 years of teaching experience in another state. I respect that degree of experience, but at the same time, I don’t understand her logic.

Dear Aunt B,

Here we are. It’s mere days before Halloween. Yet, I’m not sure if we’re even celebrating this year.