There he was, stuck to the screen of my door. What was he doing? Thinking? Doubtful. I hear him, these summer nights; he and his family and friends tune up in the darkness, singing their summertime songs, filling the night with their grating sound. All my life, I called them jar flies, and it was […]
Aug 27, 2020
Laura’s Fury
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Is anybody else mesmerized by hurricanes? I watched as Hurricane Laura approached the Gulf last night, anxiously waiting to hear where she landed and with what force. Cameras showed bending trees and flying debris as the fury of a category four hurricane struck Lake Charles, Louisiana. And then, this morning, daylight is showing the destruction. […]
Aug 24, 2020
Good Days, Bad Days
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This is the first day of school for many Arkansas children. Once again, I see them trudging up the hill, or hurrying along, backpacks in place, to catch the bus. It has been a long vacation, an enforced vacation, and it wasn’t all that great. I hope it is a good day for them and […]
Aug 23, 2020
Who Goes There?
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Who comes through my yard at night When all is dark and still, When the only sound, for miles around Is the call of the whippoorwill? I’ve often wondered what animals amble through the yard under cover of darkness, maybe stopping for a drink at the bird bath? Nemo had an encounter with one the […]
Aug 20, 2020
Signs
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This morning, I stooped down to pick up a something on the floor. It jumped! So did I. The “something” was actually a small, black cricket. This is cricket weather–one of the signs that fall is approaching and summer is winding down. There are other clues that autumn is waiting in the wings, ready to […]
Aug 18, 2020
Stop While You’re Ahead
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Stop while you’re ahead. I used to hear this phrase a lot; not so much nowadays. It means to cut it out, stop doing or saying whatever. It’s useful in a lot of circumstances, but certainly in speaking or writing. One of the hardest things a writer has to do is delete those unnecessary words […]
