You have all heard the saying, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it really make any sound.” The basic premise behind this is that without an audience, maybe there is no sound after all.
I am not sure how close you have to be to insure the tree knows you are there so it can produce a sound while hitting the ground. When I lived atop Willow Park, I would watch the trees fall in the big winds of spring.
Read MoreLife has a way of dealing some harsh circumstances and there is not a one among us that hasn’t had their share of trials and tribulations. There have been a lot of books written that tell us that hardship brings about character. “They” say that without them we would not grow into the strong individuals we eventually become. “They” actually get paid to say such nonsense, too.
Having been married before, Ol' Dutch has had his share of pain and suffering and so he can relate to most people's problems.
Read MoreThe one good thing about full time Rving is I don’t have any room for a lot of “stuff.” So anything I see on the local Facebook garage sale page, craigslist or at a retail outlet gets the same answer from me, “no room at the inn” – saving me both clutter and money.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year when all the big and small towns across our land celebrate the Christmas miracle. Back in my parents’ hometown in Kansas, the 300 residents have been celebrating for years with the Christmas Madrigal Pageant Extravaganza.
This extravaganza is a community production which strives to revive medieval song and spirit. Folks wear period costumes so that the attendees can have a true cultural experience -- or something like that.
It’s an experience worth having so I planned to visit my parents the weekend it was scheduled. Plus, given that I have had a long year of hunting and fishing across this great land, I decided that I needed a little R& R. (Trixie laughs when I tell her how tired that makes me and reminds me that it is a self-imposed torture. I do realize that but, after all, somebody has to do it, right?)
Read MoreLooking back through my treasure trove of old pictures from the early 1900s and beyond, I was reminded again and again just how difficult life must have been for the people who lived in that time period.
Most activities were done with manual labor. Anything from digging ditches to washing clothes required hard physical effort on folks' part.
I cannot imagine sawing all the lumber for a house with a hand saw or digging the basements or foundations with a pick and shovel since I was raised in the generation where there was an automatic tool for just about every task.
Read MoreMost of my readers know that in addition to being a Dad, I am also a granddad and I dote on them all with equal enthusiasm. Trixie, not having any children of her own, has to endure my constant bragging and occasional baby-sitting duties.
Now, I understand how daunting it is to be around kids. Just last week Ol' Dutch was called into emergency baby-sitting service for my two granddaughters, ages 3-year-old and 4-month-old.
Read MoreBack in the day when I was enjoying the life of ignorant wedded bliss, we were fortunate enough to have a house with a full basement.
For those of you who have lived in Kansas or are familiar with the tornadoes in that part of the country, you may assume that a basement’s primary use is that of shelter from the storms. And while that is what your spouse tells you when building a house, I soon found out that isn’t the primary use at all.
Read MoreI was driving along the highway the other day just minding my own business when I saw a billboard that caught my attention. With the plethora of signs out there it takes something special to distract us from our day but this one advertising midwife services got me to thinking.
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