The arrival of Thanksgiving gives me an excuse to indulge in my secret passion: baking. There was a time was when a guy might be reluctant to admit such a thing. But these days, some of the …
Autumn is here, a season when spirits soar even as temperatures plummet. This is because fall is harvest time, basically a huge, once-a-year payday for farmers. The sight of ripening corn always …
The frost is on the pumpkin, and fall harvest is underway. ‘Tis the season for crop price reports and other scary stories. This past spring started out cold and wet, which made planting …
Flying has always fascinated me. I’m the kind of guy who will stare skyward, slack-jawed, at the contrails being etched across the ether by those streaking silver points. I have often …
Driving can be a grisly task in the autumn, when an endless stream of juicy late-summer bugs clatter against the windshield like miniature jackhammers. This isn’t what the bugs had in …
Seasoned husbands know that dating doesn’t end once you’re married. It’s true: men are required by federal law to take their wives out on dates long after the “I dos” …
The shrill whine that’s resounding throughout the land tells us that summer is officially winding down. Some of this clamor comes from kids who are complaining about going back to school, …
In the Pixar flick “WALL-E,” humans are depicted as brainless blubbery blobs who gape at their TVs while slurping super-sized sodas. In other words, they act much like video game …
We’re approaching the Dog Days, a season for wearing shades while relaxing on the chaise, a time when kids sell lemonade to the community and community bands hold free concerts. You know …
Our nation’s Founding Fathers were smart. They knew that a year was too long between Christmases, so they invented the Fourth of July and placed it about halfway between Yuletides. The …
My wife and I cooled our heels in the doctor’s waiting room, listening for her name to be called. Ennui closed in like a smothering fog, muffling the sound of the occasional cough. Whose idea …
Having officially attained middle age, I’ve decided to make some changes in my life. For example, I recently concluded it was long past time for me to start smoking. I’m aware of all …
Springtime has well and truly arrived, bringing with it numerous memories. There’s the aroma of new-mown grass, the sweaty palms and the heart-in-your-throat sensation as you step up to the …
It’s all because of that stupid cable TV. Until some years ago, our TV signal came to us via a rooftop antenna. We received exactly four channels, one of which was Public TV. …
So, there you are, motoring along a quiet country road that you have driven on about a million times. Your mind is drifting, and you’re taking your half of the road out of the middle. You crest …
The sound of weeping and gnashing of teeth can be heard throughout the land at this time of year, and not just because it’s National Poetry Month, mandating by federal law that we have to …
Drive west, and the corn and soybean fields gradually give way to wheat and milo, which gives way to rangeland and cattle, which gives way to sagebrush and the occasional bug-eyed antelope. Keep …
Every so often, a guy hears of something that seems totally improbable. One such thing might be a WWII POW camp located in northern Iowa. My wife and I visited Algona, Iowa, some years ago, so …
Some years ago, an email from a 13-year-old dairy farm girl from Central Minnesota landed in my inbox. She said she wanted to be a journalist and was wondering if I could give her some advice. …
We Americans have been spoiled by technology. Flip a switch and the lights come on; pick up your cell phone and instantly begin to waste time watching funny cat videos. If you want a …