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Enjoying The Springtime Sounds Of Peepers

I always thought it was a colloquialism. Once I head the term at all. Or does it truly resonate all the way back to my childhood? I don’t remember any amphibians in North Platte — just sand in that part of Nebraska. I fear California was too densely populated to encourage much of anything in the way of wildlife. But in springtime here they resound happily. Peepers of course. The official name is Pseudacris crucifer, meaning cross-bearer, named for the dark cross which roughly forms an X on its back. I suspect most, if not all of us, welcome that happy chirp as the true door ...

Notice The Unsung Heroes

Congress passed and the president signed a $2 trillion “stimulus” bill. “Not enough!” shrieked politicians. They said the government must do more. They demanded President Donald Trump reactivate the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that lets government force companies to make things. Trump hesitated. That upset lovers of big dictatorial government. They demanded the president order companies to make respirators, masks and other desperately needed medical equipment. CNN’s Alisyn Camerota joined the media mob asking “What’s the holdup!?” Then a White House press ...

America’s Dangerous Dependence On China Must End

The coronavirus epidemic that’s crashing the U.S. economy, putting lives at risk and derailing our entire way of life should serve as a wake-up call that the U.S. government must stop being reliant on China and other foreign nations for prescription drugs, medical supplies or any supply chain product or ingredient that’s essential to our survival. It’s also a matter of national security. If members of the U.S. military and those who support our armed services don’t get access to PPE (personal protective equipment), life-saving drugs and other necessities during a pandemic — ...

The Good Life: Better ‘Denny Biscuit’ Than ‘Denny Doggie Snack’

Dogs follow me. They are not impressed with my amiable disposition or my geezer-cute looks. It’s the biscuits. I almost always carry dog biscuits. Because I do, our Lab-sized, elderly dogs, Ralph and Buddy, pay attention to what I say. Without a word from me, other dogs sense a snack is walking nearby. During our winter sojourn in the Florida Panhandle, that ability mesmerized dogs whenever I walked through the downtown sector. “Come back here!” owners would demand. Tails wagging, ears flopped forward, dogs would come “there,” to where I and my dog biscuits ...

Canine Companion: Dog’s Routine May Have Changed

I hope you are staying happy and healthy during this pandemic. Don’t forget, nature is not closed. Go out into the fresh air, and take a stroll through the woods with your pup, even if it’s only through your backyard. I know there are quite a few people who are at home teaching lessons to their children. If you are off work, you probably still don’t have much time on your hands with everything that’s going on. Thank you for taking the time to read my column today. Since we at home, and nearly everything is closed, I think we should use today’s time to discuss separation ...

Not This Grandma

My, these aging men with their bright ideas. First, it was the president, who has been openly contradicting medical experts with his pining for an early end to social distancing. This would threaten the lives of millions of Americans during the pandemic. Oh, well. As he said, via tweet and at the microphone, “We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.” Every time he says that, I can’t help feeling that women like me — over 60 and eternally over him — are on his checklist of things that can go. It’s not sitting well, I have to tell you. Texas Lt. Gov. ...