The Piercings of Identification
This Saturday marks the beginning of firearms season for deer with the advent of the early muzzle loading season. Hunters will be taking to their blinds and stands in their quests for the bucks of their dreams, or at least some meat for their tables. November always brings nostalgic memories…
Blazing a Trail For Others To Follow
Five hundred years ago next week, Martin Luther inadvertently started a movement that not only shook the 1500s, but continues to impact our world today in significant ways. While I am no expert on Luther and his theology, the long-lasting effects of his actions strike me as very powerful. Little…
Tramp Rooms Then and Now
I always enjoy reading local history and recently finished Glimpses of the Past in Shenandoah County published by the Woodstock Museum in 1984 and edited by Joseph B. Clower, Jr. This small volume is a collection of memories of many long-time valley residents, most of whom have now passed on…
Guided Hunts and Guided Lives
Every year about this time, thousands of eastern hunters head west on quests for elk, mule deer, and other western game species not found in these parts. They generally return in a week or two with either antlers and meat or stories about the ones that got away. One year,…
Christopher Columbus: Hero or Villain?
The second Monday in October is annually observed as Columbus Day honoring the Italian explorer who landed in the New World 525 years ago. Although he made previous stops in the Caribbean before he arrived on a small island off the coast of Florida, his arrival on October 12, 1492…
Getting Out From Under Our Umbrellas
What’s the worst thing you ever did? For many of us, certain actions immediately spring to mind, while for others, several different events may wrestle for the dubious distinction of being “the worst thing.” Sadly, most of us have little difficulty recalling some egregious errors in our past. While listening…
Properly Attired For Football…and Heaven
Two weeks of the 2017 NFL Season are in the books and the teams are off and running. Over the next four months a few will rise to the top as they learn to be successful against different opponents each week. I just hope my Dolphins are one of them!…
Preparing For The Big Storm
As I write this, Hurricane Irma is winding down in the southeast while Jose is sizing up the Atlantic Coast for a possible strike. After Harvey and all the horrendous flooding in Texas, we pray for a quick and quiet end to this year’s hurricane season. Like millions of other…
Learning From A Sand Cat
Imagine an animal so elusive that it hasn’t been spotted in ten years. Imagine further that it appears unexpectedly on a trail camera in the dark of night and in the middle of the desert. Such was the case with the secretive Arabian Sand Cat. Although it appears very similar…
Show Sheep or Market Lambs?
Another Shenandoah County Fair has come and almost gone. It’s nearly over except for the packing up, cleaning up, and the resting up. If you haven’t yet attended this 100thanniversary year, you’d better hurry before all the hullabaloo concludes. Fair time is a highlight for many in the county and…