A gremlin lives in my computer. I’ve named him Elmer. We get along fine for awhile, then one day he says, “You’ve been doing really well, Glenda. Too good for my liking, so I’m gonna mess you up.”
And he does. His... Full story
Many country people are afflicted with a strange ailment I call “Bet I Got Up Earlier Than You Syndrome.” The number of hours they beat the sun up is their measure of worth. They go to great lengths to prove it, too.
The radio is turned... Full story
FFA and 4-H youngsters learn early that livestock they’re raising for the shows eat better and grow faster if they’re not alone.
Two or more steers or lambs fed together compete for the feed, and everybody gains faster. When show lambs... Full story
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with Bossy Britches Machines.
Our motor vehicles insist on telling us our “windshield washer is low” or we might ought to “check the oil.”
The worst is the bright yellow... Full story
Have you noticed those advertisements on TV promising to match you up with the perfect partner?
Or those ads in the newspaper for “Men seeking women” and “Women seeking men?” The seekers have little headings (supposed to be... Full story
I was in high school when I saw television for the first time. Some friends who lived in town had one. They bought a green plastic cover they taped over the screen to make the “snow” seem not so bad.
Our family wasn’t impressed,... Full story
One of the ranch houses we lived in when I was a kid almost had electricity. It had a Delco light plant that was rigged so when you turned on a light the plant came on and generated electricity until you turned off the light.
Obviously, that taught... Full story
We complain about commercial jingles and other clever advertising, but we must admit sometimes those witty sayings find their way into our everyday dialogue.
I heard a university English professor say if Shakespeare were alive today he would be... Full story
When my husband and I first became 4-H leaders we had what we thought were great new ideas about ways to run the county contests.
An older couple (who had been in charge of county events since probably the stone age) countered each suggestion for a... Full story
After years of personal observation I am ready to reveal the real, true code of the West.
Here it is: “Don’t ever admit you’re hurt.”
We all know the guy who gets bucked off on his cómo se llama, manages to stand up... Full story
I was at an agriculture women’s meeting recently where one of the speakers (a lady) talked about ways women can be more successful in advancing their agendas. She pointed out that boys grow up participating in and watching team sports more... Full story
It rained the day I wrote this column. I saw it, stood in it, tasted it. It was good.
Ranch folks, especially those of us who grew up in the drought years of the 1950s, have permanent cricks in our necks from looking up at the sky watching for... Full story
Years ago I shared my cousin Bob’s clever business card with my readers.
It was great. He somehow found room on that small space to extoll his prowess in the following endeavors: Goats roped, bars emptied, demolition done, chile cooked, meat... Full story
Rules. Society needs them to keep itself from descending into chaos. However, even though the rule-makers proceed with the best intentions there are times when unintended consequences are frustrating, to say the least.
Worse, sometimes the rules... Full story
A New Mexico owned and trained horse won the Kentucky Derby last Saturday.
In the midst of torrents of depressing news cascading onto us daily — even hourly — a little-known horse and his connections proved once again that in the United... Full story