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…
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,…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
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…
Next Thursday, August 31, would be my father’s 95th birthday. Although he passed from this life in 2009 at the age of 86, he could have done so much sooner and you would be not be reading my column today. When he was in his early teens, his father, Beecher Bowers,…
It’s hard to believe that Shenandoah County School students already have two weeks under their belts and it’s not even Fair week yet. Having spent 17 years in front of a classroom myself, my sympathies are with those teachers who have already gotten their classes rolling. What started as a…