It’s that time of year again! As temperatures drop and the days shorten, that can only mean one thing: hunting season is near! Squirrel and dove hunters have already started and archery season for big game begins next week. September and October were busy months in my Dad’s taxidermy shop…
I have always loved trees. I’m not sure where this affinity came from, but perhaps it was part of the outdoors package handed down from my father and older brothers. I remember when training for the FFA Forestry Contest how proud I was to identify some trees they could not.…
Nancy and I were fortunate to enjoy a recent trip to Hawaii. It was great to finally get away from the frantic pace of normal life and relax a little in a tropical paradise. I thank God for the brief respite and a bit of recharge. Before we left on…
For many in Shenandoah County, next week is crunch week. Young people who are planning to show their livestock at the Fair are making their final preparations, gardeners are selecting their best produce and flowers, and homemakers are baking their best recipes. County fairs are special times in our valley…
Praise God for the abundant rains this summer that have produced beautiful corn and soybean fields, bountiful gardens, and lawns that are still green in mid-August! Although the temperatures have been hot, moisture has remained high and we have yet to see the gaping cracks in our clay soils. Along…
It’s hard to believe that children will be back in school in less than two weeks. Their lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are swiftly drawing to an end even as they already have for many teachers and administrators. While many students are eagerly awaiting the beginning of school, others…
I have shared before about the incredible work God is doing through Michael and Holly Cooley in Sierra Leone and it is time for an update. This couple from Woodstock continues to travel to and from as schedules and finances permit and God is richly blessing these efforts. On a…
Most of us take foundations for granted. These bases for our homes are largely constructed of concrete and/or cinderblocks and rest on top of cement footers poured into the soil. They may develop occasional cracks due to house settling and soil shifting or they may need to be treated to…
We live in a very confusing time. While many complain about disinformation, others blatantly declare there is no absolute truth. What’s true for one person may not be true for another. Is this true? Even though some pedal this teaching of relativism, it quickly wilts when exposed to rational thinking.…
One of the supreme advantages of summer is the beauty of blooming flowers. Although spring blossoms have long since disappeared, geraniums, hibiscuses, roses, gladiolas, petunias, daisies, hydrangeas, and a host of other showy plants decorate the July landscape. Daylilies are also displaying in all their gorgeous variety of colors and…