…of the September sun, that is. We have been blessed with absolutely beautiful here in West Georgia for the past few days, even though Irma slammed our neighbors south of us. The angle of the sun shifted… …making the prisms dance wildly. Temperatures dropped and the fish danced for joy. On Sunday, the western sky had that early autumn tint to it. But in the east the clouds were already gathering. It was a good 24 hours before a tropical storm — still churning in the Gulf as a

(I wrote this eight years ago when I worked for Grimes Publications. So to be accurate, add that number to the ones I mention. In addition, Dad’s batteries ran out Memorial Day, 2016, I parted ways with the paper, went back to graduate school and started a new career teaching at Columbus State University (My life has never been static). But almost 10 years later, the message and my resolve have not changed one bit.  Hope you enjoy). Birthdays. Amazing how the word changes wit

With the moonrise over her shoulder And the sunset in her eyes, She threw the pain to the past, And flew to the open sky. She had a picture in her mind And a song in her heart. Soaring above the land, She looked for the missing part That always eluded her And escaped her view. The thing she couldn’t remember. But what she intuitively knew Drove her to escape to Find what she had lost. Whatever it was, At whatever the cost. “Survival,” she said, “is what I want. To fear no mor

…and on Mother’s Day, the ache is more profound. Most of the time, I think of her with a smile on my face and love in my heart; but on Mother’s Day, I really miss her. I miss being able to tell her the little things that meant so much to her: “There’s a wren making a nest in the same spot in the garage again this spring.” “I saw a mama rabbit and her baby in the backyard.” “These are from the plantings of daisies you gave me years ago.” I wish she could see my children so gro

North Georgia creek COMFORT: Where is it found? Webster’s defines the enviable state as being “free from worry, pain, or trouble.” It is what we humans seek from the time we are born until we die. Having it brings joy; losing it causes pain; and searching for it creates anxiousness. We look for comfort all the time and everywhere. If you don’t believe me, do a simple poll of the ads you see, hear, and/or read in one hour. How many are related to finding love, finding the perf