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View from Hickory Heights: How do we judge the dandelions?

I have always been enthralled with dandelions. When my children were young, they often brought home bouquets of them. I proudly displayed them so they would be happy. The little yellow flowers were so joyful to look at. By evening the little yellow blossoms had closed up. That is the way of the dandelion. When I volunteered at Warren General Hospital there was a picture in the hall of dandelions gone to seed. There was something about that picture that spoke to me. As I passed it while running errands while I worked, I stopped to admire it. I have never used weedkiller on my lawn. If ...

Having designs on winning big one

Senior citizens like us dream a lot. It must be from all that napping. And winning the lottery is strictly the stuff of dreams for us members of the fixed-income crowd. Occasionally, Dear Richard or I will spot an over-the-top wonderful goody on the TV screen or the computer, and comment, “Wow. When we win the lottery, I want one of those.” We smile and nod to each other, “Yup, when we win the big one.” Ain’t never gonna happen. I have long desired a backyard water feature in my garden. But landscapers, fountains, pumps, and lily pads are expensive and require ...

Is it really spring?

The groundhog said we would have an early Spring. We have had some very nice weather and some not so nice. The temperature yesterday was 66 degrees. I would say that was a nice Spring day. My daffodils are in full bloom and have been for the last two weeks. The kids noticed they were out when they came home for a corned beef dinner. It is very early for the daffodils to blossom. I keep a diary and often note the time of the blossoms. I have had crocuses as early as February 24th. Everyone will agree that this has been a very different winter. We have had little snow and fewer cold ...

Having luck on your side after some close calls

There have been a number of instances in my rather long life after which I was apt to remark, “Well, from now on I’m living on borrowed time.” Two of these harrowing events occurred fairly recently in the Warren area (one actually at our cabin on the Allegheny River north of Tidioute) while another took place many years ago in San Francisco. One of the two that occurred locally involved a highway close call. I was driving north along Route 8 on my way to our river cabin having just left that highway’s intersection with Interstate 80 at Barkeyville. That section of the ...

Rounding Third: The problems of being persnickety

We went out to supper last week and I did something obnoxious. I couldn’t help myself. We were reading the menu when the young waitress bopped up to our table, all fresh-faced, smiley. I thought to myself, how nice. And then she said, “Are you guys ready to order?” My spine stiffened, but I still had a smile on my face as I asked, “What is your name?” I have changed her name here, let’s say it was Mary. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Mary.” She was still smiling. And then I said, a little more seriously “Mary, I’m going to be paying the check for tonight’s ...

Republican party answers to one

Today, Donald J. Trump owns the Republican Party. Trump selects candidates, controls campaign finances, determines Party policies, and punishes/rewards on the basis of personal loyalty. In the 18th century and into the early 19th century, state political Party Bosses held the power. Then our last Constitutional Amendments were the Civil War Amendments (13-14-15th). There were no 16th Amendment (to shift federal revenue from Custom/import tax to mainly Income Tax), and no 17th Amendment (direct election of Senators away from state legislatures). Patronage, nepotism, and backroom deals ...