Editorial / Opinions

I just finished reading the August 29, 2011 edition of Ozarks Farm & Neighbor and in particular “Life is Simple” by Jerry Crownover. What were you thinking when you published this? If it was meant to be humorous, it failed on every level.

October sure did sneak up quick and before you know it, it will be 
Thanksgiving and then when you turn around it will be Christmas. But if you’ve been to a department store lately you might be under the impression that Christmas is already here.

Fall kind of closes in on us after Labor Day.  Of course, that means momma and I go over and sit on the bluff west of Clinton, Ark., on Dan and Peggy Eoff’s ranch to watch the National Championship Chuck Wagon Races. "Umpteen” other fans and I, are all shouting and cheering for our favorite wagon-teams to cross the finish line. Mark it down on your calendar for next year. It’s always racing time on the Bar Eoff Ranch the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day.

This past summer’s drought has created a multitude of problems for farmers in my part of the world; failed crops, short hay supplies, disappearing pastures, dry ponds and a host of other problems that would only cause greater depression if I tried to list them all.

I just finished reading the August 29, 2011 edition of Ozarks Farm & Neighbor and in particular “Life is Simple” by Jerry Crownover. What were you thinking when you published this? If it was meant to be humorous, it failed on every level.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an agricultural tour of the seventh congressional district with Congressman Billy Long. The tour was very educational and believe it or not, I had never been to any of the operations that were on the tour. So not only did I get to meet Congressman Long and other people from the Ozarks, I also got a chance to learn something.

The front tires on the old ATV that I’ve owned for the past nine years have become so imbedded with thorns that they are impossible to keep inflated. Every time I need to use the vehicle, I have to make a pass by the farm shop and add another half-can of tire sealant before adding air. Even if I use it twice in one day, I still have to follow the same routine and wonder when the tires will eventually become a solid core from all the spray foam I have put in them over the years.

Times are getting tough for everyone. Recent occurrences on my parent’s farm have reminded me of this. No, I’m not talking about the effects of the drought – I’m talking economically.

As yellow school buses hit the road morning and night, it is obvious that summer is coming to a close and hunting season is arriving upon us. I can recall the first deer season I spent in Arkansas in the fall of 1960. Deer season reminds me of a local jokester, Hugh Smith, a grocery store owner in Winslow.

Granted, I don’t hear as well as I did in my younger days, but I swear it’s getting more difficult for me to understand people who have thick accents in their speech. And by thick accents, I really mean people who were raised somewhere other than the Ozark hills.