Editorial / Opinions

It’s deer season in the Ozarks. For many deer season is a cherished tradition and lifestyle. Deer harvested this fall is a staple on the dinner table for many families.

The cowboys came last Tuesday to help with my annual fall ritual of sifting through the cow herd. While every cattleman has their own criteria for deciding which cows to keep and which ones to opt out, I’ll grant you that my methodology is not nearly as scientific as most.

It’s deer season in the Ozarks. For many deer season is a cherished tradition and lifestyle. Deer harvested this fall is a staple on the dinner table for many families.

The sliding door in my office is the scene of falling leaves from the hardwood trees. Deer have come by gathering the dropping acorns from the ancient white oak beside the house. If we would have had a frost here before the time I wrote this column it might have been gone.

A good friend of mine is convinced that veterinarians are smarter than medical doctors. “Think about it,” he once told me, “vets go to school the same length of time as doctors and they take basically the same subjects, have to diagnose and treat many species, plus they don’t have the luxury of their patients telling them what their symptoms are, so they have to be smarter. When I get sick, I just go to my vet.” I found no logical argument against his premise when he made that statement years ago.

I know it’s just now the beginning of November but it’s time to start thinking about our annual Country Christmas Cookbook. Christmas will be here before we know it.

A good friend of mine is convinced that veterinarians are smarter than medical doctors. “Think about it,” he once told me, “vets go to school the same length of time as doctors and they take basically the same subjects, have to diagnose and treat many species, plus they don’t have the luxury of their patients telling them what their symptoms are, so they have to be smarter. When I get sick, I just go to my vet.” I found no logical argument against his premise when he made that statement years ago.

I know it’s just now the end of October but it’s time to start thinking about our annual Country Christmas Cookbook. Like years in the past I am collecting recipes from our readers to help fill the pages of the 2014 Cookbook and I need your help.

Fall sure slipped in early or I didn’t get enough of summer to suit my subconscious mind. We had a great summer, no high usage of electricity at my house but we didn’t have lots of high temperature days either. My greatest fear is after the fall elections are held, many of the local TV stations will have to lay off people because they won’t be selling political ads. We have heard so much about political candidates on my TV this summer that we almost know what color underwear they wear.

A few weeks ago, I stopped by and had a visit with my only living aunt. A wonderful lady, in her 90s, she still lives by herself in the same home she’s had for over half a century, even though she has had to admit that she doesn’t feel up to putting out as big of a garden as she has in past years.