Was it that long ago that I stood five feet from Michael Stipe as he and the rest of R.E.M. performed on a modest stage and awed a modest crowd in Athens?  Yes, it was.  It was a long time ago.  And I wasn’t just standing there either.  I was dancing.

The increase in gas prices has not affected Americans’ driving habits.  I know this because the drive-thru lane at Hardee’s is just as long as it ever was.  People are too lazy to get out of the car and buy their food.  They burn gas in the drive-thru lane and curse the person in front of them who is ordering food for his entire office.  Fast food has become slow-to-medium food. 

I have never met Ohio science teacher John Freshwater. Yet, I have no doubt he wants to be like Jesus. In fact, he wants it so badly that he lost his job over it, and he should have.

A few years back, I was working on a piece about the Civil War in southwestern Virginia. Fortunately, I had access to one of the world’s premier authorities on Civil War history, Dr. James I. “Bud” Robertson of Virginia Tech. Not only is he a genuine authority on this subject, he is also an extremely nice guy and has been willing to talk with me on several occasions. This time in particular, I asked Dr. Robertson how the general public in our region viewed the war. I will never forget what Dr. Robertson said, “Yes, fellows from Southwest Virginia did not hesitate to volunteer. They felt like their home was being invaded by the Union Army. But they also thought of the situation as a rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.” Meaning the rich folks might blast each other with rhetoric, but for the most part it was the poor man being blasted by Minnie balls and cannons.

Many families are choosing to stay closer to home this vacation season. With gasoline costs rising, one-tank trips are becoming a more attractive alternative for summer travelers.
One way to enjoy the warm weather months is a bike ride along the Virginia Creeper Trail, a retired railway corridor of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad that stretches from Abingdon to the North Carolina state line near Whitetop.

There are many sites to enjoy along the Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop to Damascus.
Bikers can visit Green Cove Station, a restored 19th century railroad depot that currently serves as a U.S. Forest Service visitor center and trailhead for the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Creek Junction offers a good spot for fishing. Waterfalls are picturesque. 

Everybody thinks global warming is a long way off.  It’s time to think about how global warming will affect us right here in Washington County.  For instance:

thought that this would be the year I would walk into the woods behind my house and harvest morel mushrooms.  Why not?  They were popping up all over Meadowview.  Surely they were growing nearby.

As my eyes adjusted to the predawn light, my heart skipped a beat when I spied the trap. The steel door had slammed shut and a monstrous, hairy, white creature was cowering in the corner. I had done it. I had trapped the beast. From deep within me a primordial roar erupted. In a single moment I was transported back to my ancient roots when I was the prehistoric hunter and trapper. All of nature feared me.

I’ve had it. I mean it. This is it, the last straw. For nearly eight years now, I have put up with our current administration. No, I haven’t been happy, but like most of my fellow citizens, I have tolerated it. Well it’s over now; it’s time to act.