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Where The Stars Shine Brighter

After weeks and weeks of sunny days, wouldn’t you know the one day we have cloud cover, I wished for a clear sky. On Tuesday night, the moon was at its glorious full state, glowing ever brighter as it crested the horizon. Despite the clouds, the moon managed to show itself just long enough for me to take in its magnificent presence. Ever since I was a child, I have had a fascination with the moon. I blame my dad, who also showed great interest in the space program in the 1960s. He made sure we were crowded around the tiny portable TV in my parents’ bedroom to watch the moon ...

Nothing Like The Big Screen

It was in the early 1980s when a younger sibling pleaded with me to take him to see a movie at the movie theaters located at the Ohio Valley Mall near St. Clairsville. It was supposed to be a blockbuster movie in the making with a story about an alien that lands on earth and befriends a young boy. By now you all know that I am referring to the movie “E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.” I drug my feet before relenting and agreeing to make the 11-minute drive to the movie theater. As it turns out, the movie had all the necessary elements to keep young and old engaged in this unique story. ...

A Great Ending To Summer

I guess the meteorologists in the Ohio Valley know what they are talking about. It seems that although the Farmers’ Almanac states the autumn season officially begins on Sept. 22, meteorologists’ fall season began Sept. 1. Judging by the current weather today, maybe they know more than the Almanac folks. These cool temperatures had me scrambling for a sweatshirt in the early morning and keeping a jacket in the car. It has been delightful weather for sleeping with the windows open and silencing the noisy air conditioner. I’m not foolish enough, however, to believe that the ...

All In The Family

The summer season is winding down despite what the thermometer says. Schools have started up again much sooner than when I was a kid. Going back to classes was always the day after Labor Day for my generation. And yes, it was still pretty hot those first few weeks of school, but then fall crept in and winter followed. There were days at my alma mater — Wheeling Central Catholic High School — before the days of air conditioned classrooms, that teachers would open the windows and turn off the overhead lights for a more comfortable atmosphere. I can’t recall ever having classes ...

A Quiet Respite

The past month has been busy for a number of reasons. First we had been dealing with the extreme heat. Just trying to keep the flowers and vegetable garden from wilting away has been a challenge. Forget cutting the grass. Only after a few recent drops of rain has the lawn made a slight effort to return to its green pasture-like appearance. The rose bushes appreciated a rain shower even more as the blooms are flourishing quite nicely. The cool evenings have brought some relief to the hummingbirds that have been battling a variety of bees seeking to share their nectar at our feeders. ...

It Came Out Of Nowhere

An ordinary Tuesday evening suddenly turned chaotic. At first I thought it was getting awfully dark earlier than normal. However, the next sounds I heard directed me to head outside and see what was happening. I stood on the front porch as I heard and saw the wind picking up along the tree line. The stately trees began to sway and bend, spilling showers of leaves to the already parched earth. The wind, emanating from the west and traveling up the hollow behind the house, was growing louder. My eyes were fixed on the amazing dark and light clouds that were swirling across our ...