You know that old saying, "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place"? We tend to think that when something unusually bad happens that we ought to be safe from that particular disaster for some time into the future. You know: there’s a bad airline crash and you’re supposed to fly out the next day. […]
Monthly Archives: December 2006
"A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul, and a sick one is a prison." … Francis Bacon After battling cancer for a year and a half, my mother has been released from the prison of her decimated body. She was a great reader, and a seeker after truth. She was far ahead […]
I complained about the mosquitoes in December, but I find that if it’s warm enough for them, it’s warm enough for me — I hate being cold. This morning it was raining, but the sun finally came out this afternoon. I saddled up Ol’ Red and rode to my buddy’s house. "Do we have time […]
When you are a Scout leader, you find that the boys tend to treat you as part of the scenery at times, not worrying too much about whether you are listening. Their conversations tend to be fairly candid. Incredibly, they believe that the relative privacy of a tent is also sound-proof. As a leader craving […]
You’re familiar with the phrase, "a double-edged sword", as in something that cuts both ways. That sounds like a good thing, but is usually used to indicate something whose desirable effects may be offset by other effects you don’t want. Somehow "double-edged sword" has edged out "back-firing blunderbuss" (which I believe more accurately conveys the […]
You might be surprised to find that many pet-owners feel compelled to comment when their pet protests an injection. Some sympathize: "Did the bad old doctor stab poor ‘ittle ‘oo?". Some are less sympathetic: "Welcome to the house of jabs." And then there are those who apparently feel like the pet should just suck it […]
This job is not always fun, but it’s never boring. My receptionist asked me if I could euthanize a fish and I thought she was joking. While I am willing to do my best for whatever makes it through the door, dogs, cats and horses are where my expertise lies. Alas, poor Nemo was headed […]
My friend, David Ross, is the minister of music at the First Baptist Church in Blytheville, Arkansas. They put on a very nice Christmas musical program this time of year. Their church is blessed with many talented musicians and they present a variety of styles, from Bluegrass gospel to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s "Messiah" […]
Last week it was a little cold for motorcycle riding, but okay for general-purpose living. Suddenly we’re down in the teens. The dog bowl is frozen solid in the morning now. Time to put the door back on the dog-house. People often ask if it’s too cold for the dog to be outside. These folks […]
One always feels that the veterinarian’s own pets should be shining examples of animal health and behavior, perfect in every way (the opposite of "the shoemaker’s children go barefoot"). Naturally, you get a "Doctor’s excuse" if you have adopted some crippled stray, but I think that generally people adhere to the "Physician, heal thyself!" philosophy. […]