SNOW IN THE FORECAST!

OK, so it's not so really for our area, but still ...

Less than 2 weeks to go before all the campaign commercials give way to Christmas ads.

And the world goes 'round & 'round & 'round ...

GIMME THE BEAT

For a brief moment (or 90), gas was $2.25 yesterday in Elkview.

Last week, Clay County was on the news for honoring a fallen soldier. This week, we were back in the news for our new Peppy Le'Pew school. Halloween's right around the corner - maybe enough soap on the windows will help.

Another few weeks & the campaigns commercials will be over. What commercials get bumped so those can take their place?

Peak season for fall colors is upon us - the temperature is supposed to be in the 80s again today. Reckon we'll get snow this year?

Some Gave All

As I type this, another American Hero is on his way home for the last time. There won't be any welcome home parties, there won't be any celebrating, there won't be tears of joy. There will be a lot of sorrow, a lot of pomp and circumstance, a lot of media coverage, a lot of opportunity lost as yet another young life is given for The Cause.

What price, this Cause? Are we, as a country, better off for the loss of this young man? Absolutely. Would his parents agree that the price was worth the cost? Is their pride in him enough to fill the void his loss has left behind? In the darkest hours of tonight, in the coming days and weeks, in the years ahead without him, will that pride sustain them? I sincerely hope it at least brings them comfort.

I sat down here to talk about what a beautiful day it is & how flinging open my windows & letting in the fresh, clean air immediately takes me back to 1970 something & memories of being a carefree kid. It's funny how something as simple as the smell of Fall can do that.

Somehow, though, I got off on a tangent (as I'm apt to do). Sgt. Nicholas isn't the first to die for his country; he won't be the last. The question is, how many is enough? How many men and women have to die before we say, "No more"? World peace isn't attainable; inner peace is. What's it going to take for us to let that be enough?

Deepest condolences to the family of Jamie Nicholas. Thank you for your sacrifice.

HAPPY FALL!!

Throw open the windows &

get out the comfy cushions for the porch chairs!

Fall is here!!

The Next Day ....

Bank of America's buying Merrill Lynch ... Lehman Brothers is filing for bankruptcy ... Baer Sterns is no more ... Banks that survived over 100 years & a coupla world wars are gone, gone, gone.

A commuter train engineer in California killed 25 people & injured over 100 more because he was allegedly text messaging with a teenager ...

Hurricane Ike is nothing but a breeze ... search & rescuers are finding more & more people who refused to evacuate ... Galveston, Texas is barely clinging to the map ...

OPEN FORUM

- Another 2 months & all the campaigns will be over. We'll either have a young black guy & an old dude in the White House or an old dude & a young white woman. Either way, history's in the making. Isn't history always in the making?

- Hurricane season's in full swing. There's a reason I live in a mountainous, land-locked area. Unlike a couple of my brothers ...

- School's back in session with only faculty senate days as holidays until November.

- It's almost time for the Apple Festival! Otherwise known as Old Home Week around here.

- What's going on in *your* world?

WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!

The first day of school is always met with mixed emotions. First it was dropping those babies off for the first time & leaving them in the hands of virtual strangers. Then it was putting them on the bus for the first time. Then it was ... always something. This year, I have a high schooler for the first time. A high schooler & a 7th grader. Good grief. Where has the time gone?

Best of luck to all the kids for a great year! Even better luck to all the teachers -

WE'RE WATCHING YOU.

BAHAHAHAHAHA LOL

Halfway Through August ...

Thirty-one years ago today, Elvis died.

Fifty years ago today, Madonna was born.

Sixty-five years ago today, Maycle Samples gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.

He's still bouncing strong today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE STEVE!!

CLAY COUNTY MAKES THE NEWS ... again

Five face charges in explicit photos of teen

Five people from Kanawha and Clay counties were charged Monday night in connection with taking sexually explicit photos of a 14-year-old girl at a residence in Clendenin. Police say the girl told them she had sex with one of the men, 20-year-old Donald William Taylor, of Bomont, at the residence. Taylor is charged with third-degree sexual assault, according to magistrate court documents.

Magistrate Julie Yeager arraigned the five people, including Amber Janett Stanley, 20, of Clendenin; Joshua D. Barnes, 23, of Clendenin; Thomas Vinson Mitchell, 29, of Clendenin; and Shelly Kay Sizemore, 35, of Bomont. Stanley, Barnes and Mitchell are charged with the use of a minor in filming sexually explicit conduct. Stanley, Sizemore and Mitchell are charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

SATURDAY WONDERINGS ....

If you do the right thing for the wrong reasons, is it still the right thing to do?

If you dream of the same person more than 3 times in a week, does it mean anything?

If frogs had wings, do you think they'd use them?