Morrison Post Editorial-Ben Wolf

I want to thank everyone who took the time to stop and say hello on Friday during our open house. We have gained a lot of new friends during our first year as a newspaper, and it was great to see some of them Friday....

We are late this week. Monday was a holiday for the United States Postal Service, and with all of the things that were going on late in the week and over the weekend, we were hesitant to publish on Friday like we usually do when Monday is a holiday. Better late than never!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to stop and say hello on Friday during our open house. We have gained a lot of new friends during our first year as a newspaper, and it was great to see some of them Friday. Thanks for all of the kind words about the newspaper. It is gratifying and humbling.

What is it about Homecoming Week that so vividly announces the arrival of fall? The sights, sounds and smells are unforgettable, and take me back to my high school days. Some of my fondest memories of high school involved the excitement of Homecoming. I hope that young people today take the time to savor those times before they become memories. It doesn’t seem like we ever have the time to savor the moment before it becomes history.

Let me preface the next part of my editorial by saying that I love living in the country. I have loved it ever since my parents moved us from the Sterling City limits to their home, which was about five miles north of Sterling. However, I don’t know that my experiences over the past few months would make me the perfect spokesperson for living in the country. Our summer started with the need to drill a new well at our home. Now, I am no expert when it comes to watertables, but the problem in a nutshell is that the watertable under our property, over the years, dropped to the point where the pump was no longer able to reach water reliably. Now, if you have never had to have a well drilled, then you may not know just how much of a mess this leaves in your yard. Some of the mud that comes up from the hole that is drilled neither looks, feels or smells like any kind of soil that I am used to. Nothing grows in it. They tell me that it is sterile. Anyhow, well drilling leaves a huge mess and is expensive.

Fast forward to this past Sunday: I let the dogs out and get ready to go to town to get groceries. From the bathroom, I hear one of the dogs having a fit outside. My wife and I rush outside to see what is going on, and find one of our dogs being taught lessons from a skunk, who is bent on taking up residence in our crawlspace! Needless to say, the pending smell drove us out of our own home for the day, gave us a reason to bathe the dog several times, and afforded me the opportunity to become aquatinted with a person who will remove a skunk from a crawlspace. (He didn’t say anything about other unwanted houseguests, so don’t go there.) The house smells much better today. We have yet to catch the skunk though.

About the time I start complaining about all these things, I remember how much I enjoy the rustling of corn in the fields on cool fall nights, the screeching and hooting of owls that lulls us to sleep, and the smell and warmth of a bon fire. Even the sound of coyotes waking you in the middle of the night and raising the hair on the back of your neck is pretty wonderful. We don’t concern ourselves with what kind of neighbor is moving in. It’s always beans or corn. I guess I wouldn’t trade our enjoyment of the country, and all of the adventures that come with it.

Thanks to all of our advertisers, who make it possible to bring you The Morrison Post every week for free. Our publication continues to grow and mature, and we enjoy bringing you news that matters. Thank you for reading!

(by Ben Wolf, Guest Columnist)