“I can’t believe that you voted for HIM! I thought that you were my friend! Look at her shirt! That’s terrible!” Those were the words, or ones like them, that greeted my daughter Nancy who lives in Omaha. Yes Omaha, Nebraska a day or so after our most recent election. ...

This column was written the day before the 2024 Presidential Election, so therefore your old columnist has no clue who will be chosen as our political leaders for the next two, four or six years. Like you, dear readers I have my favorite picks but only the counted votes, in a couple of days, will determine the winners...

I don’t know about you but I am sure getting tired of all the appeals to send money. Send to this or that politician, some whom I’ve never heard of before, don’t live in my district and I don’t know whether I approve of them or not. The text of the message is that it will be a disaster if I ignore the request and sit on my hands...

Recently your old long-time pilot the column writer was invited to a meeting with our McCook Mayor. Our airport manager, also known as City Manager was present. Our Mayor asked this old guy to resign from my membership on the local Airport Authority Board. ...

…And then there were three in Saturday’s Heritage Days Parade. Yes, three of Ford Motor Companies’ historic Model T’s, and all were the two door coupes. Two were 1927 models, the last year that they were built—the next version was the Model A. The third was of course, the 1925 Model T Coupe that Grannie Annie and this old guy has owned, with great pride, since 1953. Next year it will be celebrating its 100th birthday. I hope to live long enough to see it...

Your old columnist made a bit of a mistake last week and I apologize. I mentioned that the team of volunteers that are putting together the large fund to make modernizing improvements to our YMCA would depend on tax money for a backup if they came up short. ...

I think your old columnist sometimes wears too many hats. For one, I have long been the class scribe for my McCook High School graduating class of 1955. I keep a master copy of the addresses and phone numbers of the dwindling survivors of our aging graduates. ...

Here it is, Labor Day, and I am laboring by writing yet another column. It is not the grinding muscular type of labor but more a challenge of the mind. It is my memory interspersed with everyday life. The challenge of today is identifying successful people. Are they our friends and neighbors that have managed to make themselves rich? Have they made life better for the people in the community that lives around them? Are their children successful and independent? Are they happy?...

It is the time of year when our local leaders are preparing their budgets for the next fiscal year. Budgets also require local taxes for we, the governed, to pay. They haven’t asked but this old past county commissioner and city council member would like to offer my two cents. Yes, I know good advice is worth it, especially about what one has to pay for it...

On Sunday, August 11th, your old columnist ventured south of Indianola to attend the final “Bum Malleck/Griff Malleck Memorial Threshing and Wanda Malleck Memorial Quilt Show.” It was the concluding part of the always exciting and fun Old Settlers Picnic of the Indianola community. Parades, lots of homemade food, friendly people to visit with, and the Threshing Show was only four miles south...

Boys are different than girls. Vivi la difference! Well maybe the Olympic Committee that oversees the sport of boxing doesn’t understand. Why in the world would they let two men(?) biological males that self-identify as female compete on the world stage of boxing? The women who have earned the right to go against them haven’t done well and it looks at the moment that both of the transvestites will be in the medal winner’s circle. ...

Actually is wasn’t a formal contest but I was intrigued by Ronda Graf’s appetite for Fair Booth pie. I think that I sampled four different varieties of “homemade” pie at the Methodist Fair Booth. Due to family (Grannie Annie) constraints I never made it over to the Catholic Food Booth for a piece but I did send a grand son-in-law to check out the Catholic’s offering. ...

Recalling fun times, unexpected romance at the fair The big events are the demo derby, concerts, rodeo, and more. To each his own, but this old guy is more attracted to the events involving the youth of our community, particularly the 4-H events and those that involve animals. Possibly it goes back to my youth as a kid raised on a farm...

Pausing to remember At the persuasion of Grannie Annie your old columnist has been working on an obituary. Mine! Actually two versions. One for my friends from the Academy Class of ’59 and my 20 some Air Force years. The second for those in this community in which I’ve served and gotten so much in life over the past near half century. You’ll have to wait for the finished project. I’m ready but in no hurry!...

Yes, your old columnist loves a parade, and our neighbor Culbertson has the best! For years I have driven my Model T and observed the crowd from the inside, but this year Grannie Annie and I elected to watch from the sidelines along with our five great-grandsons and their parents...

It is coming up; the kids will love it and dogs hate it. Fireworks that is, and the excuse is Independence Day or, as most call it, the 4th of July. Most of the surrounding small towns will have a celebration one way or another and McCook is planning a big family event also. Choices...

I’ve been reading Pete Hegseth’s latest book “The War on Warriors” and agree with some/most of what Pete is complaining about. Actually I am reminded of some of the things that I also experienced during my 25 yearlong Air Force Career. Hegseth is a principal on Fox News that I’ve watched for years. ...

McCook’s 27-year journey from controversy to celebration Yes it has come and gone, Buffalo Commons Story Telling Festival here in McCook that is. Having lived through its start and 27 iterations now, it is interesting, at least to me, that people, local and from afar, have little idea of what it is all about. So here is an old guy’s attempt to bring a little clarity...

The local chapter of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) presented a Certificate of Award to Linda Nielsen and her local Lutheran Church Adopt a Chaplain crew for Excellence in Community Service. As most in this community know Adopt a Chaplain is an effort to send care packages to military chaplains deployed overseas in current areas of turmoil. ...

A thankful life Twenty years and counting. Maybe it is time to pass the baton. Still it has been a labor of love under the guise of community service. You see yours truly has been the ESGR, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, representative advocating for the local McCook units. This past Saturday I spent the day in Lincoln doing annual training and was surprised at being awarded a 20-year pin for my service...

This past week Grannie Annie and your old retired Air Force veteran columnist joined in with a group of local American Legion members in honoring a special businessman. He is Adam Siegfried owner and manager of the Coppermill Steakhouse, an elite restaurant in our fair city. ...

Special weekend coming up. Top of the list for Grannie Annie and me is the annual meeting of the Stone Church on Sunday the 26th at 6:00 P.M. You too are invited. There will be a nice service in the historic old structure followed by light refreshments. Come visit and celebrate how Christianity was practiced by those who homesteaded this area in the late 1800’s. I’m a bit partial as it was my ancestors that had a part in building the wonderful old structure...

Did you vote in our Primary Election today? No complaining if you didn’t! Sometime last year I dropped by the Quality Inn in McCook exploring room rates for an upcoming family (Trail) reunion. The motel had recently changed hands and I was privileged to meet the new owner. ...

Greetings from the Omaha area. Grannie Annie and I are enjoying a week with our daughter and her husband who live here. She put together a big surprise birthday party for her old dad yesterday. Great good time with relatives and friends. Hard to believe that it was #87!...

Grannie Annie and the old guy went for a little ride to check out the activity of McCook’s new housing development now named North Pointe Addition. So sorry that I missed the ribbon cutting by the City staff and McCook Economic Development Corporation. It looks like Amanda Engell is making a positive impact on our community...

Ah ha. Election season approaches and some of the voters in Red Willow County will be choosing to reelect their Commissioner or one of the other gentlemen running for office. This former Commissioner has an opinion but that will be kept close to my heart...

Grannie Annie and this old guy went on a wonderful local excursion this past Saturday. Long overdue we toured the sixth floor of the Keystone and the ArtBank here in McCook. Yes your old columnist hasn’t been too much into modern art as I prefer mechanical perfection especially modern machines that fly with pilots on board aka our local airport. Still I’m willing to explore and learn...

“Oh the monkey wrapped his tail around the flag pole and the wind blew…” well the rest of that marching “jody” is unprintable but here in Southwestern Nebraska we got a strong dose of it this past weekend. Gusts up to 65 miles per hour. I rolled up roof sheeting on the City’s Taj Mahal, a couple of overturned trees and a few dead branches littering the few miles of street that I drove. ...

No, funerals are not happy times but as my pastor says we are all terminal so we should make the best of it. Last week I grieved at the funeral of the wife of my best friends in life. Dan was a compatriot from country grades through high school until we both went off into the Air Force. ...

Why yes I like living in Nebraska! Why do you ask? It is hard to imagine that due to blizzard conditions schools would be closed along with many businesses. Tornado warnings were close by, Norton, KS, last evening but no reports of damage—so far! The calendar just turned to spring last week but evidently, winter wasn’t quite over...

We have choices to make in our lives and our pastor says to choose wisely. Daily choices such as making one’s bed each morning and choosing what to eat. Housekeeping such as the bed making are a matter of personal pride but the diet choice has health consequences and Americans are currently being accused of being overweight or obese. I hate that word and honestly struggle a bit with that problem. Oh well...

Your old columnist apologizes for being a news junkie but feels the need to comment. Yes Grannie Annie and I leaned back in our easy chairs to listen to our President Joe Biden (D) deliver his annual State of the Union Address. It was a good idea for the Republican Majority Leader, Mike Johnson, to caution his people to not be disruptive because they had lots of chances to object. ...

I was visiting with a friend lately that has recently purchased a new vehicle. He was complaining about all the new “conveniences” that came with his new pickup. For instance, it steered to the center of the lane that he chose to drive in but squawked or chimed when he got too close to a line on the pavement. ...

You may have noticed that our City Council followed the advice of a hired consulting firm and elected to raise water and wastewater fees starting shortly. Gripe and complain might be the response of we taxpayers. Still, let’s think about it a little...

Congratulations to those individuals who organized Bison Days last week and made it happen. Possibly the effort will inspire more of our valuable youth to stay in our community after they graduate. You may know that your old columnist loves visiting with people I meet daily. ...

Hallelujah, it was done. My 86-year-old lenses clouded with cataracts were removed and replaced with new plastic ones this past week. Evidently I slept through the process while the capable eye surgeon made the intricate incisions and slipped the old lens out because I never felt a bit of pain before or after. And yes my vision was a bit cloudy for a couple of days but is better now with the promise of continuing to improve. Grannie prods me to wear my sunglasses and be careful!...

Practice what you preach The news announced that Mike Gill, former Trump official tragically died after being shot in Washington D.C. during a car hijacking. Then you may have noticed that Congressman Henry Cuellar (D) Texas made the news, this weekend, by having his personal automobile hijacked in Washington D.C. ...

Back in January of 1959 your old columnist was in trouble with the school authorities. For a long weekend I had flown a T-34 of the Academy Aero Club back to McCook for some family event. The weather turned sour and we left the airplane and my dad drove me back in a blizzard. We almost made it back in time but I was a few minutes late clocking back in...

Congratulations are in order for Becky Dutcher who is retiring from Management of McCook Housing Agency. You may know the place as Missouri Avenue Circle. Becky has managed the place for umpteen years and upon reaching the age of retirement is happy to turn the reigns over to new talent. ...

Your old columnist attended a funeral last Saturday. It was a celebration of the life of long retired Optometrist Don Brooks a few months shy of 100 years old. Don was one of the notable citizens of McCook who helped make this the successful community that we know today...

Ah the border crisis. Everyday on the news we see hundreds of illegal aliens boldly walking across our southern border. Reports are that they come from almost every country in this modern world. Some 302,000 this last month and no indication that there is any end in sight. That large number doesn’t include what they call the “Got Aways” the ones that sneak in without reporting to the Border Control authorities. Somehow those arriving all seem to be well dressed in clean clothes...

Grannie Annie and this old guy spent a couple of hours watching 2024s brand-new year’s version of the Rose Parade. It brought to mind our own experience of participating in that hallowed event some years back. We had been in Southern California to celebrate Christmas with son Don and family and he encouraged the trip to Pasadena which was only about a half-hour drive. ...

Yes it is Christmas Day as I write. Cold and blustery with concerning roads as my daughter and husband drive back home to Omaha. We track their progress and wish them well. Update: They made it just fine but reported that the roads were really terrible. Undoubtedly thousands of families throughout our country are experiencing the same concerns...

Way back almost 60 years ago Grannie Annie had a next-door neighbor (across the carport) who taught her how to make krantz. Possibly my spelling is incorrect but Carol told that her mother had immigrated from Poland and it was a holiday pastry tradition form the old country. ...

The word of the season this year at our house is JOY. Our Christmas tree proclaims it as well as other signs posted around our house, even a dinner plate. It was our daughter Nancy who suggested that we change our grumpy attitudes about being tired and complaining about body hurts all the time. ...

The tradition continues. Yesterday seven of my long-time friends, former Air Force buddies and their relatives, showed up to bunk for a week in my hangar. What is it now, something like 40 years! This group hails from North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois, and Colorado. ...

I’ve read several accounts this week of a gentleman in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, who died and willed a large chunk ($3.8 million) of his estate to the town of 4000 residents. Much appreciated and a committee was formed to use it in an appropriate manner. Gee, that sounded familiar! Yes, it wasn’t long ago that McCook benefited from my own high school friend Jim Lee or “Scout Lee” as we called him, who did something similar...

One hundred and fifty boxes all packed and sealed with love from this community mailed to our troops deployed overseas for Christmas. This community all up and down the Republican River is awesome to care for our servicemen risking their lives in some pretty austere places to protect our way of life. ...

It is wonderful to live in this community in Southwest Nebraska where military veterans are so appreciated. MNB has a line of local veteran’s portraits all around Norris Park and there I am beside my special cousin Chuck in his Naval uniform. Many names and pictures I don’t recognize but it is a chance for us to thank them all...

Yep, it is that time of year again. Time to load boxes to ship to our Military Chaplains stationed overseas. Items in the boxes will be passed out to our troops deployed near overseas hot spots to make their Christmas a bit less lonely. I know as I’ve been there and done that! During the summers of 1967, ’68, and ’69 I was doing temporary duty in Southeast Asia flying tanker refueling missions in support of the war in Vietnam. ...

This old former military guy has spent considerable time following the war in Israel on the tube these past several weeks. I’m rooting for Israel whom I consider the most capable of winning. Personally, I think that we Americans should also get involved with our more than capable military. We should go all out and not repeat our failure in Vietnam or Afghanistan. Those failures were both on behalf of our political leadership not our armed forces...

I just dropped Grannie Annie off to “work” at the Methodist Helping Hand Thrift store. She loves doing it on Mondays when large amounts of donated goods come in over the weekend. She sits in the back non-visitor area and prices a range of presorted items. ...

Oh, the pleasure of being Grandpa. This fall I enjoyed watching two great grandsons play flag football. Well organized it is a great program for our youth. Staffed by volunteers and the different teams sponsored by special entities here in McCook. The best part is the number of parents, grandparents, and interested friends plus families that attend the 45-minute-long ballgames. ...

Each year during Heritage Days one of the highlights is the Annual George Norris Institute Prayer breakfast. McCook has been fortunate to attract a variety of good speakers honoring the works and successes of one of McCook’s more illustrious former residents. TVA and enabling our rural electrical system to be built and Nebraska’s unique non-partisan Legislative Body come to mind...

It is interesting to your old columnist that so many of the illegal immigrants coming in through the non-existent southern border are coming from the South American country of Venezuela. It wasn’t that many years ago that Venezuela was a rich country, rich in oil that we from the United States had discovered and developed for them. Then the socialists infiltrated their government and nationalized their oil industry—just took it over and declared it owned by their now Marxist Government...

As I write this it is the birthday of my beloved US Air Force. Created in 1947 it has served our nation well. Happy Birthday. Well, I received the dreaded pink postcard in the mail this week telling me that my City taxes will be going up. That was not a surprise because inflation continues to weaken the dollar and many of their expenses keep going up as well. ...

A bit of perspective to COVID here. As you dear readers know your old columnist is no medical doctor but here is a brief sketch of what it was like to experience the modern version of the disease, the virus we call COVID 19. The first symptoms of our experience, as Grannie Annie followed me a couple of days later, was a listless feeling of runny nose and uncomfortable chest and lungs. ...

Last week I had an interesting encounter at our local airport. Just outside the walk-in gate I noticed the Captain for our Fed Ex aircraft in conversation with a gentleman oh about sixty some years in age. The Fed Ex gent seemed a bit reluctant so I stepped up to introduce myself. “Hi I am Dick Trail a local flight instructor.” as I extended my hand. The other gentleman stated “I am Bill from Arizona”. It might not have been Bill but that will do...

County-wide law enforcement? We could only hope An opportunity to save tax money that probably won’t happen. You may have noticed that our McCook Chief of Police is departing in the near future. It would be a wonderful opportunity to convert our entire police force to the Red Willow County Sheriff’s Department. ...

Oh, it is a busy time of the year. For instance, this coming Friday, the 25th there are three events in my world, yes aviation, to choose from. For one I could travel to the Hastings Airport to attend the annual gathering of the Antique Aircraft Association, Nebraska Chapter. Old airplanes and some antique pilots as well and I probably qualify on both accounts with the 1946 Aeronca Champ that I own...

Were I to ask ten of my dear readers where in the world is Tonga? Well, maybe my friend Satya who is the manager of McCook’s Quality Inn and Suites Motel would respond correctly. You see Satya and his spouse are natives of Figi not far from Tonga in the broad expanse of the tropical South Pacific. Still, I’d bet that no more than two of my readers have any idea of the importance of Tonga or more properly its nearby active volcano named Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai...

Hop in your car or take a long walk to enjoy a wonderful place to live. Yes, our little area of Southwest Nebraska is at its peak for summer comfort. It is Monday as I write this and the temperature is right at 80 degrees F. with a light breeze of about ten miles per hour. There is a high overcast so the danger of sunburn is minimal. Enjoy it because we know it will soon change...

“Mom these green beans are delicious! I can see why ‘Papa’ got a purple ribbon for them at the Fair.” So spoke my great-grandson as he was eating freshly picked green beans from my garden this year. Wisdom from the mouth of babes; spoken by an eight-year-old!...

The local Fair is over and life is back to normal. No I didn’t make the goal of eating a whole pie, six pieces, from our favorite food booth. Actually a lot more calorie discipline was necessary so Grannie Annie and I traded on choosing the flavor and only ordered one piece at a time “with two forks”. When a couple has been dating for over 70 years sharing a piece of pie is no big deal...

Fair week for Red Willow County is here already. We can make it as interesting and as fun as we wish. There is even a chance to enjoy good-tasting “fair “food. Somehow, I’m a little partial to a piece of fresh-baked pie but limit myself to one piece a day. Oops, I shared that with my Grannie Annie proofreader and she pointed out that would be an entire pie! Maybe we need two forks and share...

Twenty some years ago enterprising citizens became aware of a problem affecting our local communities in western Nebraska. Materials of a hazardous nature were appearing in waste management systems in our local communities throughout the State. Things like partially used cans of paint, used oil, leftover chemicals from farm operations, exotic laboratory chemicals from small high schools that had closed. ...

Who has more fun than people? Adult fun, no giggling, just good adult conversation. I’d like to offer last Saturday on the Streets of McCook for the 7th annual “Cruisin’ the Bricks Car Show and Cruise Night!” Well organized. Lots of prizes, some for the neat cars and some for just showing up. Things for kids to do. Food truck plus local take out and restaurants. Even the weatherman cooperated. A bit hot but then this is summer in Nebraska and there was adequate shade to seek...

Whether one realizes it or not, this is a wonderful community in which we have chosen to live. Yes with my military background where my little family was required to live on each corner of our beloved United States, north-south-east west we experienced a variety of customs and people but felt most comfortable returning to our roots here in southwestern Nebraska. Like everywhere it has its ups and downs but at heart, it is true community where people love and care about each other...

It has been interesting to read the frustrations of camper owners that are being kicked off their long-time rented spots on nearby Bureau of Reclamation Dam sites. Swanson Lake near Trenton seems to be in the crosshairs at the moment though Harry Strunk Lake near Cambridge has had its fight and lost. Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook is sure to be next...

A pleasant Wednesday mid-afternoon. Driving on West J Street, I was taking Grannie Annie to grocery shop. The next thing I became aware of was son Don announcing beside me that they were flying me by helicopter to Kearney. Grannie circled by me there in the emergency room to wish me luck and announce that “She was alright.”...

For some people, place is an important part of their life. For instance, my sister Virginia, who was born in a farm home some eight miles south of Culbertson made arrangements to be buried in Grove Cemetery only about one mile from her place of birth. ...

We the older generations are watching, some participating, in a revolution in our country. It is also a revolution in developed nations worldwide. That is the evolution of communication, intelligence, and access to data, whatever one chooses to call it. For most of us older normal people it is just easier to ignore the whole idea...

The brief notice stated that Walter C. Sweeney III has “departed this earth”. “Walt Sweeney passed away after a long illness on Friday, May 12, 2023. When funeral plans are made further information will be provided.” The notice came from friend Max Miller who is the go to scribe for our college class. ...

The short little message read: “Little, did you know that the flight you took me on in your champ years ago would result in me becoming a pilot as well. I still have pictures and video and you and I flying back down. I have no desire to fly for the airlines. But I think I will do some private charters in fairy Plains as a side gig in retirement.”...

Ah yes, it is the season. Ads in the paper and on the radio. Hand-printed signs along the streetside all advertising “Garage Sale” along with location plus times and dates. Spring, like right now, and fall seem to be favored times but if one looks a sale seems to be announced about any weekend year around...

We don’t hear a lot about it on national news, but things are brewing big time in the Near East. A couple of evenings ago Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the nation in a setting like our Commander in Chief would speak to our nation from the Pentagon only with none of the military generals present. ...

This old, has-been military careerist, has an opinion of the “Top Secret” leaks/leaker that is big news of late. As usual, there is lots of opinion on mainstream media by talking heads that have never been granted clearance for classified material. Most have no idea of the penalties for improper handling of classified material and we see a lot of poor examples in the headlines of late. Your President and mine for instance taking classified material home and carelessly storing it!...

I have been following carefully the war exercises that Communist China has been doing over the Straits of Formosa or is it called the Straits of Taiwan? Obviously, some of the pictures shown on TV were taken from Chinese Communist Air Force (CCAF) aircraft. ...

Dear reader, did you catch it? From out of the blue the Nebraska Department of Economic Development has chosen to grant the City of McCook some one million dollars to create “workforce housing.” $1,000,000 free money — what could go wrong? Personal experience teaches that there may be strings attached!...

Politics is a world of compromise. Sitting on a local board, such as the County Board of Commissioners, City Council or even a Service Club like Kiwanis or Rotary has its good as well as rare frustrating moments. Sometimes one knows the better way to go, gets out-voted and then lives to see the disaster that awaits. Been there and done that!...

They came, they saw, they dined, and they bid — some really high $$$ bids. But it was all for a worthwhile cause. Their dear to the heart cause of enabling the Christian Education of our next generation of precious children. Yes, the participants all already pay taxes to support the public schools, no choice in the matter, but obviously feel that a religious-based education is important enough to contribute over and above...

The ads keep coming. “If you served at the Marine Camp Lejeune between certain dates you may be in line for a great amount of compensation. Contact such and such law firm.” or something like that. Don’t bite would be my advice as it is a get-rich scheme to make a group of lawyers even more rich. ...

Life is grand! This past week this old flight instructor was privileged to take a student instructional flight to Chadron, Nebraska. Flying direct the route takes one through the heart of our national treasure the Sandhills. I love the place, the people, the sea of grass and the myriad of lakes and ponds. In years past large herds of bison roamed and now the whole area is devoted to raising cattle a major source of healthy red meat to feed our nation...

Oops! I got my story wrong last week. I spoke that my friend and high school classmate Goldie had found her lifemate Anthony as a football player at McCook Junior College. Not so. The story starts earlier. It was during WWII when the McCook Army Airbase was active. ...

And the saga continues. A huge balloon shot down and now two, or maybe three “unidentified objects” shot down. President Biden didn’t get a lot of credit for his late decision to terminate the huge (weather?) balloon with the excuse that he didn’t want to cause casualties on the ground when it fell. ...

Oh, such excitement. A weather balloon floating across the United States. A big balloon visible from the ground but at a very high altitude. The news pundits on TV expounding on whether it was a spying device for China that maybe was snooping on our defense installations. ...

Thank you all my taxpaying friends. I recently received an EOB (Explanation of Medical Benefits) from a program that we are subscribed to called TRICARE for Life. Actually it was for, Grannie Annie, my wife’s visit to our local Hospital Emergency Room. Our total bill was considerable but for us it came to $0.00. Our medical insurance paid it all...

You my dear readers may have noticed that your old columnist is not really hesitant to express my political feelings in what I write here. Few probably also know that I have been the scribe of my high school graduating class attempting to keep all our members informed of the happenings of each other as we progress through life. Our numbers are down to about half of us still living and that probably has something to do with having a large number of birthdays...

There it was on the menu; seventeen varieties of soup from which to choose. The spinach tortellini looked good to me and it definitely was. My second choice was the beef, mushroom and barley and that met expectations also. Fresh-baked cornbread plus a variety of homemade desserts and the evening meal was complete. It was a fundraiser that Grannie Annie and this old guy attended for the little rural Garden Prairie Church north of McCook...

Yea! President Biden checked the box. He can now truthfully state that indeed he has been to the border. He went to El Paso, one of the spots where generally few illegals cross and had pictures made in the shadow of the big tall wall that President Trump had built. ...

Well, it is the 3rd day of the new year 2023 and I’m wondering how your New Year’s resolutions are going. Did you make any? Have you broken any yet? To be honest I too have cheated a bit. Grannie Annie and your old columnist are trying to lose a bit of weight using the current Weight Watchers app on our cell phones. ...

Our calendar has been full this Christmas season but one of the highlights was McCook’s Peace Lutheran Church’s presentation of a Living Nativity, Bethlehem, AD 2022. Held in the huge Alice area building at our Fair Grounds it was inside and comfortable no matter the weather outside. ...

Ah ha ready or not; Christmas is coming! Visions of snow, decorated trees, stockings hung on the mantel, presents, happy and excited children. Family. Yes, that is a vision of our happiest holiday in this place we have chosen to live. It would be different in say Australia or South America south of the equator and hence in the middle of the hot season—summer. There too they celebrate but no matter Christmas is about family your traditions and those of our family...

“Small town America. This is so much fun!” That was my daughter Nancy commenting on the Light Parade in McCook Saturday evening. She lives in Omaha and had not seen anything like it in her town. Oh yes, the turnout was wonderful, my guess some 25 or so entries. ...

Did you notice? The UN projected that the world population, we humans, reached 8 billion souls on November 15th, just 14 days ago. No celebration just a noteworthy fact. Now consider that the population at the time of Christ was around 200,000 for the entire world. Gee there have been some changes made in those 2000 years passing in time...

In a couple of days we will be enjoying Thanksgiving. It is one of this old gentleman’s favorite holidays and hopefully yours too. Family time. An occasion to sit around a table brimming with good food, healthy if you choose, and celebrate each other’s lives. ...

The local celebrations for Veteran’s Day were a wonderful experience for your old columnist. Editor Bruce covered the event at Central School well. What was not to like, good food for breakfast, the awarding of a plaque inducting me into our High School’s Wall of Fame and a chance to say a few words to the youth present—our future...

I am writing this on the day before the mid-term election. I have no real clue as to the outcome just hunches and wishful thinking. Hopefully, the candidates with a conservative bent will do well. Still, those with liberal progressive thinking have a millstone around their necks dragging them down, their President Biden, so I think that the results will be good for our country’s future...

Yep, Grannie Annie and I made it to the dia de los los muertos celebration. Perfect day for it there in the neat Norris Alley and Keystone setting. Enjoyed the Mariachi Band and wonderful food; street tacos, enchiladas, tamales and best of all the wonderful assortment of Mexican pastries. The younger set was enjoying the craft-making and face painting...

There was a wonderful letter to the editor in last Thursday’s Gazette. A gentleman from California had gotten off our Amtrak and spent 48 hours in our 48th county here in McCook. He obviously enjoyed his visit. Worth the read if you missed it. Your old columnist has been pondering a bit about the upcoming vote on the prospect of financing a new swimming pool and ballpark. ...

This week I met with an energetic, strong-willed young woman who was out to convince your columnist to “get on board” and convince people to vote “YES” on a ballot issue. Should McCook commit to raising our current sales tax another one-half percent to pay for swimming pool restoration/upgrade plus a new ballpark? One bonded indebtedness commitment and two different building projects...

It was one of the best Heritage Days here in McCook. Perfect weather, great parade, booths and food trucks at the park, good entertainment venues at the bandshell and in Kiplinger Arena plus a tribute to one of McCook’s own, Senator George Norris. Adding to the good times were four or five high school reunions bringing old friends back to town. What more could one ask?...

In days of yore a large hollow cornerstone, filled with mementos and treasures were laid to start the building of temples and important governmental buildings. This weekend Grannie Annie and this old guy journeyed to Colorado Springs to celebrate the laying of, important to me, the cornerstone for a new visitor center and business complex for the Air Force Academy. ...

Just as advertised Grannie and your scribe made the short trip to join in Stratton’s Fall Festival. Actually, we just took in the Parade down their main street. I tickled a bit as we took our place in the shade of the Methodist Church by the announcer and judges’ station. ...

Grannie Annie and I traveled to Curtis to attend their annual Harvest Festival. Curtis is a bit close to our hearts because that is where Ann and Dick first met at a 4-H Camp 70+ years ago. Then too Ann’s mom was a long-time “Boys Dorm Mother” at the Ag School there and loved the life...

It has been an interesting trip for your old long-time retired Air Force officer and pilot. An airline trip, in the rear as a passenger, ugh, but on time and efficient. Omaha, Grannie Annie chose to stay with our daughter, to Chicago, busy, to Providence, Rhode Island. Oh, how our country changes from our home in the center to the East Coast. This summer from droughty brown plains to green tree-covered low hills weaving through coastal inlets and roads winding crooked as a snake...

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, Grannie Annie and your intrepid columnist took a drive around the housing neighborhoods of McCook. Primarily I was interested in the conditions of people’s front yards. We found that the majority of residents took pride in their lawns with green and recently mowed grass. ...

Allow your old columnist to reflect a bit on the history of this wonderful bit of Southwest Nebraska in which we have chosen to live. Prior to the Civil War our prairie land was mostly uninhabited. Sure a few Native Americans in their wandering hunting lifestyle came and went as they pleased but rarely did they establish long-term villages in this area. Cattlemen grazed the open range and occasionally cattle drives transited from Texas to the rail terminal in Ogallala...

Front page news: “Council OK’s new 27-home North Pointe subdivision”. It is interesting how time changes our development of projects in our City. A few years back another developer approached our City with a similar proposal. A plat was drawn up, streets included. ...

It is amazing how many of the goods that we are currently buying are made in China. Our powers that be in the Military keep expressing the opinion that war with Chia might be on the horizon to prevent them from taking over the independent nation of Taiwan. ...

This weekend we had occasion to drive from Omaha south to Nebraska City. It is interesting to see how diverse this wonderful State of Nebraska truly is. From the nearly barren hills around Scottsbluff to the verdant farmland of our eastern reaches agriculture is king but truly varies from west to east...

The discussion on McCook’s upcoming swimming pool project has been interesting of late. Yes, it will cost local taxpayers money, more taxes. Yes, most people think that we are already paying enough. Still, we need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, we raised the sales tax to finance the new Safety Center for the City of McCook plus several other things at the time. ...

Grannie Annie and I made several trips to the Red Willow County Fair this year even though the heat was a bit oppressive. Fresh pies and “fair food” at one of the church-sponsored food booths were the main attraction but there was so much more. I was raised a farm kid and the yearly county fair was a goal to display 4-H projects, dairy as we milked cows and later beef projects in FFA. ...

Our McCook City Council is in the process of deciding whether to raise our local sales tax another half-cent to build a new swimming pool. Yes the question will have to go for a public vote in the upcoming election so the choice will eventually be made by you the voter...

Losing a younger brother and lessons on life Your old columnist is treading a path that I’ve never walked before. That being the loss of a sibling, my younger brother Tom. Like we of the “older set” he’d led an event-filled life. Failing body systems had put him in ICU on a respirator and dialysis then a flare-up of bone cancer. The wonderful hospice organization put him on palliative care and then his time had come. May his soul rest in peace...

The morning of July 3rd arrived just before one o’clock AM with persistent phone ringing! Brant Scherbarth our grandson-in-law announcing “Papa, Mo is going into surgery at one AM to take the twins out!” No more sleep, for a while, for Grannie Annie and this old guy; the proud set of great grandparents to be...

So do you ever get a bit dissatisfied after watching the national news and pondering the things gone wrong in this wonderful country of ours? Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s January 6th committee meeting to dishonor former President Trump. Representatives Maxine Waters and Chuck Schumer braying out violent threats against the Supreme Court Justices who decided Roe vs Wade differently than what the lefties had in mind. ...

Take a drive out into the surrounding countryside to look at the crops and pasture land. A week or so ago the pasture grasses were a nice fresh green in color. Now they have the lighter grayish hew that signals dry dry dry. The wheat crop is turning a golden ripe color but if you look closely the stalks are shorter than normal and the heads are even shorter. ...

Do you remember what you were doing just forty-two years ago? Think your job, where you lived that sort of thing. Imagine a flashback to relive one of those days again. Allow me to share. In June of 1979, this old warrior was the Commander of a KC-135, Air Force refueling tanker Squadron. ...

It has been interesting to watch the Queen of England’s Platinum Anniversary Celebration. Seventy years in office-the longest reign of any monarch in the long long history of Merry Olde England. Yes, the Brits do celebrations well. The uniforms, the formations, the military equipment from ancient to modern — it all has deep meaning. None in the world do it better!...

It has been interesting to watch the Queen of England’s Platinum Anniversary Celebration. Seventy years in office-the longest reign of any monarch in the long long history of Merry Olde England. Yes, the Brits do celebrations well. The uniforms, the formations, the military equipment from ancient to modern — it all has deep meaning. None in the world do it better!...

\A little cool and windy but the ceremony of remembrance went on. Yes, the local Memorial Day event at our major cemetery. Our national flag and flags of our military forces are all manned, and one woman also, by veterans who served. The traditional firing squad renders a 21-gun salute. ...

The big national news of the day, many days, is the crisis of limited supplies of baby formula. Empty store shelves. Mama’s looking all over to find supplies for their infants. Large stockpiles of the formula are stockpiled at our southern border to give to mothers of infants illegally immigrating into our country. ...

Interesting Smithsonian exhibit at the Keystone to walk around and think about. It closes on the 25th of May so don’t delay if you haven’t experienced it. The theme is rural America and we live smack dab in the middle of it. For one it made me think of Grannie and my decision to “retire” back home here in this area. ...

Graduation week. A time to congratulate the high school seniors, that we know, wishing them well for achieving a major milestone in life. Tradition now seems to be a big reception, for friends and relations, following the commencement exercise to mark the significant occasion. Grannie Annie and I have attended a couple so far with both offering wonderful meals not exactly good for a weight loss diet but one can’t demur for fear of offending the host. Yes, I know!...

It was just an old airplane headed for a forever-after life in a museum. You, my dear reader, probably saw its picture on the front page of last Thursday’s, April 28, 2022, McCook Gazette. Sixty-two years old and providing worldwide airborne refueling services worldwide throughout its career. ...

We here in McCook have been fortunate to miss, so far, the Southwest Nebraska grass fires. To date two firefighters dead and too many farmsteads destroyed. For those affected it is hard to appreciate how their lives will be altered. Roads closed to travel. Dry conditions and strong winds are spreading the devastation. Hopefully, relief will be in sight soon...

Is a wonderful holiday. Not only is it’s message inspiring it is a good occasion to gather with family and friends to celebrate in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Some forty of our fellow congregants gathered at my hangar, at McCook’s quiet (that time of day) airport, to watch the sun peek over the horizon to officially start our Easter day. ...

And the wind blew. Terrible fire down by Arapahoe, thirty miles long. Sadly a life was lost. Prayers for a rapid recovery for those who lost their property, fences and top cover for crops. Yes, we live on the Great Plains thus it has been so for millions of years. The best place on earth and it is the people that make it so...

There are some neat little tucked-away places in Nebraska that are truly hidden gems. One of my favorites occupies the hills south of Cozad, Nebraska. It sits on the high bank above the Tri-County canal a massive 1940s construction undertaking. It goes by the name of Comeca Camp and Retreat Center and is well worth the hour or so drive from McCook to investigate or attend...

Finally at last our President Joe Biden spoke some sense. After touring a Ukrainian refugee camp in Poland and seeing with his own eyes the plight of those escaping Vladimir Putin’s cruel war of conquest Biden spoke to the world press. He stated that Putin must go. In the view of this old Cold War warrior, Biden was right on...

About every channel you watch on TV shows terrible scenes of the damage that Russia is wreaking on the Ukrainian people. Apartment buildings burned out, shopping malls blown up, streets littered with fragments from bomb explosions, automobiles and buses destroyed the list goes on. Citizens by the millions escaping and finding refuge in neighboring countries. All that destruction and displacement makes one wonder what is the aim of the Russians?...

I caught a news clip on my internet where the author noted that traffic of people filling their cars in Mexico has really increased the last week or so. Seems that gasoline is only about a dollar a gallon less than back home in the USA. Evidently, borders do matter...

I received a nice large-sized postcard in the mail touting a resolution being currently considered in the Nebraska Legislature. It was describing an effort to raise more taxes to operate Nebraska and eliminate our Real Estate Tax along with eliminating the Income Tax and the State Corporate Tax. The intention was to collect all the needed revenue via a new “Consumption” Tax. Intrigued I punched in the website to LR264CA to find out more about the bold (harebrained) scheme...

For this old gent with a military background this current war, the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian armed forces, is a bit hard to watch. Quite properly in the vast majority view of US citizens, it is well that our leaders have not committed our own military but it is still hard to watch. It is reminiscent of Hitler’s blitzkrieg of Poland that was the start of WWII...

So the Russians are going to invade and take over the eastern one third of Ukraine. It is roughly the third of the population of that country and they speak the Russian language. Obviously that aggressive takeover is in Russian Dictator Putin’s plan to expand his influence back into all the territory that Joe Stalin took over after WWII. ...

Our community was very much in action. Grannie Annie and I participated in Hillcrest’s Night on the Hill fundraising celebration last Saturday evening. Lots of the movers and shakers were there but best of all were the large number of young adults, family people, the dynamic ones that make our economy happen day after day. ...

The winter Olympics are in action in Beijing as I write. Grannie Annie and I so enjoy watching the pageant of young people out competing their hearts out. Grannie especially loves the ice skating, singles, couples, and ice dancing. It is amazing the facilities that the Chinese have created to host the games. ...

It was a heartwarming sight. A middle-aged pair of grandparents dining out with cute well-behaved granddaughters. They had selected a round corner table away from the crowd but the two little girls, hair black and curly, and my guess age two and four years old, couldn’t have had any better manners. Grandparents so proud. The experience made my day...

For an old guy I thought President Biden did pretty well in his “Meet the Press” session last week. Two hours and a bunch of unscripted (?) questions. Of course, he had hidden backup throwing up suggestions behind the scenes that we couldn’t see but two hours would be a tough stint...

You missed it. The lecture at MCC by Dr. Byrd, Colonel Air Force Retired, from Wyoming. Doctor as in Dentist. Good showing of college kids but very few from we the public and yes you were invited. It was an interesting presentation. He started with standouts in our US history of persons of color from before the Revolution to the present day. ...

Quoting from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address:…” that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom----and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” I’m a little afraid that with the current majority in Congress we may be veering a bit away from the ideal that Abe Lincoln had in mind. ...

The year 2022 has arrived. So far so good. A little cold in this area but little wind and no fires as our neighbors in Colorado suffered. May the good continue for our area. Last Friday’s edition of the Gazette was superb. It had a nice concise summary of the past year, 2021, in this area. ...

Each year Grannie Annie and I look forward to receiving and sending a flurry of Christmas Cards. Having made friends in many parts of this old USofA the celebration of our Savior’s Birth is about the only time of the year that we are touched by these good people. ...

Yes, it's official! Grannie Annie and the old guy have arrived—old enough already. The doorbell rang and gathered out front in the dark and cold was a group of youth from the church singing Christmas Carols to us. We are truly blessed. I tickled a bit during the pastor’s sermon Sunday. ...

Grannie Annie and this old guy ventured to Omaha this past weekend. We went to visit our daughter which is always a joy. Checked on our son-in-law’s installation of a new knee and he is doing well. The miracle of modern medicine. As per usual a good part of the trip was on Interstate 80 with quite a little traffic. ...

You have noticed the incessant television advertising urging all to check in and get all the Medicare benefits possible. Now understand that as a retired veteran Grannie and I receive generous medical benefits due to my previous military service. For us it starts with Medicare but continues with a supplement, paid for with your tax dollars, that covers prescriptions. I too received a flier noting that vision and dental could also be included in our plan...

It was a wonderful time of remembrance for this long time retired military officer. Kyle Tubbs a Colorado native that I had met and flown with, at our local airport asked if I would do him the honor of swearing him into the US Air Force. All military officers, no matter the service, are required to swear an oath of allegiance as part of the rite of commissioning. ...

This old pilot had an experience of the lifetime last Saturday. I loaded my cousin’s granddaughter, Lizzy, into my old Aeronca Champ trainer and introduced her to general aviation. What made it so special was that it squared the circle as her great grandfather did the same for me so many years ago. ...

This old pilot had an experience of the lifetime last Saturday. I loaded my cousin’s granddaughter, Lizzy, into my old Aeronca Champ trainer and introduced her to general aviation. What made it so special was that it squared the circle as her great grandfather did the same for me so many years ago. ...

Thursday of this week will mark the celebration of military service to country for our fellow men and women. The date chosen was the official end of WWI and is official on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. All those WWI veterans are now gone so we all celebrate with a thank you to all who have served in uniform in the numerous skirmishes and interludes of peace in that time since. For me and most all of my fellow veterans it is just a fun day of remembrances...

It was a beautiful clear and warm fall afternoon. I walked out the backside to the alley trash container. Looking toward the street I spied a handsome little boy about 20 months of age pointing and hollering “ehuh, ehuh”. Solo. No adult in sight. Friendly and well dressed, nice haircut, I approached and he was happy to point out things and exclaim “ehuh”. Too young to even know his name...

Your old columnist grew up on a farm and my mother always kept a flock of chickens for eggs and meat. Chickens are not very bright intellectually but when the sun went down and light went away those chickens all gathered together to roost. No one told them or drove them to the hen house it was just a natural thing. Turning off the light had consequences and then we would close the hen house door to keep the predators out...

The weather was right—severe clear, breezes light and thermometer reading about 60. My old Aeronca Champ, born in 1946, smiled as I opened the hangar doors. It was time to launch into the blue and just rejoice at being alive. We took off to the south and bent right to fly over the farm fields that I used to attend to. ...

Ah yes today is the 12th of October, the real Columbus Day. It was celebrated yesterday as an “official federal government holiday” to give certain employees a Monday off to have a three day weekend. Most businesses were open so for the working public and our schools it was business as usual...

If you have watched the national news you have noted a mass influx of people from Haiti crossing our southern border with some 16,000 more reportedly on the way. Why are those island people coming to immigrate to the United States? Haiti with the reputation of being the poorest nation in this hemisphere. ...

Brandi and her crew of volunteers at the McCook Chamber of Commerce in McCook are to be complimented on how our annual Heritage Days celebration went off. The weather cooperated, a big parade, vendors in Norris Park and good events in the Band Shell. The royalty was organized, honored and presented. Then, too, the motels were full with returning visitors for various class reunions. From my viewpoint all very well done. Let’s do it all again next year...

Happy birthday to the U.S. Air Force. Well actually it was on Saturday the 18th but I still celebrated. Actually, the date, the 74th birthday, passed without much recognition which the U. S. Marines do in a much more formal fashion. Maybe we who love the USAF will see more recognition next year on the 75th anniversary...

On September 11th this year I, along with my best friend/cousin and his wife, were privileged to journey through Nebraska’s magnificent Sandhills to attend a funeral in Martin, South Dakota. Sharon was another first cousin and we grew up together as close neighbors. ...

In just three days we will remembering the twentieth anniversary of the worst attack against our homeland. In a popular shortcut we know it as 9/11 when American airliners were flown into the twin towers in New York City. Somewhere around 3000 Americans were killed that day. ...

I haven’t purchased a copy yet but I look forward to reading former Senator Ben Nelson’s just-released book “Death of the Senate.” Ben is a longtime friend should know as he has been there and done that. According to a recent article in the Gazette retired Senator Harry Reid, former U.S. ...

Oh, but it is getting chaotic. Our latest attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan is falling completely apart. Yes in a few short weeks we will be celebrating (?) 9-11, the attack on our homeland that was originated in Afghanistan by bin Laden. Rightfully, in my mind, our U.S. ...

On the national news, the main topic of interest seems to be the Covid 19 crisis, getting the shot, masking and social distancing. On a few occasions, we also see mention of all of our troops pulling out of Afghanistan. Rarely noted is the Taliban moving in to take over the whole country. ...

We have a couple of squirrels that we feed in a tree outside our kitchen window. High up I stick an ear of corn on a nail that they pick off the kernels one by one and eat only the germ. The rest of the kernel gets dropped for the birds that eat off the ground. ...

Have you been watching the current 2020 Japan Olympics? Pretty nice to see it live on TV during evening prime time. Then the announcer tells us that it is morning in Japan. Not a problem as the world is round and Japan lies beyond the International Date Line. Ah, the wonder of modern satellite communications...

Tim called this old flight instructor and asked if I would accompany him flying a light plane back from Southern Arizona. My response was kind of like Brer Rabbit begging Brer Fox not to throw him into the briar patch. We flew airline to Tucson and then another two-hour car ride to Mcneal, Ariz. ...

Great car show and “Crusin’ on the Bricks” in McCook this weekend. No, my old Model T didn’t win a prize but the most ancient at 96 years young it sat proudly as people gazed in awe. There was a time when just about anybody could drive a Model T but now not so many. ...

That was the week that was and thank goodness it is coming to a close. The pain of waiting as a family member underwent needed surgery to resolve pending blood circulation to his heart. All went well in the six-and-a-half-hour procedure (for family it seemed like forever!) and the five bypasses were done by a skilled surgeon and his team. ...

I think that the Good Lord was smiling on us when he guided us to live in Nebraska. Beautiful, this time of year, Southwestern Nebraska. Looking down from the air the pastures are green, fields of corn and soybeans a different shade of green with the leaves touching to hide the ground. Pivots running and most wheat fields a beautiful light golden color portending harvest coming soon. very soon...

Before I get to the air show this past weekend I have a few observations on fellow columnist Mike O’Dell’s Friday column entitled “A few thoughts before we impose term limits”. I respect Mike’s thinking that there may be disadvantages to electing new persons to positions of political power rather than keeping long experienced people in those positions. ...

Her name is Aretta and she was the top graduating senior in her homeschool class. The graduation address was given by her superintendent, her primary instructor, her farmer-stockman father. Graduating with honors her 19 hours of college credit accomplished to date were recognized. Well yes her mother, a registered CPA, also most likely also played a part while running a full-time accounting business from their home...

Let us go fishing There are good people here in southwestern Nebraska! Just this past Saturday Grannie Annie and I gathered up two of our grandchildren and the three great-grandsons and took them to a “Hooked for Life” event at Harry Strunk Lake near Cambridge. ...

For twenty-plus years, and counting, your old columnist has sat on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska. That is a mouthful so most just call it Mid for short. Throughout those years Mid has been doing good things for the citizens of McCook though few people know about it. ...

What a difference a few hundred miles down the road makes. Grannie Annie and I drove to Omaha to attend a young relative’s graduation party. Proud to say that she graduated cum laude. Earned great scholarships also for the next step in her life. Good celebratory party too with a lot of seldom-seen relatives present...

The question is “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer for the old joke is of course “One bite at a time!” The moral of that conundrum is that when confronted with a large task the answer is to break it into small pieces that one can better address and solve one at a time...

At an earlier time in my life, your old columnist just had to have a .30-30 Winchester rifle. Touted as the gun that won the West you have seen John Wayne carrying one as he rode in his saddle. Lever action repeater mine was of modern manufacture and I outfitted it with a four-power scope. ...

The news this morning is that Lori Lightfoot (D) Mayor of Chicago has implemented a new directive for her police department. Now a policeman has to call and get his supervisor’s permission before pursuing the suspected perpetrator of a crime. See a gun-wielding perp running from holding up a convenience store and the cop has to get his boss’s permission before chasing after the criminal. That should really work out well...

You may have noticed that local and far-flung employers are having a real hard time finding employees. The food industry which provides so many entry-level positions seems especially hard hit but they are far from alone. The problem seems to be the generous, federally mandated, unemployment benefits that seem to keep being extended and extended. ...

Smooth and efficient would be how I’d describe our local Transportation Security Agency, TSA, in action a morning or so ago at the McCook Airport. The passengers five in number that morning, few in the scheme of things but good for McCook, and the number of staff present about equaled the number of passengers. ...

An interesting article in the Gazette last week reviewed a discussion of the spending of the recent largess of a Cares Funding grant to our local District 17 School District. I wasn’t present and can only comment on the reportage of the Gazette’s Associate Editor...

The doors of my hangar were opened wide. Sixty some church people were gathered. A short inspirational message and a couple of songs. Then the sun slowly rose over the unobstructed horizon. Perfect. Awesome. See you next Easter. Your old guy columnist’s heart was stabbed this last week at the TV image of two young sisters being dropped from the top of the fourteen-foot high southern border wall. ...

Yes it happened right here in Southwest Nebraska. A master spy, well actually he was the pilot in the U-2 “reconnaissance” aircraft that flew at ultra-high altitude taking pictures over both friendly and not so friendly territory almost the world over. Gerald (Jerry) McIlmoyle was born on February 24, 1930 in McCook and sadly passed away, last week, on March 24th in Venice, Florida...

The news of the day mostly involves the horde of illegal immigrants swarming across our southern border. At the moment our facilities provide temporary shelter for all those people to allow time to process them, check their identification, fingerprint, check DNA, or even check to see if they have the Covid 19 disease are full to overflowing. It must be overwhelming for those charged with the job of attending to our Southern Border. A thank you to President Biden...

Retired after many productive satisfying years working in the power industry as a lineman. He and his long-time happy wife used their huge motor home to travel south to spend the winters away from the sometimes disagreeable Nebraska winter weather. By good fortunate, they purchased a large Quonset type building to house their motor home from the summer sun and additionally modified the interior into a comfortable living area. ...

Excitement is coming. This next Friday evening and all day Saturday the annual College Rodeo will take place right here at our Fairgrounds. Weather no matter it will take place in our wonderful Kiplinger Arena. College kids from miles around will be competing and that includes students from as far away as our 50th State Hawaii. ...

When we first returned to live in Nebraska from Air Force life we used to chide my mom for attending a lot of funerals. Now that Grannie Annie and I have reached that age we have begun to understand. Too many of our friends seem to be passing on and attendance at their celebrations of life is the way to say the inevitable good bye. It is a peace that will come to all of us eventually and a last way to tuck their remembrance into our hearts...

In today’s political world we are treated to a never-ending cascade of back-biting decisive rhetoric. It come daily on TV and most of the rest of mainstream media and sadly social media can be worse. Fortunately for those of us who live in flyover country here in a more rural setting life isn’t that way...

It appears that our Senator Sasse doesn’t want to be reelected as a Nebraska Senator again. His vote to impeach Past President Trump was the clincher for all that I’ve visited with recently. But then a friend notes that the Lincoln residents that are of a more liberal persuasion want him to run for president in 2024. Divided we are...

Two below zero this morning. A bit brisk. It kind of makes my California grandkids grumble a bit. Welcome to Nebraska. It reminds me of a winter trip my air refueling tanker crew was privileged to fly back in 1968. After all we had spent the summer in the near-equatorial heat of Southeast Asia participating in the Vietnam War so it was only reasonable that we’d be chosen to spend Christmas in Alaska...

Your old columnist who has been around a bit is thinking that in referring to our new president we might more properly refer to him as Dictator Joe. In looking for a proper definition I found on Google the following: “A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power.” Looking at the plenteous “Executive Orders” that he seems to sign daily one gets the opinion that he possesses absolute power. Hold on though because other forces will come to bear...

What an insult to have our National Guard troops “vetted” before they could go on guard duty at the inauguration! Being a military veteran it hit my heart because I consider all military as family. Unjustifiably insult my kinfolk and I will respond in retaliation. Evidently, the Governor of Texas feels the same way...

My cell phone rang. An unknown number calling. I answered anyway. “Col Trail this is Jack Barnes. I was the assistant crew chief on that tanker you were flying when you did the tri-level refueling.” Understand it has been nearly fifty four years gone by since that event back in 1967. ...

Good news and a riot Yes there is good news out there in this great country but we hear little of it. Digging through TV news sources I’ve become aware that many business owners have done the right thing. Independent businessmen living in those Democrat-controlled areas of the country where Governors have locked down the economy their customers are barred from entering. ...

What a circus! The Senatorial Election that takes place in Georgia today is a two-ring act. The Republicans are convinced the world will end if their candidates don’t get reelected. The Democrats see that a win will better enable them to enact their socialist agenda in Washington. Promises that they know won’t be kept. Millions of dollars (from where?) thrown in to help each side. It is a total mess and a great example of why we ordinary Americans are totally frustrated with current politics...

It is the final straw. If something does not work it is time to replace it. I am talking about our three congressional representatives. Adrian Smith in the House of Representatives, Ben Sasse and Deb Fisher in the U.S. Senate. Yes, all three voted YEA on the grossly expensive and misnamed Covid Relief bill last week. That will be our overly expensive Federal Budget for the year to come. I was hoping that President Trump would veto the monstrosity but no he signed it into law...

Our son Don reminisced the other day that it sure was an odd Christmas that time when Santa was supposed to come twice in the same year and dad was there for both of them. It has only been some 53 years ago but evidently, some events get burned into a five-year-old’s mind...

I love watching people. When in public we all demonstrate by our actions and conduct what we want those around nearby to think of us. Note for instance how those who have chosen to tattoo their bodies wear clothing to best show off their awesome designs. ...

Grannie Annie and the old guy took a leisurely drive through our fair city to enjoy people’s efforts at decorating for Christmas. It seems that there are more festive colored lights and displays than ever before. A jewel to be admired is Santa Claus Lane a far-sighted legacy of Norma Strunk aided by local sponsors. The festive light poles along Norris Avenue add to municipal pride in our City...

This has been one of your old guy columnist’s favorite weeks of the year. The leftovers from the family’s Thanksgiving feast were enjoyed again. Our favorite cranberry salad, the few remaining special pastry rolls, chunks of turkey for sandwiches and small pieces of cold pie. ...

Thanksgiving is a time to pause and remember the good things of the year just passed. For sure this old guy’s cup runneth over. Modern medicine and a successful heart procedure avoided COVID (at least so far), a family of grandkids to enjoy, a healthy wife, and a wonderful community in which to live...