Long ago an old guest once said to me, “Son, don’t knock the weather because without it half the folks in the world wouldn’t even know how to begin a conversation.” I have been watching the frigid weather conditions north of the Smith& Wesson Line, and I still wonder how we managed to lose the War of Northern Aggression.  We should have been able to out think anyone who willingly submits themselves to that type of weather. Now don’t get me wrong, us Riverview folks love Yankees! I dare say we might have starved to death without them. Of course the occasional spike in oil prices that bring folks out of the oil patch helps also. Northerners who move South have always been referred to as carpetbaggers from years gone by. With the exception of the Florida Panhandle, there are more northerners in Florida than redneck Southern Crackers. Here’s my question, “What do you call a Southerner who moves to the North, Ron (and you know who you are)?”

Another quirky question I got to thinking about last night is this business of New Year’s Resolutions which makes about as much sense to me as teats on a boar hog. If you have a bad habit that you want to break or a good habit you want to start, you should stop or start the moment you make up your mind to do so. Is there supposed to be some sort of magic to doing this on January 1st? We should all buy stock in fitness clubs in mid-December and short them around mid-February.

Continuing on the line of problems and bad habits reminds me of a fable that my best friend has framed in his office. The story goes that God got tired of hearing his children complain about their problems; so He told each of them to take their biggest problem, and put it in a pile. Once they had done that, God told each of them to pick out a problem. To a man, they each picked their own original problem back up. I’ve lived with myself long enough that I am comfortable with knowing my character defects and shortcomings. I would prefer to keep my own rather than someone else’s, and all of God’s children have problems.

And just in case I were to forget one of those shortcomings, I not only have a conscious but a wife also to remind me of them. For those of you who have not been married forever like I have, let me offer this sage piece of advice, “A wise man once said—-NOTHING!” Case closed and I have nothing else to say on this subject since my beloved Martha is on my blog recipient list. In closing all of the Riverview family join me in wishing you and your families a happy, healthy New Year! And oh yeah, we have green grass, sunshine, big pines, and cool but not miserable days in South Georgia in case you want to enjoy some great quail hunting and escape from the Klondike!