When the sun first peeped up this morning, I could actually see some spotty frost on the ground and roofs this morning. I had to go back out to my car to get my sunglasses because the guides and dogs were grinning like a bunch of mules eating briars, and their teeth were about to blind me. We normally have our first killing frost around the week before Thanksgiving, but it is not at all unusual to have spotty frosts anytime in late October or early November. I don’t believe we had any frost at all last year until early January.

Also, this time last year, I was really struggling with the fact that my beloved wife of 47 years had ovarian cancer. I am now praising God for the doors that He opened, and how well Martha is doing. I know that she is almost all the way back because she has gotten her feisty personality and love of shopping back. When she lost her hair after surgery and during chemo, I told her, “ Baby, your hair will come back, but there is no hope for mine”. She has a beautiful head of white hair now, and we both like it that way. She has no plans to color it while I still have no plans to grow any more hair. Flesh is a color, is it not?

This time last year, we were still feverishly working to get  our English Cocker breeding and training program where we wanted it. We are there now, and they are a joy to behold. We are finally at the point that we can begin selling a few of these little gems without handicapping ourselves. We have really devoted a lot of manpower and dollars to this program, and believe that it is a winning formula.

Now some things have not changed. I still seem to be in the twilight of my mediocre career. I am reminded of the time that I tried out for the youth choir. After listening to me sing, the youth choir director sweetly told me that those who sit and listen to songs also serve the Lord. I think that she was trying to tell me to please not join her choir. I still come down to the office most every morning and stay until after lunch. I have been gently reminded by Cader IV, Jerry, and Greg that I am welcome to visit and chat with the guests. But, I am not welcome to get involved in the logistics of how things are run. I’m certain that they have amnesia, or they would recall who taught them this program. However, I will freely admit that a ship can’t have two captains, and I am very confident and comfortable with my succession plan. I have plenty of other boards and enough outside activities to prevent my brain from atrophying.

Another thing that has not changed is the politics of Washington. We seem to be more one nation divided rather than united, and I have no clue as to how to fix this problem. It seems that one side wants to defeat the other side no matter what it might cost the people who elected them to serve. We tried this secession business once many years ago, and that didn’t turn out so hot for the South. However, I have no idea how to work with a bunch of “looney tunes” who think that fish, trees, etc. have feelings. I’m also a firm believer in the Jewish/ Christian work ethic. I have a great friend whose board I serve on who has a line that says, “we drive our own cars rather than rentals”. What he is really saying is that everyone in his organization has skin in the game. If you do not have to work for what you receive, live in, or eat, why would you take any pride in it?

OK, I’m through preaching for the day; so I will close with this funny line that a friend sent me—“ The human body is 60% water. I’m not fat, I’m flooded”. And one other BIG change from last year—my beloved Bulldogs finally got the Florida Gator jinx off of our backs with a resounding victory on Saturday!