Spring has sprung

Ahh! It is looking a lot like Spring outside. People are cleaning up their yards, planting or otherwise taking care of their flowers or shrubs and some are planting new flowers. My Linda is in the latter group, having planted some small plants about two weeks ago. They looked good for a few days. We went to Corpus Christi for five days and when we came back the squirrels had made short work of her efforts.
Non-the-less she will not be daunted in her gardening and more will emerge. She has had me adding mulch here and there, putting down some fertilizer and digging around a few plants and bushes. The azaleas are blooming nicely in the front yard and are about to break out in the backyard. Dave has beautiful purple ones along the front of the house and white ones in back. The whites will be out in another day or two.
I love the Spring of the year and always spend time in the yard.
Lunch with Brazzil

Dave and I had the pleasure of having lunch with good friend Jim Brazzil a few days ago. If you donÕt remember Jim (James W. Brazzil) was the founder of this newspaper many years ago. At 92 he has been retired for a number of years and has written several books: four I believe. His newspaper career spanned four decades spread over an assortment of Texas locations.
The Highlands resident published his fourth book last year, ÒA Thistle in the Wind.Ó I bought a copy of it right after he released it and thoroughly enjoyed the writings of this fellow newspaper man. Jim tells me the book has sold well over the past year but he still has some copies left. If youÕre interested in reading about the newspaper life of this fourth-estate member give him a call at his home.
A Smile or Two
Do you feel like working today? Tomorrow? The day after? Next week? Next month? Me neither! I just want to party!
So says my good Newport friend Irene Cook. This Canadian native sent the above to me and also told me this joke:
ÒI want you to get checked out to make sure youÕre healthy and will be around longerÉTake these two medical tests. Stare into the CatÕs eyes for 10 secondsÉ.Now stare into the puppyÕs eyes for ten secondsÉYour CAT SCAN and LAB TESTS are now completeÉI couldnÕt resist.Ó
Irene and I pass each other walking our dogs in Newport many mornings. She is going in one direction with her dog and I in another with mine. Koko and Maggie didnÕt see eye to eye the first few times but now are friends. We usually spend two or three minutes discussing important items of the day as we pass.
Such are the people, places and things that have touched my life in my West Virginia home!