The Roundup -

I detest using a weed whacker. I call these monstrosities instruments of the devil, and have always waged a losing battle with them when trying to encourage them to perform, as they ought to perform. I resent the way they do not run properly for me,...

People who read my column know how much I delight in all aspects regarding outhouses. My husband built me a double decker outhouse last fall, and I have a huge collection of outhouse items in my house. Over the winter, my neighbor friend gave me a...

Many decades ago when I was 15, I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license. I figured a license would give me freedom; I could join the world of responsible drivers and transport myself hither and yon without the embarrassing need to have my...

Our neighbor enjoys all his toys in king size. He owns one of the largest side-by-sides (after passing the smaller one he owned off to his wife), he traded off his pint-sized tractor for a more powerful upgrade, and he enjoys puttering around in a...

I am happy to say that I am surviving anther month of March and its unpredictable weather as we transition from winter to spring. In my opinion, March provides us with the most fickle weather of the year. Its unpredictable days may give us a massive...

Our neighbor lady has quite a few talents. She has imagination, a sense of humor and artistic talent to boot. She excels at creating posters, cards and other graphic materials. Three years ago, she produced a collage as a memento of the first year...

Years ago, before I underwent a double knee replacement, I got quite adept at predicting weather changes. My knees would ache abominably a day or so before we would see the weather turn; whatever that shift happened to be. Depending on how badly my...

Yikes, what a year we all saw in 2020. To say this past year proved itself a most unusual year qualifies as an understatement, as nearly everyone I know can’t wait to look at 2020 from his or her rear-view mirror. 2020 provided us with situations...

When life flows along as we expect, we take electricity for granted. The refrigerator hums along on its own, a flick of the finger lights up a room, water splashes out of the tap on demand, and we enjoy hot showers whenever we require them....

I have always loved baked goods. Especially as a youth, I could never resist any tempting concoction placed in front of me. Pastries, cream horns, cream puffs, pie, chocolate cookies laden with coconut and nuts; you name it. If it wasn’t good for...

Madison County has a regulation that requires a property owner to clearly mark his or her 911 physical address at the entrance to the driveway so emergency services can find the property if called to the site for any sort of emergency. We have lived...

Cowboys knew what they were doing, in more ways than one. Remember those oversize bandannas they always wore around their necks? Just think, that big kerchief served a multitude of uses. Cowboys could use those fabric neckpieces as a cooling cloth on...

My husband loves to spend time in the woods. He’ll travel several miles to reach our BLM ‘big timber’ country, where he enjoys the scenery, the hushed solitude of the forest, and the search for firewood. Logging puts him in a good mood as...

I used to be made of rubber: elastic, stretchable, and just about indestructible, or at least that is the way I felt. When I was a child and even still as a young adult, I could leap over tall buildings in a single bound, tumble down stairs, bounce...

Owls have amazing eyesight and night vision. They lurk in trees at night, look below them, see a dark rodent running across equally dark ground, swoop down, and unerringly make a catch. Wow, talk about the ability to see in the dark. I wish I had it...

Most of us were raised to be respectful, to offer help in times of need, to make ourselves useful, and to say yes when someone asked a favor. We were taught to do what we could to help and assist someone when asked or needed, and to try hard not to...

My husband and I enjoy snacks. We like our cookies, crackers, nuts of all shapes and sizes, candies, and other assorted treats. When we have such delightful goodies in the house, we keep them in a specific spot so we both know where to check when...

Technology truly has changed everything. Remember when we would get a new wristwatch? We’d pull out the stem, set the watch to the appropriate time, push the stem back in, and then rotate that stem back and forth to wind the watch. The device kept...

My mother grew up during the Depression. She only had a handful of books at her disposal, and since she loved to read, she read and reread those half dozen books multiple times and treasured each and every one of them. She still had those books when...

It seems my husband and I always decide to begin a project at the wrong time of year. We purchase snow shovels in April, barbecues in November, and sleds after the snow melts, a new self-propelled four-wheel drive push lawn mower when the grass has...

I love my three siblings. After all, we grew up together, we knew what buttons to push if one of us wanted to start an argument, and we also knew the way to soothe those ruffled feelings. We banded together against perceived outside threats, we kept...

When I moved to Virginia City, the sign “Welcome to Virginia City - Resisting Change since 1863” amused me. I understand the sentiment behind that statement, as the community wants to preserve the old buildings and atmosphere that attracts...