I'm done. I quit. I give up. Besides, it's too late. It's hopeless, despite the "springs eternal" cliche.

After 13 years of being a bachelor, living the solitary life and all, I thought I'd try a couple of dating services. They all sound so promising. They lure you in with the "it's free to join" hook. But if, just if, someone bites (or you bite), they make you pay.

After you pay and contact someone, it never pans out. In my experience, the women write promising--almost…

The other evening, I was reflecting on my ancestors, realizing how little I know about them. What really irritates me is that I never thought to ask my grandparents questions about their parents and grandparents.

My maternal grandmother lost her husband when my mother was only 7 years old. I'm not sure why he died--perhaps leukemia. But I never once asked her about my grandfather. And my mother remembered very little.

On my father's side, neither grandparents talked about their…

Have I miscounted? Has it actually been 43 years since the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970?

I was teaching earth science in Pomona California. I remember organizing a "clean up" day, kids picking up litter and trash in their neighborhoods. They solicited money from residents (probably mostly parents) which, if remember right, came to around $350. We sent it to an animal "shelter" (zoo) in Edmonton Canada. We had seen a National Geographic film on the Craig brother's efforts to save…

I got about 5 inches of rain this past 3 days. Farm fields have ponded. I've even had ducks in my yard. Much of the rain water fed into my basement (old farm house), so the sump pump ran and ran and ran. 

Too wet to mow, garden, even play golf. On top of that, my clothes dryer belt snapped. Too cold and wet to hang clothes outside. But, it could be worse.

My farm kids, for example, can't work the ground. It's their livelyhood. Greenhouse plantings are germinating. And they're…

Although I didn't understand it at the time, my childhood love of science is what triggered my atheistic mind and life. Same old story: reason vs. faith--with reason the winner!

Consequently, I'm really enjoying a library book : The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012, edited by Dan Ariely. It's a compilation of articles found in science magazines. Nothing anti-religion, just science. AS I said in my very first A.N. post, I…

This is one of my frequent inane posts that probably belongs in one of my smaller "groups". But then, my readership would be less (not that it's that much larger here).

My dilemma is "to dog or not to dog", that is the question. I went to the Humane Society yesterday to check out the available dogs. I've been considering getting a pet again. My experience with dogs is mixed. I haven't been particularly good at training them. I don't like barking dogs, nor penning them up. And I've…

My mother was born April 6th on a farm near Rossville Indiana. Dorothy Pauline Silverthorn. A sister would follow. 250 acres were eventually split between the two sisters. I inherited 125 ("buying out" my two sisters). Last year, I gave 20 acres to my daughter and her husband. They were renting land to farm vegetables. I determined them "qualified" to take charge of "the family farm". I am no farmer. The land was cash rented (80 ac still is).

14 months ago, we all literally moved a…

Perhaps boring, but what the hell. Isn't the purpose of a blog to write about ones self?

So much for slowing down at age 70. I'm busier than ever. First, it's the yard work, picking up sticks, raking, mending fences, etc. That all before rolling the sod. I've read that's not good--compacting and all--but if I don't, I might as well be mowing the Rockies. I've even started cleaning up the garden. Going to the locl nursery tomorrow to buy vegetable seeds!! Yeah,  Spring!

This is…

It's the day after my 70th birthday and, strange, I feel the same.

Well, maybe I'm a little more depressed, but that's because of the 10" of snow we got overnight! Normally around my birthday, I begin to show signs of Spring allergies. The grass is green, etc. But not this year. Nothing but white!

And last year at this time, I had just returned from Wash. D.C. and the "Reason Rally". That was my birthday present to myself. I was fired up to spread the…

I posted a blog on the "diet and exercise" group page on the benefits of "boxing". If interested, check it out.

Killing some time before going to the bank.

Saw a pair of bluebirds yesterday hangin' around the yard. Sign of Spring, finally?

Something else "spring-like" hangin' around in my garage: a brand new shiny RED truck! After 9 years with my blue Dakota, I bought myself a 70th year birthday present, a Toyota Tacoma (Texas built).

I promptly adjusted the steering wheel upon parking it the first time, then couldn't get the key to turn the ignition! I jiggled and wiggled and…

And no, the father of our country wasn't God, despite what many think. This "father" was George Washington.

I have, over the past 3 years or so, read bios on John Adams, Tom Jefferson, James Madison, Lincoln, Grant, Truman, etc., but for some reason skipped over George. The library has many books about him and one caught my attention: An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves and the…

You're familiar with the satirical wit of "The Onion", right? Well, they have a new "Book of Known Knowledge". I got it from my library. Here's their definition of atheism. 

Atheism, rejection of a belief in the existence of God in which one deeply devotes oneself to the nearly nonstop studying, writing, thinking, and talking about God. Upon raching the philosophical and logical conclusion that God cannot exist, an atheist will dedicate the rest of his or her life to…

I'm taking my 95 year old father, who lives by himself, grocery shopping today. We go to Aldi, a generic type market (corn flakes cost $1.25, not $4.50).

Dad grew up in the 30's depression, scraping his way through college. I learned at an early age not to waste food or money, and not to spend money foolishly. In a sense, I'm a child of the depression. I, too, shop at Aldi for food, Goodwill for clothes. Frugality, parsimony, etc. are my "cheap" words.

My food shopping habits…

After a lifetime of newspaper subscription(s), I went cold turkey last October (2012) and cancelled all printed versions of the so-called news.

I had many reasons, and I won't bore you with them. I realize newspapers have some value. I hate to contribute to their demise. However.....

I haven't missed my morning newspaper one iota. It's actually a relief not to feel I have to get my money's worth out of reading every word. I certainly don't miss the ads or the local sports. Or…

Having just read a book about Thomas Jefferson, I couldn't help but compare the politics of then to now. "The more things change, the more they stay the same". 

In his day, it was the Federalists vs. the Republicans--conservatives vs. liberals. (Today's Democrats were yesterdays Republicans.) The bitterness, insults, and accusations were much the same, if not worse, than they are today. Vicious. Nothing will ever change, so we might as well accept the fact that the two sides will…

Upon my return from my "vacation" (see previous post), the weather conditions were a complete reversal of the past two weeks. Back to reality.

But, it was a good respite, as short as it was. Plus, I'm two weeks closer to Spring. Need to think about how I'm going to plant my garden, although that's two months away.

I've been busy this week already. Babysat all day. Did "run around" chores another. Met with a funeral director regarding cremation plans for my father--not dead yet,…