Puffs

Roadside flowers . . .

Jerusalem Artichokes, (or whatever those sunflower looking flowers are), tall Blue Stem grass and Goldenrod . . . ya, it’s autumn regardless of what the calendar says.

Roadside ditches have gotten a bad rap over the years. However, for a month or two in the Fall, they take on a special beauty as the grasses and flowers take over and give us a pleasant view to enjoy.

However . . .

Please don’t stop on a highway and pick any of those flowers or grasses.

Last week, just a couple of miles west of Lawrence, I noticed a car parked almost entirely in the east bound side of the road as I was driving west. At first I thought someone had mechanical problems. I soon noticed a semi-truck coming east and I couldn’t help but think we’d meet about right where that car was parked.

I slowed down allowing the truck to pass the parked car first and the semi driver waved to me his appreciation.

I got up to the car and noticed there was no one in the car, but three people were in the ditch picking flowers.

I was a bit upset with them, but then I noticed the license plate on the car indicated they were from Minnesota.

Visitors from another country?

We gave them the benefit of being tourist and tried to forgive them.

I don’t blame them for wanting to pick the flowers as the road side ditches are beautiful this year. But please, if you want the flowers, go to a side road. There are plenty to go around.

A O

I received the latest edition of the NEBRASKAland magazine last week and took the time to glance over it.

It reminded me of the old theory: ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’

I believe in that saying, but sometimes it’s best to live by another theory: “The definition of ‘crazy’ is to keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results.”

What brought this up was a story in the magazine about a young boy who loved fishing. However, he noticed as he baited his hook and put it in the water, he had little luck. However, he noticed a bullfrog swam out and took his red and white bobber in its mouth and swam back to shore.

The boys started fishing for bullfrog. He was successful and noted the best part was the taste of his mother’s frog leg dinner.

A O

Do you remember?

The last Democratic president before President Trump? Went by the name of Obama.

Do you remember his fundamental theory of government he was proud of?

It was: “We must fundamentally remake America.”

Remember who the vice-president was at the time? Yes, he is our present president and he whole-heartedly endorsed that theory it seemed.

I bring up unpleasant memories because I’m reading a book on the life of a Democratic president from back in the 1940s, President Truman. He and President Kennedy were about the last Democratic presidents I still look up to as respectable Democratic presidents and this book is about the life of President Truman.

There are many, many quotes I could bring out from Truman, but there were just several I thought really helps explain all the “chaos” our last two Democratic presidents have caused.

At one point Truman was talking about American history and past president and how they all played into the present day governing activities. He said: “If ever there was a ‘clean break’ from all that had gone before, the result would be chaos.”

Now, Truman was considered somewhat of a liberal and progressive at the time. However, his work would not be ‘liberal’ according to today’s standards.

And . . . I feel the attempt to “fundamentally remake America” by first, Obama, and now, Biden, has certainly given us a state of chaos. Of course the world (our society) changes over time and we need to change with it.

Truman received a lot of praise for how he handled his job after Roosevelt died just before the end of WWII. (Also a lot of criticism.) However, his outlook on the job of any president came in a Thank You note he wrote to Winston Churchill. He wrote: “I’m not doing this for credit, I’m doing it because it’s right. I’m doing it because it’s necessary to be done, if we are going to survive ourselves.”

That little sentence seems to have been forgotten by recent presidents, both Democrat and Republican.

Doing what’s right . . . gosh what a novel idea.

A O