Opinion

I never used to consider myself a bird watcher, but this summer I’ve had various species of birds cross my path.       Ducks are great swimmers; the same can’t be said about flying. Oh, sure, they do fly, but they work very hard at it. They stick their necks out (literally) and flap their wings with rapid voracity in order to stay air-bound. When they land on the water and re-enter their element of swimming, and I nearly breathe a sigh of relief.  Loons do quite a bit of swimming and diving at depths up to 200 feet in order to secure supper. They fly at speeds up to 80 miles per hour but taking off is difficult in part because their bones are not hollow...

Editor,  Chief Joseph had an impact on my life. He was of the Nez Perce tribe in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States back in the mid 1800s. He spoke out often with great wisdom and vision.    My artist grandfather introduced us kids to Chief Joseph back in the 1930s with ta...

Homeowners know that when a leaky roof is spotted, it’s important to act quickly to find and fix the leak. If left unattended, that slow drip overhead can turn into a ceiling that collapses – costing far more to repair and threatening the integrity of the entire home.  The same should be ...

During the summer months, I enjoy going barefoot and dipping my feet into the lake. My husband and I experience our own version of a pedicure when we wade in a shallow sandbar and the minnows swimming there nibble on our toes. It scared me at first and grossed me out to be honest. But it only tickles and is ...

It took a while but summer finally got here, and at the library we are in the last month of our summer reading program. On Thursday, Aug. 15, at 10:30 a.m., we will have a special showing of the 30-minute documentary, Earthrise. This story is told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts and recounts their experien...

There aren’t many weeks of the year that can rival a summer vacation. Except maybe a winter vacation, but hey, it’s summer so let’s stay in the here and now. Vacations, no matter what time of year are preferable to a regular old non-vacation week. But in my opinion, summer beats winter a...

Editor,  Ben Stone’s discussion of the Oxford comma and its history in the Aug .7 issue of the Valley Journal is very interesting. I am a writer and also like history. The use of a comma before “and” in a list (like June, July, and August) is an Oxford comma. Its use seems to be ...

My grandbaby has started talking. One of her first words was “water.” It’s a multi-tasking multi-purpose word in her life. When she’s in the bath, she’s surrounded by water. When she’s in the lake, she swims in water. When it rains, water falls down on her from the sky to ...

You have likely heard about the Oxford comma at least once. As a writer, using it is a habit I have grown quite fond of. There is something about that little extra comma in a list that just feels right to write; however, since starting my column, I have learned that this practice is not welcome everywhere.&n...

Editor, The Preston family would like to thank everyone in the community who has been so supportive of us during the illness and death of Jay Preston Sr. Thank you to the St. Luke Nursing Home and hospital staff for the wonderful love and care you gave to Jay and Beth over the last four years. We want to ...