Opinion

I had a short chat with Vinton Today's "Sports Guy," Jeff Holmes last night. He shared that after shooting over 1,500 photos, and then spending hours on the computer going through and photoshopping some of the photos, and finding the perfect shots, he had uploaded 13 albums onto Vinton Today's Facebook page.Now let me tell you something about Jeff's philosophy.

People like it when I write about funny stuff. So do I. It usually means I've chuckled all the way through just remembering it. Just typing the headline took me back to Lilly Tomlin and a skit she did as a switchboard operator and if you know what I'm referencing, you're old!Some of the controversial topics that I've written about have made my phone ring, and in a good way.

I have mixed emotions on the whole idea of wind turbines and solar panels. This past week has been a struggle for several of my friends and family who live in the balmy south.Vinton and the school district are looking at solar power and while that's all well and good, my experience with it as a kid has warped me into hating the word "solar." As a result of believing "the science" my private school installed solar panels.

I suppose I really shouldn't be online as much as I am, and yet, this job requires it, so it's a hazard. (I am resisting all kinds of smart-aleck remarks right here.) I am continually amazed at the sheer, I want to say stupidity, but some of you might get offended if I used that word. Let's see I'm amazed at the sheer whininess of people. No, it's not really whining.

A Washington Post writer of tales, decided t' post an tale about how we shouldn't romanticize pirates. Th' poor dear be ridden wit' pirate poison.  Th' Super B game (we aren't allowed t' use th' proper name because of its trademark), apparently had a crew called th' Buccaneers. 'n that brought out all th' fun lovin' crazy scallywags, includin' Wench Jamie L.

Editor:This is our second day of being snowed in.  At approximately 1:00 PM today a Benton County Secondary Road Maintainer went by our East-West road; he then preceded South opening up the roadway to Highway 218, our normal pathway to Vinton.  We are grateful for his service to our community.  We now have to open up our driveway to our frontage road, but I am not as capable as I once was, so we wait for our Tenant Farmer, friend and good neighbor to arrive with his giant John Deere Tractor and homemade blade to scrape our driveway.

A few days ago I prepared to begin an article. The story began with an email that took roughly 3 hours to take care of. It wasn't a problem on the end of the sender, it was restraints on my website. First I put all of the information onto the website, and then I walked away and forgot to save it. I put the information on a second time and started to add the corresponding pictures, and then saved it that time.

Thank you to all of the men out there that drove around in their pickups and tractors complete with blades on the front of them this weekend. Thanks especially to every guy out there that took a ribbing from the women in their lives about their "toys." Thank you to the guys in the small tractors, the four wheelers, the ATV's. When we get as much heavy snow as we did this weekend, every woman that has to shovel is looking out the window in hopes of one of those knights in shining armor to roll up and plow the driveway, or hoping that someone with a snowblower will have pity on them and stop by.

It's hard to put into words the grief for someone that you knew, but wish that you had known better. I knew Nathan Hesson first through his job at Vinton Unlimited. It was clear that he loved his community not only in serving in this position but then later on the City Council. Later I observed him and his excitement for his kids as they prepared to take their first airplane ride at the airport.

I know I'm not alone in being glad that 2020 was over and looked forward to 2021. Now, I'm not sure that 2021 is going to go off better than in 2020, maybe worse.Locally, it has not been a good year. The first week has had more bad news than most years contain. It has made me appreciate our local law enforcement, our first responders, EMT's, fire department, our dispatchers and anyone else I may have not mentioned.