Maybe I should start this piece off by first describing what an otter is since the number of people who have actually seen one roaming the Pennsylvania countryside is probably pretty small. A river otter is an elusive aquatic mammal that belongs to the weasel family. It is closely related to mink, badgers, wolverines, and
It was a meeting still vividly etched in my memory. Jim Webb Sr. had asked me to meet with him regarding a project he was about to launch. Having years earlier lost my job as Public Relations Director for Grit Publishing, as the company was purchased by Stauffer Communications and moved to Topeka, Kansas; I
Big Spence is back in town. He needed a well-deserved break. Our major renovation project was on hold. And it is time to get some stuff done. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much accomplished over the holidays. The two-car garage and living space now have a roof. My father and I are doing our best. I
We have had amazingly pleasant weather these past few weeks, and according to the latest forecasts, it appears that it will continue for at least a few more weeks. It is so nice that some of the usual snowbirds have been delaying their regular trip south so that they can take advantage of the unseasonably
I was driving home one morning last week when something strange caught my eye; two turkeys were only a few yards off the road on the bank to my right. I pulled over expecting the turkeys to flee — they didn’t. Now seeing turkeys while driving somewhere around here is certainly not a strange sight,
I headed to South Williamsport for a league game. Jensen had a late practice, and I don’t have many friends. So, I sat in the front row. I didn’t really say much as I was trying to be incognito. I saw an old chum, and we talked about bugs for the entire JV game. It
Those who serve as scholastic athletic coaches are familiar with the drill. Before each season, they are required by the PIAA to take and pass standardized online courses aimed at providing awareness and knowledge pertaining to concussions and sudden cardiac arrest. The material is provided via instructional videos, followed by a ten-question quiz which must
Public speaking. Just the mention of those two words sends shreds of fear racing thru most folks. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once addressed the subject this way: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two, does that sound right? This means to the average person,
When I wrote the article that appeared in last week’s column, I was just about to head out for my first ice fishing outing of the new season. It was, in fact, the first time in some years that we were able to get safely on the ice before the new year. As you can
Happy New Year! A new year is upon us. May we all do our very best to make it a good one for all concerned! In the days leading up to Christmas, bitter cold, snow, and treacherous road conditions played havoc with the local sports schedules. Many games and practices were canceled on the Thursday
Over the years, I have had the privilege of hunting in every one of our 50 states and, in doing so, have discovered something that all of the lower 48 continuous states have in common. Coyotes. Yes, during the spring gobbler hunting seasons, I have seen, heard, or have seen the tracks or scat of
Like a lot of other hunters, my hunting season is winding down fast; I may get out for a little flintlock hunting and a little rabbit hunting, but my time in the woods will be pretty limited. I managed to get out at least a half dozen times during this past deer season, but something
