SunnyBrook Meadows, 426 State Home Road is seeking volunteers to help with the 2024 riding season. Tucked into the beautiful countryside of Montgomery, PA, the non-profit riding center, Sunnybrook Meadows, has been offering therapeutic riding sessions for riders with special needs, traditional riding lessons, and horse boarding for over a decade. As the spring riding
READ MOREFashion is deeply cyclical, and every few seasons, the Western trend pops up. In the spring of 2024, a Western renaissance is upon us thanks to various designer labels, pop stars, and the trending zeitgeist. Of course, the key to any trend is incorporating it into your personal aesthetic rather than taking the whole thing
READ MOREYou’ve come for it all. No more waiting around. The time has come and you’re ready to do this thing, to seize it in its entirety. No more little bit, little bit, little bit, this is your birthright and you’ve come for it all – even if, as in the new novel, “The Bullet Swallower”
READ MOREThe King has left the building. Before he left, he swiveled and stood on his tiptoes. He teased a guitar, sneered and shimmied, and left a tide of swooning females in his wake. Yes, he’s gone, but The King meant a lot to people who still cherish his life and mourn his departure. Look past
READ MOREBy Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Three Kings came riding from far away, Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar; Three Wise Men out of the East were they, And they travelled by night and they slept by day, For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star. The star was so beautiful, large and clear, That all the other
READ MOREHere we are, a week before Thanksgiving (as of me writing). How is this even possible? As I drove Ty to school the other morning, the sunrise was remarkable. The scenery we saw just told us it was mid-November. It would have been the perfect photo for a November calendar. As we crested farther up
READ MOREWhat happens when a horse or other large animal is abused, or the owner can no longer take care of it? What happens in the event a traveler is transporting large animals, and the trailer or towing vehicle is disabled? The answer most often lies with the folks at Appalachian Horse Help Rescue at 1201
READ MOREI recently retired the bookbag I’ve been using since 2016. She was a good one, but all of her zippers finally busted, and now I’m in search of a new daily bag that can hold my laptop, lunch, makeup pouch, umbrella, water bottle, books, notebook, and all of the various sundries I’ve been carrying around
READ MOREBy Joseph W. Smith III Last week, I celebrated the 10th “Weird Words” column with a selection of 10-letter terms. Having thus observed my minor milestone, this week’s installment is devoted to something without which I could never do these pieces: the English dictionary. Back in pre-internet days, when folks always needed books or libraries
READ MOREThe folks at the Clinton County Fair are hoping for a wonderful way to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year as the Fair takes place July 29th to August 5th at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. The Fair was born as a result of several meetings between 1971 and April 1973. In August of 1972, this
READ MOREMy wife Debbie and I went to the Lycoming County Fair on Thursday, July 13th. We arrived at 4:00 p.m., just as the gates were opening, and got the best parking spot imaginable. Of course, there was not much going on that early, but we didn’t mind. The weather was perfect as we walked around
READ MOREGoodbyes are never easy. Even if it’s just “So long!” or “See ya later,” and there’ll be other times together, your mind lingers on the fun you’ve just had. Call you tomorrow, hurry back, don’t be a stranger, the sting is minimal. But “The Book of Pet Love & Loss” by Sara Bader may help
READ MOREBy the time this reaches you, our nation’s 247th birthday celebration will be in the books, and attention focused ahead on the July vacation season. Whatever you may have chosen to mark the occasion, hopefully, it was done safely with a day filled with fun, food, and family. Harking back on my long-ago childhood days,
READ MOREThe Annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park, West Fourth Street, and Wahoo Drive, on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park Commission. The Lycoming County Veterans Council, Inc. Tents will be provided, and the event will be
READ MORESo far, this winter has been a fairly mild one, but of course, that can change. Winters in the past were not always this mild. The chill and cold would often freeze solid waterways area. This development was turned into an advantage with the harvesting of ice that resulted from these extreme freezes. Today we
READ MOREIt happens every year. The decorations come down. The last of the Christmas leftovers have been eaten. Errant bits of ripped wrapping are found and discarded. You have no more holiday candy or cookies, you look around at your empty hands, and you wonder — now what? Now it’s time to settle in and read
READ MOREI 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
READ MOREFor the past several years, I have always used the last week of the year to look back at my columns and see what my readers thought of my articles. I want to thank all those who have spoken to me personally or written comments to let me know your opinions about those articles. Feedback
READ MOREThe leash is hooked tight. One end on your dog’s collar or harness, the other end firmly wrapped around your wrist, and he’s not going anywhere without you. Rescuing this puppers was the best thing ever and now, as in the new book by Ron Danta, Danny Robertshaw, and Larry Lindner, he’s Forever Home. It
READ MOREHats off to Coach Justin Van Fleet and the Loyalsock Lancers. They are off to a great start on the gridiron. The boys knocked off mighty Southern Columbia 27-10 last week. That’s a big-time win as those Tigers don’t often lose, especially at home. It was a total team effort, but one guy led the
READ MOREHappy Trails, kids. My family and I are currently in South Dakota. We are here for a few more days; then, it is back to Pennsylvania. I have traveled here many times, but I continue to admire and appreciate the beauty. The landscapes are insane. We live in a beautiful country. Badlands is a national
READ MOREI once had the pleasure of meeting James Irwin, one of the twelve men who walked on the moon. Irwin noted that, like his fellow moon-walking astronauts, he also suffered from depression years afterward. What happened was that they hit their peak in their late thirties and early forties. Think about it — after you
READ MOREThere are several local events honoring Memorial Day in our area. If you would like to honor those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country this Memorial Day, please join one of these events. The Nippenose Valley Memorial Day Services will be held, Sunday, May 29, at the Oval Cemetery beginning at
READ MOREDrums or hooves? Here’s the answer: nothing’s better than the pound of a horse’s hooves, as heard from a saddle. They can sound like a dance, a drumstick skittering over a snare drum. A lively trot reminds you of bongos; a good run, like a bass kick. It’s music to a cowpoke’s ears and in
READ MOREYou were determined not to get bit. But in a totally different meaning of the word, you were equally determined that your horse would accept one. Without a bit in his mouth, he wouldn’t turn, slow down, or stop when you wanted to ride — and of course, as in “Horse Girls,” edited by Halimah
READ MORESixteen-year-old Charlene “Charly” Dugan has loved and been involved with horses ever since she was a small child; she comes by her interest naturally since her parents own and operate J&S Farms, a horse farm in the Muncy area, as well as one in the Ocala, Florida area. Never in her wildest dreams could Charly
READ MOREIf you had fur, you’d be outside right now. If you had four legs, you could run faster but carrying things might present a bit of a challenge. If you had a tail, everybody would know when you were happy or sad. But you don’t have any of those things, so why not read about
READ MOREIt all started innocently enough. Jean and I were watching a baseball game on the tube when she said to me, “You know there is one MLB park we haven’t visited.” “What are you talking about,” was my reply. “Buffalo,” she responded. “Isn’t that where the Blue Jays are playing their games?” She had me
READ MOREDAY FOUR: “No country for old men!” After breakfast, the six hunters in camp sat around the dining table relating stories about their past hunting adventures, while the guides readied equipment and the horses for the evening hunt. Our mid afternoon outing was to be another horseback ride up the switchback trails to the high
READ MORECOVID has sucked up much of the air this past year and has caused many other serious concerns to be pushed to the side. This is not only true in the national picture but also in Lycoming County. While the shutdowns have played havoc with commerce and education, it has also had a terrible impact
READ MOREDAY TWO: “The Good, the Bad and the REALLY, REALLY Ugly” It was mid-afternoon on the second day when Travis, our guide, and Walker and I saddled up and headed east on the trail to our evening hunting blinds. Travis in the lead, followed by the pack mule, then Walker, then me. We had only
READ MOREYou are pretty handy. That thing you made – you did it yourself, with a minimum of help and it looks fabulous. It’s almost a professional piece and you have reason to be proud. Look what you made, just look at it, then read “Craft: An American History” by Glenn Adamson and see if your
READ MOREI don’t typically think about writing for Earth Day. Not that I don’t love this beautiful world we live in, but it’s not a day that comes to mind. Until a few weeks ago. The things I have seen. It really made me mad. The more and more I thought about it, the more I
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