“This is ‘bout the best time of year,” said Steve, “to get out and do something fun, like go to a rodeo.” “Awful cold out there right now, Steve,” said Doc, who has more degrees than a thermometer. “I...

Each fall my Grandfather McBride was afflicted by a disease known in our family as the “World Series Flu”. It was of indeterminate length, lasting from 4 games to 7. I will not acknowledge suffering f...

When Steve and Dud got up to go get a paper, it left just Doc and Bert sitting at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn truck stop. Bert turned his head and smirked a little, being careful not to le...

“I can’t stand winter,” said Herb Collins, who had dropped in at the Mule Barn’s philosophy counter for a quick cup. “There’s nothing to do.” “Get out and enjoy it,” suggested Doc. “Go skiing. Go ice ...

It’s Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, which means Clarice Devon is on her way to the Curl Up ‘N Dye beauty salon. It’s like the sun coming up or the price of bread increasing. Tuesday. 2 o'clock. Clari...

It might have been the winter doldrums that did it. You can never be sure of these things. It’s just that … well, Doc is one of those guys who can’t stand to see anyone bored. He claims it’s bad for t...

Our holidays are prone to have optimism at their core. Our New Years celebration is no exception. Symbolically, we have a new- born replacing a tired, battered old man. An optimistic rebirth. As the h...

“Boys, I gotta tell you,” said our old pal Windy Wilson, “This cold transmits me reversely to the winter of ’47. Cold? It thicklicated your blood so much you could hardly walk. You remember it, Doc? O...

Right now, my thermometer reads a pleasant 60 degrees, though the Green Country weathermen warn of a possible winter front approaching. It’s like clockwork, the unpredictable nature of Oklahoma weathe...

Mabel Adams was sitting in the day room at the Rest of Your Life retirement home when the children came in. She smiled and so did all the others in the room except for two who didn’t know what was goi...

On Friday night, as all things in life and entertainment must, the beloved television series "Blue Bloods" came to an end. I think this cops-and-robbers classic owes its long and successful run not to...

Michael Bergin of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) shared information concerning how Oklahoma’s new license structure continues to benefit hunters as the holiday antlerless deer...

It’s natural to mumble nasty things about the cold weather. We all do it from time to time. But even the cold has its merits. One big plus is that it makes fireplaces a reasonable addition to our live...

My Nook broke. Actually, I haven't owned a Nook in several years. I'm told I have a tablet, but I first owned a Nook. My technology vocabulary is very slow to adapt. Whatever I first own, that label p...

There is a nighttime sweetness and hope that hovers over us this time of year here at home. This is a time for summing up and looking ahead … and a time for dreams. And at night… ah, that’s the time, ...

Listen to the rumbles, listen to the roars They woke me. I reluctantly stirred. I listened, heard nothing more, so I settled back beneath the covers. The sounds returned. I grumbled some fittingly unk...

“When you been maturinatin’ ‘long as I have, they’s a few ultimatum facts about life that jest can’t be ignored,” With that, our favorite old-time camp cook, mule packer and occasional predictor of th...

A frequently cited Thanksgiving cliche states that the holiday is family, food, fun and football. Although some contend the football part has its origins in the explosion of the NFL. The truth is foot...

There is a payoff, Doc told us, for getting the aches and pains of old age. Doc should know. We have it on good authority that he is actually older than a flat, brown rock. “Sure,” said Doc, in his us...

November of a Presidential election year seems to get me thinking about winning and losing. Well, Presidential election years and high school football playoffs. Over the years much has been written ab...