Opinion

By BILL HOAGLAND This is a column about red kangaroos but it is actually being written to celebrate Mother’s Day, believe it or not, which I will explain in a minute. But first, let’s get some introductions out of the way.

I was next in line at the grocery checkout. The woman in front of me was ready to pay; she fumbled her hand inside her purse and withdrew a worn, black, checkbook cover.

She was there with you, surrounding you, while you grew arms and legs and eyelids. Your heart beat in harmony with hers. Her blood was your blood; her oxygen, yours. She kept you safe and protected before she even knew what your face looked like or how your voice would sound when you giggled.

My preferred exercise is bike riding. One particular ride is short in distance but difficult in effort. Here I was climbing this hill, my legs hurting, my heart racing, and my Garmin watch telling me that my heartbeat was on the “easy” side.

By BILL HOAGLAND Last week, it was announced by California health authorities that so far this year, three persons have died from venomous snake bites in California and another 70 or so have been bitten but have survived it. Apparently, the unusually warm weather in California is the cause of so many snake bite incidents…

If you have ever been to the Arlington National Cemetery, directly across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, it was probably a memorable experience for you.

That morning I had located what turned out to be four toms and some hens. They were still on the roost. And even though they had not been pressured, I made sure to do minimal and only light calling.

It was late, and I was tired. I’d been sneezing all day, feeling the kind of sick that is too mild to treat and too annoying to ignore. My nose was red and sore, it hurt when I swallowed, and I was happy it was bedtime.

An article appeared in the April 9 edition of the Wall Street Journal regarding some “high-flying fish” referred to as Asian carp; some politically correct folks believe this name is insensitive so this species is also sometimes referred to as “silver carp” or “invasive carp” but here in the Mid-West, they are Asian carp. One…