Monthly Archives: May 2012

More than Trophies

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Doc Arnett

According to Dan, turkeys can’t smell worth a hoot but their vision is legendary. I stay and stay still as he finishes elbow-walking his way to the edge of the cornfield that stretches out over the next two hills. Continue reading →

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Late Night Ruminations

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Doc Arnett

With nothing particular on my mind and no dietary suspects, I cannot explain the trouble I had in getting to sleep last night. Sometimes, I think such times might be the result of some deeper concern, something disturbing the spirit, something beyond normal thought. Continue reading →

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An Ancient Art

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Doc Arnett

My third son, Daniel, has been the premier outdoorsman of the family since his youth. His dedication has cultivated a skill level that rivals that of anyone I’ve ever met. Although we have fished together since he was a kid, this is the first time we’ve ever been on a hunt together. Continue reading →

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Lemonade

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Doc Arnett

I was reminded recently of an old, old truth: When we learn how to turn misfortune into opportunity, we have touched one of the great secrets of victorious living. Over the years, I’ve learned that a tool or machine is like an attitude: sometimes the best way to fix one is to just get a new one. Now, this is not an election-year story of rags to riches or of fame to shame. Just a man and his mower. Well, former mower… Continue reading →

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Recovery

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Doc Arnett

As the nerves begin regenerating after their several weeks of submission, the body begins to be fully aware of just how much abuse it has suffered. From the deep soft tissue to the skin on the surface, all flesh in the affected area has been burned. With each new revelation that was previously hidden, downplayed or only vaguely mentioned, patients like Freeda must cope with the deeper dimensions of agonizing physical elements. Continue reading →

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Extenuating Circumstances

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Doc Arnett

Imagine a twenty-ton dandelion, sixty-to-seventy feet tall and with branches extending thirty feet in every direction. That’s what the cottonwood tree is like during its month-long spawn.
Continue reading →

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The Incredible Wealth of Scraping By

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Doc Arnett

Making my way across the freshly mowed grass in the last hour of daylight, I see Ben and his mom outside their tiny, rough apartment. Smoke drifts out from a small grill and Ben is bent over the front wheel of a small bicycle. He looks my way, straightens up and waves, “Hi, Doc!” Continue reading →

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Driving Rain

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Doc Arnett

It is seldom in life that we gain greater advantage by pushing blindly ahead, not compelled by faith and wisdom, but driven by the stubbornness of our own determination.
Continue reading →

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A Preparation of Peace

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Doc Arnett

I step out the back door into the pleasant air of morning. A dark blue edge shows in the sky, high and to the east, tracing the form of the passing storm front. The horses look up from the low edge of the paddock. They swing around and head toward me, heads bobbing in fast walk. Continue reading →

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A Higher Compliment

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Doc Arnett

It is not in the accolades of easy friends
that we gain the higher ground,
nor in the shallow flattery of those
fixed upon their own ends. Continue reading →

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