Global Warming

How many of you believe Al Gore and the global warming extremists now? The folks here in Ennis tell me that this is the coldest winter that this area has had in some time. It is cold and rainy this morning with the forecast calling for the weather to be this way for most of the week. The highs are to be in the upper 30's and low 40's. I know that sounds fairly warm to some of you, but it's mighty cold for these Texans! Merilyn called this morning to say there is around 3" of snow on the ground in Springdale with 3-6" more predicted to accumulate in the next 24 hours. They are still in school for the time being but she did not know how much longer that would last. Since they have already used up their allotment of bad weather days, she is hoping that they won't have to be out too much more because they may have to add days onto the end of the year. I know for sure that this winter has brought colder temperatures and more snow than normal to northwest Arkansas. Whenever you hear the alarmists talk about the dangers of global warming, don't worry about it. While I agree that societies around the world need to diminish the amount of pollutants that we are dumping into the environment, the fact is that the earth has gone through periods of gradual warming and then gradual cooling over the centuries.

I had an interesting experience out exercising last Friday afternoon. I was at the Lion's Park and as I approached the far end of the lake, I noticed a few folks looking at something in the water. When I got up to them, I stopped to see what it was. There was a big brown critter swimming around just like it was putting on a show for us to see. The folks who were there said they thought it was a beaver and it looked like one to me, too. Another fellow who came along said it was probably a big nutria. The way you can tell, he said, is whether the animal has a big flat tail or a skinny round tail. After looking at it for a while, he said he saw a skinny round tail. At one point after everyone else went away, I was coming around the path again and the animal came right up on the bank about 15 feet away from me. I stopped and it just sat up and started grooming itself. It would wipe its face with its front paws kind of like a cat does and then rub its tummy and the sides of its head. It was fun to watch.

I reckon the "WHO DAT?" nation is still celebrating today. The Super Bowl was a good ball game right up to the interception thrown by Payton Manning toward the end of the fourth quarter. It was good to see the New Orleans Saints win since they have never won the Super Bowl before.

It seems as if lots of people are battling various ailments right now...sinus infections, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia. Stay warm. Drink lots of fluids. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables. Take your vitamins. Eat an apple a day. Keep moving so you can stay a step ahead of the bugs!

To all my family and friends in Arkansas: Enjoy the beauty of the snow, but be careful!