07/01/2026
It’s happened again … news of disasters in different sections of our country. The last report I heard was of a woman being killed by a huge crocodile in Florida, plus other folks including children having limbs severed by alligators who are becoming used to thinking of humans as meat!
In California and the Mid West fires are exploding, and this is just the beginning of the dry season!. Homes are being burned to the ground … tens of thousands of people told to evacuate. And in the center of the country, unfortunately called “Tornado Alley,” experts predict as many as 1,250 twisters this year.
And, of course, the US, hurricane season is just beginning … more mass evacuations … nailing plywood over windows … placing sandbags at doors … blue tarps to cover missing roofs … power outages that last for weeks … 19-foot long pythons … 4-foot long green iguanas and more!
And then I thought maybe, just maybe, our area of Pennsylvania isn’t so bad: four distinct seasons, tree-covered mountains, endless hiking and biking trails, festivals and fairs, fresh air, ethnic pride, caring neighbors, our own symphony, folks who attend church, high school musicals, backyard gardens, a cool breeze on a warm night and so much more.
Turns out I’m happy here. And I’m proud to be an American. How about you?
Dale
