The floodgates at the Mississippi River are open again, and I was there, watching the water scroll endlessly to the right. I wasn't born in this part of the country, so I try not to take the river for granted. There is so much water there. It boggles the mind how many gallons are passing, and yet, still the river runs. ...

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from a friend. He popped the question. I said yes. "Want to go hunting?" What did you think I was going to say? Knowing him, he wasn't talking about nature or creepy crawly slithering things. He was talking about heading to Kentucky for the day to track down an elusive bottle of bourbon to add to his collection and I, like any supportive friend, was all in. No hesitation. That's how we roll...