WESTSIDE — And the skies are cloudy all day! Whoopee, maybe a rain is coming! Won’t hurt my feelings, and we know the old earth is so dry it will take a four-day soaker to ease the pain. I appreciate the relief from the three-digit heat and have not failed to thank the good Lord for it.

We are still seeing a multitude of cattle pass through the sale ringsaround here. I took my close relative to town and turned her out at the super store. I escaped to the sale barn and watched some of the country’s better cattle leave home when the gavel fell. Talk about heart breaking, watching some of the herds that have been getting there for three generations dispersing makes my old head hurt.

I got in a visit or two with fellers in my business, and we all agreed on many things. One important fact we all readily accepted is that iced tea, the sweet kind, is the only thing that hasn’t changed in years. Our morning coffee must be mixed up with shavings from a saw mill somewhere in the mountains of South America. The store-bought apples are mushy, and all the other stuff is picked green so it can hold up during shipping.

I am the apple of her eye, speaking of fruit. I managed to make it back to the super store, find aparking spot and sit on the “men waiting” bench before my close relative was ready to check out. I gussied right over to the checkout and loaded her basket, whipped out my credit card and paid, escorted her to the car and loaded all the stuff by myself. I suppose I am sweet as sugar right now!

The preacher came by early yesterday and asked me if I’d be interested in making a pledge for a new carpet for the church. I loaded him up, drove down to the oncewas pond and pointed to the well house. The cattle are pumping enough water per electricity perday to carpet two church houses and build new steeples. I figure we can do with what we have until times get better. We could pull the old rug up and sand off the floor. The dust does show, but it will look better than my checking account!

I am one of the luckier fellers even with all the bad that befalls me. My close relative’s family figures they don’t want to deal with all the heat and dust, so they have no desire to visit at this time! I have saved enough money to pay the bank payment this month due to not having to feed them! Don’t mention this at the nextmeeting of my close relative as I might become the worm in the apple instead of where I am today!

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, and this is not a joke, it is time for all of us to get on our knees and pray for rain. Great if you have and, if you haven’t, I’d appreciate the help. Our country is in bad shape and not just because it is dry. We all need to pay some attention to our maker and keeper.

Keep on keeping on!

Bill is a pen name used by the Gravette author of this weekly column.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 08/22/2012