GRAVETTE — What do you think about the addition of an extra day in February? We know most of this stuff is a mind game anyway; you know what I am speaking of. The calendars, clocks, time changes in spring and fall are all manmade and sorta kinda not worth a nickel to us who deal with Mother Nature to make our living.

I can tell when the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. It is obvious to me when trees start budding, the season is changing. My close relative knows when to cook without looking at a clock because she just knows! We feed cattle when we need to, mow hay when it is ready and live according to what is going on withthat cranky old Mother Nature.

I do appreciate some of the apparatuses that are so near and dear to mankind as I do a few of the operations on this rock pile. I do not appreciate February or the person who added a day to the most miserable month of the year! I like to know when December 1st and June 1st roll around so I can put the bulls out. I like to know when it is Father’s Day, Sunday, Christmas and Easter, my close relative’s birthday and those of the Grands.

I heard a feller at the feed store talkingabout sending a petition around for folks to sign up against something. He said this is a country run by the people and we, as people, should let our voices be heard above the roar in Washington! The feller talking wasn’t a man I know, had on slacks and slippers and why he was in the feed store was and continues to be a mystery, but he had a point. Why can’t we add a day to May and reduce February to the original 28 days? A bunch of us would be better satisfied and even school kids would rather vacations start in May than in June!

I feel so sorry for thebabies born on February 29th. How in the heck do parents deal with that when they send the youngsters to school? Do the little ole kids understand what is happening when the teachers start asking silly questions just like I would? Poor kids are sorta cheated out of a decent celebration. It would be bad enough to be born on Christmas Day for a kid concerning presents and birthday cakes but on a date that only appears once every four years is tough.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, the injustice of the calendar is a slap in the face andwe gotta remember that is just man made, not a product laid down on the mountain with the Laws, and would not cause bleeding if it were to be changed! Mankind has changed a multitude of stuff since I was born and seems like this old world just keeps on turning anyway. What would it hurt to think about adding a day to the wonderful month of May?

I am now thinking that I might like reducing my age by just turning over once in four!

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

News, Pages 6 on 03/07/2012