The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings from western Illinois, where the rain now comes often, and the waters are a risen,
I'm a wondering if this wet weather should be blamed on Global warming or is it perhaps the fault of Ethanol production?
Seems as tho' those ethanol producers are the culprits behind every other melody that befalls mankind. Or so it is, that some seem to give credit to.
There is some "that's a holdin' with th' hounds, and runnin' with the hare" (being a false ally to both sides of an issue).
I'm sure by now, everyone has had their fair share of opportunity for filling and placing sandbags.
Some young'nes showed up for the job at a good many locations and was "shore a sight for sore eyes," to those in need of help.
Livestock, household belongings, machinery and equipment, grain in storage-all needed to be moved in a hurry from out of the threatened bottoms.
That Ethanol plant in West Burlington, Iowa (Big River Resources) donated trucks, labor and space in the hurried frenzy.
That seems to me to be a very neighborly deed. Some had just cleaned up from the threat of the river rising a short time ago.
After that, they had to turn right around and prepare for this next flooding event.
One neighbor explained he "felt "bout like a bar of homemade soap after a hard wash day" (very tired about all the extra work).
A few railroad and highway bridges are damaged beyond use, up north where the rain fell the heaviest.
There are those with both corn and beans yet to plant, but are about to give up hope on the corn planting prospects.
Those to the North and South of us talk about their rains coming in a fashion we used to refer to as "a log-roller and a toad-choker" (very hard and heavy).
Now, we is, in our territory, feelin' the effects of the heavy rains, as it raises the rivers higher and higher.
The markets, as you know, are a going wild with everything it seems.
Corn and beans are priced at record levels and I doubled the value of my old "63" Chevrolet the other day when I filled her up with gasoline.
As high priced as fuel is, I now shut the engine down as I'm waiting on the stop light to change.
I thought about runnin' one of those extended dia pause red stop lights once (the other day) as I came upon it as it had just turned colors.
Fortunately, out of the corner of my eye I saw a police officer waitin' "as a lean hawk on a telephone pole" (patiently waiting to catch his prey).
Now, I like little league and I'm proud of our government, but I ain't a want'n to finance either one beyond my present levels of contribution.
Luckily, I had my seat belt on and no grandchildren in the back seat unrestrained.
By readn' The Quill I see a good many folks whose "fats in th' fire" (in big trouble) for just those delinquencies.
Fact of the matter was, as I traveled on down the road, grateful to being all square with the law, I got to worryin' if the batteries in my smoke detector and CO2 detector in my home was any good.
I got to worrying about that unmarked police car hiding behind that tree and got to thinkin'
"Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow" (don't let my money problems get any bigger).
What if one of those secret police people comes into my home and finds me deficient of battery power?! What kind of fine would I get?
So I turns around and goes back to town and buys some batteries. "They ought to last me till the cows come home," (should last a long time) and I'm square with the law!
In the mean time, as I calculated with my astout mathematical mind, maybe with $4.99 plus gasoline, I would have been better off risking the rath of the law or hopin' for some luck in throwin' myself at the laws mercy and hopin' for the best.
Besides, what would it hurt to contribute a little more finacin' to Governor Blagojevich's war chest.
He might need it in Illinois' retirement home for governors, as he shares room with past Governor Ryan.
As the water is a risen, keep your powder dry, and your eyes alert to obey those laws to avoid being snatched by an alert police officer just out there doing his duty.
Catch-ya Later,
Barnyard Bruke