The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The Wisdom Of Barnyard Bruke: "How could you loose over $400,000 in school funds and not account to the board for it?"

Greetings to everyone in western Illinois. I'm a hope'n everyone is enjoy'n this beautiful weather we are a have'n.

It reminds me of something Charles Franklin Kettering wrote: "My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."

It's somethin to reflect on.

Speak'n of the future, have a look at all the interest'n events come'n up. There's the Farm Progress Show down in Decatur a go'en on now.

Then we go into the Old Threshers Reunion, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. It's always fun to go over there and reflect back on the Good ole Days.

From there its Labor Day and all it's fixens to honor American workers.

Fall Prime Beef Festival is next on the agenda in our neighboring Warren County.

If'n you can't find someth'en interesting to do in the next couple of weeks, you ain't tryen or determined to avoid a good time.

Here, we are now into September, the seventh (Septem) month in the old Roman calendar. When Julius Caesar decided to start the year with January instead of March, September kept it's name but not it's position.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

"The morrow was a bright September morn; The earth was beautiful as if new born; There was that nameless splendor everywhere; That wild exhilaration in the air."

Maybe the only thing prettier than a September morn is the sight of the full harvest moon rising, bathing our fields and gardens in golden light.

If'n the full moon falls closest to the autumnal equinox, it is called "Full Harvest Moon". If'n September's moon turns full early in the month, it is usually called "The Full Barley Moon" instead, and the harvest moon moves to October.

What's that you say, "Who gives a hang about moon signs and what they are called!"

Well, my friend, how in the world do you know when to plant your garden, castrate your hogs, and dock your lambs' tails if'n you don't do it by the right sign of the moon.

Those young whipper snappers will eventually find themselves in a passel of trouble if'n they don't follow proven ways and will eventually find themselves unwilling to do any of those activities.

Poor self deprived twerps that they may be. Then before you know it, Time Magazine will be writing nasty articles on the status of American Agriculture.

Well, ole Cornelius did it to me again. I was a feel'n a bit puny and under the weather. So he comes by, he and the misses, to pay his respects and try his best to try'n and cheer me up. Now that is a real friend and neighbor, however, the only strange part was the methodology he used to do it.

First, he starts off talk'n about coffee and it's price along with the price of corn, beans, cattle, hogs and the general economic outlook. He points out how the U.S. economy is drowning in debt-over 11.4 trillion and counting. At first he catches me unawares of his negative talk, feeling sorry for myself and as I were.

Well, I says you're barken up the wrong tree if'n you think that is gonna cheer me up.

Then he starts on a school district to our east (Monmouth-Roseville) that has a budget deficit of over $400,000 and somehow they missed receive'n $600,000 from the state for supposedly combining together for efficiency and destroy'n local community identify.

Nobody has a good explanation why they didn't receive the promised money and school officials can't explain where the money went to on the $400,000 deficit.

But, the board passed the budget anyways, figure'n Cornelius guessed the local tax payer will anti-up. The whole bunch must of flunked math in grammar school or maybe are practicing some kind of new fangled math!

Stop it, I sez, you're gett'n my dander up. Let's change the subject.

Well, he accommodates me by saying he spotted police officials in a major paper with pictures of them wear'n ski masks and sunglasses to hide their identify as they removed records from Michael Jackson's doctor's office. He felt this wasn't Iraq or Mexico City, and law enforcement officials shouldn't be so cowardly as to hide their identify. It sounds like the activities of the Ku Klux Klan or something.

I'm not go'in there either, Cornelius. You'r startin'' to boil my blood as to how our world is a change'n.

Then he's says, ok then. What about this? I heard on the radio that the new Governor of Illinois signed a bill enabling more eyes for spy'n to turn in your neighbor. They even get animal abuse officers doing it now.

Well, that does it, I tells Cornelius. I got's to get out of this sick bed and call my Congressman. So, I leaps out of bed and slams on my britches hoppin mad.

Then, with a smile, he says, it don't take much to get you feel'n better. I soon realized that sneaky little bugger did it to me again. Playin' with my mind and tricked me into forgettin my ailments.

Shore enough, I was out of my sick bed, but I'm not sure if'n I was a feel'n any better. Yes, I had forgotten my ailments, however, my stomach was all churned up.

Good ole Cornelius-He's a special kind of friend! I wouldn't trade him for a good patch of pumpkins. Blast his ornery hide, I love him to death!

Keep on smilin'.

Catch ya later

Barnyard Bruke