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2024 Return to Happy Jack Mountain

Janna and I made a pilgrimage to Happy Jack Mountain near North Loup and Scotia, Nebraska this summer. Okay, maybe Happy Jack is more hill than a mountain, but because Nebraska (Otoe for “Flat Water”) is pretty dang flat, any rolling hill easily becomes a mountainous monument in memory. Happy Jack sits over the chalk mines below, and we’ll get to that wonder of the valley in a future article. The goal of us trekking up Happy Jack — me, for the second time, and for Janna, first — was to land in front of a giant, wooden cross atop the mountain. Easter services are held under the cross every year, but my question, now as an aged, and somewhat wizened 59-year-old man-child was, and still is, this: WHO IS CLIMBING HAPPY JACK MOUNTAIN ON EASTER MORNING? (the threat of dying is palpably real!)

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Traffic Jams in Portugal: Rural Road Hazards

Here are some of the rural traffic jams in Portugal. We do not get many of them — but here are some of the common causes.

First, a farmer leaving the fence with openings so the cows can cross the road from one pasture to another to get water.


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Acquiescence of Values

For awhile now I have been thinking about the Acquiescence of Values from the personal to the commercial. We’d never sell our souls, but our values… name your price. Values are deeply held beliefs in “doing the right thing” and most of us share those black and white ideals without needing to lower the conversation to a political or religious level.

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