Stray Thoughts:

We live in fascinating times… between the greatest of wars and the wars of attrition; between prosperity unheard of in all of human history and a poverty of the soul everywhere we look.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Dear Editor, The South Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) would like to address recent concerns and clarify the facts surrounding the transition of home-delivered meal services in Meade, Dewey, Fall River, Perkins, and Bennett counties from Meals on Wheels Western South Dakota (MOWWSD) to...

Home Country

Chickens have forever had a place in our hearts and on our tables. Why is that? Well … why not?And so I’d like you to come with me back to the summer of 1970, ‘way up north of Fairbanks, Alaska, to what was once the thriving gold mining village of Chicken, Alaska.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

This week, we sell calves, and I don’t think it will ever stop feeling strange that a whole year of labor comes down to one day. Stranger yet, that one day depends on the whims of everything from politics to global markets to weather, and there’s no way to predict what will happen until it happens.

The what ifs

Let’s call her Sarah, although that wasn’t her name. I’d had the privilege of delivering her, and the fun of watching her grow into a precocious toddler, with an impish smile and a joyous laugh. Then I had the responsibility of explaining her autopsy report to her devastated parents.

From maiden to mother to matriarch: Understanding the transition of perimenopause

Women experience distinct stages throughout their lives. In literature, these are often described as the maiden, the mother, and the matriarch phases. The transitions between these phases can be challenging times for a woman. Perimenopause is the transition between mother to matriarch.

EDITORIAL We’re doing just fine. Thank you!

This week, Oct. 5-11, is National Newspaper Week. Here at the Topic we’re celebrating the way we always celebrate National Newspaper Week - we’re producing, printing and distributing your Timber Lake Topic.

Home Country:

The sign in front of the gas station says “Unleaded, 3.39, special on Colt .357 Magnum, six-inch barrel.”Visitors here in the valley do a double take when they see Vince’s sign there at what we all know as “the gas station gun shop.

Home Country:

“I think it’s disgusting and weird and unnatural and it should be outlawed!” the tall cowboy said, coming to rest at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn truck stop.“Aw Steve,” said Doc, “the coffee isn’t that bad.” “Coffee? Nay, I say unto you, Doc.

Beyond the baseline: Understanding tennis elbow

A few years ago, I was helping with my son’s baseball team. One day, for a routine practice, my role was to hit fly balls for the boys to catch.