Parrothead Pain

Parrothead Pain By Joe Rector Labor Day 2023 wasn’t much of a cause for celebration. On September 1, the man I always equate with the holiday, Jimmy Buffett, died at the age of 76 The cause of his demise was a rare form of skin cancer. I can’t imagine how he managed...

Dark to light

Dark to light By Joe Rector One wonderful thing about retirement is being able to stay up late without having to face work the next day. Some of us who love those late nights also have part-time jobs that require us to hit the floor early. On my workdays, the alarm...

A Romantic

A Romantic By Joe Rector I admit it; I’m romantic. No, I’m not talking about writers who have a love of chivalry and becoming one with nature, although I do like the writings of Emerson and Thoreau. Neither am I referring to my ability to woo women. Ask any old...

They’re at it again

They’re at it again By Joe Rector A drive up most side roads here in Ball Camp and most other neighborhoods in Knoxville will find the topsoil scraped away and heavy machinery cutting roads and drains and sewer lines to squeeze too many houses onto too little land....

Fifty Years Later

Fifty Years Later By Joe Rector Amy attended her 50th high school graduation recently, and yes, I went with her. In the entire crowd, I might have known half a dozen people. That didn’t matter; my job was to be there, be nice, make small talk, and be supportive. It...

Not Tough Enough

Not Tough Enough By Joe Rector On the Friday before July 4th, my sweet wife fell and had a slight fracture of the bone that’s at the outside of the knee. To make it worse, she had skinned her knee and lower legs. Yep, she was quite miserable. We got her home after...