Summertime, when I was a boy, began the moment Fair Grove school bus No. 10 dropped us off for the last time in spring and lay before us like a prairie too wide to see across. more

Some people will do almost anything to avoid work. more

Some drought-stricken corn may have more value as cattle feed than grain this year. more

This time of year we receive a lot of calls about Johnsongrass. Is it bad for my cows? Will it kill my cows? Is it true that it can cause cattle to abort? more

The other half of this summer’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, “Oppenheimer” did so well in its second weekend that it gets a full review all its own. Sure, it came in a distant second to “Barbie” both weekends, but with an estimated $174 million at the domestic box office thus far, it’s more than on pace to become the biggest movie of all time to never win a weekend. The unofficial, counterintuitive, and highly-unusual “Barbenheimer” marketing campaign (“contrast the glittery comedy with a drama about the atomic bomb”) certainly helped this film’s box office, but it’s a strong enough movie that I’d like to think that it could have been a hit even without its unlikely pink ally. more

Warren. That was his name. I didn't know him, but I knew he was a bad kid. He was getting busted by our teacher every day. more

“Barbie” prides itself on inspiring a full range of feelings – both in its characters and its audience. The characters tap into dark, sad sides they never knew they had, and they find out life is more rewarding for it. The audience is sure to eat up all the easy jokes and sweetness, sure, but they’re also supposed to appreciate the film for its psychological depth and hard-hitting social commentary. Perhaps it’s appropriate that I have a broad range of feelings toward the film. I think there are portions that work very well, and there are entire storylines and characters that could be cut. There are jokes worth laughs, and jokes worth a cold stare. Some of the film’s insights opened my eyes, others made me roll them. But at least the movie is ambitious enough to attempt so many jokes and insights. more

Another week of blistering, 100-plus heat and no rain to slake the thirst of our Ozarks’ parched earth — it’s miserable weather for most of us, but worse for that tiny but critical percentage who feed us. more

Indeed it’s sad to read about municipal personnel disputes resulting in loss of service and employment of key senior management and the resulting emotional disruption within the community. Moreover, it appears the city may be suffering from employee unrest and morale given the nature of complaints leveled upon the former Director of Public Works, Mr. Jerry Hamby. more

Ever since humans began tending to small patches of cultivated ground near their homes, the terms “rain” and “garden” have gone together. more

Ragweeds are flowering plants in the genus Ambrosia in the aster family, Asteraceae. more

Tom and I had plenty of reasons not to plan a trip this summer – too many crowds, too expensive, too hot, too tiring. But after we saw our 19-year-old college kid make a cross-country road trip with three friends – armed with nothing more than a duffel bag and a smile – we felt inspired. Maybe we should see something new, too. more