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Miscellany

Winter’s coming on

We sounded the alarm in last month’s MILL that due to the continued trajectory of Earth, we would soon be entering the season of summer. If the warmer weather and the sudden drop in morning traffic hasn’t convinced you of that, then perhaps this weekend the scent from several thousand grills firing up at once followed by the boom and pop of fireworks will drill it home.

As a child, I spent a good deal of my summers near the banks of the Ohio River in the care of one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. My grandfather, William “B” Eglin, did not have much of a formal education.
Born in Rabbit Hash, which is just across the river from Rising Sun, Indiana, he spent much of his working life in the fields of eastern Kentucky and southern Indiana. He knew intense, hot labor and he knew the value of an afternoon on the porch enjoying a cool breeze.

He was a good storyteller with a keen sense of humor. More than once on a hot day, usually right around this time of year, I remember him looking skyward and musing, “Winter’s coming on.” As the years have gone by, that simple, clear perspective on the fleeting nature of the season and the need to remember to enjoy it rings even more true.

Have a good summer. You know why. — Kirk Ross