If I see something interesting on the cover, I read those articles. If nothing hits me, they get pitched.

A recent publication told of the plight of Amtrak. Its billions of subsidies from the government don't seem to be enough to keep it solvent. The article went so far as to say that a transcontinental ride from Orlando to Los Angeles would cause Amtrak to lose less if it bought each passenger a plane ticket!

Our casino poll is shifting as of this week. Instead of 4 to 1 against it is now 3 to 1 against. You still have time to register your opinion at www.hillsborofreepress.com.

The other day I was thinking about some memorable Christmas gifts I received from my parents while I was growing up.

When I was 5, I got a vibrating electric jigsaw that wouldn't cut your fingers but would cut wood. I remember cutting out all kinds of things until I was silly.

Then the most surprising gift my parents ever came up with was a set of baby moon hubcaps for my '56 Chevrolet. My folks were way hipper than I thought.

I still have the jigsaw and wish I had the car, too.

If it was legal to do so, we could team up to save the county some postage money on the mail-in ballot. If you brought it by our office, I could take it to the county clerk's office before the deadline-along with mine-when I'm going to Marion anyway.

One hundred envelopes would save the county $370.

Unfortunately, we don't have that option.

The blast of cold air last week was not to my liking and had me confined to the indoors for the most part. Maybe the winter will be a mild one and the shivering will be minimal.

Dogs are known to have a sixth sense that humans don't have.

When my dad was going to college at Mankato State in Minnesota during the '30s, he never spent money to call and let my grandparents know when he would be coming home.

He didn't have to call. The dog on the farm would somehow instinctively go to the end of the lane and wait. Sure enough, my dad showed up.

If you haven't seen a copy of the new "Kansas Guide Book for Explorers" by Marci Penner of the Sampler Foundation in Inman, you might want to get one. She traveled more than 40,000 miles and visited every incorporated town in the state. The book highlights hundreds of interesting things to see and experience.

Marion County towns are well represented. It's as true a celebration of rural culture as you will see. Hillsboro's Friesen Mill made the back cover.