Country Connections by James and Ellen Perry

Still sitting in my bedroom at my small desk looking out at a lowering sky with a squall line approaching from the northwest and strong winds with lots of rain heading our way. As most folks, I have developed a case of winter doldrums. We’ve had so far a cold winter and even a two-inch snow the morning of December 11.

A kid on my school bus asked how I liked the snow and I replied,” I love the kind of snow we experienced yesterday; It snowed two inches early morning and melted by afternoon.” Kind of like being visited by relatives. They come and go the same day.

Daylight has been increasing since the 22nd of last month. On December 21 the daylight length was 9:42.59 and the next day, December 22, it increased to 9:43.2 or 3 seconds longer. On January 31 the daylight will increase to 10:29 hours. Days will get longer until late June and then will start decreasing again.

Watching nature, I have noticed that the squirrels are getting more amorous and little squirrels will be popping up in the trees in a few weeks. The robins will be heading north soon, stopping by my yard and garden to feed on earthworms and insects on their way to their summer breeding grounds. A sure sign that spring is not far away.

Then the crocus, daffodils, forsythia, azaleas and dogwoods flower into a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors. In other words, the earth begins to awaken from its winter slumber and brings forth new life with the side effects of amazing beauty.

Also intertwined with the beauty of spring 2025, for many of us, there is a new optimism spreading that will uplift our economy, hopefully increase our faith, bring back our family unity and bring back respect in every manner to our people in the USA.

I’m a fan of Jesse Stuart. Jesse came from northeast Kentucky in the 1920s, penniless, and was accepted by Lincoln Memorial University at Harrogate, Tennessee, as a student. He worked his way through LMU by working in the laundry, cafeteria, digging out stumps, unstopping toilets, cleaning out the sewage pipes and writing papers for other students. Jessee had a tough time at LMU, but bowed his head, put his shoulders to the task and finally graduated.

Jesse taught school in Kentucky, was principal in Kentucky schools, became a county school superintendent, taught in Cairo, Egypt, and gave lectures throughout the world. Jesse wrote 36 novels during his life, acquired wealth and property, and even donated 714 acres to Kentucky for a state park. The state of Kentucky named the park the Jesse Stuart State Nature Preserve in Greenup County, Kentucky. The nature preserve was dedicated December 7, 1979. I plan to ride my Burgman 650 bike to the Jesse Stuart Nature Preserve this coming summer. I also will start to collect as many of Jesse Stuart’s novels as I can over the next few years. I want to thank Wanda Woods Cox Byerley for restarting me on my admiration for this man. I wonder why there is no recognition for him at LMU.

We don’t know what January and February has in store for us (i.e. snow, freezes, wind), but when we get low, remember it is only seven weeks until the weather changes and new life begins. Another gift from God, who put these changes into the earth at its beginning. Don’t forget the shooting star showers coming in early spring.

For music, go to your computer or smart phone and type in these selections: Hurt, Beyond the Reef, She Was Only Seventeen, Man Walks Among Us, A White Sports Coat and My Woman, My Wife by Marty Robbins.

You are all invited to the Roy Acuff Union County Museum and Union County Historical Society in Maynardville, Tennessee, to hear Archie Reynolds give a very informative talk about the Cherokee Nations history. There will be some surprises brought out. This will be on Sunday, January 19, at 2 p.m.

See you next month.