When you get to be as old as I am, it’s OK to repeat yourself and with this story I may have. It goes with the syndrome of aging so it’s all right.

They have always told us that two subjects one doesn’t discuss in mixed company are politics and religion. I find this hard to accept because each is fascinating and I’m not politically correct enough to obey the suggestion.

Being the voice of one “crying in the wilderness” is not too happy a spot either. I’m glad the inauguration is finally over and we can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Choosing a cabinet has been interesting. When I was in school, we had a device to remember the different departments of government. It was the letters in ST WAPNIACL, which signified State, Treasury, War, Army, Post Office, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Labor. I don’t even know if these are today’s designations and others have probably been added, but changes are inevitable.

According to man-on-the-street Q&A sessions by a well known TV personality, some of today’s “students” don’t seem to know anything about anything like “who is buried in Grant’s tomb.” School for me was an adventure. Do they ever teach civics anymore?

Along about the 1930s, I remember a cover of the Liberty magazine, which sold for 5 cents. Can you imagine publishing any magazine for a nickel? The illustration was of two young ladies pulling each other’s hair. They were “flappers” so it may have been the late 1920s. Each was wearing a necklace — the blond with a donkey and the brunette with an elephant. The caption was “a little political pull.” In my mind’s eye, it’s still very vivid.

The night of Jan. 10, I watched news from Portland and the snow was coming down in great chunks. Those reporting at the scene were dressed like Alaskans and were certainly having some difficulties. What a job! Traffic in one instance was at a stand still — streams of cars because one vehicle at the front of the line had gone launchwise. Eventually they moved again. We were told there would be snow from Tillamook to Astoria, so I wasn’t surprised to see one-half to an inch of white in the a.m., although it was mostly melted by 11:30 a.m. It ain’t summer yet!

MLK, Jr. Day dawned a little springy. It certainly brought out the birds with a temperature of 40 degrees. When I got up, ice was still on the puddles but after it melted, sparrows and starlings all joined in a drink and a communal splash. Can you imagine that? Drinking your bath water? It’s for the birds.

A trio of deer, mom and two well-grown fawns, were back in my yard on Thursday. Saturday there were only two and one (mom) had an injured hind leg, possibly broken though she was able to hop around on three. I hate to think the third creature might have been hurt in the same incident. I know they rescue birds all the time, so I called the police, not knowing what to do. “Letting nature take its course” seemed to be the order of the day.

Laugh Line:

Q: How should you treat a baby goat?

A: Like a kid.

Q: How do you mount a horse?

A: Take it to a taxidermist.