Aug. 17, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette:
Recently I complained that August is boring. There’s nothing on TV and it’s too hot to enjoy hiking. A restaurant dinner seemed like a good relief. Afterwards, rounding a corner onto Main Street, I was lit up by a state trooper. Sure enough, my tags had expired. Like most criminals, I had a reasonable excuse. I changed email addresses and never got the DMV due notice. Of course, neighbors of mine happened to be walking up Main Street at the time of the arrest. There will be no jail sentence but resolution is pricey.
Not long after, the family next door saw a hawk fly into their garage to perch. Carefully coaxed, the dangerous but confused bird finally flew out unharmed. From there, it flew straight into my garage and perched again.
With the hawk problem solved, I went to my living room to watch reruns. After dark, there was a sudden stench of burning rubber and sulphur inside. No other rooms smelled that way, no one was torching tires outside and Satan was not visible nearby. The 911 dispatcher suggested that I may have an electrical short. She prudently advised me to get myself and my pets outside while she alerted the fire department. Four engines pulled up on my street with emergency lights ablaze. Firefighters carefully inspected and rendered a diagnosis: one of my cats probably befriended a skunk just before racing inside.
Apologies to August and Rockbridge County. Boredom is welcome back any time. JOHN SAPPINGTON Lexington
