.. Later that afternoon Jake set up the checker board.  He sat Nicky down in front of it and showed the boy the rules of the game. “I know you’re a little young for this kid, but I taught all my children to play this game.  They got pretty good at it, especially my little girl.” “Where is your little girl?” Jake sighed.  “I don’t really know, she left home a long time ago and I haven’t heard from her since.  Her brothers live over in California and I don’t get to see them very much either.  So now I have you until they find your mother and I need a checkers opponent.  King me!” They played for a while and Jake ordered pizza for dinner.  As they ate, Nicky told Jake about being with his daddy and Crystal.  His father had taken Nicky for one of his regular visits and when the time was up he loaded everyone into the RV and hit the open road. Jake’s heart went out to Nicky’s mother.  He knew what it was like to lose a child and never know what happened.  ** *** ** The next morning Jake took Nicky into town for breakfast.  As they entered the diner, Margaret looked up from her breakfast and waived for them to join her

I was watching a TV show and the interviewer asked a dog handler why the dogs seem to go way off course at first. What the dog handler said made perfet sense for the dog and for us.  He said “Once the dog gets the sent, it makes a wide arc. Unfortunately, the farther away from the source the dog is the more it smells other sents. So, the dog is smelling how far it can go before it looses the sent. Once it looses the sent it moves back to the direction it could smell it. The dog then continues in a zig zag pattern based on strength of the sent. That is why you see dogs sniff from side to side. The closer they are to the target the easier it is for them to determine a strong or weak sent”  As people, we have to do the same thing. We all want to be successful in life so we start looking for success in a broad sweeping manner. The reason dogs are very successful is they stay focused on the one sent they are searching for. Most people unfortunately continually change their goal depending on what sent seems strongest. The big problem for people who do that is the target is rarely stationary. Before long the second

How quaint times past often seem when viewed from a modern perspective. Up until 1914 it was actually possible to purchase from a grocery or drugstore not only morphine, but also opium, heroin and cocaine.  You could even place an order with Sears to receive a home delivery of your chosen substance(s), which was at least a rather more civilized way of conducting your business than is currently the case.  And yet despite the absence of any governmental regulations regarding narcotics, the number of people who fell into addiction was approximately what it is now.  Although it has to be said, in the olden days the public was spared the not inconsiderable problem of drug related crime.  By allowing people to exercise their fundamental right to consume any substance of their choosing and regardless of the physically damaging consequences, was still to the ultimate benefit of society at large.   “War on Drugs” the term was in fact first used by Richard Nixon, way back in 1971.  Though perhaps adding the prefix unwinnable might be more accurate, not to say honest.  Why unwinnable though?  Perhaps a more revealing way of phrasing that would be no intention to win.  Consider that the cost to the public in the US alone in order to fund drug related law enforcement, has been estimated to be

“Daddy says I’m not supposed to talk about Mommy.  He says I’m not supposed to think about her cause she’s not supposed to be my mommy anymore.  He says Crystal is my new mommy.  She lives in the RV too.” “Well, I tell you what Nicky, why don’t you finish your chocolate and then you and I can take a ride into town and we will look for your dad and Crystal.”  He smiled as Jake poured him a cup of coffee. “Can we find my Mommy too?  I miss her.” “We can sure try, son.  But I need to know her whole name and her address.  Do you know where she lives” “4223 Maple Drive.” “Great!  And what town?” “Springfield.” “Oh, which Springfield?” Nicky shrugged and sipped his hot chocolate.  Tom looked at Jake and shook his head.  “Well, it’s a start.  There’s a whole lot of towns named Springfield in this country.  Well, finish up your hot chocolate Nicky and let’s go into town and try to find your Mama.” ** *** ** The Sheriff’s office buzzed with activity as the three of them walked through the door.  Nicky clung tightly to Jake’s calloused hand.  “Oh, hey Sheriff, I was fixing to call you.” Said Deputy Smith.  “We got a couple of dead bodies out by the RV