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On Sunday, two weeks ago, I was a patient at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus and struggling with serious infection after surgery. To say it was painful would be an understatement, but what followed hurt way more than the pain I was enduring. While being tested, poked and prodded my wife announced that our 11-year old pet Dixie had gone into a bad seizure and our veterinarian, Lauren King was in route to our home. Later, I was told that she could not stop the seizures and that, the humane thing to do was to put Dixie down. That hurt me pretty bad but little did I know the hurt was just beginning.

Last weekend, a major storm system developed and began heading in our direction.  The weather system promised lightning, thunder, high winds, hail, and the possibility of a tornado or two. After watching the development of this system and its movement, and consulting with whomever they consult in situations like this, our local school systems decided to close the schools the following Monday morning in anticipation of the severe weather. The storms would have hit about the time the school buses were running, and Meriwether County went to virtual learning while Harris and Troup Counties closed for the day.

Jupiter remains incredibly bright in the night sky, but is not the only planet to see. Those with exceptionally sharp vision in a very dark area might spot the planet Uranus, which can be seen on a compass heading of 285 degrees at an inclination of 34 degrees – this according to amateur astronomer Ms. Lynn. Many people struggle to see Mars or Venus, planets much close to Earth, but she makes spotting Uranus almost a hobby. Just to the right and a bit higher in the sky is Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters.

• Mar. 23. In 1994, it was early afternoon at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and 500 paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were preparing to board several US Air Force C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter aircraft to participate in a training exercise. Quite a number of aircraft were in the air and another C-130 Hercules was on approach to land. A two-seat F-16 Fighting Falcon was conducting a simulated flameout approach when it collided with the C-130, severing the larger aircraft’s right elevator. The C-130 pilots aborted their landing, circled the field while examining the aircraft’s damage and landed without further incident.

Mark your calendars! This Friday, at 10:46 am Eastern Standard Time, spring begins! It’s the vernal equinox, the time of the year when the duration of day and night are just about the same length (as close as they ever get, anyway) and we see the annual renewal of the world – in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway.  Down below the Equator, things are heading toward winter. Here’s hoping your spring goes exactly the way you want it to! For me, it always does, since the trivia flows nonstop.  Enjoy!

More informational kiosks will soon be placed along the Man O’ War Railroad Recreation Trail in Pine Mountain. During the council meeting held Monday, Mar. 9, Susanne Newberry, of Southern Research Historic Preservation Consultants, requested to add kiosks along the trail primarily in the downtown area. Because they would be on city property, the project needed approval of the council. A number of kiosks are located along the trail from Pine Mountain to the trail’s current terminus at Mulberry Creek in the Cataula community. These kiosks provide historical information about the cities, communities, and areas through which the trail passes. The kiosks were funded by some of the grants obtained for the trail. The request was unanimously approved by the council.