At a fundraising event a few weeks ago, I tried to tickle Mike in the ribs while we were taking our picture (which I hate doing). It was just a quick, playful poke like teasing a giggling five-year-old. Nothing. Not a flinch. Not a squirm. Not even a startled jump. He stood there, calmly smiling
Most people see rabies as an outdated disease — rare, distant, and unlikely to impact daily life. In many ways, that view is correct. “Dogs and cats must receive their first rabies vaccine at four months of age, followed by a booster one year later,” said Dr. Elizabeth Vodevic of Plantation Animal Hospital in Fleming
Millions of people groggily change their clocks twice a year, muttering complaints about Daylight Saving Time (DST) as they rush to get extra sleep. Parents struggle to wake their children, who are late for school, while tired students wonder whether they are safe as they wait in the dark for the bus. Although DST was
Keystone Heights resident Christopher Butler came from a family of warriors. His grandfather served in the Army; his father and two uncles served in the Navy, and his aunt was an FBI agent. By the time he was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, his family expected him to make his mark in service. They
Recently, I found myself explaining to a young person the origin of the phrase “I’ll get your goat.” It sounded simple enough — just an expression we use when someone irritates us. But as I described its origin, I realized how many of our everyday sayings carry stories most of us have long forgotten. We
If you grew up in the South, chances are you spent part of your childhood crouched over a small, funnel-shaped pit in the sand, softly calling to a creature you couldn’t see. I certainly did. On long summer days, I would lean in close, letting my hair fall toward the ground, and chant the familiar
Superstitions shape our daily rituals, from carrying a lucky charm to wearing a specific jersey on game day. But where do these beliefs originate? At their core, superstitions are rooted in a fascinating psychological phenomenon: operant conditioning. This process, in which behaviors are reinforced by their outcomes, helps explain why certain actions become lasting traditions
A Plain‑English Look at a Quiet System That Holds Most systems that shape daily life don’t announce themselves. They operate quietly in the background — steady, functional, and often misunderstood. Volunteer community radio is one such system. Stations like ClayRadio sound simple when you tune in. Music plays. Voices speak. Community announcements come and go.
In the backyard of a friend who lives in Clay County, a Barred Owl makes regular visits. I came to call the owl Sagacious. Sagacious usually arrives at dusk—sometimes silent as a shadow, other times announcing his presence with a deep, rhythmic hoot. To human ears, that call sounds remarkably like words: “Who cooks for
Why are spiders so feared? Perhaps it’s a learned childhood behavior, with adults warning kids to steer clear of spiders because they bite, even when no one they know has been bitten. Movies like Arachnophobia and Eight-Legged Freaks reinforce these fears by portraying spiders as creepy and dangerous. Add Halloween’s spider-filled decorations, and the fear
