“What’s right, what’s wrong, what’s true, what’s false, who can one believe, who should always be doubted?”

Never in this lifetime, possibly never in all time, have there been so many queries go through the mind.

All make such a qualm, causing migraines for those who’ve seldom experienced even a headache. Then incorporate inconsistently forever changing stories, philosophies and opinions becoming most stressfully depressing.

Primary voting concludes this week with squabbling over tallies likely to continue for days. Some will win, most will lose, but who would have a clue if outcome is actually the best?

Working in promotions of sorts professionally for half a century never has advertising been so blatantly depreciating. All the name slinging, backbiting, degrading, it’s difficult to differentiate those being criticized from the boasting holier-than-thou.

Frequently those who are being defamed have gotten more benefit, certainly higher name recognition, than the bill-paying, humiliating opposition.

Despite most having positive intentions in the voting booth, it is an intimidating time of sorts. So many names, so many different choices, many times the first one remembered will get the ballot mark.

Whatever will be, will be, general election advertising is already underway. Possibility it could be ruder and more truly crude than recent weeks is highly probable in this uniquely strange environment.

Added to political controversies in today’s different world uncertainties are serious health concerns. No discussion warranted about the broad negative impact of any illness let alone a previously unknown one with no proven cure.

Help House, Lyndon, continues to operate under guidelines to keep visitors and volunteers safe. Appointments are required for the food pantry and shopping, and also for donation drop offs. Two bags and two boxes are the limit on donations.

Two adults can now shop inside for each appointment. Masks are required and temperatures are now checked at the door. Hand sanitizer and gloves are provided inside.

To schedule an appointment for the pantry, shopping or donating, call Help House at 785-828-4888, 4-7 p.m. Monday, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

School supplies will be available by appointment also, during the week of Aug. 17-21, 2020, for students who will not be receiving supplies from their school districts. Please call Help House to schedule an appointment.

Upcoming mobile pantries times, dates and locations are:

• Carbondale – 12–1 p.m. Aug. 11, Carbondale Church of Christian Fellowship
• Burlingame – 10-11 a.m. Aug. 20, The Federated Church
• Melvern – 12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 20, Melvern Community Center
• Osage City – 10-11 a.m. Aug. 20, Osage City Community Building
• Lyndon – 12-1 p.m. Aug. 21, Lyndon Jones Park

For more information, contact Help House at 785-828-4888, [email protected], or 131 W. 15th St., Lyndon, Kan.

“Be in my yard with your saddle and bridle Friday morning at 4:30.”

Ranch manager ordered the old wannabe who’d shyly requested to help gather a couple double stocked pastures.

It’s Flint Hills “shipping time” and a typical assignment for cowboys is rounding up short season grazing cattle.

Actually the younger family-member cowboy had 19 straight days gathering pastures, including those he manages and assisting neighbor grass operators.

Two personal mounts, obviously dipping deep into the feed bucket, are “show horses” and don’t take much to “real work.” Of course that brings snide smirks from “real cowboys” including the one loaning a “safe horse” from his half-dozen remuda.

Fortunately and prejudicially satisfying that big gray gelding had been started personally and used for stallion services a time. He didn’t “cut the mustard” as a breeder, nor as a “top cow horse,” yet fine for routinely checking cattle.

“Ruger” also works especially well when checking fence and waiting patiently for flood gap repair. “Just perfect” as the old wannabe’s loaner-mount, who the owner had ridden hard for three previous days getting pasture counts.

A couple trailers with horses and cowboys were already at the pasture gate with another handful arriving in short order.

“There’s nothing like riding your horse over the hill in the morning as the sun’s coming up,” Puncher Cooper always contended.

Somewhat rough skinny steers of widely varied shapes and colors from Mexico had been turned out about three months earlier. Blue skyline with occasional puffy cloud backgrounding green native grassland was picturesque sufficient for a rich man’s office painting.