Christmas came and went in a flash and all I can say is WOW! Miss Trixie in her usual manner made a huge splash with presents for the grandkids and I doubt that we will be able to do better than that in any following gift-giving. For those of you that know her it's not a surprise but if you do not, let's just say the best decision you will ever make is to invite her to any potluck or other event where she can share her bounty. You will not be sorry.

And having that holiday under our belt Ol’ Dutch had hoped for a few days of peace and quiet around the farm but way before the butt crack of dawn, Miss Trixie bailed out of bed like a dairy farmer in Iowa and headed out for the after-Christmas sales. Thankfully, I did not have to go along and witness the madness that occurs nor stand in return lines as long as the store is wide.

As you all know a massive cold snap hit the entire USA in the past week and we suffered a water outage as everything just froze up. I finally got that flowing again but seem to have a water leak again somewhere so there goes my week of relaxation anyway.

As we look ahead to the week, I am sure we will also get to see the grands again as they are out of school for a while and may even babysit toward the end of the week as their mother has another birthday coming round and they usually go somewhere.

The end of the week also brings about the very end of the year as we are staring 2023 right in the face for sure. And with that rumors and theories of certain destruction abound from sources as varied as government to televangelists all certain the end is nigh.

Why I can remember it just like yesterday when they all were telling us that the year 2000 would bring about death and mayhem with the Y2K phenomenon. People sold 20-year shelf-life food like it was going out of style and it just dawned on me that it's all out of date already and we are still here.

Of course, they all sold that stuff at huge profits because even though your money was supposedly going to be worthless after that event, somehow, they needed that same money in their pockets. I never figured that out.

And they also told us how we could eat that mush as regular food too so it would not go to waste as the shelf life approached. This brings up another weakness in their sales pitch: if the world is ending, why do we need 20-year food supplies?

It must have been a great scam as ever since then, the preachers and grifters have been selling that stuff like hotcakes which is one of the staples in the food supplies they send out when you order it.

I have some friends who are into the “prepper lifestyle” and Miss Trixie and I even got a Christmas present of some silver bullion for the times ahead when money is worthless. According to preppers, folks will trade silver for food in lean times so they can remain fat and sassy while the masses starve.

Now Ol’ Dutch does have more than a few concerns about the way things are going financially and economically but I figure that if things go to hell in a handbasket, Miss Trixie and I will eat the cows that we have and then like good soldiers …. just fade away.

And from the looks of things around here and the nation, it would take a considerable amount of time for any of us to fade away enough to really suffer anyway.

I hope you will join me in looking ahead to 2023 with at least a little excitement as you never know when you will turn a corner and something wonderful will happen to you. So, lift your heads and hearts as we enter the new year. For unlike the naysayers and doomsday prophets that seem to run amuck among us, I think we have yet to see our finest hour as a people and a nation.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.