Author: David Jacobi

I am a writer, photographer and artist. This blog will be a running commentary on country living, gardening, cooking, history, people, folklore, writing, reading, art, flora and fauna, photography, music, movies, traveling and whatever else I might be pondering off the back porch.

Fire In The Belly

Van Morrison

Call of the wildest, it’s got the best of you
Fire in my heart, fire in my belly too
Got a heart and a mind and a fire inside
And I’m crazy about you
You, you on your high flying cloud
You, you when you’re laughing out loud
You, you with your hidden surprise
You

Stoke up my engine, bring me my driving wheel
Once I get started you’ll see just how I feel
And I’m crazy about you
And I’m crazy about you
And I’m crazy about you
You, you on your high flying cloud
You, you when you’re laughing out loud
You, you with your hidden surprise
You

Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January

Spring in my heart, fire in my belly too
I come apart, I don’t know just what to do
Got a heart and a mind and a fire inside
And I’m crazy about you
You, you on your high flying cloud
You, you with the laugh in your eyes
You, you with your hidden surprise
You

Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January
Gotta get through February
Gotta get through January

Spring in my heart, fire in my belly too
I come apart, I don’t know just what to do
Got a heart and a mind and a fire inside
And I’m crazy about you
You, you on your high flying cloud
You, you with the laugh in your eyes
You, you with your hidden surprise
You

Talkin’ ’bout you
Talkin’ ’bout you
Talkin’ ’bout you
Talkin’ ’bout you
Talkin’ ’bout you
Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you (fire in the belly too)

Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you (talkin’ ’bout you)
Talkin’ ’bout you

Written by: Van Morrison

Released: 1997

2025 Reading

I think I read the least amount of books last year than any previous year I can remember. It was a very busy year for us and I barely kept up with reading my magazines and emails. Here is my annual list, for what it is worth. Here are some previous lists.

First Kisses and Other Miracles By Herb Benham

The Mysteries By Bill Watterson and John Kascht

The History of Farting By Dr. Benjamin Bart

Titanic Belfast – Souvenir Guidebook

The Black Book of Colors By Cottin and Faria

Blankets By Craig Thompson

I’m hoping to compile a much larger list for 2026.

Happy Reading!

Wasted

There are many stock photos of sad old people on the Internet

“Youth is wasted on the young.”

The source of this quote is discussed here quoteinvestigator.com

As we age, the wisdom of this quote becomes more apparent. With almost endless energy and plenty of wasted time spent on stupid stuff, the young have little concept of how short their lifetimes are, while some of us older folks watch and are wistful, remembering all the time we wasted when young.

Introduction to 2026

introduction /ĭn″trə-dŭk′shən/

noun

  1. The act or process of introducing or the state of being introduced.
  2. A means, such as a personal letter, of presenting one person to another.
  3. Something recently introduced; an innovation.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

At the turn of the year I realized I have never put up a schedule for Off The Back Porch. First off, here is the reason for this site:

“I am a writer, photographer and artist. This blog will be a running commentary on country living, gardening, cooking, history, people, folklore, writing, reading, art, flora and fauna, photography, music, movies, traveling and whatever else I might be pondering off the back porch.”

I have been publishing this blog since March 2019.

My monthly guidelines for 2026 are:

Chicken Soup With Rice – I am scanning and posting one page a month from this charming book by Maurice Sendak.

Quote – I choose what ever quote I have liked for years or have recently come across.

My Artwork – I publish a piece I have finished and include a link to my site on Fine Art America.

Lyrics – I have published much of my adult poetry on this site and have moved on to song lyrics and occasionally poems by other people.

The Roundup – This is a leftover of sorts from a previous blog of mine. I usually include recent encounters I have had, things I have read, observations, a website I have found interesting and a recipe.

Image Of The Month– It could be from anytime on any subject.

Vintage Magazines- Last summer I bought a stack of old magazines from a local tag sale for a couple of dollars. I decided to scan the contents of whatever interested me and share. I will also include scans of some other old stuff I have sitting around.

Acreage Update– My wife and I currently live on an acreage in north central Iowa with a dog and a cat, and I share what has been going on around here once a quarter.

There you have it: my monthly writing schedule. I might also squeeze in a few other things, such as essays, travel logs, movie reviews and “whatever else I might be pondering off the back porch.” I hope you join me.

Summer Bugs, Sammie and Dice

Sammie and Dice relaxing in our garage

The end of summer through fall saw infestations on our acreage of horrible, biting no-see-ums, and moths so thick at night that they could partially block the beam of a flashlight. There were the usual waves of biting flies and passive grasshoppers, with just a few toads crawling around. It was a dry early fall, then warm Indian summer.

Sammie (the cat who adopted us) had his first Tomcatting experience…during a Saturday night full moon! He showed up the next afternoon looking bedraggled and partied-out, with a gash on his nose. We can only guess. Our new dog, Dice, we fostered with his big brother Zeus. We returned Zeus to the shelter (he has since been adopted by another family) and kept Dice. Both dogs are Great Pyrenees, and two were one too many. Dice is a good boy (mostly) and gets along great with Sammie. They met as juveniles and don’t know they should be enemies.

Late fall turned cold and snowy, and so we wait like millions of other people for January and February to pass so we can enjoy a warmer outdoors again. Being cooped up does give one a chance for catching up on indoor projects, and maybe a little reflection on the year just passed and some planning for the new one at hand. Best wishes to you for a rewarding and happy new year.

Blue

Blue Flower By David Jacobi

[Verse 1]
Where have all my friends gone?
They’ve all disappeared
Turned around maybe one day
You’re all that was there
Stood by unbelieving
Stood by on my own
Always thought I was someone
Turned out I was wrong

[Pre-Chorus]
You brought me through
And you made me feel

[Chorus]
So blue
Why don’t you
Stay behind?
So blue
Why don’t you stop
And look at what’s going down?

[Verse 2]
Lived by an old woman
She’d never sell me a lie
It’s hard to sing with someone
Who won’t sing with you
Give all of my mercy
Give all of my heart
Never thought that I’d miss you
That I’d miss you so much

[Pre-Chorus]
You brought me through
And you made me feel

[Chorus]
So blue
Why don’t you
Stay behind?
So blue
Why don’t you stop
And look at what’s going down?

[Bridge]
All my life (Stand by)
I’ve waited for (Stand by)
Someone I (Waiting round)
Could show the door (Now that I’m blue)
But nothing seems to change (That I’m blue from now on)
You’ve come back into my arms

[Chorus]
So blue
Why don’t you
Stay behind?
So blue
Why don’t you?
Why don’t you stay behind?
So blue
Why don’t you?
Why don’t you stay behind?
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
So blue
Why don’t you stop
And look at what’s going down?

By The Jayhawks

Three Stops For Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

Our local Menards has a long shelf stocked with discount items just inside the store, close to the shopping carts. I just bought Oreo Fudge Covered Cookies for $1 a batch and Oreo Double Stuffed Cookies for $2.

At Dollar Tree take a stroll through the candy aisle with a store basket and a $20 bill (more or less) and fill up with old time candy for your family Christmas stockings.

Try Aldi for knock-off or store brands that are just as good (if not better) than name brand snacks and goodies for ½ to 1/3 the cost.

Merry Christmas!