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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!

Songs of Summer 2025

These are the ten songs I heard the most of during the summer of 2025:

Pink Pony Club By Chappell Roan

Manchild By Sabrina Carpenter

Ordinary By Alex Warren

Shut Up And Dance By Walk The Moon

What I Want By Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae

Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else By Benson Boone

Too Sweet By Hozier

Love Me Not By Ravyn Lenae

Good News By Shaboozey

undressed By sombr

I have stayed mostly current with rock (whats left of it) and alt-country, but hadn’t listened to pop for a prolonged period of time for several years. Most of what I heard I enjoyed. Looking forward to dancing by myself in my machine shed with the radio turned up again next year!

The Roundup

Encounters: During a recent trip to my eye doctor, we were visiting and the subject of dreams came up after she confessed she thought she was neurotic. As an example she told about a reoccurring dream that mixed her job with her family life. The dream unfolds at a baby shower and she is showing two dresses for the recipient to choose from, as she does with lenses at her job. “Do you prefer dress number one,” she asks with a smile, “or dress number two.” “One,” she repeats, or two?” It turns into a nightmare as she continues to repeat the question and the guest of honor can not decide. We both laughed, and I conceded she might be a little neurotic.

Read: Because of a year-long project I have been involved in I have not been doing much reading, other than news on the internet and some magazines here and there. However, being a lifelong fan of comics and graphic novels I reread Blankets, By Craig Thompson. The final lines in the book read, as the main character (Craig) walks through the snow by himself: “How satisfying it is to leave a mark on a blank surface. To make a map of my movement, no matter how temporary.”

Observed: Very few migrating birds this fall. Where are they, or have I missed all those flyovers?

Website: Leftovers and Food Safety

Recipe: Baked Potato Soup