I'M STARTING to see dead skunks along the highway.

You know what that means. Winter is almost over.

Skunks don't typically start rambling around a lot until early February (the Moon of the Polecat), when their mating season begins. This year they are moving a full two weeks early.

It hasn't been much of a winter so far. In fact, I've been playing tennis outside in shorts.

Yes, I know February can be rough, but not this year. I think winter is about over.

And if snow does come now, it won't last long. Why, in five weeks pitchers and catchers will be heading for major league spring training camps in Florida and Arizona, and six weeks from now I hope to have potatoes in the ground.

Like many Virginia winters, this one seems to be a bust. So, if it is not going to snow, let's just bring on spring.

A PRICEY GALLON OF SODA

We fuss about the high cost of gasoline, but the other day when I paid $1.99 for a 64-ounce bottle of Diet Coke, something occurred to me. The price of a gallon of Coke and the price of a gallon of milk are higher than the price of a gallon of gas.

Now who does our military invade to solve that problem--Atlanta for Coke and California for milk?

The last time I looked neither Venezuela nor the Arab states control America's milk or Coke, so who do we blame?

I know. The Democrats say the Republicans and the Republicans say the Democrats.

I guess the only good thing about all this is that we don't power our vehicles with either Coke or milk.

If you look hard enough, there's a bright side to every problem.

A TALE OF THE UNDEAD

A few weeks ago a faithful Free Lance-Star reader told me a story that an elderly woman had related to her years ago.

It seems that an older neighbor lady had died. That night, friends came over to pay their final respects.

One woman walked up to the casket and placed a lily on the deceased's chest.

As she stood there a moment remembering good times with the dearly departed, she saw the flower move.