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(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 10-03-25) “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Dear October, You were my wife’s favorite month. Mine, too. There are many reasons why. Fall colors. Cooler days and crisp nights. Pumpkins. Halloween. Our son, Alex, was born in October. So was my late father. Alex and his wife, Lauren, will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary with you this month.

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 10-10-25) “… Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one …” — Doc, Back to the Future III It was a game that took me back in time. Just a game, a high school football contest with Orange Beach at Robertsdale on Sept. 26. And for a moment or two, it did take me back. Travel with me if you want. In the first “Back to the Future” film, Marty McFly went back 30

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 9-12-25) “Walked out this morning, I don’t believe what I saw A hundred billion bottles washed upon the shore Seems I’m not alone in being alone Hundred billion castaways looking for a home.” - ‘Message in a Bottle’ by The Police This one will admittedly be hard to believe. But trust me, it's a true story. I’ll stake my 38 years of marriage to my Bear. It wasn’t a message in a bottle as the lyrics atop this column c

"Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach. I feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach. Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone." — Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer" (First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 9-26-25) The vision is forever etched into my mind. It was during our last trip together to Gulf Shores in March. I had settled into a hot tub when I realized I had forgotten my towel. At that moment, I saw my wife, Dorinda, walking toward me, we

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 12-19-25) What’s your favorite Christmas memory? That’s a tough question for me as I’m sure it is for you, too. For most of us, the majority of those favorite holiday memories are centered around family. Of Christmas past, I think back to going to my grandparents’ house on the Smith side of my family when I was young. My dad was very close to his five brothers and sisters, in turn making us cousins tight as well. We’re st

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 12-12-25) “And who will give you strength when you’re not strong. Who’ll watch over you when I’m gone away.” - Alter Bridge, “Watch Over You” Dear Bear, This one will be a hard one to write. The holidays are hard. The nights are hard. The firsts are hard. It’s now been more than seven months of firsts. Thanksgiving has come and gone – my first one without you since 1982. Now, to brace for the Christmas and New Year’