My son got one of his first lessons in marital bliss this week. He just doesn’t know it yet. more

We’re less than a month away from what was supposed to be the start of the city’s annual spring cleanup as we knew it. Since the mid-’80s, the city has gone through neighborhoods on assigned days in the spring and hauled away what citizens can’t fit in the Dumpsters the rest of the year. The amount picked up last year totaled 170 tons. more

It is souring to think of paying $100 or more because we choose to irrigate a thirsty lawn on a Monday. It is also distasteful to contemplate total watering restrictions — meaning goodbye lawns, goodbye flowers and goodbye to that tomato plant you’ve been nurturing — because the town’s water supply hits crisis mode. more

On Russia’s adoption policyFrom the Dec. 30 San Francisco Chronicle:Russian President Vladimir Putin just signed a cruel and spiteful law that will bar Americans from adopting Russian children. … more

On Roe vs. WadeFrom the Jan. 22 Los Angeles Times:Forty years ago Jan. 22, the Supreme Court ruled that women had a constitutional right to an abortion. This one sweeping decision transformed … more

Remember tough love? That concept from a few decades ago that dealing sternly with someone and facing the problem would be best in the long run? more

We sat there for a good 10 minutes with the doe about 10 feet away from us. She had moved cautiously up the sloping lawn, a hesitant step at a time until finally, she was on the back deck. We sat inside in chairs turned around to the big glass windows and sliding door watching her come closer. more

On the Boy ScoutsFrom the Feb. 4 Daily Reporter-Herald, Loveland, Colo.:The Boy Scouts of America exists to develop character, citizenship and personal fitness in its members.In its effort to support … more

On the same-old WashingtonFrom the Feb. 16 The Eagle, Bryan-College Station, Texas:One only had to watch the contrast between Joe Biden and John Boehner during the State of the Union to know that any … more

Before the mayhem of the past week, I was repeating my oft-given thought about planting flowers like tulips and daffodils in Wyoming. In my mind, they’re just not worth it because they’re so often covered in snow. more