The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Early morning haze and the specter of rising humidity accompanied morning coffee this week. It felt the same as in the past, yet differences were apparent. It had been over five years since our last visit to some favorite Flint Hills fishing ponds. Busy schedules and busy lives took much of the blame but little of the responsibility. That belonged to us.

It’s a pattern familiar to many; places visited, richness gained, declarations to return soon, and always the perception that there was plenty of time to do so. Life’s timeline, we presumed, was ample enough to accommodate all our...