Note on recent posts, or lack thereof

It may seem like I'm not keeping up with stories lately but it's not altogether my fault. Since it's summertime, the newspaper has temporary staff writing articles, and they all want their say on the op-ed page. My editor, a very forgiving, generous man, let's them do this. That means my column sometimes gets "bumped" into the following week.

I'm including a news article I wrote about Scott Edwards, a fine-art photographer from Wisconsin who had an itch to do something a little different to fire up his creativity: walk 1800 miles to the Grand Canyon. His journey, which can be read on his personal blog at www.scottedwardsimages.com, has made me think about my life, my hopes and dreams, especially now that, like him, I've turned the 50 page and have started into middle age. (And sometimes it feels much more advanced.) Lori just turned 50 as well, and she's feeling the pinch of mortality.

Meeting people like Scott make a journalist's poverty wages worth it. My column should return next week.