SALINE COUNTY -- The often tossed about phrases these days of "consumer confidence," "herd mentality" and "investor anxiety" raise my hackles.

The president urges us to spend to save the economy. Sorry, but after "spending" half my paycheck on Bank of America and Chase and various other bills, I just don't have that much left to contribute to the economy, Mr. President.

SALINE COUNTY -- I missed the annual orgy of American toads in my folks' pond this year.

I guided a troop of youngsters over to the pond Sunday on the promise of seeing and hearing toads lustily screaming and cavorting as they created the next generation.

HARRISBURG -- The weather Wednesday sure was nicer than on that date last year, when the water rose. My first inkling this was no regular flood was when the fire department started sandbagging at Brookstone Estates. I wasted my time in taking photographs of the effort, unable to reach the apartment complex in my little car because the road was under feet of water.

HARRISBURG -- Vicky was surfing the Internet and telling me about her day when a shot rang out.

"Just what we need right now, more gunplay in the street," I said.

This is getting to be a routine in our household, conversations interrupted by gunfire.

MASSAC COUNTY -- The news of the asteroid the size of a 10-story building whizzing past the earth Monday brings our problems into perspective.

The economy may be in shambles, we may have lost our jobs, we may be losing our homes and our cars may be broken down, but at least now we don't have to worry about an explosion with the force of 1,000 atomic bombs going off in the neighborhood. Armageddon is a problem we can deal with another day.

HARRISBURG -- It began as a normal quiet night Tuesday. Vicky and I were involved in our normal routine. I had just come home from work and she was going through her mail on the bed and we were sharing stories about the day.

She, a teacher, was telling me about the various shenanigans of her students, who was mad at her, who had helped her, who had been bad and then was good, changes in behavior for no reasons apparent to her.

BAY CITY -- After slaloming our way around the fallen trees for about a mile, I had to stop the car. Someone had cleared that far, apparently to reach the wheat field, but ahead trees blocked the road as far as the eyes could see.

The ice storm damage along the river bottoms in far southern Pope County was a shock.

SALINE COUNTY -- We can complain about our recent round of wild weather, being inconvenienced by ice storms and high winds that wreck our trees and put us out of power.

Our weather is unpredictable, but at least we don't have to dive into wombat holes to save ourselves from 100 foot high wildfires that travel 60 mph like they've been having to do in Australia.

SALINE COUNTY -- I was really hoping to get out into the forest to check out the effects of the ice storm this weekend, but now the U.S. Forest Service has closed all the recreation areas on the east side of the forest.

All roads leading into the recreation areas are blocked with downed limbs and trees and the Forest Service is out surveying to determine where to begin the clean up.

SALINE COUNTY -- Many have complained this winter that Southern Illinois doesn't get snow any more. We only get ice that is not pretty and only leads to motor vehicle accidents.

Those wishing for snow now have their wishes fulfilled and in a dramatic way.

SALINE COUNTY -- Ten years and 246,000 miles later my car has finally bitten the dust. I really never thought the day would come that I would turn the key and the engine would not turn over.

I thought would drive it until the wheels fell off, but an engine rod blew first reminding me of the Towns Van Zant lyrics, "'You don't need an engine to go downhill and I can plainly see, that's the direction you're headed in,' and he handed me the key."

I was kicking myself and frustrated last Saturday trying to locate the old salt well in rural Equality, a site I'd not been for years.

The well is, appropriately, on Salt Well Road not far from the Old Slave House. My memory had the well about the size of a car surrounded by railroad timbers. That much I knew. Where exactly it was I did not know, but figured there was a pull off along the road that would lead me to the spot.

The deer and geese know the safest place to be from the hunters in the county. Last weekend I found their hiding place on Haulage Road in the reclaimed Sahara mine land.

I found them by mistake. I was actually hoping to check on progress on the Sahara Woods Fish and Wildlife Area. No, it is not yet open to the public, but the road through it is a public township road.

GARDEN OF THE GODS -- I was thinking about Rice Hollow Wednesday and about the impressive number of large downed trees, casualties of the February ice storm.

I was thinking about the severely eroded creek banks there likely caused by the March flood.

SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST -- When the cold rain is coming down at night South Vine Street appears almost exotic.

The orange street lamps cast a golden glow on the brick. The downspouts gush as they drain the flat roofs of Whiskey Chute.