Of praise, pets, yard work & a great game

Rambling through central Illinois, pondering a war vs. unseen germs.
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Historically, when our country goes to war, deserved praise is showered on military members who put their lives on the line for our benefit. The war we face now, though, is so different. This time around, the warriors, in the trenches are medical staff fighting to cure the sick. The true heroes are the first responders who transport the sick … pharmacists who are there to make sure you get your meds … nursing home staffers … prison guards clerks at stores making sure you get enough toilet paper. There are plenty of people who often go underappreciated but now deserve our highest praise right now. … Speaking of which, a recent Buffalo News story reported that 14 Buffalo firefighters had tested positive for COVID-19 and 50 more were exhibiting symptoms of the virus. In the face of that, the union representing the firefighters offered this response, “In spite of this, the members of Local 282 remain ready, willing and able to answer the call to serve our community in the face of this pandemic whenever and wherever we are asked to do so.” That’s the spirit. … Hazard pay for postal workers, as some have proposed? Not sure that’s the spirit.
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Corn planters were humming this week as farmers worked to erase the memory of last year’s planting problems. And while I appreciate the need for no-till operations, a field that has been groomed to perfection is a thing of beauty. For instance, I’ve been admiring the ground Don Ramp farms just east of Yates City. … Not sure about your pets, but ours are reacting differently to the COVID-19 stay-at-home edict. The dog, Bridget, appears to be living in heaven. Always someone to pester and get pets from. More people eating and giving her table scraps. More walks. More trips to the farm. … But the cat, Rosie? Not so pleased. Why are all the humans here all day? Stop trying to play with me. Leave me alone. I want to sleep. …But cats in general got bad news when a tiger allegedly came down with COVID-19. If cats, big or little, are found to be COVID carriers, the feline race is in trouble. Maybe that’s why Bridget is so happy.
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A saving grace of the war we now face is that working in the yard is still legal (imagine if this was happening in January). My bet is yards will never be mowed more often than this April – nor will gardens start a year in better shape. With that in mind, here’s an early reminder about our annual Big Tomato Contest. This year comes with an added twist: In addition to $50 first prizes here at The Weekly Post and at our sister paper, The Prairie News, there will also be a special, Champion of Champions prize. Stay tuned. … Only time will tell if organized religion comes back stronger or weaker after coronavirus. My guess is the latter, sadly. … Parting shot: How do you pass time when time is all you have? Play the board game Catan! What a life saver. Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com.