I (and my vehicle) would like to thank the following: City Manager, City Council, and City of Wayland DPW, and contractors for allowing and repaving sections of various streets. Now people traveling the streets will have good roads to use and not need more dental appointments for refilling teeth and realigning dentures. And that hot coffee you just bought will not be in your lap or splash on your face. We must give credit where credit is due – Thank You!

With football season almost upon us, it is our favorite time of year watching high school, college, and professional teams play. While I like to watch a football game, especially high school, the football field in Wayland is the worst in the league with the large, high crown. I realize this is not the most pressing need for the district at this time, but there was a time that same football field was fine without the crown, but once it rained, water would gather from each end zone to the 20 yard line and the field didn’t drain well.

It was decided a “crown” had to be installed and so it was, so high if you stand on one side looking across the field, you can only see the opponents from the knees up. It also causes the passing game to suffer because of mis-thrown footballs misjudging distance. Whoever approved the crown of that size and height must have had the notion more is better.

Chickens in the city is a new concept? Not really. I knew a family within the city limits, albeit toward the outer edge, that had chickens for years and they had a rooster too! He must have been a lazy rooster because he would crow, but not in the morning when most normal roosters would start the day. And he must have been lazy with all the hens around, he hardly chased them for a little fun. The hens had a cage with nesting boxes where they would come to in the late afternoon to roost and lay eggs. The rooster would strut around until almost dark and make his way into the garage where there was a blanket on a chair where he would hop up on to bed down. The back door of the garage was always open, so he could come and go as he wanted. Although the big door was open most of the time, I never saw the rooster or hens in the front yard – they were fine staying at the rear of the house.

They had a mutt that protected the chickens. He never bothered them and appeared to take pride in protecting them. In all the years they had chickens, I never heard of a varmint killing one or stealing eggs. The dog slept in the garage on the floor close to the rooster on the blanket in the chair.

Later, the family even had a few piglets, but once they grew up, they sold them to a hog farmer. That was a good move, because they were getting out all the time and roaming the neighborhood and had to be herded back into their pen. Once they would get out, the neighbors would call and alert them of the escape and the kids would be deployed to round them up. They weren’t mean and could be herded back to the hog pen without much resistance, they just liked to escape and check out the neighborhood once in a while.

The more things change, they more they remain the same in many ways. Enjoy the remainder of the summer, fall is right around the corner. Before you know it will be Labor Day!