AN OUTDOORSMAN’S JOURNAL The Mississippi MARK WALTERS COLUMNIST Hello friends, Can you say too many sardines to fit in a can? That’s what I have when it comes to fitting everything into the space for this week’s column. Here it goes, 53 duck hunting openers ago, I camped and hunted ducks on an island on the Mississippi River across from Ferryville with my dad, the late Robert

| PUBLISHER LETTERS | On Composite Selves Dear Reader, In the intricate tapestry of human relationships, each thread represents a unique perspective of who we are. Your mother may have seen you as a compassionate individual, always ready to lend a helping hand. Your father might have viewed you through the lens of hard work and strategic thinking, qualities that reflect his own values and aspirations

| RURAL WRITES | G.A. SCHEINOHA CONTRIBUTOR Never a school year begins but memories of one’s own academic days don’t float back, flotsam in a turbid if distant stream. Despite surface fog of the past, distinct moments run through a projector. Reeled out same as an 8mm home recorded movie. Except showtime happens anywhere without linear progression. No plot. Just disjointed images