I don’t write particularly well. I am not a good writer. A good writer uses short concise sentences in his own voice. My punctuation or lack of it, coupled with my bizarre use of spacing can make even my short sentences seem like code breaking. This final draft of the blog is readable through the head shaking efforts of Paula, who edits and suffers mostly in silence.

I enjoyed writing all through school, but when grammar appeared on the curriculum I could barely focus on the blackboard. Verbs, nouns and adjectives were within my mental grasp and when forced to pass a test I could come up with enough pronouns and adverbs to scrape by. I could never have stated the difference between a connective and a conjunction at gun point. For somebody who likes to write its a bad spot to be in.

I ended the previous sentence with a preposition. Most English teachers will tell you that a preposition is ‘a good word to end a sentence with.’ Winston Churchill, when corrected after ending a sentence with a preposition replied, “This is the type of arrogant pedantry, up with which I shall not put.”

Recently I heard a conversation between a Newfoundland Forester and a Professor of Biology conducted over the forestry radio frequency.

“Hey Doc, where are you at?” The professor answered, “I am back at the logging camp” and then added, “Why must you end sentences with a preposition?” The Newfie Forester didn’t respond for a few seconds but then  transmitted the following for all to hear: “Well excuse me Doc, let me try again. Hey Doc, where are you at…asshole?”

My goal is to improve my blog grammar while still using my own voice. If I was tempted to describe a great travel day by writing, “it was a rather lovely day” it would sound ridiculous. I don’t talk like that. “Now then, that, was a good day!” That‘s my voice. Please, if you read anything in my following blogs that doesn’t sound like me; tell me. You have my permission to, figuratively or literally, if that‘s more fun for you, slap me on the side of my bristly head. Believe me, the literal slap will probably be easier than anything you attempt to write.