Other defenders of the huge federal farm bill make paeans to yeoman farmers "living under a yard light, trying to plow the land, plant a seed, harvest a crop. Democrats and Republicans on the Agriculture Committee, backed by crowds of lobbyists, are pulling out all the stops to pass a $288 billion, five-year farm bill, expanding an archaic system of subsidies that government economists say is rapidly shifting billions of dollars to the largest farm operations. And still other senators mock...

The railroad grade is bordered by a variety of trees and vegetation -- cottonwood, alder, pine, wild roses with displays of rose-hips red and puckered, thistles, teasels, cat-tails and many shrubs we did not recognize, all in a swirl of Gauguin-like color, accompanied by a chorus of hidden birds and tree frogs. The railroad grade is bordered by a variety of trees and vegetation -- cottonwood, alder, pine, wild roses with displays of rose-hips red and puckered, thistles, teasels, cat-tails...

Don Gatian was talking apples and oranges and it had nothing to do with fruit salad. The difference between the Antlers fledgling steps in that playoff game last season and the full-blown offensive machine it has become this season is, well, fairly fruity. They picked up a more productive 73 yards in the second half, but the passing game cooled, with Palmer hitting only six of his final 12 throws for 57 yards. It s evolved tremendously from what we started with not just from last year, but...

A big dinner plate piled with comb honey always graced the kitchen table, and Apple fondly recalls scooping up a forkful of honey still encased in beeswax whenever he passed by. The farm didn't have electricity, but it did have an apple orchard, sheep, beehives, threshing machines and a hay loft to explore. Although unlikely to acknowledge it, he undoubtedly has become "the beekeeper of Jasper," whose honey is included in city gift baskets presented to visiting officials. The queen had...

The point to be made today about the BCS is this: West Virginia has realistically but not completely lost its chance to play for the national championship for a variety of reasons we will now enumerate. This is the one that supersedes all others as far as logic is concerned and is the reason that, no matter what else happens, any complaints on behalf of the Mountaineers will be greeted as sour grapes. But that s kind of like saying that a chocolate covering is the best thing that ever...

Frankie wants a much larger life than the one she has in this small Southern town, and she knows when her brother marries, her new big life will begin. You feel Frankie's flush-faced boredom and impatience, her melancholy sense that not enough is happening, not nearly enough. Twelve-year-old Frankie has absolutely nothing to do this "green and crazy" summer but wait for the wedding of her older brother. The reflection in the glass was warped and crooked, but Frankie knew well what she...

I am going to have to plate them all up - well, except for the one I needed for tasting - and get them out of the house before my husband comes home. They are insanely delicious and a tummy full of Grand Marnier-infused raisins will give you a happy little buzz for the next task at hand. Pull apart all of the sticky raisin masses and then pour in enough Grand Marnier to just cover the raisins. Start these cookies the night before, because you need to soak the raisins in the Grand Marnier;...

Glen Goto, CEO of the Raisin Bargaining Association, issued a brief news release saying he; Monte Schutz, past president of the association; and the association "are pleased with the decision, intend to put the episode behind us and continue working on behalf of our membership and the California raisin industry. The judge found the lawsuit fit the SLAPP criteria of suits filed to prevent people from taking part in government proceedings or speaking out on issues. Glen Goto, CEO of the...

MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News Natalie Firth, 9, of Hagerman, center, and her brother Dillon Firth, 12, of Paul wait patiently for a taste of fresh cider as their grandfather Leon Johnson spins the handle on the cider press on a recent Saturday morning in Leon's shed near Burley. MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News Natalie Firth, 9, of Hagerman, center, and her brother Dillon Firth, 12, of Paul wait patiently for a taste of fresh cider as their grandfather Leon Johnson spins the handle on the cider...