Happy New Year, everyone.

The sun came up again this morning. We knew it did in my neck of the woods.  How did we know?  The clouds in the sky were lit up…though there was no sphere to prove the brightness in sight.  At least, not for a while there wasn’t.

This was the sun coming over the hill behind the house the first time in 2017.

This was on the left side of the sycamore tree when the sun came up the first time in 2016.

The sun came up in 2015 over the Atlantic Ocean Jan. 1…Hilton Head.

We did have a nice visitor we got a photograph of this morning.

We got outfoxed a bit.  That was the best picture we could get.  He wanted to move around a bit and I can’t blame him.  We were in his way.

Here’s to 2017.

I hope things get better.

Like many old Republicans, I long for the party I remember.  I am convinced Donald Trump spends much too much time looking at his computer/phone/twitter account than he cares looking into what is best for the country.  Am I the only one thinking we are going to have to put up with a guy like Ebeneezer Scrooge…Ebeneezer Trump…the next four years?   At least Scrooge wasn’t attached to a computer.  The GOP will be sorry for this faux pas.

Resolutions for 2017?

I don’t have much to say about that…resolutions that is.

One thing I plan to do is shed a few more pounds.  After I was given bad news about my back in July, I cut down my exercise time.  My back is better.  I am looking into treatment.  The injury is over 30 years old.  Part of it.  The problem is that in the time I lacked exercise, I used part of that time to eat more vittles than I should.

Another thing I plan to do is play my guitar more.  I recorded 16 songs in 2016.  I wrote most of them in 2016.  I need to play more.  I need to hear those sounds.

I need to write more.  speaktherights.com has not had as many posts as I wish.  Days move quickly and I have not been given my writing the time it deserves.  Hope that this will happen as I hope it does this January 1st.

I need to write more words of thanks to folks that have influenced my life in a positive way.  A short few words that are heartfelt can make a huge difference in our lives.

I need to spend more time praying to God in Heaven above for guidance and give more thanks for the things I have been blessed with.  The older I get the less I seem to know (about a great many things).

I need to find new ways to be creative in doing a better job as a school counselor.  Things are changing in education.   There is more to keep up and be cognizant of than we ever imagined just ten years ago.  One thing has stayed constant, even when politicians and other adults try to screw things up, young people want to learn.  Thank God for that!  The young folks of today will learn from our mistakes, I have no doubt.  While we have been bumbling around with technology and social media so very recklessly in its inception, they will find a way to make things work smarter.  Technology has been our recent discovery of fire.  We have done a great deal of damage with this type of fire.

I need to never underestimate the amount of love and support I have out there.  Family, friends, co-workers, you name it.  I am a blessed man.  I hope I too can help along the way.

And along the way…I will…

Speak the rights.

Danny Johnson