To those who bravely till the ground
And those who make the wheels go ’round
To those who dig the coal and shale
To those who succeed and those who fail
To weak or strong, this word of cheer:
We wish you all a good new year
—author unknown, heard in late December 2010 on “Thistle and Shamrock”

The sun sets on the Wichita Mountains, Dec. 26, 2011.