Musing right along ...

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Do you remember ever having seen such a green Halloween? And no frost on the pumpkin either.

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There's a ditty that goes something like this:

"Oh, the wood louse sat on a splinter and sang to the rising sap, 'Ain't it awful how winter lingers in springtime's lap?'"

I'm fairly sure it is by Ogden Nash.

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Last month, Kearny and Hamilton County Conservation Districts held a "Progressive Agriculture Safety Day" in Syracuse for fourth-grade students from Deerfield, Lakin and Syracuse.

Classes held for the kids included lawn and farm equipment, finger printing, hand washing, chemicals (for weeds), firearms, electrical connections, fire safety and first aid.

Education funding for the day was provided by a memorial in memory of Carl Maune and by education funds from Grant/Kearny County and Hamilton County Conservation Districts.

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In an advertisement for his new book, "The Best American Short Stories: 2007," author Stephen King says a story is "like a big hot meteor screaming down from the Kansas sky."

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"Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling has been on the New York Times Children's Best Seller list for more than 150 weeks. It recently moved up to first place.

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki has been on the paperback best seller list for going on almost 400 weeks. The promos say, "It teaches one's children how to get rich and stay rich."

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Many languages among the estimated 7,000 spoken around the world today are on the brink of extinction, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation. According to linguistic experts, one dies about every two weeks.

In our country, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico have the highest number of languages in use -- around 40. Oklahoma has one of the highest densities of native innate languages in the country.

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Names of things. Rush of Fools, The Steel Wheels, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Home Rangers, Bubblegum, and You and the Milky Way.

Name of a musical: "The Taffetas."

Jim Potter is the author of a book titled "Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I've Learned. Tales I've Told."

"She Wants Revenge" is the name of a Los Angeles duo that plays "icy, dark tunes fit for New Wave weddings and wakes."

"Ghostland Observatory" is a long-haired duet from Austin, Texas.

"British Sea Power," a literate work. "Arab Strap" (Scottish). "Ha Ha Tonka" (literate rock). "Scotland Yard Gospel Choir" is out of Chicago.

"Mates of State," husband and wife duet. Tea Packs (a rock fusion band), "Hidden City" (a quartet), and these bands without designations or explanations: "Millers Farms," "Lil' Mo and the Monicats," "New Jack Ramblers" and UNKLE.

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A 1995 analysis by the college board showed that students who studied the arts for more than four years scored 44 points higher on the math portion and 59 points higher on the verbal section of the SAT.

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Initially. NCGA is for National Corn Growers Association. RFA -- Renewable Fuels Act. ESA -- Endangered Species Act. TCFA -- Texas Cattle Feeders Association. KFCA -- Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. CWFP -- Clean Water Farms Project. HHHHA (or 4H-A) -- Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture Act. GPA -- Goat Producers of Arkansas. FSMP -- Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program. AIGR -- American Institute for Goat Research. IRF -- International Reining Festival. DDGs -- Distiller Dried Grains.

E-mail Dolores Hope at dandchope@juno.com.