We live in a tough world these days. There are a lot of pressures to be the best, have the most, and still live happy. With all of these pressures comes a lot of negativity. Negativity weighs on you both mentally and physically. Now this is no quick fix method, but I would like to share a few things that help make my world a little better place. 

Start the day with breakfast – I always feel more prepared for the day when I have had something good to eat. Plus, breakfast food is my favorite food. 

Dear EarthTalk: What are suitable materials for making biodegradable plastic besides corn and sugarcane? Is pineapple or peanut suitable?     -- Yu Hong Yap, Malaysia

The Colorado Conservation Tillage Association will sponsor a drought workshop at the Baca County Fairgrounds in Springfield May 17-18, 2018. The event will focus on drought-proofing farms and ranches, adding value to cover crops with the inclusion of animals, improving bottom lines, and getting started with high and ultra-high stock density.

The National Park Service is celebrating National Park Week, April 21-29, with ideas and options to make your visit memorable.

There’s no better vacation than a trip to a national park. While iconic parks get a lot of love (and crowds), there are more than 400 sites in the National Park System. That’s more than 400 opportunities for connecting with the outdoors, witnessing an amazing wildlife moment, learning important lessons from history, and sharing memories with friends and family.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is alerting visitors to its wildlife areas and park in Las Animas County that fire restrictions enacted by the sheriff apply on state-controlled areas.

High winds and low humidity have created dangerous conditions and produced devastating wildfires leading Las Animas County to enact Stage 2 fire restrictions.

Sheriff James Casias announced the fire restrictions, with approval of the Board of County Commissioners, after two wildfires broke out April 17: the 728-acre Broken Ranch Fire and the 4,783-acre Trinchera Creek Fire.

Newly constructed Harvest Flea Market announced that the Grand Opening Weekend is on schedule for Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6.

Harvest Flea Market location is at the west end of the Finney County Fairgrounds parking lot in Garden City, Kansas. It will be open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every weekend, May through October.

The wind Tuesday was really something --guess we should not complain as we escaped some of the terrible problems of other areas. 

We got through pretty well--looked like it might have blown some feathers off the chickens--- and we did have one structure damage.

At our place growing up, we had an "Out-House."  In the very early forties it was there and served a great purpose.  In the late forties it got remodeled a bit but was still there and still served a purpose.  It

Several counties across the state received needed moisture in the form of rain and snow late in the week, helping to replenish diminishing soil moisture supplies, according to the Mountain Region Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. However, areas stricken by persistent drought conditions unfortunately remained dry, particularly southern counties.

What do vegetables, olive oil, red wine, fish, and whole grains all have in common? They are all key foods in the Mediterranean diet. 

The Mediterranean diet has been, and still is, a well-researched and popular topic in nutrition. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines lists this diet as one of three recommended healthy eating patterns.

Nineteen students from Southeastern Colorado competed in the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) held recently.  Students in grades 6 through 12 displayed 19 projects and competed for cash awards, scholarships, and recognition among the top budding scientists in the state. 

CSEF Grand Award winners included: