Well, my friends, it’s THAT time again…  time to enrich the coffers of our Uncle Sam and deal with the Infernal Revenue Service!  Which reminds me, what do you call 25 I.R.S. agents buried up to their chins in cement?  (Answer:  A cement shortage!)  Just in case you missed that one, here’s one more…  What’s brown and looks really good on an I.R.S. agent?  (Answer:  A Doberman!)  All right, enough jokes, lest I get audited.  (again)

Did you folks watch any of the NCAA Basketball Tournament?  I did, but none of my picks did very well.  Of course, I still did better than President Obama and Jeb Bush.  Obama’s mind must be elsewhere because his top two picks were Israel and Iran.  Bush’s picks for the Final Four were Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, and Iowa.

Since we’re on the subject of politics, did you hear that Ted Cruz was arrested at the Port of Galveston?  (The arresting officer told the press that he was just trying to “book a Cruz!”)  Ouch!  OK, how about this one…..  President Obama has announced that his family will move to N.Y.C. after his term is over.  Dang, that guy just can’t get enough gridlock!  Apparently, the Obamas chose N.Y.C. because they’ve gotten so used to people trying to break into their home!

So what else is new?  Well, in the field of “life imitating art,” the shooting incident in South Carolina comes on the heels of my recent visit.  Incredibly, I actually had a chat with the police chief about crime in North Charleston, as it plays an important role in my new mystery novel, A RUN FOR THE MONEY.  Kind of weird how these things keep happening to me.

By the way, several blog followers have inquired about my stop on St. Helena Island.  I was there, primarily, to visit the Penn Center (which, as you may recall, was one of the first schools created to educate freed slaves after the Civil War.) and if you look closely at the photograph of the brick building at the end of this post you will see a modest church.  Well, it was in this very church basement that MLK wrote his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.

And speaking of writers…  the photo of me and another gentleman, standing near the marsh, is also quite interesting.  The other fellow is none other than Pierre McGowan, author of “The Gullah Mailman,” a book about his father, Sam, who delivered the mail to Gullah residents beginning in 1924. (On horseback!)  The book is quite fascinating and offers some remarkable stories of life on remote St. Helena Island.  (Which used to contain about 18 rice and indigo plantations, and is hauntingly beautiful, and connected to many ghost stories.)

Oh, and since we’re discussing stories, several curious blog followers have asked about my recent 5-STAR book review.  If you want to read the whole thing, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t, simply log onto ReaderReviews.com and follow the little icons to “THE SECOND MOURNING.”  You can also download the review, make a few thousand copies, and hand them out at your local mall.  This effort will be greatly appreciated (by me) and I am willing to chip in if your bail is set at a reasonable amount.  Think of it as a sacrifice for great literature.  Never mind, think of it as way to meet other felons.

Finally, I should like to mention that I was recently interviewed by Ms. Sarah Doolittle, a brilliant reporter from the Four Points News.  Her in-depth article about yours truly will be published shortly, and if my photograph is presentable, I will post the whole thing on my blog.  And speaking of brilliance, we had the pleasure of sharing a weekend reunion with the lovely and talented Holley Hendrickson, and her husband, Mike.  (Mike is talented, too, but not as lovely as his wife.)  We have known these rascals for 40 years!  They never change, and that’s a great thing, for they are great friends.  (I just wish I would have remembered to bring my wallet.  Oh well, maybe next time!)

Well, amigos y amigettes, have a safe and wonderful week.  I shall leave you with some more brilliance, this time from the mind of the great Asian philosopher, Confucius.  The great teacher said…..   “Guy who lose key to girl’s apartment get no new-key!”  (I’ve been down that road before!)

Love to all,

Doc Yanoff