BOASTFUL — To boast, brag, about one’s accomplishments is not something that’s appealing to others. However, I feel a bit of self-directed acclaim is justified.

You see, for a number of years my talents in producing a bumper crop of three different species have been little short of, well, impressive.

“And just what are these species?” you ask. They are grub worms, moles, and fire ants. Now, if that doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will.

AWARD WINNER — In case you didn’t hear about it, David Cucchiara, outstanding sports editor of our local gazette, has won the first annual “Top Soccer Scribe” award. By a unanimous vote of the committee he was named the best in the entire area. This richly deserved honor was recently announced by the prestigious Tideland Scholastic Soccer Award committee. (Of which I am the “man.”)

OUR FINEST — The single most beneficial entity serving the Beaufort-Hyde area over the past half-century plus is our splendid community college.

From its very low profile roots as an Industrial Education Center, to evolvement into a technical institute, then a full service community college, this special place of life-long learning and diverse purposes community outreach has had an incalculably positive impact upon this region and its citizens.

BETTER NAME? —  Because there are many confusing towns and counties with non-matching names (for example: Plymouth in Washington county; Washington in Beaufort county; Beaufort in Carteret county; and on and on) I would have chosen a different name for our college. Maybe something like Tideland Community College would have been better.

NOT UNUSUAL — She was behind the wheel of her vehicle, which was stopped at a traffic light. In one hand she held her phone to her ear, seemingly engrossed in conversation. In her other hand she held her cigarette.

One might wonder how she could drive with both hands occupied. Perhaps she used her feet. The worrisome point here is such a scene is not all that unusual. Lord help us.

AWESOME — Our grandson Zach is on his school’s cross country team. Darien (CT) High School has on its boys teams 96 runners. The girls teams have 60-plus harriers. That’s amazing. Our daughter Sarah says that some of the competition venues — think fall in New England — are just simply beautiful. All those runners in school colors against a backdrop of nature’s autumnal splendor. A visual feast.

ONCE MORE with feeling. From time to time I just feel a need to say “thank you” to those of you who take time to read my weekly scribblings.

Priceless prose I know it isn’t, but the fact that kind readers such as you take a few minutes once a week to read “Write Again” is genuinely appreciated.

‘Til next time . . .