86 YEARS ... AND STILL EVOLVING! In this collection of miscellaneous writings, the author reflects the serenity of retirement living in the middle of his own private Forest and Wildlife Preserve in Southeast Indiana, the inspiration it engenders to be creative, and the ability to focus his thinking. He finds it rewarding to share his perspective and get an occasional pat on the back, but the selfish reason he writes is that it makes him a better person. When asked why he writes, Mr. Hough admits that writing helps keep his aging mind alert and head on straight. Sitting down in front of his laptop computer with a blank screen is challenging. He's inspired to unlock novel ideas in his mind, research them, develop a compelling technique to put them together in writing, and encouraged to place the result out there on the internet for others to judge. Writing is Mr. Hough's habit; sometimes he gets feedback; sometimes he doesn't; he knows the value of free speech is priceless and, being a disabled veteran, keeping freedom alive is not. Retiring at the end of 1998, James Emerson Hough ended more than thirty-five years in private professional practice of the applied earth sciences as a licensed engineer and licensed geologist. He is the geotechnical engineer of record on more than three thousand seven hundred projects requiring terrain evaluation and foundation analysis involving subterranean investigations for earth-supported architectural and engineering structures, reports, analyses, special studies, failure studies, explorations, inspections, construction monitoring, and forensic services. Mr. Hough has substantial expertise regarding slope stability and landslides. Our minds are like gardens, Our thoughts are like seeds. We can grow flowers or we can grow weeds, We need to water them.