Last week I happened to be at a gathering with several folks that included Ron and Kerri Parker. After a while the Parkers decided it was time to head home.

Kerri hinted that she might just make Ron walk, suggesting he should get a little exercise. Ron replied that he had already had taken his walk for the day and that perhaps Kerri should be the one doing the walking.

When asked about which of them had the car keys in their possession, which would probably determine who was walking and who was riding, Ron pulled them from his pocket.

"And," he said somewhat smugly, "I've got the phone, too," as he pulled the cell phone from his other pocket.

Kerri didn't say a word, but just made a little wave of her hand.

With that Ron handed her the keys, and the phone too I think, and headed out to the van.

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BBQ cops

I pulled the following from James Taranto's "Best of the Web" column on the Wall Street Journal's Internet-based Opinion Journal last week.

"From Novosti, a Russian news service:

"The government of Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia, which has a population of about 4 million, has approved a tax on barbequing, (folks around these parts know by now that it's unlikely these people are talking about barbequing, more probable is that they're referring to just cooking out) local media reported.

"Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2, a so-called greenhouse gas, is emitted during barbequing. Beginning June 2007, residents of Wallonia will have to pay 20 euros for a grilling session.

"The local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.

"Good thing helicopters don't emit any CO2!"

In case you're wondering that translates to about $27.00 US. Factor that in every time you fire up the old grill on the weekend.

Which brought to mind a conversation that came up a couple of weeks ago on the golf course with a local fellow who expressed some concern about global warming. This individual who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty suggested that perhaps we couldn't afford to ignore global warming.

The very next week this same fellow shows up for a round of golf in a brand spanking new gasoline-powered golf cart. Which got me to thinking.

If Belgium is ready to tax outdoor cooking by its residents -- and using helicopters to check up on them -- gasoline-powered golf carts are probably not far behind. Golfers like my friend would probably be assessed an additional fee for the privilege of playing 18 holes with a gasoline-powered cart.

And that is the danger of where we seem to be headed on what is as yet unproven science. That the earth is warming is an accepted fact. That the warming trend is not part of a natural evolution and not driven by human events is unproven.

I also noted comments last week by William F. Buckley who noted that anyone who dares raise a question about the legitimacy of global warming comes under attack with almost a religious zealousness akin to something from the Spanish Inquisition.

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Speaking of cooking

I keep hearing rumors of a big fish fry to take place in beautiful downtown Senath. I don't know all the details at this time, but will pass them along when more information comes out.

What I have been told is that Ken Johnson and Charley Hilburn will be supplying the fish and are just looking for someone to supply the hush puppies and fries. These two guys trailed along on a fishing trip to Sardis Lake in Mississippi and apparently just about fished the place dry. I think they even had to buy additional coolers just to get the catch back home.

Ken credits his success to a couple of things. One is a book he read about crappie fishing a week or so before they went on the trip. He was so proud of that book I think he is trying to run down the book's author so he can have an autographed copy.

Charley said their success had a lot to do with the way they fish, calling it a "spider rig" set up with several poles spread out across the front of the boat at the same time.

He's offering to teach a few classes to anyone who might be interested in learning the finer points of "spider rigging." The word is that Whitey Wallace has agreed to provide his establishment to Charley for the classes and that the classes will be free of charge to local fishermen.

At one point during the day they were concerned someone might slip into the hole they had discovered and cut into their action, but that never happened. By Monday morning both Ken and Charley were complaining about their arm hurting from pulling in all those fish.

Then again they both said that there are so many crappie in Sardis Lake it's hard to imagine how anyone couldn't catch a bucket-load of fish.

Bud Hunt is the publisher of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.