Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Once again, the Enigma Explorer emerges from the shadows, ready to weave her way into the pages of this newspaper and the corners of your mind. Prepare to embark on a journey through the curious and the unexplained, …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. With National Punctuation Day just a few days in the rear-view mirror, let’s pause to appreciate something we rely on daily but sometimes neglect: punctuation. Yes, Sept. 24 was National Punctuation Day – a holiday you may not …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. As the echoes of my former chorus, Piney Hills Harmony, fade into cherished memories, I find myself stepping into a new chapter – a fresh melody, if you will. Southern A’Chord, my new women’s community chorus, based in …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. The recent Olympics have set me thinking again about my potential competitive eating skills. Basically, I eat like a dog. Have you seen those Facebook reels where a dog totally wolfs down food in a nano second, without …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Dum-Dums are turning 100 this year. That’s right. The little candy that inspired so many childhood sugar rushes is a century old – and I’ve been helping celebrate the occasion. Maybe you’d like to get on board. I …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Flowerpot Traumas. An interesting juxtaposition, don’t you think? It’s a word combination that’s been stuck in my head since Oct. 27, 2022. That’s the day those were the words I used to solve The New York Times’ Letter …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. As we welcome July in earnest, we find ourselves standing at the year’s midpoint. Let’s do the math. Divide 366 by 2 (it’s a leap year, you know), and you get 183. Then, if we continue ciphering, we’ll …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. The Enigma Explorer is back. This go-round, though, the EE is meandering into new territory. Instead of solving mysteries that we’ve thought about for years, such as why there are no B batteries and which way the aluminum …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Nature continues to speak. And I try my best to listen. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know that already. I write about weeds and winds. Sunsets and afternoon shadows. Pastures and peach orchards. Many …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. I’m just way too excited about this. I know I am. But I don’t care. Week before last I finally got me some mayhaw jelly. The morning after I obtained it, I popped the lid off one of …