Sometimes people send nasty letters to the paper about me and my columns. And sometimes nice ones, too. Occasionally the publisher forwards the nice ones. Your mention of prepping had me remembering that I got a nice letter once when I talked about the importance of prepping, after some parts of the area were without water for a couple of days.

The paper insisted on having my picture by the columns, and providing my email address. Honestly, I wasn't sure about that, but it has been OK.

Not long after I started writing the column I got a nasty, barely literate email from someone telling me I looked dirty, with my long hair, and that I should go back where I came from.  I wrote back and said my hair may be long, but it is usually clean, and that I *did* go back where I came from, since I was born here. Strangely, she never replied.

I am recognized often enough around town that my daughter thinks I'm famous. She hates it when people recognize me and want to talk, though. Most of them are very nice, and many even say they enjoy my columns. I'm still waiting for the groupies to start showing up.

The paper is really for the closest "big" town in New Mexico, although some people here also read it. I used to write a monthly column in this little town's weekly paper. But they kept balking when I would express my opinion on the illegitimacy of the town government and cops. So I finally just stopped submitting to them. They didn't pay anyway. I have people ask if I'm going to write any more for that paper, but I say probably not. My time is already pretty tight with all the rest I'm doing.