One of the kids who grew up in our neighborhood is missing. He was one of my students a long time ago. Herbie is 55 now and some people call him Herbert.

Ever since Herbie was a kid, he liked to hunt arrowheads and other Indian artifacts. This area was the heart of the Cherokee Nation and there is a lot of that stuff around here. I have found one arrowhead in my garden and another in the year.

So just before Christmas, Herbie took his boat and went down on the Tennessee River to search. The water is down and along the edge is a good place to find artifacts. They said Herbie called his wife on the cell phone about noon, and has not been heard from since. They found his boat drifting and his jacket was in the water, but no sign of Herbie.

Herbie has worked many years as a firefighter in nearby Oak Ridge, so rescue squards and firefighters have come out in force to search for one of their own. I don't know if I want them to find him or not. At least I hope they don't find him in the river. I still remember him as a pleasant, good natured kid, and I don't think he has changed very much since those days.

They say this is a bad time of the year for something like this to happen, but is there a good time?
Howard