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Christmas is right around the corner and is already filling the streets with cheerful decorations, lights and laughter. While all of this is fun, the hardest part of this time of the year can be shopping for presents for others.

I've always heard of the Alcatraz swims but never thought I'd actually do one. About two months ago, my friend Corvin — a determined athlete who is losing both his sight and hearing due to Usher Syndrome — asked me to guide him for the Escape from the Rock (Alcatraz) duathlon. Impulsively, I agreed to guide him for the 1.5-mile swim leg. About two seconds after I sent the email, it hit me that I’d just volunteered to swim from Alcatraz, in shark-infested waters, with extremely strong currents, tied to another person. Does this qualify as temporary insanity?

Kiwanis of the Valleys

Outside my window, there’s a feast going on. The gingko trees are clothed in bright yellow leaves, but soon, they will drop every leaf on almost the same day and cover the ground like carpeting. It’s a feast for the eyes.

There has been a lot of attention recently about the amount of radiation to which patients are exposed by medical x-rays. As with most medical procedures, x-rays are safe when used with care — especially because, in most cases, as little radiation as possible is used to obtain the needed results.