The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Occasionally, when I sit down to write this column, I feel like I'm having a panic attack, which I attribute to writer's block. I sit at my computer and stare into space or at an empty screen. I try to force my mind to daydream, come up with ideas, or find inspiration. This time of year, it is difficult without a garden to moan or boast about. I usually wind up playing a rousing game of solitaire.

A few years ago, this newspaper's editor (owner, publisher) gave me a bottle of Scotch called Writers Tears. There couldn't have been a more appropriate gift for these occasions. However, it's 10...