Looking back at a year of Wiser’s weekly
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
You (or I) could blame the word “Write” for my fondness and adoption of, or adapting, nearly any word that starts with the letter “R” with a prefix letter “W.” In one of my favorite Barbershop, and/or SATB Choral songs, Hallelujah is actually one of my top 10 favorites. In that song the lyric says “Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord that David played, and it pleased the Lord…” I guess the silent “W” that I use is a lyrical equivalent of Leonard Cohen’s “Secret Chord.”
Well, I can dream can’t I? At this point I must mention that a number of Wrambling Wreaders write to me and add the “W” to “r-words” in their wreplies or writings. It’s kind of infectious, isn’t it? Actually, I am honored when that happens. If I had become an artist I would be a “Wrembrant” or as a musical composer I would be Wrachmaninoff. One of my newly found friends refers to my Wramblings as my “Warblings.” I guess they could be if they were more “note-able.” Enough with the silliness.
Two paragraphs in, and I will now add my preface. Upon waking this morning (for the 3rd time since 4:30) today’s topic started formulating in my mind. My intention was, and actual writing began as, a January 2026 Wrecap (sorry) of last year’s Wramblings. As of a half hour prior to my starting this Wrambling, I had only reached the end of June. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to expand this topic to extend over two writings to cover the whole of 2025. It may take two weeks (or days) if I can sneak in an extra Wrambling, to cover the entire year. I’m not sure you can endure the intrusion into your brain, or headshaking at my warped sense of humor, over that duration. The following summary is broken down by month and only highlights topics covered each week, by title of the Wrambling. Anyway, here goes…
2025 Wrambling Wrecap
January: Wreading, Writing and Wrambling: Music writing with Dave Dunbar, and his wife Peg. This included cover photo copies of published songs which included: Thank You Lord, Share My Dreams, and Trust In Me; and mentioned singing in the choir and doing instrumentals with the Grace United Church in Wellsville, NY.
Wroad Wranglings and Wreagles: History of Allegany County Route 31 and connecting routes prior to pending summer construction. Featured was poem; Colors of Winter.
They’re Back: Deer eating and nearly defoliating Arbor Vitae. Blue Laws, and Commencing 2026 activity with Genesee Valley Chorus preparing for the annual Lenten Concert with Matthew Purks-Morris directing; and recollections of friendship with Paul Hoffman, star member of the 1970 St. Bonaventure’s NCAA playoff team.
What a Church: Final Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bolivar, NY and my history with former Nile, NY churches,
February: Smiles That Erase the Miles: Wrecap of many old and new Olean, NY shopping trips and routes traveled .
Two or Three Chucks Can Chuck Words: Old phrase often asked of me: “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.” Local favorite, or famous, writers named Chuck including Olean Times Herald writers Chuck Ward and Chuck Pollock. My IM.Wiser vanity license plate.
Sadness Again for Wellsville: Recent passing of Stuart “Al” Abbott, active in numerous Wellsville musical and theatrical activities and productions.
Veteran’s Day: Allegany County Veteran’s Association PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Support Program.
March: Local Pastor, New Pasture, and Veteran’s Program: Salute to several Allegany County Veteran’s programs, which included “Lunch at Cartwrights”, “Horse Farm Open House”, and establishment of the PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer Support Program.
Vetting of Veteran’s or Vets: History of my Veteran’s benefits that allowed and supported my “continued education” achieving training certificates in Drafting from LaSalle Institution of Technology, Associates Degree in Product and Machine Design from Alfred State College and a Bachelor of Engineering Technology Degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. Note: Nearly all of these courses and classes were achieved at, and due to, the excellent faculty of Alfred State College (ASC). BTW…I ended up teaching there for 24 years upon that longevity of having been a student product. In a future Wrambling, I may do a special Wrambling featuring ALL of the faculty to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude.
Meaningless in comparison, but in this issue I mentioned finding lost golf balls (100 plus) at Serenity Hills golf course in Friendship following a late winter thaw.
Herein I also mentioned that the Scio, NY Back River Road is also known (and dubbed by me) as the Back River Road Wraceway.
As a final note for the March Wramblings, in addition to several other “late winter-pre spring” notes that I shared, I gave a shout out to deceased step-brother Rollie Miles, who is the only person I allowed to, or accepted the calling of, my name as “Charlie.” RIP Rol.
April: Welcome Women’s Group for Wonderful Colors: Norene Ferris, notable local vocal music director and teacher, announced the formation of a new choral singing chorus named Mosaic Women’s Chorus. I also re-capped my own “formal” singing participation, not including my 3rd grade Friendship Central School music presentation of I Believe. Don’t ask me why, or how, I remember that, but it is the earliest song that I recall, including my own authored music, and is still my favorite. Another note: We just started practicing that for an upcoming feature of the Praise Band component of the Grace United Church. My formal Choral singing began in the 1976 Bicentennial Chorus directed by John Molinari. That was a very difficult start of my still running singing history and my hat goes off to Mr. Molinari who took several of us under his wing as we would meet at his house several times “pre-concert.” Many of us were in the same boat, experience wise. Just to sweeten things up a little, I also mentioned that it was again “Maple Syrple” time.
Wramble Rant and Wrumble About Wreycling: I guess I have mixed emotions about my paying $250/year to take my own refuse to the transfer station. For me it’s better than hustling around on any specific day to get my garbage out by the road and pay someone else to do it.
Wramble Wrecalls and Wrecaps: Some “Grammar Groans” about “Autocorrect” substituting words I don’t choose, thinking that it knows more about what I mean than I do. That and “Spell Check” don’t understand subtlety, sarcasm, or irony. In addition, I like old-time terms and phrases that most of a younger generation haven’t heard or understand. Among those would be “Down the Pike” (Turnpike), or “Down the Pipe” (Pipeline). Another recent Phone or computer “app,” under the guise of personal security is more along the lines of “personal reliance on a hand-held device,” as all too many people utilize in public these days. “Two Step Authentication” requires you to have a secondary “messaging device” (or be better at handling a cell phone than I am). To get to your email or phone message you need a code to continue logging in. When I try to do that without a secondary device, I end up disconnected, or having to re-start my computer, which is finally my “go to” device.
Wrambling Makes My World Go Round: This column featured a shout out to Mike Baldwin for his work with Radio and Newsprint. It also mentioned some problems I’m having with “Occipital Neuralgia.” Also included were some plays on words such as “Stabilizing as opposed to “stable-izing” a horse. I was a victim mentioned in the covering of the subject of Identity Theft and bank fraud. This was first introduced and mentioned that the Community Bank NA, in Wellsville, began an investigation.
April Poems in Praise and Prose: Well known for her love and support of Poetry, I wrote a tribute poem featuring Jo Anne Allen titled “A Love of Arts, Her Legacy”.
May: Beam Wrassling, Wrobins and Other Wrambling Fowl Wreturn: Migratory birds have started their return.
Wrambling Makes MY World Go Round: Community Bank NA has been able to provide a partial refund as investigations of bank fraud continued. I shared My Mother’s Poem written in memory of my mother who passed away much too prematurely at the age of 62.
Word Salad and Wrecommended Friends: Heather, at Wellsville Computers was thanked again for her assistance in helping me acclimate to a new computer, purchased through them. I also gave a shout out to Dan Fuller at Dry Brook garage in Scio for his continued automative support. Mallory Short and Harold “Bud” Budinger were once again thanked for their continued promotion of the Allegany County Veteran’s Organization. They provide a vital service to all of the Allegany County service members and beyond.
On The Road Again and Going Round the Roundabouts: I once again made a pitch for Wellsville to consider “Round Abouts” as I experience them weekly on my frequent purchasing visits to Olean. Fear not…I spend an ample amount of time and resources supporting the Wellsville merchants. I once again featured the returning migratory birds as their return frequency increases.
I Still Can’t Act My Age: A comment about aging is well received when you’re told you don’t look that old and certainly don’t act it. That comment gave me pause to wonder, but I took it positively.
Herein I gave a shout out to my former Deer Run Campground friends and, once again gave a shout out to the “Family of Three,” Which included the Geyer, Muscato and Wiser family members. I also shared the poem which was titled with the same name.
June: Wrambling Through Road Construction, Whoa or Wow, That is the Question: “Beep – Beep” started this discussion as I endured yet another day of the traffic at the Gravel Dump yard across the Back River Road and adjacent to County Road 31. Any time that there is any kind of construction or roadwork in the immediate area, the continual “Beep, Beep, Beeping” wears on your nerves.
GVC (Genesee Valley Chorus) and Fathers Day: Features a very sentimental article telling our story about our “across the street” former neighbor Charlie Young, who was a father figure to me and a grandfather to our children.
Music to Start Summer and Sort the Sadness: Featured the Celebration of Life for Al (Stuart Alan) Abbott, a charter member of GVC, and friend to all who knew him. This also shared one of my favorite poems Gentle River.
Bolivar Bi-Centennial Bash-Special Edition: Features the Bolivar Pioneer Oil Days, and the Bi-Centennial 200 year celebration and Noreen Ferris, was again mentioned.
Flush With Joy and Flushed Again: This was a special and significant “end of June” Wrambling for me as it celebrated our 58th Wedding Anniversary, and again featured the invitation of the GVC to participation in the Bolivar Oil Days celebration. Being “flushed” and “flushing were discussed politely.
This brings to a close the first six months of my 2025 memory reunion of Wrambling postings. If this didn’t put you to sleep, tune in next week when I wrap up this special feature with the final half of the celebration of my 2025 Wrambling life.
I will end once more with an invitation to reach out to me with any comments, cares or concerns and I can be reached at IM.Wiserdad@gmail.com. Thanks to MaryAnne and Charles for their messages with comments and constructive suggestions for me.
