There are scholar-athletes, and then there is Middleburg’s Turner Smith, who takes the term to a stratospheric level.

A retired environmental attorney with a distinguished Curriculum Vitae, Smith now devotes much of his time to Virginia land conservation through The Land Trust of Virginia. Smith, the athlete, also has a remarkable resume. Five years ago, at age 70 and almost 50 years after he competed as a varsity fencer at Princeton, Smith decided he wanted to take up the demanding sport once again.

Anthony Barham’s paintings have been shared hundreds of times, even if he doesn’t rent gallery space or host exhibitions of his wonderful creations. His studio and his computer are all that’s necessary to view his art.

At the dawn of a new year, keep in mind the recent record-breaking heat over Christ-mas. And don’t forget that nearly every day on the evening news there seems to be a weather disaster somewhere in the world.