It is that time of year - income tax filing. This is the 30th year that we have been using TurboTax. Our taxes are pretty simple, but I doubt that I could do it by hand. Many years ago Ginny did them by hand. There were adding machine tapes (remember those?) all over the place by the time she finished, but she got them done. And so all the stuff is ready to go into the mail. We have to do an Oregon return as well. One thing many have to do is file quarterly tax estimates. It has been our habit to send all four in at the beginning of the year just because we might forget and get some sort of penalty. That also means that a shed full of cash heads out of here and into the government coffers from which all sorts of free stuff is given out by the politicians. One of these days I would like to get some of that free stuff, but it will never happen.

So here are the envelopes ready to go to the post office. It is interesting that the IRS requires that you make four separate and equal payments each sent in its own envelope. I am sure there is a good reason for that but it would be a lot easier just to send one big check.