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CHAMPION—July 28, 2014

        “’T’ for Texas.  ‘T’ for Tennessee.  (Repeat) ‘I’ for Iowa also for Illinois, the first is for brothers and the second for Champion boys.”  Other states, nations, and continents may have been represented in the myriad mix of visitors to Champion this week, but Texans, Tennesseans, Iowans and Illusions (Illinoisans) showed up in bunches and lingered.  Champion is what is known as a ‘vacation destination.’  Welcome and come again!

        Jaci Borders had a fifth birthday on July 27.  Kindergarten is her destination and her teacher, Crystal Sartor, celebrates on the 29^th.  Skyline graduate/valedictorian, Skyla Boyd, has her birthday on August second.  She will be a high school freshman this year.  Seamus Heffern lives in Springfield, but has Champion grandparents and also a birthday on the second.  He is going to be a musician, or a doctor, or a teacher, a chef, an artist, all of the above and/or whatever else he has in mind.  Youth is almost the definition of optimism.  Birthdays change in significance over the years.  They are far apart to start with and then get closer and close together.  Every day is significant for someone.  The first of August brings Elitta January into the thoughts of her many friends who miss her.  She passed away in 2011, but she stays vibrant in the hearts of those privileged to have been acquainted with her.

        Just at supper time in some Champion homes the phone rings.  An automated voice instructs, “Press ‘one’ if you are very likely to vote.”  Then the recording proceeds to ask how you feel about the proposed amendments 1, 4, and 7.  The effort on the part of advocates, pro and con, of each issue in both the mainstream and social media to inform, explain and persuade is enormous.  It would seem that there is something very important at stake.  When so much money is being spent, it stands to reason that someone expects to recoup their investment and make a profit.  The big question is, “Who?”  Political word trickery is an art.  A certain Mr. Lee said, “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”  If the wording of the issue on the ballot accurately reflects the question at hand, chances are fair that a person will be able to be confident that his vote is going where he wants it to go.  “Are you still beating your wife?”  This is a rhetorical trick of asking a question that cannot be answered without admitting a presupposition that may be false (or maybe not, in the case of some wife beaters).  Some voters figure from the get-go that the wording on the ballot is meant to mislead, so they just vote opposite to their immediate inclinations.  People do not readily change their minds about things even when they figure they have been given the same tactical military advice that Custer may have taken from his Sioux scouts.  Read it for yourself.  Democracy!  Champion!

        The Skyline Country Market will be held on the grounds of the Skyline School from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday the first of August.  The event is being sponsored by the Skyline Community Teachers Association.  It is expected that the community will be out in full force to support the happening and perhaps to encourage regular repeats of a market day.  Things are looking good in that neighborhood.  Visitors to the Country Market will have a chance to go inspect the school’s new green house and the outdoor classroom.  They can gaze over to the picnic grounds and see that preparations are well underway for the Skyline Picnic next week end.  Summertime is a busy time.

        A famous martial arts champion, dancer, actor, author and student of self-knowledge said, “Pretense is often an indispensable step in the attainment of genuineness.  It is a form into which genuine inclinations flow and solidify.”  This is really a message to a prominent Champion who is annually reminded that if a person acts like he is having a good time, pretty soon he will forget that he is acting and he will really be having a good time.  He may well be The Great Pretender, outdoing the Cowboy, the fleeing erstwhile barber, Almartha’s motorcycle maverick Scrabble king, and the trolling purveyor of environmental ineptitude all at once.  He is admonished in true hillbilly fashion, “If’in yev got to swoller a frog, don’t look at it.”  He will just be knuckling down and buckling down and getting things done and having fun.  The man wears many hats.  A person would think that one of them might not be red.

        When all those potatoes are finally dug, some Champions are figuring to plant some turnips.  Lem and Ned might be in the neighborhood this fall and be looking to help get the wood in or clean the chicken house.  Linda’s Almanac says that August 12^th and 13^th will be the first good days in August for root crops.  The first through the fourth will be good for above the ground crops.  Cucumbers might still make and fall greens could go in.  Fresh food from the garden is not available to everyone in the world.  Champion gardeners do not take it for granted and find joy in sharing the bounty.

        Once again, Laine Sutherland has shown a light on an artist whose music is inspired.  She shared a piece from the Southern Folklife Collection about Hazel Dickens:  It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song.  “From the coalfields of West Virginia to the factories of Baltimore, Hazel Dickens has lived the songs she sings.  A pioneering woman in Bluegrass and hardcore country music, she has influenced generations of songwriters and musicians.”  She passed away in 2011.  One of her great songs sounds like it was written out on the spacious veranda overlooking the broad, wooly banks of Old Fox Creek.  “Hills of home—old familiar dirt roads wind through the piney glade where all the longing of childhood dreams were made, where we passed the mossy mounds where I could run and play, never a care to cross my mind all the livelong day.”  Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 21, 2014

        “Home” can almost be defined by that feeling that sweeps through a body returning there after a noteworthy absence.  A few hours, a few days, or longer in the great elsewhere, near or far, can bring a fresh perspective on the hat hanging place, where shoes are left by the door and the hair is let down.  To round the bend and see the house still standing when the iron might have been left plugged in and turned on is a joyful feeling.  Gratitude is Champion.

        The Douglas County Museum and Historical Society has posted on line a couple of pictures of the Champion School.  One is from 1947, a side view of the building.  The other is from November of 1920, showing the 33 first through the fifth grade students lined up in two neat rows with their hair combed and looking studious.  The names are all there and their faces match up to tell the stories we know as history.  This was bustling burg back then.  “Facebook” has its well-earned detractors, but it is a delight that this post was picked up by Sharon Tate Williamson who flung it around on the internet for Robert Upshaw and many others to ‘like’ and for THE CHAMPION NEWS to pick up.  Some kind of cyber-magic will soon enough have these great photographs posted at www.championnews.us in the School Reunions category.

        The Champion School Reunion is just around the corner!  The Summer Social Calendar is bulging.  The first Skyline Community Market Day is coming up August 1^st.  It is a morning event from 8 am to noon.  Since it is pre-election, the hopes are that viers for public office will show their faces and state their cases and spread some political largess around.  Some of them attended Skyline and might benefit from seeing the old place again.  The Market is being organized and sponsored by the Skyline Community Teachers Association with proceeds from booth rentals to go to the CTA Scholarship and the Youth Empowerment Program.  The Skyline R-2 School Foundation will have a booth selling interesting things (and taking donations) to raise the $3000.00 necessary to provide new drinking fountains for the school.  The following Friday and Saturday, the 8^th and 9^th, will be the high point of the summer at the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department Picnic.  The East Fairview District 46 School Reunion will be held on the 9^th at the Vanzant Community building.  There will still be time for those attending the East Fairview Reunion to make it down to the Skyline Picnic for the music and for the exciting drawings.  The hand-crafted red oak, cedar lined blanket chest (cedar chest) is drawing a great deal of attention over at Recreation of the Historic Emporium on the north side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  Bonnie Mullins has sent in money for her tickets.  She and Pete are doing all right up in Wichita.  She is glad their family reunion is there this year and hopes to get back this way one day soon.  Some special arrangements will have to be made to get that cedar chest to her if (when) she wins.  Good luck to all.

        A smart dog has only one skunk experience.  Rudy has recovered from several episodes of snake bite, but Friday evening’s face off with the King of Stink will surely have set him on a lifetime path of strict avoidance.  The Annual Table Rock Lake Bridge and Food Frenzy got off to a slow but memorable start as the Oklahoma team mascot met his olfactory match.  Rudy travels with the doo wop quartet, known on the bridge circuit as the Mister Sisters.  They are a curious mix comprised of a watch maker, a card reading Gypsy word slinger, a construction goon contralto, and Tim, who learned bridge as a wee lad at his Old Grannie’s knee.  They were formidable opponents for the Fortnight Bridge group.  When the shouting was over, each team left with a prize, new friends, and an enhanced knowledge of the game of games.  Norwood’s Linda, on the Fortnight team, came home with the grand prize.  (Champion missed it by a mere 2000 points!)  Rudy’s Jill took the nickels home. (There must have been a pound of them!)  Elegant, commodious accommodations, gourmet dining, stimulating companions in a tranquil setting made the two day get away seem like a tropical cruise.  Fortnighters and Mister Sisters alike are refreshed, renewed and ready for fun.  Whose deal is it?

        One of the treats of travel is the opportunity to see unrecognizable names on political signs in yards and on fences as counties and congressional districts change through the windshield.  Perspective is a tricky subject.  People rarely change their political views even when faced with the possibility of those views having been discounted, discontinued, or disregarded by the very namesakes of the philosophy.  Words are tricky and political word trickery is an art.  The proposed Amendment Number One might look better to some if it were called the International Industrialized Intensive Factory Pig Production and Monsanto Protection Act.  Some would argue that folks in Missouri already have The Right To Farm, and as it is, the Ozarks boast some of the cleanest and most bountiful fresh water in the Nation.  Now there is something worth protecting!

        Often by this time of the year summer looks ragged and brown, parched a little around the edges.  This year seems the exception to the rule and no one is complaining.  Come down to the broad inviting banks of Old Fox Creek with your garden riches to share.  Linda’s Almanac from up at The Plant Place in Norwood reveals that July 24^th and 25^th will both be most fruitful for root crops and transplanting.  The 26^th will be good for corn, okra, beans, and other above-ground crops.  All those days will be good for planting seedbeds and flower gardens.  It is acceptable to brag about your garden glory and not share it, but the proof of the pudding is one of the favorite of puddings.  Ethan Alexander and Zee Heffern probably had pudding (banana) on their birthdays on the 19^th.  Terry Prock had a birthday on the 20^th and Rosie Gunter on the 23^rd.  They both teach at Skyline.  Grace Crawford celebrates on the 24^th.  She will be in the 4^th grade there this fall.  Jaci Borders will be five years old on the 27^th and that puts her in kindergarten this year.  “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!”  That is the name of the last book in the series of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.  The Skyline R-2 School Foundation has sponsored this program with some great success–the love of reading being one of the favorite of loves.

        Share your favorite loves, your news, views and summertime adventures at champion @ championnews.us or mail them to The Champion News, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO. 65717.  Find out how to get tickets for that handsome cedar chest there as well.  Play favorites out on the spacious veranda at the Historic Emporium.  Hum some tune that makes you think of home (“in the good old summertime, in the good old summertime, la la la la la la with your hand in mine”)  It is acceptable to sing right out loud if you know the words and have a good voice.  Otherwise, just hum and smile.  You will be in one of the world’s truly beautiful places—Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 14, 2014

        Every season has its charm in Champion.  Currently, farmers and gardeners are dealing with the unusual weather, trying to get their hay in and fight the blight on tomato plants from too much rain and not enough sun.  “Dry heat” is a fiction in these parts.  Around here ‘steamy’ goes with ‘hot’ like ‘dogs’ does—awkward language notwithstanding.  There is plenty of language, awkward and otherwise, in those intervals between hard work, as agrarians gather for a schmooze on the spacious veranda. 

        Vanzantians are most likely resting up from their wildly successful picnic on Friday and Saturday.  (The General is away from his phone.)  The weather could not have been better and attendance was excellent.  The big old yellow moon hanging in the sky added to the magic of the event, full of music, laughter, fun and games.  The food was good and the flood of familiar faces was just fine.  It is nice to see old friends and acquaintances, if just during this festival time of the year.  Many of the same bunch will be looking forward to the Skyline Picnic next month and the beat goes on.  Every week end will feature some area happening and a person could keep his social calendar full with little effort.  It was great to see Bob Berry and Mary Goolsby back in the neighborhood.  They are enjoying summertime and still take the Studebaker out for a spin from time to time.  Their Champion friends will be glad when they have re-relocated back to the area.

        Sometimes in the summer the countryside around Champion seems to pulsate with the resonating sounds of haying equipment.  Sound is curious in this part of the world as it moves mysteriously up hollows and around hills.  Sometimes, when the air currents are just right, or very still, people in near North Champion can hear the train rumbling through Norwood.  A house on the side of a hill can act almost as an ear magnifying the sound of distant machinery that turns quiet when a person steps outside to locate it.  In the early spring, a disembodied conversation from over the hill might be as clear as a bell and yet a child twenty yards away can be deaf as a post when admonished by parent or grand to, “Quit teasing that cat!” or “Come in and clean-up for supper!”  Children are as mysterious as sound.  One of the new tyrannies that old folks are experiencing is the conscious lowering of volume so that the interesting thing is being said just below the hearing range of the interested old person.  Who would ever have thought that a child could be too quiet?  It might be considered passive aggressive behavior much like the chronically shy person seems to get extra attention to be drawn out, to be begged to participate.  The ‘confidential’ tone in an aside, speaking to oneself, is a way to make cryptic remarks pertinent to the conversation that are somehow otherwise inappropriate, kind of a back door communication.  The voice in volume and tone, a terrific tool, can say more than words.  “Those with an ear to hear …” might find solace in music.

        Charlie Haden has passed away.  He was 76 years old.  He started his music career as Cowboy Charley, a yodeling toddler, with the Haden Family Band, often playing on The Ozark’s Jubilee.  His older brother taught him how to play the bass and as his voice was affected by a bout of polio in his youth he became more proficient with his instrument.  He became one of the most influential bassists in the history of jazz.  He played with all the jazz greats of his time and was recognized as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2012.  He received a lifetime achievement honor at last year’s Grammy Awards.  He said, “The beauty of it is that this music is from the earth of the country, the old hillbilly music, along with gospels and spirituals and jazz.”  Haden has cousins and other family over in Smollett, out in South Fulton, Tennessee (Hello, Darrell), and over in Nowata, Oklahoma (Hello, Ethel).  He has admirers all over the world.

        Myrtle Harris has an open book that says, “Welcome to my garden.  My flowers want to see you.”  The book is a concrete statue in one of her many flower beds and her garden is delightful.  Tall ‘tree-lilies’ and phlox in standard purple and unusual pinks, stand with day lilies in brilliant yellow and reds, dinner plate hibiscus, white with red centers and the huge deep red ones.  Begonias, geraniums dianthus, impatiens, marigolds and more are showcased against a deep bed of mulch.  Myrtle has an eye for color and design.  It is a joy to stroll around her garden.  She is full of plans about what will be transplanted where and how to keep some color going all season.  Visitors are amazed at the effort and energy that have gone into planning and maintaining this stunning garden/park with the many sculptures and unusual stones placed just so among the flowers.  Myrtle is a transplant herself from Connecticut, but has had the Ozarks as her home since the mid-1970’s.  She claims to have the best neighbors in the world.  The neighbors can say the same.

        A mistake is a good reason to revisit a subject.  That handmade cedar chest on display down at Henson’s Grocery and Gas is not white oak lined with cedar as has been reported here.  It is red oak lined with cedar.  What a prize this will be for some lucky winner at the Skyline VFD Picnic in August!  It will be one of those family heirlooms that may cause some jealousy some day when one inherits it and another does not.  Families will have to work those things out for themselves, but whoever is in possession of this exquisite chest will know that their precious items inside are protected from dust, light, insects, and prying eyes.  The eye will simply stop at the chest (as so often happens, even in polite society).  Meanwhile, plans are coming together nicely for the Skyline Picnic and a meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Wednesday, the 24^th, up at the Fire House/Picnic Grounds to get a start on all the things that need doing.  Everyone is welcome to attend and help out.  Bring your gloves and your enthusiasm.  There will be cold drinking water on site.

        Lazy summer afternoons find the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square a favorite spot to loiter for a spell while things cool off.  Lee Ray was heard to say something to the effect that he had “got his wish” having said a while back that he would a site rather have been beat by a hundred than by the close score of a recent scrabble game with his sister.  She has subsequently trounced him roundly and soundly and he claims to be ‘way down in the dumps and depressed’ about it, but hardly anyone believes it.  He has a twinkle in his eye that belies most seriousness.  In that respect he reminds a person of The General Himself.  They both bring to mind that Kris Kristofferson song, “he’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction…”  Submit your lazy summer songs and poetry or find out how to get tickets for that cedar chest at Champion@championnews.us or by snail mail at The Champion News, Rt. 72, Box 367, Norwood, Mo 65717.  Bring your truth and your fiction down to the wide, wild, and wooly banks of Old Fox Creek, take all the right directions to Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 7, 2014

        Sunday evening’s sunset was splendid. Raindrops sparkled diamond-like on the grass–bright gifts of a sudden shower refracting the last light.  Late night time lightning rivaled Friday’s fireworks for spectacular display and Monday morning’s mist rose from the hay fields like rain-in-reverse to dampen the sky.  There are surely other places in the world that are beautiful, but this is Champion!

        Harley was able to get out of the hay field in time to make it home for the anniversary he shares with Barbara…49 this time on July the 3^rd.  Most likely there will be a party next year.  Their Champion friends and family hope to see them back here together long before then.  Anniversaries and birthdays slide and fly by quickly.  Janet Burns had a birthday on Sunday the 6^th.  She was seen among friends on the 4^th of July at the creek having a very good time.  She probably does not know Kyra Curtis who shares her birthday and is now 14 years old.  She will be in the 8^th grade at Skyline this fall.    Lyla Brown had her 6^th birthday on the 7^th.  She will be a first grader this fall.  Eighth grader Ceiara Carroll will be 14 on the 14^th.  Some people call that a ‘golden birthday’ when the numbers are the same.  Golden birthdays stop at age 31 for some reason.  This one will be especially special for Ceiara since it is 2014.  Happy birthday everyone—sing that song to each other.

        The Skyline VFD Auxiliary has a regular meeting on Wednesday the 9^th in the meeting room of Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  The meeting starts at 6:30.  The handmade cedar chest is finally there and it is a beauty.  Actually it appears to be made of white oak and lined with cedar.  It has raised panels on the front and the lid has a brass piano hinge.  The lid stays up when it is opened with special ‘friction lid stays.’  It will be just right for someone to store keepsake quilts and family heirloom table cloths and the like.  Ticket sales are expected to be brisk.  The drawing will be held August 9^th at the Skyline VFD Picnic.

        The Vanzant Picnic is coming up this Friday and Saturday night.  There is sure to be a good crowd for this event.  The popular gathering place gets a lot of good community use apart from the regular Thursday night potluck bluegrass jam.  The General will have had a big hand in the planning of the picnic so it is sure to be exciting.  In past years fellow committee members have been able to temper his influence and enthusiasm with the common sense that makes it one of the highlights of the summer festival season in the area.  It will be well worth the trip down 95 highway south of 76 or north up from 14 to go east on W to get to the fun.  There is always good parking and golf cart shuttles for those who need them, lots of good food and music and games of all kinds.  There was talk of putting the General in a dunking booth, but since he was summarily transferred laterally from the Navy when they found out he could not swim, the committee thought better of it and just muttered among themselves that he is already ‘all wet.’

        The Skyline Community Teacher’s Association is sponsoring the Skyline Community Market which will be held Friday, August 1^st from 8 am to 12 pm.  Spaces are available for rent to showcase and sell your family friendly merchandise on the grounds at the Skyline School during the first community market day.  Registration forms are available on-line through the Skyline R-2 Facebook page, by e-mail from Helen Batten (hbatten@skylineschool.org) , at the school and at Henson’s Downtown G & G.  There is a nominal fee for the booth space which will benefit the CTA.  Forms and fees should be received by July 25^th.  This looks like the beginning of something wonderful—Champion!

        Linda’s Almanac from up at The Plant Place in Norwood informs that July’s is the Thunder Moon.  The month’s flower is the pink larkspur and the birthstone for July is the ruby.  The full moon will occur on the 12^th.   The 11^th will be a good day for planting crops that bear their yield above ground.  There is still time for some fast growing things like summer squash and cucumbers.  The 12^th will be a good day for planting root crops.  Radishes, beets, turnips will have time to make and potatoes as well, if a person is just looking for some nice new potatoes to cook up with the green beans.  The garden is a lovely place this time of year.  Ripe tomatoes are coming off the vines already, though some are saying that they are having a hard time with them rotting as they ripen.  That may have to do with the unusual amount of rain in the area.  Every year is different and there are plenty of old time gardeners around who might be able to answer some of the questions that worry the neophyte.  Sometimes the old folks know the answer and sometimes they will just make something up in order to enjoy the fleeting attention of the young people who seem so busy these days.  At least one household has suddenly become very quiet as the young ones have all gone back to the city.  It is time for a nap!

        Busy was the watch word down at the creek for the 4^th of July.  Children were in and out of the cold water catching enormous crawdads, investigating bugs and snakes and critters of all kinds between filling their plates with mounds of perfect summer-time food.  Old friends who rarely see each other had leisurely visits under the trees catching up with a year’s worth of happenings.  There were some who had attended the Old Tree Huggers Jamboree back on the Summer Solstice and had information to relate about mutual acquaintances seldom seen.  The prevailing sentiment was one of gratitude.  Everyone seems glad that they are doing as well as they are and happy for the joys and accomplishments of family and friends.  “There’s a time in each year that we always hold dear, good old summer time; with the birds and tree-es, and sweet scented breezes, good old summer time.  When your day’s work is over, then you are in clover and life is one beautiful rhyme.  No trouble annoying, each one is enjoying the good old summer time.”  In Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—June 30, 2013

        Thirty days has September, April, June and November…all the rest have thirty one, except February, etc.  The old poem does not allow for an occasional extra day in June.  That is what Champion got by the way of Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood.  Do not blame Linda.  One of her longtime friends has been putting the almanac together for her for a dozen or so years now as part of Linda’s birthday present (March 5^th).  This year the friend was distracted (planning a great adventure) and rushed to get the entire gardening year’s almanac together before her departure.  It is a process that requires some concentration.  Alas! June was not well represented in spite of being a glorious month for gardening.  Now it works out that by having 31 days in June, July gets to start on Paul Kennedy’s birthday.  He is a bus driver at Skyline school and a lucky man with a birthday on July the ‘tooth.’  One particular Old Champion accustomed to having his birthday on the first, missed it altogether.  Too bad.  It was a real milestone.  He will just have to wait until the fourth to party with his Old Tree Hugger friends at the National Birthday Celebration on the creek.  He will make an early start to get a good seat for the much anticipated Grand Old Flag Parade around the Champion Square and up and down Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive.  The General (who continues to make friends by not participating) is presumed to be in the throes of planning the Vanzant Community Picnic which might be held the following week end.  For various reasons Spotted Hog is not expected to have a float this year, but still Champions will be waiving their flags in different places together … everywhere singing, “Oh! Say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave…”

        There is no one alive today in the U.S.A. who has firsthand experience with the noxious British rule that led to the Declaration of Independence.  As the wonderful document is celebrated on July 4^th, the memory of the abuses heaped upon the colonies by George III and the annoying Red Coats would have disappeared altogether had it not been for history lessons that many slept through in high school and a few good songs.  King George was deeply in debt because of the way he had handled the French and Indian war starting back in 1754.  By the 1760’s taxes and tariffs were working a real hardship on the colonists as Britain sought to recoup its financial losses.  Then the Quartering Act was imposed on the colonists requiring them to house and feed the occupying soldiers and to put up with warrantless searches and confiscations.  The whole ‘taxation without representation’ issue played a significant part in the discontent of the colonists.  By July 1776, they had had enough, and their actions then allow modern Americans this magnificent freedom.   Practically every American can find some flaw with the government currently, but none would like to go back to being ruled by the British.  Today many Scots are similarly vexed by British rule.  Their current arrangement with Britain goes back to 1703, but on September 18^th this year.  Scotland will have a referendum and will vote YES or NO for independence.  Of course, it is not a simple issue and the ‘better together’ folks in Westminster would like to maintain control of the significant natural resources of their northern neighbors.  Many Scots are feeling that old pinch of taxation without representation as they sense they are being levied disproportionate to the benefits allotted them by the distant London government which views them with disdain.  Grievances are deep and long standing.  This year marks the 700^th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn where the Scots scored a celebrated victory over the invading English which secured Scotland’s status as an independent country until the early 18^th century.  It will be most interesting to see how it all plays out.  The history of those islands is ongoing, as is our own.

        Video of Darrell and Max Cooley and Wayne Anderson playing music at the Cooley Family Reunion Saturday was a gift on the internet.  Laine Sutherland has been a gift to the area as she is a prodigious supporter of local music, local folks and has a great perspective and generous world view.  Welcome home!  What a Champion!

        The 4^th through the 8^th will all be good days for gardening, especially for planting above the ground crops and leafy vegetables.  This comes from the recently edited and corrected version of Linda’s Almanac for July.  Find it on the bulletin board at Henson’s Downtown Grocery and Gas over on the North Side of the Square.  It can also be found on the counter up at The Plant Place and on line at www.championnews.us.  Summertime visitors will be helpful out in the garden.  There are weeds to pull and a few things like cucumbers and squash to pick along with wild raspberries and assorted ticks and chiggers.  The calamine lotion will flow freely.  No word has come as to the first ripe tomato in Champion yet, but there is likely to be a braggadocio around the round table in the Historic Emporium.  The Cowboy and others will have to know that seeing is believing.  If they plan to do much bragging they had better bring the proof with them.  The amiable shop keeper has a salt shaker.  No prize is being offered this year as it is figured that home grown ripe tomatoes should be enough for anyone.

        Summer is whizzing by.  Soon the Skyline Picnic days will be here.  The 8^th and 9^th of August are the dates set.  This year a prominent local craftsman is furnishing a handmade cedar chest as the grand prize for the fund raiser.  It was reported a while back that this marvelous work of art would be on display at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium, but it is yet to appear.  The eccentric artist will not be rushed, though it has been suggested that ticket sales might be more brisk if the prize could be seen.  “All in good time.”  That is a common phrase and one that suits the situation.  There is no need to be in any kind of a hurry.  Uncle Al used to say, “Take it eeeeeasy.”  Bring your summertime stories, music, poetry, and patriotism down to share out on the wide veranda overlooking the wild and wooly banks of Old Fox Creek.  Someone asked about the ‘wooly’ part of this description.  Some of it has to do with the debris of last August’s flood still stuck high in the trees.  The dense lush growth along the creek bank accounts for the rest of the ‘wooliness.’  Come form your own opinion and feel free to share.  You will be in one of the world’s truly beautiful places (a fact)… Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—June 23, 2014

        Addressing that age old musical question, “How in the world do the old folks know that it ain’t a gonna rain no more?”  It turns out that they do not know.  Had they known, they would have cut their hay last Monday and would have had it bailed and strung out in neat rows along the edge of the field before the showers started again on Friday.  As it happened, they waited for the predicted rain that did not come until they were peeved — A week wasted—Alas!  But it was not so for all as some gleefully abandoned their gardening/farming responsibilities to frolic with the seldom seen children and grandchildren visiting from afar.  There was blueberry picking, pie and jam making, sewing machine lessons, fire fly catching, pizza dough making, trips to the swimming hole, lots of music making, long walks and the much anticipated trip to the wonderful Champion Store.  The week went by in a blur leaving some old Champions exhausted and happy and looking forward to next summer.

        There was speculation that Larry Casey might not have been able to attend the benefit arranged for him by his family over at the Vanzant Community Building Saturday, but he made it and enjoyed getting to see everyone who came out to lend a hand.  The success of the event speaks to the kind of community that steps up to help when help is called for and so Larry’s medical care will be subsidized for a while and he and his family are grateful.

        Gratitude is being spread around on the internet.  Doni Coonts says that the hard work of Carolyn, Scott, and Justin Whillhite, John Homer, and Roy and Terri Ryan has made the Skyline greenhouse possible.  The project is almost completed so that students will be able to enjoy first hand experiences with growing plants.  Their progress will be followed with interest.  Meanwhile, Abby Homer is volunteering her creative talents with her paint brush to give the school’s hallway a new look.  It will be a surprise for returning students.  Skyline student Alyssa Strong was born June 23, 2003, so she is now eleven years old.  She will be in the 6^th grade at Skyline this year.  Lloyd Perryman Jr. is a prekindergarten fellow.  His birthday is June 30^th and he will be 4 years old.  Birthday celebrations are a good way to spend some summertime.  Esther Wrinkles Birthday was June 28^th.  Eva Powell’s is the 29^th and that is also the birthday of KZ88 Radio personality, Butch Kara.  Champion granddaughters, Faith Ann Lansdown and Sierra Parson share the 21^st as their birthday.  Faith Ann turned 12 years old and Sierra became an amazing 17.  It goes by so quickly.  Just ask those grandparents.

        The Summer Solstice—the longest day of the year—was a brilliant day for a family reunion.  The 40^th Back to the Land Reunion was held at the Hammond Mill Camp over near Dora.  Back in the 1970’s the Ozarks had an influx of “Urban Refugees.”  They were primarily young people, college graduates and drop-outs and hippies of all descriptions pouring out of the cities, looking for a wholesome life in the country to raise their families and to “live off the land.”  They bought farms and raw land and set about to garden organically, to build their own houses, to home-school the children who had been born at home with midwives.  They played a lot of rock and roll music, and had big parties and swap meets.  They ate brown rice and made yogurt.  They were idealists, transcendentalists, environmental activists, and young, often unskilled and generally naive.  Some did not succeed.  Building a house together can be hard on a relationship and more than one ‘blanket was split’ before the roof made it on the cabin.  Many lived in old school buses and tents and shacks they cobbled together.  Local folks shook their heads and made a lot of jokes at their expense, but many like the Champion Hensons, Hutchisons, Hicks, Brixeys, Kriders and Smiths and others also extended a helping hand and were willing to share their life experiences and know-how.  Many of their own children had moved off by that time, as jobs in the Ozarks were few and far between, so they were pleased to see some young people move into the area who seemed genuinely interested in the old ways of doing things.  Some of the immigrants had the hope of merging social and environmental consciousness with the solid skillsets of the people who had been living here for generations.  Forty years later, some of the new-comers who stayed on look just like the old timers to the newer newcomers.  They have contributed to the local culture.  Many are back in the city again and are dispersed from coast to coast, but they all feel that their time in the Ozarks enriched their lives.  Saturday saw about 140 of the Back to the Landers together again at the Old Tree Huggers Jamboree.  They did not all know each other back in the day, and there were new spouses, children and grandchildren in the mix at the big gathering.  Name tags helped keep the embarrassment down as features have aged and memories have slipped, but they all remembered the band, Hot Mulch, playing “Well, I’m moving to the country where everything is fine.  Gonna live in a dome and drink dandelion wine.  When the collapse comes I won’t get the blues.  I’ll have all the back issues of the Mother Earth News.”  The name of that original song is “Ozark Mountain Mother Earth News Freak.”

        Thursday and Friday will be good days for planting above ground crops according to Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood.  It is easy to get called away to the creek on these beautiful summer days when the afternoons heat up.  Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to be out in the garden for older folks anyway.  The creek can reduce a person’s core temperature substantially.  Lee Ray says that at 75 miles per gallon (on his motorcycle) a person just cannot afford to stay home.  Add the savings of not having to run the air conditioner when he is not there and it can be figured that he is almost making money by making frequent trips to the wild wooly banks of Old Fox Creek.  He spends so much time on the wide inviting veranda at the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square that it is a wonder he did not see the low-down sneak-thief vandals that meticulously unbolted the city limits sign on the west side of town and made off with it.  This is not the first time it has happened and since the grass has grown up pretty tall around the sign post, there is every chance that the delinquent criminal trespassers got their britches full of chiggers.  The last time the crime was attributed to jealous marauders from up Spotted Hog way, a community of about the same size but without a sign of their own.  It could be anyone though from anywhere in the world.  After all, everyone wants to be a Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—June 17, 2014

        A few dry sunny days kept Champions busy catching up with the laundry, using their environmentally friendly, carbon free solar clothes drying apparatus.  These days came after some significant rain that had the creeks up and roads impassable in some spots for a while.  Fox Creek poured over the bridge and drug a big log out on it and left it there.  The fine County Road Men from the Drury Shed came out that evening and looked the situation over.  The next day they came from the other direction and were able to get the log off the bridge so traffic could flow freely again.  What Champions!  It is easy to take those guys for granted.  They are out doing the hard dangerous work that allows everyone to go where they want to go and for the mail to run.

        When an old Champion opened her mailbox to put in the outgoing mail she found it full of ants.  There were a couple of spiders too.  She trudged back up the hill and returned with an insecticide spray and some newspaper to clean the thing out.  It probably happens that mailboxes across the wide spectrum of rural routes are infested with ants, spiders, wasps and who knows what all.  Thanks, Karen, and your alternates for your intrepid delivering service and for your willingness to open those mailboxes in spite of what surprises there may be hiding there.   Considerate postal patrons might keep an eye on the condition of their boxes and add ‘ants, spiders and wasps’ to that list of ‘neither hail, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dark of night shall stay these swift couriers from the completion of their appointed rounds.’

        Happy Father’s Day cards have been choking mailboxes this week.   Paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society are much in the thoughts of Champions.  Those fortunate enough to have their fathers living still struggle to find words to express their love and appreciation.  It may be that the old guy is not particularly sentimental and figures that he was just doing what he was supposed to do, being protective, supportive, and nurturing.   The acknowledgment is not wasted.  Older folks think about their fathers long ago passed away and still remember the feeling that everything was OK when he held their hand.  “Daddy’s hands were soft and kind when I was cryin’.  Daddy’s hands, were hard as steel when I’d done wrong.  Daddy’s hands weren’t always gentle but I’ve come to understand there was always love in Daddy’s hands.”  That is a Holly Dunn song and most appropriate for the occasion.

        A letter to “Friends of Skyline School” has gone up on the bulletin board in the meeting room at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in downtown Champion.  In addition to reporting on its accomplishments, the Skyline R-2 School Foundation is setting a goal of raising $3,000.00 to buy three new drinking fountains for the school and to have them installed.  It is an important project to promote the health of the students.   Daniel Parkes Jr. will be a second grader at Skyline this fall.  His birthday is June 19th.  Linda Kaye Watts (nee Krider) celebrates her birthday on June 21st.  She went to Skyline a few years ago and now has grown-up sons of her own.  Sierra, who lives in Portland, Oregon, has Champion grandparents and also has a birthday on the summer solstice.  Sixth grader Alyssa Strong will have her birthday on the 23rd then an ancient tree hugger by name of Nicholas celebrates on the 25th.  Truthfully, he celebrates all the time…waking up.

        When Larry Casey won the First Ripe Tomato in Champion contest back in 2009, he was 73 years old.  He said that he had been gardening for 70 years already.  He had just returned from a trip to Houston, Texas where the Local Pipe Fitters Union, to which he had belonged for 50 years, had honored him for his achievements.  He said that he came back to find his garden overgrown with weeds and two big tomatoes hiding in them, just about ready to eat.  He was willing to share one with Champion friends as a requirement for winning the contest.   (It was delicious.  “The tomato had a nice firm heart and a rich tangy taste, sweet and juicy.  It was firm enough to cut nicely, but definitely perfectly ripe.  A little salt and the judges were transported to tomato heaven.”)   Casey became acquainted with this part of the country about thirty years ago when he came to visit some friends.  He had been working up in Alaska and when it was time to relocate he settled here.  He made friends, did a lot of welding, raised purple hulled peas and chickens.  He has had ongoing health issues and his family and friends are giving him a benefit supper at the Vanzant community building on Saturday, the 21st.  There will be a barbecue dinner, pie supper, an auction, some live music and a quilt raffle.  Festivities start a 4 o’clock and more information is available at (417) 683-9032, for anyone who would like to contribute items for the auction or help in any other way.  Champion for a Champion!  Larry plants by the signs.  Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 18th and 19th will be favorable for planting late root crops.  Those days will also be good for vine crops that can be planted now and for setting strawberry plants.  They are good days for transplanting.  The 22nd and 23rd will also be good days for those things.
        An email with pictures arrived in the Champion @ championnews.us mailbox to the effect that Jenna and Jacob Brixey, Cousins Maddax and Tyler Klingensmith, Kalyssa and Foster Wisemen and Teagan Krider showed at the Tri-County Fair June 13 and 14.  They all received blue ribbons and a trophy and are already the future farmers of Champion!

Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman initiate their cousin Drayson Cline into the joys of participating in the fair.

Jenna and Jacob Brixey, Cousins Maddax and Tyler Klingensmith were busy wrangling their calves at the Tri County Fair.

        The Skyline VFD Auxiliary met on Wednesday evening down at the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square.  It was a good meeting–the preliminary one that starts the planning for the annual Skyline Picnic.  This year, in lieu of a quilt, the Volunteer Fire Department will be selling tickets for a custom made cedar chest.  It was made by a prominent local artist and will soon be on display at the Emporium.  All the proceeds from the cedar chest and all the proceeds from the picnic go to buy firefighting equipment and other necessities.  Come down to the broad inviting banks of Old Fox Creek for your own necessities or to get a look at that cedar chest, or just to pass some pleasant time in one of the world’s truly lovely places—Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—June 9, 2014

        Gentle rains punctuated with sunny spells have made for a lovely week.  The elegant outpost on the broad bristly banks of Old Fox Creek has been visited heavily by locals, neighbors and erstwhile residents turned sightseers and absentee landlords.  Champions busy at home will gladly leave the plow in the field to spend a few minutes in the throng when (if) they are alerted to the various impromptu gatherings.  It will be interesting to hear the debate/discussion around the table about the Right to Farm amendment.  It sounds like a good thing, but Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center says it is another step in the elimination of independent producers, not good for farms, or for the environment, or the market place and not good for the rural economy.  Douglas County has had its own pig farm scandals in years past and not interested in smelling another.  There are two sides to every story.  These days the winning side is generally corporate even though people do the voting.

        June Summer School is in full swing up at Skyline.  The greenhouse is taking shape.  The Parent Teacher Organization is sponsoring a co-ed softball fundraiser.  Entry forms are due by June 21^st and can be obtained at the school.  There will be six teams, each team will play three games and it will be held at the old Ava Fair Grounds on June 28^th.  Get your team together.  Contact Mary (417-543-0644) for more information.  The Skyline R II School Foundation (Rt. 72 Box 486, Norwood, MO 65717) is looking for support as well to replace aging drinking fountains.  It is estimated that it will cost about $3,000.00 to buy and install the three new drinking fountains.  Adeline Homer, who was a third grader this last year at Skyline, has her birthday on June 12^th as does classmate Isabelle Creed.  They will move on to the 4^th grade together with Wyatt Hicks.  His birthday is on the 13^th and he shares it with 8^th grader Glen Dylan Ford.  On the 15^th Zachary Coon will celebrate.  He will be in the third grade when school starts back up.  Foster Wiseman will have his birthday on the 16^th.  He lives up in Marshfield but is a frequent visitor to his Grandmother’s Champion farm.  June is also full of wedding anniversaries.  Old couples growing old together for better and for worse still, amazingly enough, enjoy each other’s company.  Fatherhood also gets it due in June.  Paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society cannot be too much appreciated.  The young fathers who are actively participating in the raising of children are affirming or refuting the examples their own fathers set.  There is the feeling that they want to be just like their own dear old dads or that they want to be like the dads they wanted their dads to be.  Either way is fine and it is beautiful to see sons and daughters looking up to fine role models—Champion dads!

        Mistakes are made.  Linda’s Almanac for June as it appears on the www.championnews.us website is correct.  A corrected version will get down to Henson’s G & G before this is in ink.  The errors and omissions started about the middle of the month and covered about eight days.  It is all fixed now with apologies.  Other errors are made purposefully sometimes as a way to revisit a subject.  Of course it was not Willard Coonts who was knife fighting with Lee Ray at Ava High School back in the 60’s.  It was W.D. Coonts.  That is not to say that Willard did not engage in some risky behavior, just that this particular incident (revisited here) involved his son.  W.D. and Lee sat in the back of the classroom (probably English) and had a little game they played with their pocket knives.  It was not mumbly peg which is generally considered to be an outdoor game, but a surreptitious parry and prick gambit where each one conceals his open pocket knife in his hand with his thumb covering the point of the blade so that should the teacher turn around and catch something going on, it would just appear that one or the other of the ruffian teenagers was poking the other in the leg with his thumb.  It happened this way that one day Lee forgot his knife.  He got off to school without it.  As soon as W.D. realized the situation he became more aggressive so that Lee scooted his chair over to get out of reach.  This made it awkward for W.D. who lunged a little farther and accidently let the point of his knife blade slip out from the end of his thumb.  He poked a little hole in Lee’s new blue jeans and as it turned out a little hole in Lee as well.  It was not all that painful and soon enough the subject matter of the class captured their attention and the incident was past.  By the end of the class though, Lee had begun to feel a little something warm in his shoe and in his chair.  That little stick must have stuck a little vein because when he stood up to see all the blood, he thought he might need a transfusion.  It was a mess and it was everywhere.  Lee knew it was an accident but he was still mad, new blue jeans and all.  Out in the hall W.D. was just standing up from his locker when Lee cold-cocked him.  He did not really knock W.D. out, but he knocked him down and then as he helped him up they exchanged a couple of words that brought the whole episode to a peaceful conclusion.  Lee said that he thought W.D. was a little embarrassed for having been knocked down and when it was all said and done, they felt even.  Lee did not forget his pocket knife after that.

        Friday morning J.C. Owsley joined up with fifty or more of his friends in the Caney Kansas Saddle Club and took off on a three day ride through Kansas and Oklahoma on his big white mule, Dot.  Dot is just on loan for a while and will get a little rest after the exertion of carrying the big man through two states.  Perhaps he will bring Dot to Champion for Bud Hutchison’s Fall Trail Ride.  J. C. has another horse that he has raised which is becoming a pasture riding fence checking favorite for the cowboy.  The Fox Creek Rodeo could have used some cowboy acumen the other day.  Details of the wild excitement are purposefully sketchy to avoid the publicity.  Barbara, up in Peoria, probably knows all about it.  If her hay maker does not get rained out he will get some bales put by before he goes home, meanwhile he can spend some time soothing hurt feelings over having sailed right by the Johnston’s new home without a by your leave, a wave or a howdy.  “I’ve got a pig at home in the pen and corn to feed him on.  All I need is a pretty little gal to feed him when I’m gone.”  That is probably a tune that Dylan Watts can pick on his banjo and his family and friends hope he will bring it with him when he comes this way from Tennessee now that he has his driving permit—over here to Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—June 2, 2014

        “What is so rare as a day in June?  Then, if ever, come perfect days.”  James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) made keen observations about the value of natural beauty.  He was an American Romantic poet, critic, satirist, writer, diplomat and abolitionist who said “who speaks the truth stabs falsehood to the heart.”  He might well have said, “Too few people control too much money and power in this country, and they are using that control to rig the rules to protect and extend their privileges, snuffing out the light of egalitarianism.”  Something he really did say was, “Blessed are they who have nothing to say and cannot be persuaded to say it.”  The likes of Mr. Lowell would be a colorful addition to the sages on the wide veranda at the Historic Emporium down on the wild, woolly banks of Old Fox Creek—one of the Champions.  Lee Ray said that if his sister could cheat, he could certainly lie and he came in on Wednesday prepared to do just that, but Bob and Ethel Leach are astute as to his countenance and he knew he would not be able to pull it off.  He gave up on the lying and confessed to having been soundly beaten in Scrabble by his sister.  The score was 366 to 373.  He said that he would a sight rather have been beaten by a hundred.  He went on to talk about knife fighting with Willard Coonts when they were in high school and about what a great prevaricator his great Uncle Jim was.  Some in his family say he favors his great uncle.

        The Skyline R-2 School Foundation is doing some good work with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.  Any child in the school district can receive a new, age-appropriate book in the mail every month from birth until the age of five years when it is time for kindergarten.  The young ones are being set up for success in school as they learn to love books and reading.  Currently the Foundation is sponsoring books for 28 children and 13 have graduated the program.  There are applications for the DPIL at the school and at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Champion.  The more the merrier!  In addition to this on-going venture, the Foundation is setting a goal of raising around $3,000.00 to replace the older drinking fountains at the school–a much needed and worthwhile project.  Fund raising ideas are being bandied about.  Until some exciting event is planned, donations will be happily accepted at The Skyline R-2 School Foundation, Rt. 72 Box 486, Norwood, MO 65717.

        Her Skyline/Champion friends are missing Esther Wrinkles who always had such enthusiasm for the school and for the Skyline VFD.  She remarked that it was a shame that the Skyline Picnic always followed the summer elections by a couple of weeks.  She would like to have been able to capitalize on the largesse of the various candidates as they are looking for votes.  The 1982 Skyline School Valedictorian, the incumbent a generous bidder in the silent auction at the Skyline Chili Supper, and an Ava attorney are all vying for the same spot on the bench.  Perhaps on their way to candidate forums here and there they can stop by with some competitive donating.  Perhaps all the candidates for public office could cast their eyes and hearts out to the East and give our lovely little school a helping hand.  Meanwhile, it is good to see the Skyline Greenhouse project taking shape.  Thanks to Willhites, Procks and Ryans, the framing is up and the whole thing looks like it is going to provide an excellent learning environment for country children who want to study how things grow.  Esther would like that.  Plants that she shared with friends keep her in Champion thoughts.  She was a big believer in planting by the signs and would appreciate Linda’s Almanac.  It says that June 7-11 will all be good days for planting crops that yield above the ground.  Find a copy of the Almanac up at The Plant Place in Norwood, on the bulletin board at Henson’s Downtown G & G, and on line at www.championnews.us.

        Paul Kennedy drives a school bus for Skyline.  His birthday is June 2nd and so he missed getting to hear the kids sing that song to him as they roll along through the beautiful countryside.  Avid Champion News reader, Mark Parsons, over in Western Douglas County also celebrates on June 2nd.  A tour through his garden is at the same time enlightening, encouraging and discouraging.  Keep in mind he has been at it for many years and he has good help and that judging one’s own efforts by his standard is a recipe for dissatisfaction.  It is better to just recognize an amazing, lovely garden when you see one and then go pull some weeds in your own patch.  Margie Cohen up in Pennsylvania has a birthday on June the 3rd.  There is a nice song that goes with that date written by Fats Waller and recorded somewhere around 1935.  It is as if it were written for the woman though the song predates her by at least twenty years.  Like her, it is full of zest, romance, and vigorous enjoyment of life.  Happy days all!

        A hard fast little ten minute downpour did not dampen the enthusiasm for the Denlow School Reunion.  The gathering had just repaired to the spacious pavilion after a satisfying luncheon (with two kinds of banana pudding!) and was getting ready for the auction when the sky opened up.  The musicians put away their instruments during the deluge but were quick to pull them out again when the rain let up.  Lavern Miller officiated again as the auctioneer and kept everyone in stitches as he orchestrated some creative backwards bidding while raising funds to perpetuate the reunion and the upkeep of the grounds.  Kenneth Anderson and Elisabeth Johnston were his helpers and the sale was a lot of fun if not ‘brisk.’  Laverne grew up over around Brixey and Rockbridge.  It was his good luck that he happened to meet the lovely Jesse Mae Williams of Denlow and they have made a fine team for quite a few years now.  He is a World War II veteran and then worked on the railroad for 36 years.  Jesse could probably tell some good stories.  The place was full of good stories and visiting among Johnstons, Andersons, Cooleys, Upshaws, Kriders, Brixeys, Follises, Hicks, Woods, Proctors and many other families with long history in the area.  There were new faces as well and everyone was made to feel welcome.  Since the lack of a ‘program’ was so successful this year, the General has agreed not to do it again next year.  It has been suggested that he might prepare some written remarks or some sing-along songs that would allow everyone to enjoy themselves as much as he does, perhaps a song popular in World War II.  “So won’t you please say ‘Hello’ to the folks that I know.  Tell them I won’t be long.  They’ll be happy to know that as you saw me go I was singing this song.  We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”  Any day is fine in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—May 23, 2014

        Circumstances kept some Champions out of pocket midday Wednesday, but there were good reports of a fine turnout for the visiting, storytelling, reminiscing session down on the banks of Old Fox Creek.  Many of the ‘regulars’ made it out and were joined by Dean and Daily Upshaw.  They were well received and with luck, will make it back again soon.  It was wonderful to hear that Ethel felt like keeping up the routine in spite of having had a rough week.  She is a real Champion and was in her regular spot and her friends will be hoping that the week to come is less eventful for her.

        They say that the Eskimos have a hundred words for snow.  This time of the year Champions need that many words for green.  It is luscious out there even though a little more rain would be welcome.  Laine Sutherland made some good garden progress on Wednesday.  She and Greta planted okra, watermelons, zucchini, cantaloupe and other things.  She already has corn in and will put in more.  It is nice to have help and to have someone setting such a good example of productivity. Most likely she has a good song in her head while she is working in her beautiful soil.  Linda’s Almanac from up at The Plant Place in Norwood indicates that during the week ahead the 26th and 27th will be good for root crops and good days for transplanting.  The very next good day will be the 31st.  It will be favorable for corn, okra, beans, peppers, eggplant and other above ground crops and will be a good time to plant flowers.  It will also be an excellent day to say, “Happy Birthday, Alexandra Jean!”  Eight is a good age for a Champion grandchild.  Send your favorite garden working song to Champion@championnews.us or to The Champion News, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  “Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve….” A person does not necessarily have to wait for the harvest to do the rejoicing.  It is an ongoing thing in Champion.

        Linda Collins sends a message to Elva Raglan saying that she would like it if Elva would come to the Thursday Bluegrass Jam at Vanzant.  Linda was there this last week and enjoyed herself.  She and Elva have been friends for a long time though they do not get together as often as they would like.  Bonnie and Doug Bean from Caulfield were there too.  They were there with their son Sargent Daniel Bean who is getting ready for his fourth deployment with the United States Army.  He has been to Iraq and to Afghanistan two times.  This time he is going to Africa, starting out in Djibouti in June.  This small country is on the southwest coast of the Red Sea where it joins with the Gulf of Aden.  It is east of Ethiopia and north of Somalia.  Daniel says he will be there for nine months and expects that he will travel around Africa quite a bit.  He has been enjoying his time at home and it is clear that his folks have enjoyed having him.  Thursday was his last trip to the jam until he gets home again around February.  He sang “32 Acres of Bottom Land” with his Dad and they recorded it so he will have it with hiim on his deployment.  Sargent Bean has Purple Hearts and the appreciation of his family and friends, his Champion neighbors, and a grateful Nation.

        The Comet 209P/Linear was discovered in 2004.  It has left some dusty debris that the Earth will have passed by on Saturday night late giving North American sky-gazers the best view on the planet.   Astronomers say that around 2 a.m. the debris will have created three or four hundred shooting starts per minute and maybe more.  By Tuesday the comet will have been about 5 million miles from Earth.  By the time this is in ink, it will be history and Champions will have learned when the next time the “Camelopardalids” Meteor Shower (named after the giraffe constellation) will be visible.  These tense forms are tricky.  It is a challenge to write a history of something that has yet to happen.  For example, the Denlow School Reunion could be anything!  There are always some exciting items in the auction and the potluck dinner is always extravagant and the music good.  The only real unknows have to do with who is able to attend this year and how certain people behave.

        Summer will find the country roads full of horses and wagons, four wheelers, walkers and visitors of all kinds to Champion.  It may be that J.C. Owsley will come down from Cross Timbers with that big white mule, Dot.  The name now makes sense.  There is a picture of J.C. and Dot on the internet and there is a nice brown dot on Dot’s big white neck just behind the long pointed left ear.  In the photo J.C. is sitting up tall and straight in the saddle the way he does and Dot’s left foreleg is up in a pose that puts one in mind of the Famous Lipizzaner Stallions.  The West Plains Wagon Club will be having events.  Clifton Luna will have a ride May 31-June 1.  It will include a fish fry and pot luck on Saturday Night.  June 6-8 Jerry and Diane Wilbanks will head up a ride around the Chapel Grove RV Park.  Contact Diane for more information at 683-9239.  Probably those Foxtrotters have some exciting summertime stuff going on as well.  Everyone knew that it would finally be summer and here it is.

        Thursday was the last day of school at Skyline.  Summer stretches out ahead of youngsters like it is going to be months and months of wonderful, warm, free time to do as they please.  They will have chores and projects, trips to the creek and company coming, but it is also hoped that they will have hours to watch the clouds, to daydream and make plans and discoveries.  The ‘carefree’ time that old folks remember as some of their best time is now visited on the youth.  There is ample seating on the spacious veranda of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square.  Sit back and gaze out at Nature’s grandeur.  Remember way back when but enjoy the real here and now of Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!