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CHAMPION—September 16, 2013

        The excitement of the wagon train left Champion feeling good.  It is a real gift to be part of a vital community that can support and encourage such an interesting and important event.  It is more than nostalgia that keeps these people rolling along in mule and horse drawn wagons.  They make up a great and close community among themselves while preserving the technology and knowhow that might prove invaluable one day.  Without prognosticating any calamity, it is still good to know that these skills have not been discarded.  The train has been coming through at this time of the year since the early 1980’s.  Some of these folks have made every trip.  It is one of the many bright spots in the Champion year—one of the brightest.

        It was a good time on the side of the hill with all the spectators and musicians on Thursday.  The General showed up and wisely loaned his guitar to Butch Stone who sang one great old song after another with Wayne Anderson, Jerry Wagner, Sherry Bennett and a number of other players who came and went during the course of the afternoon.  Butch left saying he was supposed to have been home two hours earlier.  His audience was glad he had dallied.  The General got tangled up in a fairly short loop of string but finally got loose for the last few tunes of the day.  He was so loose, in fact, that he started the Dueling Banjo’s on the guitar.  He was hard put to keep up the speed with Wayne on the real banjo.  His family always finds him entertaining.  It is a sweet experience to hear the stories of the old days back in the fifties when a lot of these fellows were teenagers.  Joann Anderson says that her children are always wishing their dad would record these memories.  They might have to come armed with their own tape recorders.  Though hearers may not remember the details of the various escapades of the storytellers, it is sure that the flavor is captured and affection shared and built with an understanding of the history of the place and the people.  It is also a lovely thing to see the look on a musician’s face as he struggles to remember a tune.  Their faces relax and their eyes look up as if the notes were written on the clouds.  When they find them, it always brings a smile.

        It was a great surprise to see five wagons going south on Cold Springs Road Saturday.  These folks were on a self-contained trip back to Viola, Arkansas.  Visiting brothers from Iowa, who had missed the wagon train earlier in the week, had the chance to see this bunch up close as they camped in Champion overnight.  It is a genuinely hospitable place.

        Champions can find something special about any day that comes along.  It is part of the overall philosophy of the place to be alert to the good things as they are happening.  Sunday started off with Elmer Banks birthday, and then Monday, the 16th of September is the day Mexico celebrates as the start of their eleven year war of independence from Spain (1810-1821).  Linda’s Almanac says that Tuesday will be a good day to kill plant pests like poison ivy and weeds of all sorts.  Wednesday will be good for planting crops that bear their yield above the ground and Thursday will be good for root crops and for transplanting.  The Harvest Moon is full on the 19th at 6:13 a.m.  Friday may still be ‘date night’ for some households, but certainly not all.  Then comes Saturday and Skyline VFD Auxiliary members Louise Hutchison and Betty Elliot share their birthday.  The 21st is also the birthday of Champion granddaughter, Zoey Louise, and her second cousin Penelope, both of Austin, Texas.  In years past the Autumnal Equinox was celebrated on the 21st thinks one old Champion.  A little research reveals that due to the necessity of recent astronomical measurements, the date of the holiday is not officially declared until February of the previous year.  It became a public holiday in 1948—Equinox Day, September 22nd.  Skyline’s preschool teacher, Ms. Angie, has her birthday on the 23rd.  Landon King is in Kindergarten at Skyline.  His birthday is on the 24th.  Every day of the week has something interesting going on.

        The weather seems to be moderating nicely and Champions have no kind of complaint.  A little rain settles the dust and saves some irrigating, and cooler temperatures foretell the autumn chill ahead. There is much to do this time of the year and Champions are busy.  When the Work is Done This Fall might be a song to add to a cowboy repertory.  One of the jolly cowboys discussing plans at ease said that when the roundup days are over and the shipping all is done,” I’m going right straight home, boys, before my money’s gone.  I have changed my ways, boys.  No more will I fall.  Yes, I’m going home, boys, when the work’s all done this fall.”  Getting the last of the harvest in and a few fall things planted will keep some busy while others are ambitious and getting the big plots in the garden tilled, fertilized and mulched over for winter.  Others are planting winter rye.  Houseplants are coming in from outside.  Walnuts are falling.  It’s that time of the year.  Bud Hutchison’s trail ride will be coming up soon and the Pioneer Descendants Gathering will happen the 5th and 6th of October.  Time passes quickly.

        Look in on www.championnews.us  to find pictures of the wagon train, the music and frivolity, which may include some shots of the general in a tangle.  Send your news and birthdays to the new email address Champion @ championnews.us.  Come stand out on the broad veranda of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square to sing your favorite end of summer song.  Ray from over at Almartha rides his Harley over a couple of times a week just to enjoy what he thinks is one of the last such places in the country –a community at the end of the  pavement where country roads begin, at the bottom of several hills on the wild and wooly banks of a wet weather creek under the shade of ancient trees.  Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—September 9, 2013

        It is a lovely sight in Champion to see the pastures still green even as the wet weather creeks have dried up again.  Few complaints are to be heard as the moderation of the temperatures and hope of a little rain will smooth out minor wrinkles that vex perfection.  Champion–glorious in all seasons!

        Bud Hutchison hosted an impromptu trail ride to accommodate folks from Michigan and Louisiana on Friday.  He will have his regular fall event coming up in October, but the serendipitous spontaneity of Friday’s ride honored a promise to show these out- of- towners the sites.  Festus Hagen would say that Champion is plumb ‘sitesome’ or maybe he would say ‘looksome.’  The sightseers ambled around for several hours covering a solid 20 miles of beautiful Champion territory and are all much plussed for the experience.  They are reported to have had a pleasant, uneventful ride and that none had to be fished from the drink.  Their names are written in the guest book at the Restoration of the Historic Emporium together with notations of their home places.  That guest book is doubtlessly an interesting read.

        Cowboy Jack did not make this ride, but made it down to Champion to visit with his friends.  He will most likely make an appearance as an out-rider with the West Plains Wagon Club wagon train when it sashays into Champion on Thursday.  They generally leave West Plains on Monday and make it to Champion about midday on Thursday.  They loiter about the Square to give themselves a rest and observers the opportunity to examine these wonderful rigs and beautiful draft animals up close.  The General has made a tentative commitment to show up about eleven with his guitar.  The preeminent resident of Champion would specify that The General often commits and then is called away on business so urgent that he cannot be held in contempt for a failure to appear.  He is an important man.  Spectators will park out on the road or on the edge of town so that the wagons and animals can enjoy the little church yard under the big trees for their rest.  Spectators will include a sizable contingent of the General’s blood kin and so if he does show he will be on good behavior.  Cooler weather is predicted for the Champion segment of the wagon train’s journey so the travelers will all be in a good mood when they arrive.  The wagons have rubber tires and spring seats but the hard work, knowledge and skill that it takes to roll across country behind a team is authentic to the experience of those who ‘paved’ the way long ago.  Welcome!

        A prominent citizen in Champion concludes that fall is on the way.  He says that the walnut leaves are fluttering down in golden swirls, just a ’trickling down to the parched, dry ground.   He speculates that should the Cowboy take a tumble from his mighty high horse, he would come up coughing and sputtering, perhaps gasping and snorting to clear his windpipe of the dreadful desiccating dust.  Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that any above the ground crops planted on Friday and Saturday will do well.  Some are planting spinach, lettuce and radishes thinking that these things can stand a little frost.  That frost could be around the corner in two or three weeks is another of those startling yet not unexpected proofs of the rapid passage of time.  Where did the summer go?

        Tanna Jo will have her birthday of Friday the 13th!  That will be just fine.  She is not superstitious and is a lucky person blessed with a beautiful family and a great joie-de-vivre.  Foster and Kalyssa can use their new tuning forks to pitch a great happy birthday song to their dear, sweet Mother.  On the 14th a regular visitor to the Ozarks, nephew Konrad, will have a birthday that will be celebrated in song by daughters, Sophia and Penelope who are great Champion aficionadas.  Over at Skyline School, two seventh graders, Derek Camp and Donavon Sarginson, celebrated on September 5th.  Lexus Ledbetter is in kindergarten and has a birthday on the 10th of September.  Breann Davis, sixth grader, has hers on the 14th.  Grandparents Day at Skyline School was a particularly wonderful day for Taegan Krider.  She is in pre-kindergarten and loves it.  She had both of her Grandmothers visit her in school Friday.  They did a little hand print craft project together making some good memories.  Elmer Banks has been out of school for a long time but still has birthdays and his is on the 15th.  He knows how to enjoy himself and people in his company are usually having fun.  He has recently gained some admirers for a particular exercise in restraint.  He is a transplanted Transylvania Champion well met!

        The Thursday night jam session at the Vanzant Community Building draws musicians from all around the county and beyond.  Here are some but not nearly all of the songs heard there recently:  Five Pounds of Possum in My Headlights, When It’s Springtime in Alaska, I Thought He Walked on Water, Somebody Touched Me, Mule Skinner Blues, Walk Softly On This Heart of Mine, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Where Could I Go But to the Lord, Wabash Cannonball, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Fox on the Run, Bear Tracks, Blackberry Blossom, God Gave Me You, Wildwood Flower, Memories That Haunt Me, Oh! They Tell Me of an Uncloudy Day, Cry Cry Darling, Why Did I leave The Plow in the Field, Wayfaring Stranger, Crazy Arms, Shady Grove, There She Goes, and I’ll go Stepping Too.  Musicians are often some of the friendliest and most generous people around.  They are interested and supportive of each other in ways that the broader community could stand to emulate.

        Send news, birthdays to celebrate, traits to emulate or favorite songs to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO. 65717.  The email address is changing to Champion @ championnews.us.  The website www.championnews.us is full of pictures of the Brushy Knob bear, the Champion flood of 2013, wagon trains, school reunions and a video of The Grand Opening of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square in 2011.  Archives of all the Champion News since August, 2006, are there as well.  A stroll through cyberspace is an agreeable method to idle away an hour, but live and in person is the best way to enjoy one of the world’s truly beautiful places.  Come south on C Highway from Norwood, or north on C from Highway 14 and turn east on WW.  Follow it for two miles or so over hill and dale until the pavement runs out and there you will be in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—September 2, 2013

        The hottest day of the year so far was Saturday, August 31^st and also the day of the annual Champion School Reunion.  That did not seem to make much of a difference to the fifty or so stalwart Champions, families and friends who enjoyed the afternoon under the ancient walnut trees in the old school yard.  Ruby Proctor pointed to the tree that was home base and told about the batter who let go of the bat after a hit.  It hurled right into her face and she said she still had the scar, but her sweet smile hides it well.  Some of the others who passed the day with Ruby were Elsie Curtis, Debbie Massey, Connie Brown, Robert Brown, Paul Brown, Lee Brown, Richard and Kaye Johnston, Karen Krider, Ray Hicks, Pete Proctor, Harold and Eva Phillips,  Elva Ragland, Sheila Brown, Betty Henson, Fern Bishop, Kenneth and Barbara Anderson, Wayne and JoAnn Anderson, Russell and Dean Upshaw, Frank and Freda Proctor, Arlene Cooley, Tom Cooley, Laine Sutherland, Frances Sutherland, Billy Jo Lambert and his son, Don Krewson, Anita Krewson, Wayne Sutherland, Modeen Dooms, Mrs. LuAllen and two daughters, her son and his wife, Benton Hutchinson, Jackie Coonts, Dale and Betty Thomas, Leslee Krider, Bill Smith, Wilma Hutchison Pointer and her husband, Royce and Joe Henson and Vaughn Henson.  Royce and his son Vaughn completed the Walk of Ages again this year from Cold Springs all the way to Champion.  Champions know about how far that is and about how long ago it was that the roads were full of young folks going here and there.  A few old pictures came out at the reunion, and many old memories of pleasant days long gone.  They may seem more pleasant now than they were then, but memory plays some great tricks.  It is easy to forget the hard times after a while and to let those sweet remembrances hang on.  There were some notable absences, but perhaps next year the weather will be more mild and those who could not make it this year will be able to come home again.  Champion!

        So many inquiries were made concerning the dates of the wagon train schedule this year that a call was made to West Plains Wagon Club ramrod, Clifton Luna.  He says that the outfit plans to leave West Plains on the 9^th of September and will roll into Champion on Thursday the 12^th at about their regular time.  That is somewhere around late morning to noon.  They generally rest up and lunch in Champion and then make their way up Cold Springs Road to a campsite north of Skyline.  Look at pictures of previous wagon trains on line at www.championnews.us.  Everyone is invited to come out to the Square on Thursday to enjoy seeing all the various wagons and rigs and the beautiful horses and mules.  One year a guy showed up in a cart pulled by a goat.  It was funny looking but it got there just the same.  Moderate weather will be expected and appreciated for the sojourn as well as for the journey.

        The Dogwood School Reunion is coming up October 19^th at Evans.  Betty Thomas claims to make excellent cheese enchiladas and plans to bring some to that gathering to satisfy the hankering of a native Texan whom she has invited to attend.  She and Dale were also handing out flyers for their twelfth annual Pioneer Descendants Gathering down at their place at Yates on October 5^th and 6^th.  This event has become a great new tradition in these parts out on the “Edge of the World.”

        Birthdays are good for your health.  Studies have shown that people who have more birthdays live the longest.  Kalyssa had a great sixth birthday on Saturday and was treated to a roller skating adventure by her family.  Reports have not arrived concerning the celebration of Jenna Brixey, born on the same day, though it is a fairly sure bet that it was a good one.  The first of September is the birth anniversary of Larry Wrinkles.  Teresa is certain to have made his favorite dish.  Perhaps Sandy Ray Chapin will have prepared something wonderful for his lovely wife, Janet, on her special day as well.  Over at the Skyline School seventh grader, Derek Camp, will have his birthday on Thursday the 5^th.  The 8^th of September will be on Sunday this year.  That is the birthday of intrepid bridge player Carol Tharp of Vera Cruz.  She has a birthday buddy group that knows how to celebrate and then her bridge friends will put the icing on the cake at their next game.  Elmer Banks has a birthday coming up on September 15^th.  Various hunting and fishing seasons open up in Missouri on that day and in the United Kingdom it is The Battle of Britain Day.  Elmer shares his birthday with Roy Acuff, Jackie Cooper, James Fennimore Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and other famous people.  Elmer makes quite a good local celebrity and always has some interesting information to share.  He is quick to attribute his facts to the proper source, but Champions generally just remember that Elmer said it.  For instance one can learn from him that Douglas County is the second largest county in the state and is the least populated and the most economically depressed.  It is also the only county with only one town.  Some prominent citizens dispute that fact, however, and can be heard doing so vociferously in the community meeting room at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion.

        Taegan (Peanut) Krider has taken to pre-school like a duck to water and her folks are feeling like empty nesters.  They grow up so quickly.  She is very fond of her new cousin, Drayson Cline, who was in Champion for the first time Sunday.  He was very well received and there was a line waiting to get the chance to hold him.  His great uncle Richard very much enjoyed his turn with the little fellow.

        Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood indicates that the 3^rd through the 6^th will be a most barren period, best for killing plant pests or doing chores around the farm.  After that there will be several good days for planting crops that bear their yield above ground, especially leafy greens and the like. Linda has some nice Cole crops started for the fall.  Find her Almanac on line at www.championnews.us or at Henson’s Grocery and Gas or up at The Plant Place.  She always has some good advice to share and is pleased to answer any gardening questions.  The erstwhile barber of Champion West should ask her why his beans bloom but do not set any fruit.  He was down at the store on Wednesday bragging about all the canning he was doing with crates and cases of food he had bought in various places.  Once his brand new overalls are washed a few times he might start looking a little less like the city slicker he plans to be when he moves to town.  When he gets there he will look like a country boy.

        “Why did I leave the plow in the field and look for a job in the town?”  Now that is one that many know and it is likely to be sung at the Vanzant Thursday Night Jam Session.  Last week a dozen or more musicians entertained a good size crowd.  It is wonderful to see the age range from fourteen to way-on-up-yonder all enjoying the musical tie that binds.  Your good news is welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or at Champion at getgoin.net.  Spread it in person out on the graceful veranda of the Elegant Emporium in the city center–Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 26, 2013

        Good news comes in a wonderful little package by the name of Drayson Vaughn Cline.  He arrived on the 23^rd at 10:24 in the evening.  The good news came to many on the social network facebook via the young man’s proud aunt.  He is a popular guy already.  On one side of the family alone he has cousins:  Dakota and Dillon Watts, Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman, Eli and Emerson Rose Oglesby, and Taegan Krider.  There is another whole side of the family, the Clines, out there also very much excited about a newcomer.  In just a few minutes internet messages arrived from Cathie Alsup Reilly, Nadine Shaffer Smith, Leigh Ann Lewis, Katie Vivod, Candy Clark-Hibbitts, Emily Ash, Teresa Chapman-Stout, Anna Johnson, Barbara Brooke, Wilma Ash, Darcy Cecil, LaDonna Garrison, Wilda Moses, Steve Krider, Sherrill Ash, Christy Berry, and Kathy Krider.  By now, the Mother and Father are no doubt swimming in well wishes and their Champion friends and family are overjoyed for them and wish them every good fortune.  “Mama rock a little, Papa rock a little too, gonna try to do a little sleeping maybe.  If it’s just for a moment or an hour or two, it’s entirely depending on the baby!”  Champion!

        Birthdays continue to be a favorite subject particularly among those people having them.  Dakota Watts just had one, and Foster’s grandmother, Bernice Wiseman, just had one.  Kalyssa Wiseman and Jenna Brixey have one on Saturday.  They will both be six on the 31^st.  That is the day of the Champion School Reunion in Champion and the Brixeys are having a family reunion over in Nixa, so everybody will be celebrating and having fun.  Skyline School teacher, Mrs. Gunter, celebrated on the 23^rd and Crystal Sartor will have her special day on Thursday the 29^th.  Skyline teachers will be enjoying the book fair starting the 29^th.  It will last until September 9^th.  They say there will be plenty of time to buy the newest books, including Grandparents day on the 6^th.  Everyone is invited to stop in to see what is available.  Back to birthdays, years slip by more quickly it seems as people age.  The nature of the excitement over a birthday changes with age as well.  Expressions of Love and Gratitude are the order of every day for celebrating Champions. “Happy birthday!” they shout, “We are glad you could join us for another year!”

        The famed bear of Brushy Knob can be seen on the community events page at www.championnews.us.  It might be easy perhaps to be a little dismissive of what seems like the disproportionate fears of an otherwise solid, well-grounded citizen reporting having seen a bear in her yard.  Then the picture of the bear appears.  No wonder fear gripped the heart!  The folks at the Department of Conservation say to make a lot of noise when you are out if you suspect there is a bear in your area.  A couple of pot lids banging together can be as noisy as a shotgun and perhaps a little less dangerous.  Of course if a person goes in the house to get pot lids, chances are pretty good that the bear will not follow.  If he does, however, go for the shotgun.   Mostly people are admonished to stay alert.  That is always good advice and it was good advice on Sunday when a night owl over in Champion East looked up to see a brown striped scorpion walking toward her across the clean wood floor!  She captured it and photographed it for the Champion News.  She said she had no idea that there were any of these things around here and had never seen one.  The University of Missouri extension office says that this is the only naturally occurring species of scorpion in Missouri.  Young scorpions are pale yellowish-brown, usually with two lengthwise dark stripes on the abdomen; older scorpions are uniform dark brown with the stripes faint or lacking.  This one is young.  It takes about four years to become adults and then they only live a couple more years.  A good piece of information about all scorpions is that they glow under iridescent light such as a black light.  The high tech night owl of Champion East probably has a couple of black lights hanging around so she can scan her floor if she gets worried.  Research informs that scorpions hide during the day and are active at night.  They eat soft-bodied prey such as spiders, ants, crickets, beetles and butterflies.  The Department of Conservation says that while these scorpions are usually found in drier habitats, they require moisture and may be attracted to moist areas.  They tend to live under boards, stones or other objects, or beneath loose bark on trees and logs.  They generally do not like extremely high temperatures and, during the summer, may enter the living areas of a home seeking relief from heat and dryness.  When they come indoors, they are most often found in crawl spaces and attics.  It may be that the unusual weather of recent months has the little critter confused.  He is very interesting, but not welcome.  Not welcome inside at all—neither scorpion nor bear.

        Pete Proctor posts on Facebook that a 20-year old northwest Missouri man has died during fighting in Afghanistan.  The Department of Defense announced Sunday that Pvt. Jonathon Michael Dean Hostetter of Humphreys was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device.  He was a combat engineer who joined the Army in September 2012.  Also killed in the explosion was 23-year old Army Spc. Kenneth Clifford Alvarez of Santa Maria, California.  Both men were assigned to the 40^th Mobility Augmentation Company, 2^nd Engineer Battalion.  Pete is good to keep the U.S. Service personnel in the forefront to remind the community of the sacrifices people are willing to make for their Country.  His Champion friends appreciate his efforts and his own service.  For many reasons, including the noble purpose of preserving freedom and insuring the safety of the Nation, young people join the military.  A popular posting on social media has a young child asking his mother, “Why do we have wars?”  The mother answers, “Because we are ruled by an elite group of psychopaths who own the banks that control the government and media.  They fund both sides of war for profit and they manufacture the consent of the public through the propaganda of the media.”  The world is an increasingly dangerous place and for whatever the reasoning, Champion applaud those willing to protect and defend.

        Pete will probably be at the Champion School Reunion on Saturday.  Friends are looking forward to seeing Ruby Proctor there with her sisters and children and dear friends.   There will probably be a bunch of Browns, Cooleys, Sutherlands, Hutchisons, Wrinkles, Hensons, Andersons, Kriders, Upshaws and many others.  Hopes are that the weather will be cool and pleasant.  The big walnut trees have shaded this event for many years now.  It is sure to be an excellent gathering again.  There was some talk last year about people bringing their pictures to share.  Hopefully, some of that will happen and the debris in Fox Creek will doubtlessly spark memories of high water marks in the past.  The school house floor is dry again and there will be some who have not seen the nice steps and wheel chair ramp that have been added in recent years.  The water covered the new steps and reached the steps of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square but it stayed high and dry.  It is delightful to be part of such a progressive community so dedicated to its wonderful past and so keenly alert to its excellent present.  Everyone is welcome to join in the fun at Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 19, 2013

        Lawnmowers and weed-eaters have been working overtime in this post picnic dry spell.  Those willing to get up at a descent hour have been able to enjoy the ethereal beauty of mists rising from valley floors and fog hanging on hill tops.  Coming home from town in the early evening, viewing the familiar scenery in a new light, Champions are amazed at the verdant splendidness of the place they are fortunate enough to call home.

        Ogden Nash was born on August 19, 1902.  He said, “Children aren’t happy with nothing to ignore, and that’s what parents are created for.”  It is sure that Eli and Emerson Rose Oglesby will not ignore the chance to sing happy birthday to their Mother this week on the 22^nd and the 24^th will be the birthday of their cousin, Dakota Watts, over in Tennessee.  Daniel Cohen up in Pennsylvania has his birthday on the 24^th as well.  He spent some of his formative months/years in Champion where he learned to make an exceptional pineapple upside down cake and proved himself to be extraordinarily good company.  He teaches literature now in a private school in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and lives in the 200 year old house where he grew up all except for the wonderful time he spent in Champion.  People like their roots.

        Thirty or so Upshaws celebrated their roots together with ice cream and family fun over in Upshaw (Swanky) Suites and Spa in the Villa at Vanzant. The General is said to have spun yarns and ice cream freezers and is accused of spinning the press as his picture seems so prominent in local papers.  Family members poured in from Marshfield, Champion, Alaska, Mountain Grove, Idaho and other places just as the rain was letting up.  Those from farthest afield were able to stay around for a few days to see things dry up (the General notwithstanding).  Darcy Cecil found a way to get the quilt she won at the Skyline picnic home to Boise and so all is well.  It makes for happy hearts when so much of a family cares enough about each other to spend time together in this fashion.  They are Champions all, even those with Denlow leanings.

        Gardeners have an abundance of grass cuttings set aside now for garden mulch and just need to spend these early cool mornings weeding their rows.  More seasonable weather might bring on a resurgence of produce and though some things look a little worse for all the water, no one is complaining.  Linda’s Almanac says that the 22^nd and 23^rd will be good days for planting root crops, as will the 27^th and 28^th.  One old girl will be sure to get some turnips in the ground against the possibility of having Lem and Ned stop by late this fall.  These are a pair of roaming hillbilly boys who show up on occasion looking for hard work to do in exchange for a sack of turnips.  They like them raw or can tell you just how to go about making a turnip pie.  It is kind of like a pumpkin pie but without the pumpkin.  It is not a favorite of many around here which may be why one rarely hears about it, though it turns out there are 42 different turnip pie receipts on one internet site alone.  www.yummly.com/receipts/turnip-pie.  Who would have thought it?  While she sows her turnip seeds, the woman will think about how she would like the old chicken house cleaned up and the grapevine taken down out of the far yard trees and some big rocks moved out of the drive way.  Those boys only come by once in a blue moon, so she generally has a backlog of work lined out for them.  She might be surprised to know that August’s full moon on the 20-21^st is considered to be a Blue Moon.  The seasonal definition for the term is the third of four full moons in a single season—a season being defined as the time period between a solstice and an equinox or vice versa.  (The popular definition is the second of two full moons in a single calendar month.)  She will be caught short of turnips if they show up this week.  Perhaps some immature parsnips would do, or perhaps some of the Kohlrabi that was up for bid at the silent auction at the picnic.  It is sure that if two stout young men with good attitudes show up looking for work, vegetables can be found to satisfy their fee.

        Rebellious, non-progressive, tree hugging, eco-greenie, conservationist radicals are taking advantage of the prevailing conditions to catch up on their laundry as they string their non-electric, zero carbon foot-print, non-toxic, solar powered clothes drying apparatus from tree to tree.  It is an ancient technology as useful and efficient today as when Eve pinned the family fig leaves there on that first wash day.

        The Champion School Reunion is just around the corner.  It is expected that the crowd will be bigger than usual as school alumni return to verify that their wonderful old building has been reclaimed from the flood waters.  They will be delighted to see that big industrial floor drying fans were implemented to good effect.  The reunion comes on the Saturday before Labor Day every year and marks the beginning of the fall social season.  Soon Bud Hutchison’s Fall Trail Ride will be ambling through town and the West Plains Wagon Club will be traipsing through.  Those Pioneer Descendants will gather down at Yates to see what the flood wrought there.  The trail rides will be a little less interesting as the erstwhile barber who generally rides drag will be absent.  He has sold his horses and has plans to move to town.  His Champion friends might miss him if they saw more of him.  He has a guitar and the hairdo of a country music star.  He probably knows that old saw, “How can I miss you if you won’t go away?”  He has a choice piece of real estate and so chances are good that one of these days new neighbors will be getting acquainted with all the mysteries and magnificence of their new home and their beautiful neighborhood, while he settles into the conveniences of town living.  Change is good and Champions wish him well.

        Pictures of the flood in Champion are on the website at www.championnews.us.  The broad inviting veranda is there high and dry and available for anyone to use as a platform for looking out over one of the world’s truly lovely places—Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 12, 2013

        Fox Creek left its banks and cut a wide, wet swath through Champion last Thursday leaving mud coats on trees and brush higher than Cowboy Jack could reach if he were sitting on his high horse!  Big round hay bales floated by from Denlow headed on down to 14 Highway and who knows where from there?  One lodged itself in the tidy little garden next to the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square where bright sunflowers persisted above the deluge to wave happily in the sun that finally presented itself.  The water touched the steps of the store, but they remained dry.  The little church had six inches of water stacked up inside.  It may have been that deep in there when it flooded on Mother’s Day 2002, though the comparisons serve little purpose when it comes to wet carpets.  Gratitude still is the word of the day where comparisons are concerned.  Not too far away are a great number of people who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods.  Champions will not complain.

        Norris Woods was up at the Skyline Picnic and said that he had had 22½ inches of rain in fifteen days.  Several of those brave, good looking, friendly, helpful men who work for Leon Potter and this end of Douglas County made brief appearances at the picnic.  They say that there have been some people stranded because of the road conditions, but that everyone is being patient and understanding as they see the enormous amount of damage that has been done to the county roads.  Places are washed out that never have been before.  River Stillwood has a sign up looking for plans to build an ‘ark.’  Ronny Thompson and his co-worker were talking about how in the winter time  years ago the roadways would just dissolve under a car as the road thawed and it was not a matter of being stuck in the mud, but stuck in a hole.  “There’s a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza.”  There will always be plenty to do.

        “The bear went over the mountain” from one neighbor’s house to the next one.  The story was told that neighbor ladies ducked in their garage when they saw it and shut the door.  Fortunately, one of them had a cell phone and was able to call someone who came with a camera and a gun.  He took some good pictures they say and then fired the gun which caused the bear to leave.  The report was that the bear had pulled the garbage can off the deck and that on a previous occasion had attempted to take a bite out of the top of a barbeque grill.  It seems like the big fellow has found a home in the neighborhood.  Hopefully those good pictures will become available soon and Jerry Bennett, who lives up in Bluegrass, Iowa, will be able to put a face on the bear about which he reads and warns his Champion friends and family.  He knows how much his sweet Aunt Ruby Proctor loves Champion and so he is looking out for her at a distance.  McClures from Cincinnati, Iowa were sitting with Ruby at the picnic Saturday and were wishing Jerry could be there.

        Jeffry Goss called from down in Stone County looking for information about Linda’s Almanac.  He would like to have some copies of it available for the September 27^th meeting of the Christian Agricultural Stewardship Institute (CASI) which will be held at the Vanzant Community Building.  He says the meeting is free and that there will be speakers talking about farming in general and about the various ‘free energy’ scams that are going on these days.  Activities will start at 10:00 a.m. and farmers are encouraged to bring dry ears of their various corn varieties for comparison.  There will also be tomato tasting and that is sure to bring some out who might ordinarily not go.  Goss was interested in finding out about the ‘Millionaire’ tomato, saying that he had heard that a family named Henson in Champion had once had a tomato cannery and that the family had preserved this particular variety of tomato.  Anyone with information about that can share it at Champion Items, Rt.2 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or at Champion at getgoin.net.  He mentioned the Harris Farmer’s Almanac.  He says it comes in a tan cover and is written by people in the area and oriented toward the Ozarks.  Linda’s Almanac is an amalgam of Ramon’s Brownie Calendar and Blum’s Almanac plus a few items of useful lore.  It comes out monthly and is available for perusal at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion.  Mr. Goss had the presence of mind to ask upon which side of the Square the store might be located.  He does not use the internet so he cannot access the almanac at www.championnews.us as many, such as the Ava Garden Club, do.  Arrangements have been made to mail him a copy.  He will be pleased to know that the 17^th and 18^th will be good days for planting above-ground crops and that the 22^nd and 23^rd will be ideal for root crops. Linda contributed some lovely hanging baskets to the silent auction at the picnic.  Karen Griswold won one and Sherry Bennett won the other.  Karen works hard for the Skyline VFD year round and Sherry lent a welcome helping hand in getting the auction set up.  She is also quite a music lover and includes in her repertory “Five Pounds of Possum in My Headlights.”

        Picnic music is always wonderful in these parts.  In the excitement of getting ready for the picnic a special birthday slipped by.  Kalyssa and Foster sang “Happy Birthday!” to their dear old dad who was born August 8, 1968!  The 12^th of August is the birthday of Katharine Lee Bates who was born in 1859, and whose best known work, America the Beautiful, says, “O beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain.”  Again, all the picnic music was great, but Master of Ceremonies, Ray Bradley, did such an outstanding job with the National Anthem on both evenings that everyone is sure he has sung it many, many times.  He has those high notes down, with no strain and plenty of sustain.  What a guy!  He conducts the ceremonies, introduces the bands, gives away door prizes and makes announcements with such a nice dead-pan sense of humor, that a person forgets he used to be an undertaker!  When he calls the name of an absent person who must be present to win, he says, “Don’t say the guy is ‘no longer with us’ to an undertaker!”  His Champion friends are glad that he has relocated back to the area.  He just couldn’t stay away.

        Darcy Cecil of Boise, Idaho had the winning ticket for the exquisite cross stitched quilt.  She’ll have to get another suitcase to get it home on the plane.  She has but to notify the concierge at Chez Upshaw and one will appear.  She is part of the contingent of visitors from Idaho and Alaska who have come to soak up enough of their Ozark heritage to get them through for a while.  There are family reunions of the clan going on in various locations in the area and it would seem that rooms at The Upshaw Arms are quite commodious and the staff is ‘adequate.’  The White River Valley Electric award of $100.00 of free power went to Judie Pennington who lives in bear territory up Tar Button Road.  The super weather radio that the Howell Oregon people donated was sold in auction to Kent Stamper, the Grinning Garbage Man, who in addition to his generous bid, generously helps with the cleanup after the picnic.  Other auction items included the diamond ring donated by Marjorie Carter at the Downtown Pawn Shop that wound up on the pretty finger of the lovely Darlene, placed there by the man who loves her.  They are a Champion couple and dedicated workers for the Skyline VFD.  Several people, new to the area, expressed an interest in participating in the auxiliary.  So things are changing, growing and getting better and a big “Welcome Neighbor’ sign is vigorously implied.

        The next big order of business will be the Champion School Reunion.  That happens on the Saturday before Labor Day every year.  Hopes are that the weather will be accommodating by then and the old school house will be dry.  Feel welcome to sing, “Oh! It ain’t a gonna rain no more no more, it ain’t a gonna rain no more!” out on the spacious veranda of the Historic Emporium looking out over the beautiful flood plain that is Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 5, 2013

CHAMPION—July 29, 2013

        One Champion asks, “Is there is any better weather ever for sleeping?” The reprieve by the rain from outside chores, the perfect temperature, the soft quality of the morning light and the comfort of the sheets all invite the drowsy pensioner to linger. Those first thoughts of the day savored in the luxury of sloth: “How green is my valley!” Champions have plenty to do inside as well, so they are up and at it.

        Friday night was damp for the Up and At It 4-H picnic, but it was reported widely that Saturday night was good. Good food, good music and good fellowship are the hallmarks of this annual event. Everybody has a good time. The year goes by so quickly, if you missed this one, the next one is just around the corner. Meanwhile the 4-H kids benefit year around from this fund raiser and their Champion friends wish them every good success in their endeavors. Leadership programs in the 4-H Club prepare young people to step up to the challenges in their community and the world. Head, heart, hands and health—Champion!

        Miley Day Schober was around every corner with her rake on Wednesday helping her grandmother and the other Skyline Auxiliary members get the picnic grounds ready for the big happening.

Miley Day Schober worked with her grandmother and other members of the Auxiliary to get the picnic grounds ready for the Skyline VFD Picnic on the 9th and 10th of August.

Wednesday evenings are dedicated to picnic preparedness and Miley is an enthusiastic participant. Her family has a long history with the Skyline VFD back to its very beginnings. It is a fine thing to see individuals willing to work as a group for the benefit of the whole community. A man named Edmund Hale said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” That is a mouthful and a great Champion sentiment. A phone visit with Irene Dooms lets Auxiliary members know that she will be at the picnic with some coconut cream pies made from her sister’s receipt. She allows that her pies will probably not be as good as Esther’s but she wanted to keep the tradition going. Her pies will rival any that the generous membership can contribute. Everyone will look forward to a mouthful of that goodness. Irene and Esther’s old family home place is still in the family and a year or so ago was seriously threated by a grass/brush fire that jumped the road. She was so grateful that the Skyline firefighters were willing to take her gate down and get it put out before the fire took the whole place. Her membership in the fire department and a few scrumptious pies express her gratitude. She is a Champion.

        Last Tuesday morning very early the wind blew a tree down in the Mountain Grove apartment complex where Ruby Proctor lives.

Ruby looks on as a neighbor examines the downed tree in front of her apartment in Mountain Grove. The wind of early Tuesday morning brought the big multi trunked tree down without doing any damage to nearby structures.

The tree did not hit her house, but it came close to her sister Amy’s place and made a mess in the yard for a little while. Amy has some beautiful flowers that the tree top missed as it thrashed and crashed almost to her door. A luscious double begonia in a color somewhere between tangerine and orange survived nicely on its shepherd’s hook by her walk way. Across the courtyard, Ruby has some beautiful roses and a petunia planter that is just exquisite. It was a lovely morning for a pleasant visit out on the porch. Ruby always thinks of Champion as her home. She grew up right in the heart of the place and the place is much in her heart. She was pleased to hear that Lorene Johnston’s notebooks are being enjoyed. Lorene was Ruby’s husband’s niece, so Ruby is well acquainted with Lorene’s long time habit of conserving things of interest. She would certainly have clipped out a newspaper picture of the tree down in front of Ruby’s place.

        Champions are all relaxed and smiling as the green beans go in the jars and the tomatoes begin to ripen. A vigilant eye is directed toward the corn patch lest the raccoons decide on an early feast. Linda’s almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 30th and the 31st of July will be good days for planting root crops and for transplanting. Likewise the 1st of August and the 4th and 5th will be good for root crops and for starting seedbeds. The joys of the garden are many! Hopefully Taegan (Peanut) Krider will be down on the Square in Champion on Friday and Saturday with some of her Dad’s extra zucchini. Several young families will be down there for an informal swap meet then. It is reminiscent of the old days when the square would be full people catching up on the news of the week and seeing what people had brought to sell and barter. Those were the days before the internet and television. There were phones then, but not nearly everyone had one, so they would just head on down to Champion with their eggs, or rabbits, or fish, or extra green beans and would come home with a needed tool, or some dishes or something nice from someone else’s closet. It is a lively community yet—Champion!

        Tennessee family and friends have graced the place with warm smiles, wholehearted handshakes and hugs, and beautiful singing. They were well met and will be always welcomed. Birthdays for early August include Seamus Heffern and Skyline School bus driver Paul Kennedy. They both celebrate on August second. Seamus lives in Springfield but has recently spent some of the best part of his summer vacation with his grandparents just over in Champion South. He and his little sister, Lizzy, and the new puppy, Skooter, romped and played until the grandparents were exhausted—in a good way.

        Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O’Hara were the stars in John Ford’s 1941 movie. The protagonist said, “How green was my valley that day, too green and bright in the sun!” So it was not a question but an expletive. Richard Liewellyn’s 1939 novel ended with, “How green was my Valley then, and the Valley of them that have gone.” It is easy to look at a place full and vibrant with life and yet see the shadows of dear ones, gone, moving through memory in the intervals of present business. So it is in this valley. The many songs about valleys often have references to old and new loves, sweet and sad. “I’ve got a mountain of love for the girl in the valley. I’ve got an ocean of dreams for the girl in the valley.” Share your favorite at Champion at getgoin.net or Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, Mo 65717. Come down to a beautiful valley, at the bottom of several hills, at the junction of country roads and the beginning of the pavement, just down from the joining of Clever Creek to Old Fox Creek where stands the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square. You may stand in the lovely lanai there to sing your favorite valley song or just look out across one of the world’s most charming valleys–Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 22, 2013

        Champions arose from their comfortable beds early on Monday morning and went out to inspect their rain gauges and varmint traps and to marvel at their good fortune.  It would seem that the dry spell is, for the moment, broken and there is every chance that this will turn out to be the growing season which will be remembered into distant decrepitude as having been the start of all the great ones.  “Don’t tell me 13 is an unlucky number!  Don-cha remember?  2013 was the year we ran out of fruit jars!“  It is a marvel that a person can fanaticize about a marital spat many years hence.  Champion!

        A bunch of good citizens—community minded folks—got together Wednesday at the Skyline VFD fire-house/picnic grounds and began the process of getting things ready for the picnic.  The chief honcho deftly drug the brush hog around while his near neighbors weed ate and lawn mowed.  New neighbors, the Georges (Joseph and Salina, Tristan, Harrison and Nickolas), joined in with Ms. McCleary, Chris Dailey and others to scrub to a bright shine all the cooking equipment.  When fourteen people get together to do something, some things get done.  They will be doing it again this Wednesday and, most likely, each Wednesday until the picnic is over and then maybe the following Wednesday just for the fun of it.  Anyone in the fire district or anyone driving by is welcome to join in.  The work starts at 5:00 p.m. and goes on until quitting time.  The reward is that good feeling of being part of something worthwhile.  All the rural fire departments are made up of volunteers.  Some fight fires and do the dangerous work for which they train so rigorously and some work on the sidelines doing the other important things that have to be done to keep the vital outfit operating.  A temporarily overwrought individual was heard to say one time a few years back, “This is not the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department Picnic Society!”  It turns out, that for a few weeks in mid-summer every year, it is.  Wednesdays at five—come join the fun.

        “The Black Kettle Ride” by Cinita Brown will be summer reading for one Champion.  The story has been preserved as it was printed in The Douglas County Herald starting on November 7, 2002, and ending on April 17, 2003.  Each page has been carefully cut out of the paper and glued onto ruled notebook paper and archived with dates and references in one of the seven thick notebooks of Mrs. Lorene Johnston, which are currently on loan to The Champion News.  It is an honor to be allowed access to a person’s private papers as the things that are deemed important enough to be conserved give great insight into the character and disposition of the individual.  This promises to be an excellent adventure.  The second entry in this first notebook is comprised of all the clippings (April 5, 2001) of the story of a Springfield youth who was rescued from Brown’s Cave.  The 16 year old boy (Joseph Brown) was half a mile deep in the cave and rescuers had to crawl, to wade deep water and mud, and traverse slippery slopes to find him.  He was in shock, suffering hypothermia and a compound fracture of the leg.  That was an extraordinary story that involved volunteers and technicians from Goodhope Fire Department, Cox-Ava Ambulance, Cox Air Care, Ava Fire Department and Skyline Fire Department.  It looks like Mrs. Johnston’s interest in local affairs will prove to be an educational journey if the first random opening of the treasure trove is representative of the whole.  Thank you, Richard.  Thank you, Lorene.  Thank you Ms. Brown.  The summer will go quickly, starting with “Chapter 1, Christmas Day 1844.”

        Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 25^th through the 27^th are good days for planting beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, peanuts and other root crops.  They are also good for planting melons, cucumbers, pumpkins and other vine crops that can be planted now.  The almanac says they will yield well.  Those three days are good for transplanting as well as good days for weaning, hunting, fishing, and pruning to encourage growth.  This full moon is called The Thunder Moon and a person born in July has the ruby for a birth stone.  (There will probably be no shortage of rubies in the life of the royal baby about to be born on the hottest day in the UK in years.  Congratulations in advance from the Champion News!)  There has certainly been some thrilling thunder in recent nights, and compensation for not being able to see the enormous full moon comes in the rain gauge.  Farmers and gardeners are happy.  The rain has made earth working easier for people who enjoy spending their time with shovels.  It might be a good time to rework some of the roads.  The men from the County Shed at Drury stay busy and the list of projects the residents of the area have in mind is long.  The process of prioritizing this work is probably more complicated than the average rural person with the rutted drive can imagine.  One old Champion is complaining that it is too wet to mow.  When it gets dry enough to mow he will complain about having to mow.

        A new lease on life is an expression used when one begins to realize success after a series of failures.  Things look dismal and then get much better.  The expression would seem to indicate that a person is just renting life– having temporary possession of it with the responsibility for taking care of it.  An old farmer has some good advice about life:  “Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.  Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.  Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.  A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.  Words that soak into your ears are whispered….not yelled.  Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.  Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.  Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.  It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.  You cannot unsay a cruel word.  Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.  Don’t judge folks by their relatives.”  The old farmer has lots of advice.  A migrant farmer advises, “Show your enemy the road to reconciliation.”  A Champion advises, “When it is good, say so.”  So Champions are happy with their lease on life.  It is good and they are grateful.

        The always charming proprietor of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square reports brisk sales of tickets for the lovely quilt on display there.  It is a queen sized beauty, brilliantly white and cross stitched with the “Tree of Life.”   Examine the fine workmanship and get your name in the pot.  While you are there, register your good advice or, if you must, your pithy complaint, out on the spacious veranda.  You will be in excellent company, hobnobbing with the locals, catching up on the news, watching the grass grow.  It might be a good time to sing, “Singing in the rain, just singing in the rain!  What a wonderful feeling, I’m happy again!”  In Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 15, 2013

        Champions are optimistic by nature and the idea of a little rain early in the week has some of them making preparations for it.  Others are purposely not preparing, daring nature to rain on the clean clothes on the line or on the pie cooling on the windowsill.  One calls it the “theory of positive and negative jinxing.”  Rain or shine, Champions take what comes and make the most of it.  One says, “Might as well, we can’t dance.”  It is unclear whether dancing is not allowed or the individual is just incapable of dancing.  The weather, however, does look clear and so Champions stay optimistic rain or shine.

        Reports are that it was hot and sunny on Friday for the Vanzant Picnic, but that Saturday was just delightful.  A big band of clouds rolled in from the northeast; the temperatures were quite temperate and the humidity was low.  It was perfect!  Those volunteer firefighters from over at the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department were out directing traffic in the most expeditious and efficient way.  Polite, friendly young fellows kept it safe and a couple of other guys ran a golf cart shuttle for folks who had to park a distance away.  The entertainment, the food and the games were all great, but the best part was seeing and visiting with friends and acquaintances that get together at this event every year.  Ruby Proctor chose the right night to be out.  Frankie and Freda accompanied her and she had a good time.  Frances Banks said that the fish had come from a farm in Arkansas and that Gwen from down at the Drury Café had arranged for it through an outfit in Ava.  Everyone held that it was just first-rate.  Elvie Ragland enjoyed her fish dinner with her friend Linda Collins of Richfield and had some good stories to tell about her recent adventures over in Oklahoma.  She said she has not been spending as much time as she would like out on the porch at the Historic Emporium in Champion, but figures that she will get over there soon.  The General was in full Generalissimo Mode ramrodding and nattering and hobnobbing all to good effect.  Mrs. Don Walker and her charming daughter were on hand selling those tickets for the drawings and greeting the arriving crowd with their sweet smiles.  Sherry Lynch and her sweetheart were there selling tickets for the fifty/fifty drawing and someone alleged it was he who did such an excellent job of the National Anthem, though one person thought he said ‘truth through the night’ instead of ‘proof through the night.’  Bob Upshaw said that master of ceremonies, Steve Moody, is responsible for booking the talent for the program.  He is quite a talented fellow himself and knows it when he sees it.  Those Shannon sisters, Judy Wood and Yvonne Unger, kept the cake walk spinning and a great deal of excellent conversation ensued around that little numbered square of ground.  Linda Clark won a lemon cake for her dad, Wayne Anderson, and Linda Kaye’s older sister had great luck and won three cakes during the evening, all of which she gave away.  Champion!

        “I fell out of a barbed wire fence, straddle of a cherry tree and I tore myself from now until tomorrow morning.  The Doctor said I wouldn’t live from one end to the other,” said Rufus Keller, according to his grandson, Larry Wrinkles, the other day.  Larry said that his grandpa was full of riddles and limericks and stories of all kinds.  One interesting one was about a couple of guys standing around talking when they saw a fellow coming up the road.  One asked the other, “Who is that coming up the road.”  His companion replied, “Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.”  This is an old riddle, but it still works a hardship on some brains to figure it out.  Hard work is no stranger to the Wrinkles clan.  Teresa was busy in the cook shack at the Vanzant Picnic.  She will work the Up ‘n At It 4-H Picnic in a couple of weeks and has pledged to help out at the Skyline Picnic as well.  It will seem strange to have the quilt and door prize ticket table without Esther Wrinkles this year.  Teresa sat with her mother-in-law there for many years and will carry on,  a Champion.  Esther had her 95^th birthday last June.  She would have been 96 this year.  That is corrected information via Irene Dooms, Esther’s sister, and the other of Rufus Keller’s daughters.  Irene will make some pies for the Skyline picnic, she says.  It is always good to see her and her Champion and Skyline friends hope she will make it out this way often.  Before Kenneth and Dawn Henson left to go back to Houston, they made it by Henson’s Grocery and Gas to buy some tickets for the beautiful quilt that will be given away at the Skyline Picnic this year.  It is figured that since Hoovey only bought five dollars’ worth of tickets, he will not mind paying the shipping charges if he wins.  He might ask someone to hold it for him (if he wins) and he will pick it up when he comes for the Champion School Reunion on the Saturday before Labor Day.  He will have to win it first, and his few little tickets among the many will have to prove him to be luckier than experience has demonstrated so far.  Well, he does have that lovely, sweet wife.  Time will tell on August 10^th.

        Ethan Alexander shares his birthday with his Uncle Zee on the 19^th of July.  Together they share their birthday with Samuel Colt, 1814; Edgar Degas, 1834, and Lizzie Borden, 1860.  Ethan has a cousin named Lizzie.  She is Uncle Zee’s daughter and she was born in 2007, on the 15^th of May.  She probably will learn about the other Lizzie eventually, but her family is not worried.  When it comes to swimming across the pool, or figuring out a hard problem, or understanding things, she says, “I’ve got this!”  And she means it.  Her old Granddad says it is so.

        Lizzie’s Granddad is hoping the deer will stay out of his garden this year.  Taegan’s folks are hoping the raccoons will stay out of the corn.  It is pitiful to have a good crop just ready to harvest when the critters come along and reap it in advance.  Live traps, shot guns, and good watch dogs might keep them at bay, but luck is a factor in there as well.  Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 20th and 21^st will be good for planting above-ground crops and the 23^rd will be a lucky day for planting beets, carrots and other root crops.  There is always something to do.  Every now and then it is a good thing to take a break, a little rest, to catch up on a little visiting with friends and neighbors on the comfortable, spacious veranda of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square.  Friends will look for Elvie there singing, “Luck be a Lady Tonight!”  Take a break and enjoy your good luck to be in one of the world’s truly beautiful places…Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!