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CHAMPION—September 14, 2009

Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman, Prince and Princess of the 2009 Champion School Reunion

        The social whirlwind that is Champion is still spinning vigorously through the high and low spots at the end of WW highway.  Champions still reliving the recent reunion are passing pictures around and are making plans to draw a bigger crowd next year.  One of the pictures that has surfaced is of Foster Wiseman driving the lead car in the Labor Day Parade.  He is escorting his sister, Kalyssa Wiseman, who was named Champion Reunion Princess 2009!  Their mother celebrated her birthday in Champion on Sunday in the midst of family and friends who wish her well.  Health and Happiness!

        The Wagon Train is on its way.  It will be exciting to see all the wagons and interesting rigs, interesting characters, and all the well tended horses and mules.  Pictures from previous Champion layovers of the Wagon Train can be seen at www.championnews.us and new pictures will go up on that site of this year’s train in a few days.  Clifton Luna leads the train out of West Plains on a Monday and it takes until Thursday to get to Champion.  They should pull into Champion around noon and will make a rest stop there for their lunch and to be examined and admired by any Champions or others who wish to stop by to wish them ‘Happy Trails.’  By Friday they will wind up in Mansfield, making about twenty miles a day.

        One of those pictures from years past is of a guy named Paul Uhlman of Gentryville.  He was riding a horse named Miss Spot.  Seeing this picture brought up a story recently related by Elmer Banks.  He must have heard it from J.T. Shelton while they were out hunting one night.  According to Elmer, J.T. and Paul Uhlman (perhaps the very same guy) long years ago, before Highway V was ever black toped, went out hunting with their dogs.  They had been out all night and about the break of day they were surprised to hear a rooster crowing.  They were out in the middle of nowhere with no home places around–no place where a rooster could reasonably expect to be found.  Again the rooster crowed.  They scratched their heads and said, “What in the world is going on?”  It took some time to finally locate the rooster.  It was roosting on the axel of J.T.’s truck.  It was J.T.’s own rooster!  It had survived a rough ride and had gone through low water crossings and was still there under the truck on the axel.  Elmer, who wrote for the Cajun Sun Times Picayune (or another illustrious newspaper) said he would have written that J.T. had brought the rooster along on purpose so he would be able to get home on time and avoid some domestic problems.  This was quite a domestic rooster, as well as a rough rider.

Junior and the General Entertain

        There is a rough, bad rooster living over on the Krider farm.  Young Eli and sister Emerson Rose were visiting there the other day when Eli went out to gather the eggs.  The old red rooster made a run at Eli and gave him quite a scare.  Anybody laying odds on the longevity of that rooster better get his money down.  Eli’s Grandmother was not amused and was heard to make only slightly veiled threats against the fowl.  As a diversion from that scare, she brought two of her daughters and Eli and Emerson Rose with her over to Plumber’s Junction for some amusement on Thursday evening.  She had heard there was to be a bass duel—a face-off, bass-off between Eddie (Junior) Berry, of Blanche, a veritable virtuoso on the conventional washtub base, and Generalissimo Upshaw (the Infamous) on his homemade hillbilly basso profundo violoncello.  The band was made up of a number of regular musicians including Sue Murphy, Norris Woods, Wesley Hancock, and that wonderful yodeling fiddler from over in West Ava, Jerry Somebody.  There were quite a number of other musicians joining in.  Their names would have been available if a person could only have waded through the crowd to get to them.  The music was lively.  Conversations and laughter filled the space as old friends and family greeted each other and reminisced.  Then stepped up Junior and the General.  Before a note was played Junior was on the defensive as the General wrestled his unwieldy contraption from the case.  Junior ducked and dodged for all he was worth as a length of broomstick narrowly missed his head while the General muttered shallow apologies and continued to flail the air with the neck of his musical ax as if he had hold of a flogging rooster himself.  After a protracted exercise in awkwardness he settled down and the music began.  The band must have contrived to start the duel with “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, he sounds too blue to fly.”  Before that midnight train could start its whine, the General started his.  The band, actually everyone, knows that this particular song is like poison to the General as it renders him blubbering and inept.  The clear winner of the music part was the melodic Mr. Berry.  The General won the prize for theatricality.  Cameras flashed and the audience roared.  It was a fine send off for Wesley Hancock who was beating it out of town early the next morning heading back to Idaho.  Champions and survivors of that Thursday at Plumbers all wish him well and a speedy return.

        Champions enjoying a good garden harvest are grateful for the weather and grateful for the food filling their shelves and freezers.  Some are cleaning up spots in the garden to plant some leafy greens and turnips.  There is time to get those spots ready because the next good planting days start on the 20^th of the month according to Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood.  She has some excellent mums this year.  Some Champions will get some of those planted soon trying to spruce up a little for some special company.  Some Champions just stay spruced up!  It is their way of life to be ready for anything at any time.  If company comes by unexpectedly they have no messes to hide and no apologies to make.  Champion!  They set a good example like the men and women, young and older who wear the Nation’s uniforms.  They are capable, ready and alert.  For those who do serve and those who have served in the dangerous places of the world on behalf of their Country, Champions everywhere have Love and Gratitude to express.  For those at home when their Soldier marches off or comes home again or does not, they have compassion, understanding and support.

        Now, that is a Bright Side song if ever there was one!  This song was written in 1874, about the time some of this country was being settled by antecedents of folks living here now.  The song was written by Knowles Shaw and was inspired by Psalms: 126:6.  Champions who are fearing neither clouds or winter’s chilling breeze are working with a will and a song in their heart to get the harvest in.  Bright Side songs and sweet reunion day pictures welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367 Norwood, MO 65717 and at Champion News.  Sing one of those songs out on the porch at Henson’s Store in the throbbing heart of Historic Down Town Champion.  It is on the North Side of the Square.  The Champion Picture Postcard business is a thriving concern as many of them offer expansive views of the famed Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive.  Each of them is emblazoned with the contagious motto:  Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!