June 14, 2010
The second week of June in Champion is historically warm and humid. These are the days about which Champions dreamed in early February. Crazy, spotty little showers that dampen downed hay three days in a row accompany the heat and the relativity of the humidity is extraordinary. The cool breeze wafting through the Loafing Shed in downtown Champion lures the farmers in to talk about their hay, their equipment, and the good fortune they experience as residents of this part of the world. A fly on the wall of the Loafing Shed could probably recount any number of interesting conversations—if there were walls and talking flies. Foster’s birthday is on the 16th of June, but he will wait for his party until Sunday. He is now five years old. That is pretty amazing. He is quite a nice fellow. He’ll be having a hotdog party at his Grammy’s house on Sunday afternoon. There will be lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends to help him celebrate. Over in Tennessee his Aunt Linda is having a birthday on the first day of summer—a sweet way to welcome in the season.
Champions will be getting new neighbors as Doyle and Kathy Strickland are making a move to Tennessee. The Taylor Auction people held a big sale over on their place on Sunday afternoon. There was an enormous crowd and lots of interesting things to bid on. The real estate had sold already, so it will be good to meet the new neighbors and to welcome them when they move in. Hopefully the Stricklands will be as well situated in their new spot. Meanwhile it was pleasant to see lots of familiar faces at the sale. Bill and Beverly Emory were there and Beverly was wanting to be sure that her favorite customer was suitably teased about how her big white thing and someone else’s big black thing had run into each other a while back, leaving the big black thing on it’s back with its legs in the air. That is surely enough teasing for the time being. There is an art to successful bidding at an auction of this sort. Sometimes you get a bargain, sometimes you get soaked and if you are lucky when the bidding gets up there too high someone will snatch it from you and that will be good too. The main thing is not to bid against yourself.
The signs have changed, according to Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood, and once again those above the ground crops can be planted. From the 20th to the 24th that second planting of corn can go in together with all the other things that have been running late. There is still time for green beans and squash and cucumbers. The pressure is off of Champion now though as Karen Krider has won the First Ripe Tomato in Champion Contest. It was a perfectly spherical tomato just under three inches in diameter and gloriously bright red. “Very tasty!” said the judges and so the rest of the community can just relax and get out there and hoe the corn. Where are Lem and Ned when you need them? While Pithy Adeline has certainly been a boon to the neighborhood, being such a delight for the eye and so high spirited, she may have distracted the boys to the extent that they are fairly useless. Champions are back where they started. As far as the hard work goes, it is as if those nice barefooted boys never existed!
Flag Day finds Champions thoughtful about Freedom and the service of all those in uniforms who have sacrificed to preserve it for the rest of us. Pete Proctor will be greeting people at The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, which will be in Cabool July 1st thru July 4th. This is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. and it is over 300 feet long and six feet high. The names are all there. Many thousands will come to view it. What will memorialize the current conflicts? The Vietnam era Veterans waited a long time for recognition. Hopefully, those returning now from the dangerous places in the world will be met immediately with the Love and Gratitude they have coming.
Seldom seen dear friends and precious family move through Champion bringing excitement and nostalgia with them. In their wake the tranquility of Champion seems just a little too tranquil—too quiet for a little while. Soon the preparations for the next wave of welcome visitors will begin with the anticipation of laying eyes on those dear faces again after the passing of too much time. Champions know that the very best thing available in life is the Love of family and friends. Heart strings get plucked and out rolls a song like Dylan’s “Country Pie.” “Saddle me up a big white goose, tie me on her and turn her loose. Oh me oh my! Love that country pie!” When kinfolks come the groceries sure do get good!
Amble on in to the Loafing Shed next to the Temporary Annex of the Historic Emporium know as Henson’s Store located on the West side of the Square. From there a view of the construction of the replica of the original on the original spot can be clearly viewed. Ten years from now visitors to Champion will say, “It seems like the store is just a little bigger than I remember it having been.” Ten years will go by in a flash. Send examples of the rapid passage of time to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO. 65717. Email favorite pie receipts to Champion at getgoin.net. Look in on the website at www.championnews.us to see a picture of Miss Emerson Rose with the First Ripe Tomato in Champion. She has a beautiful smile. She is a Champion! Looking on the Bright Side!
