May 23, 2014
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!
