Champion News

 

The old man was remembered, recognized, and roasted as he reveled in reuniting and reminiscing with offspring in person and over the telephone. Our fathers teach us things like turn the air conditioner off in the car before you shut it down. That way it will not be hard on the battery when you start the car again. Batteries often fail in the winter, but the summer’s heat is what weakens them. It takes more energy to turn over a cold engine. Also, he says to know where you are going to put it down before you pick it up and keep your hat out of the creek. He is a wise guy. He provided for us, protected us, prepared us for life with his many valuable lessons, and made our mothers happy. That is why we love him.

Darci Upshaw Cecil up in Boise, Idaho and her husband Ronald E. Cecil just celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary. Don and Rita Krider, up in Peoria, IL have just celebrated sixty-five years of marriage. Other Old Champions just marked their fifty-third. Growing old together is a genuine gift. We just did not know it would happen so quickly. Judy and Eldon Russell were seen in photographs shared on the internet by David Vaughn Jr. of Saturday’s fish fry at the Gentryville Church. Forty pounds of fish and seventy pounds of potatoes fed over a hundred people who had responded to the invitation: “We can’t feed you if you ain’t there. Come on out and fellowship.” David is a great photographer and a vital member of the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department. The EDCVFD will have the Vanzant Picnic on July 7th and 8th. This is a great kick off to the summer social season. There will be music, food, fun and games and the chance to see the people you only see at these great community events. Every year in Branson, young musicians gather from several states to attend a week-long Bluegrass Camp sponsored by the Ozark Mountain Music Association. The OMMA has posted a dozen YouTube videos of the 2023 camp and it makes us happy to see the old songs coming out of young people.

One of the many good pieces of information gleaned from the Wednesday gathering on Champion’s wide veranda is that rodents are not blessed with flatulence, nor can they belch. The rat that built its nest under the hood of the car, feasting on wiring and insulation has had a couple of nice dinner trays prepared for him or her. One consists of a generous dollop of peanut butter infused with baking soda and a mixture of sweetened water and vinegar. The other tray has dry instant potato flakes and serving of Coca Cola. The combinations react inside the critter’s digestive system so as to render it lifeless. Poison is not an option for people with pets, so this seems to be a good alternate method to deal with a persistent and sometimes expensive problem. Another Champion keeps a pan of moth balls under the hood of her truck to dissuade the pests. These are not exactly the same kind of rat problems that people living in high rise apartment buildings in big cities endure. We will stay here and endeavor to persevere.

The weekend’s wonderful rain has been a boon to gardeners. Weeds almost jump out of the ground into their hands and beans and cucumbers seem to grow a foot overnight. These beautiful days pass quickly. A sunny Monday morning finds the countryside humming again with haymakers going up and down, round and round with their big heavy equipment. Livestock will be well fed in the winter ahead. Summer starts on Wednesday. We are ready and we rejoice in our good fortune to be Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

June is the middle of the year and why we spend the long winter looking forward. Champion Brixey kids and others had a wonderful showing at the Tri County Fair. Sharry Lovan was an inspiration to a bunch of budding musicians at the Ozark Mountain Music Association Bluegrass Camp. The first announcement of the 57th annual Vanzant Picnic, scheduled for July 7th and 8th showed up on the internet. Through the mail came a notice to the Mountain Grove Class of 1959 Back Room Breakfast will happen on July 1st at the L & A Cafe on the Square. They have a request for RSVP at (417) 259-0742. We live in an interesting and exciting part of the world. Lucky us.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a program for black vulture control. (573) 893-1416 for information. They are increasing in population and their aggressive nature can cause problems for livestock producers. Turkey vultures are gentle and non-aggressive, usually found in large groups. The species are easy to tell apart. The turkey vulture has a read head and a white beak. The black vulture’s head is black or gray with a dark bill. One kind or the other once had a roost in the old Champion chicken house, which has since been washed away. Sometime back in 2011, at 11:05 a.m., the Cowboy, and some so called or ‘erstwhile’ friends ventured inside the shack to view the vulture hatchlings. As the Cowboy ventured closer to see the white fluffy little critters, his friends backed out and shut the door, locking him inside with the hissing little birds. The ruckus that ensued was epic with pounding and yelling and language to embarrass the clergy, sailors, and oil field roughnecks alike. How long he was trapped in there with the scary baby birds and how he got out were not part of the story, though after an undisclosed period, somehow the friendships were renewed. The incident is one of many that get recounted in the place where they happened by the very Champions involved.

June 11th is the birthday of Blaine Denlow’s grandpa Buzz! He is rarely seen without a smile—a happy guy and with good reason. The 15th and 16th are days to celebrate the birthdays of Champion grandchildren, Anastasia and Foster. Tyler, Bella’s dad, was born June 20, 1988. Tennessee newcomer, Waylon Watts, has a young Champion grandmother born on the 21st. That is a big day for Felix’s cousin, Sierra, out in Oregon. Local celebrity, Cinita Brown, author of “The Black Kettle Ride” and other works celebrating this part of the world, celebrates on the 22nd. The 24th is for Skyline cross country star Kash Hurt. Skyline prekindergarten’ Danielle Shaffer will have a celebration on the 25, as will the delightful chanteuse, Sherry Bennett. Sherry spreads musical joy. She can’t help it and we are the beneficiaries. Surely there is a video of her that we could share here, but we have been unable to find one. Enjoy her at the Vanzant Jam any Thursday evening and other places around the area. Thank you, Sherry. Skyline’s Alexander Bradley will enjoy the 28th for his big day. That was the birthday of Champion Esther Wrinkles, who is much missed, as is her contemporary, Eva Powell, whose birthday was the 29th. Here and now, far away, and long gone, your birthdays remind us of our affection for you. Past, present, and distant, to us you are Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!