Champion News

CHAMPION—August 24, 2009

        In Champion days such as these are not rare because Champions have the charming ability to see, to recognize and to appreciate beauty in every day.  They are gifted at living in the moment.  These particular moments are delicious ones by any standard while some old Champions stroll about chortling, “Ah, perfection.”

        Sunday found Ruby Proctor back in the neighborhood.  She took a drive out to celebrate Sunday with her lovely voice joining the a cappella singing service.  She is much looking forward to the Champion School Reunion, which will occur on Saturday the 5^th of September.  This will be the 27^th one and it has become a reunion for many Champions, not just those who attended school there.  It is always a pleasant gathering full of old friends and good memories and ‘antics’ depending upon who attends.  There are pictures and samples of music from past reunions at www.championnews.us site.  Even at a distance people can reunite with Champion!  A note came to that site from Amanda (Rhoades) Mayberry who said that her grandpa John Rhoades rode the mule that could not be ridden.  No one had been able to.  But he did.  He rode it till his nose bled and for his trouble was rewarded with pocketknives, hats and pocket change.  Ms. Mayberry says, “My dad, Ike Rhoades, used to take us down to the store when we were kids.  I need to come back to visit.  I love reading this site.”  Champions welcome visitors.  Other Champions like Harley and Barbara just need to come home.  They are being missed.

        It turns out that not everybody has a computer and is on-line.  Many Champions and others elsewhere try to spend their days out enjoying the real world of sight and sound, air and temperature changes, aromas and the joy of work.  One such dropped a note to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 to say that she would like to get a copy of that story about the buzzards on the frosty barn roof.  She wants to send it to some old family member who will get a kick out of it.  That story came from the article written October 23, 2006!  This reader has a long memory for some unusual things.  She sent a dollar and a self addressed envelope with her request and so it will go out to her and another moment will be frozen in time when the lights went on and “…the ruckus started.  There were buzzards everywhere.  The ground was just black with them, he said, and the air was full of them.  The walnut trees up behind the house were full of them.  They took off flying in every direction, hitting the high lines and squawking and screaming with their big old wings flapping.  ‘It was a wonder they didn’t break those wires,’ he said.  They were trying to light on the roof of the barn, but the roof was so steep and it was so slick with frost that they would just slide down, their talons scraping on the tin.  ‘It was the awfullest racket you ever heard.’” The story goes on and on.

        Clifton Luna of the West Plains Wagon Club revealed in a phone call that the wagon train will be rolling through Champion on September 17th.  The mules, Kit and June will pull his wagon again this year.  At this time Luna does not know how many wagons will participate, but it is sure they will be met with an interested and appreciative audience when they pull into Champion.  Hopefully, The Gee and Haw Club out of Arkansas will be represented again.  The wagon train starts out in West Plains and travels to Mansfield.  It is not the same as traveling backward in time, but it is reminiscent of it.

        It is good news to hear that Champion Esther Wrinkles is feeling better.  It can be a slow process sometimes, but once a person feels that he has turned the corner and is on the actual road to recovery things generally speed up.  So all of Champion wishes Esther a speedy recovery.  She went with her sister, Irene Dooms, to see nephew Kirk’s garden not long ago.  She said it was just beautiful.  Irene thinks that Kirk and Judy were able to enjoy their good corn crop because the raccoon was busy elsewhere.  He decided he liked the easy to get dog food left out on the deck for their little dog.  The little dog lay down next to the raccoon and let him eat…so the corn was spared.  Judy threw a bucket at the raccoon and he finally left, but lucky corn growers might think about a decoy for the critters as a way to preserve the harvest.

        The week through Friday will be good for planting crops that bear their yield above the ground.  Leafy vegetables especially do well as a fall crop planted now.  Linda from over at the Plant Place in Norwood will have Cole crops ready to set out soon and her September Almanac will be full of all the good information that gardeners need to make the most of the growing season.  The Almanac says ‘prune to discourage growth’ on the 29^th, 30^th and 31^st.

        Skyline Auxiliary members will meet at Henson’s Store in downtown Champion this week just to hash over the results of the picnic.  Big handfuls of thank you cards are going out.  Many of those little observations will be made that, acted upon, refine and perfect the process.  Some enthusiasts are saying, “It’s only about eleven and a half months until the picnic!”

        Nebraska, Nevada, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Georgia, Illinois, all have a Douglas County.  There may be others as well.  The Missouri government website shows that there are 550 male veterans in Douglas County Missouri over the age of 65 and 20 female veterans over that age.  There are a total of 875 veterans living in Douglas County Missouri.  Chances are pretty good that a person will run into a veteran just about anywhere he goes.  Champions are pleased to acknowledge their service and to express the Love and Gratitude that they are due.

        The Green Corn Moon is giving way to The Harvest Moon and soon people will be singing that song again.  The year rolls around so quickly now and this summer seems to have been like a dream.  Some Champions better wake up and get busy!  Those beans don’t get in the jars all by themselves.  Firewood will be the subject of conversation soon, and Frost!  Champions enjoy it all and are just now thinking about another song from Roger Miller:  “Walking in the Sunshine, sing a little sunshine song.  Put a smile upon your face as if there’s nothing wrong.  Think about a good time you had a long time ago.  Think about; forget about your worries and your woe’s.  Walking in the sunshine.  Sing a little sunshine song.”  Sing that one out on the porch at Henson’s Store on the north side of the square in Downtown Champion.  Send sunshine songs to Champion News.  Go see for yourself:  Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.