Wednesday morning’s sudden predawn two-and-a-half-inch rain filled Clever Creek to a rushing torrent.  Spots in Cold Springs Road that had been washed out in a previous one hour long four-inch rain were washed out again only more so.  People traveling by the pavement gathered at the Historic Emporium and had a good visit.  Later in the day the creeks subsided, but by Saturday old Champions headed north to 76 were pleased to have all-wheel drive.  Wolf Pen Hollow was a challenge.  Cowgirl Blaine Denlow lives up that way.  She was busy busting mutton on the weekend.  She has some good gear that kept her from getting hurt, but it made it hard to get up after she hit the ground—hard to move with all that protection.  For a cheering section, she has in her family a couple of dazzling great grandmothers and a host of friends and neighbors.  She will be starting school in just a few weeks.  Summertime is slipping away.  Our wonderful Skyline R-2 School will have an open house on August 15th ahead of the first day of school on August 19th.  Little rural schools are a big part of the history and character of this part of the world.  How lucky we are to have this one.  Eli Johnstone was a kindergarten student last year.  His birthday was July 18th.  Eugene Elliot will be a seventh grader.  He shares his birthday is on July 30 with kindergarten student Rayven Castillo.  Skylines’ music teacher Cheyenne McIntosh will celebrate on July 29th.  We sing the praises of Cheyenne and of music education, the benefits of which are many.

Another great musician, Sharry Lovan just celebrated her birthday on the 21st.  She does a lot of good work with the Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association.  Another great bluegrasser, James Woodrow Orchard, would have celebrated his 88th birthday that day.  Young Wade Day has the 27th for his big day and Reba Bishop will celebrate on the 28th.  Karen Ross had her 55th birthday in Champion some years ago when she was our much-appreciated mail carrier.

Other much-appreciated mail carriers, John and Brittiany made funnel cakes at the Vanzant Picnic.  John was particularly fetching in his fancy apron.  Check the picnic out on your computer at www.championnews.us.  Unfortunately, there are no photos of John in his apron.  The picnic was another epic success.  Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department volunteers gifted the community with a couple of beautiful evenings full of great music, good food, games, and community fellowship.  About two-thirds of all the fire departments in the Nation are volunteer fire departments.  The EDCVFD and the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department serve us well.  Thank you.  The Skyline Firehouse is getting closer to finished.  It is a big red building with three big doors next door to the Skyline School.

The good recent rains have made the whole area verdant and lovely.  Gardens are brimming over.  In these turbulent times, with so much of the world suffering, we here have much for which to be thankful.  Felix the Farmer writes in to say he is doing fine and that he hopes our garden is doing good.  He drew pictures of watermelon, corn, tomatoes and carrots.  He has probably already learned how to braid garlic.  One lazy old gardener did not even plant any garlic last fall, figuring to (hoping to) make a trade for some with a friend.  Eavvie Hector Sharrock out in west Texas once said, “We’ve plucked and shelled, peeled and sliced With sweat dripping from our knife.  Our freezer’s full ad so’s our jars.  Not much is left but garden tares.”  The tares are not the weeds that almost jump out of the ground into the hands of grateful gardeners in these unseasonably mild wet days in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.

Facebook