The first daffodil booms began opening on the last day of February making Champions happy at the prospect of spring. Sunny days out in the garden lift spirits better than anything inside on screens possibly can. Honest hard work with our hands in the soil and good music in our heads is good medicine to stave off anxiousness, sadness, and worry about things over which we have no control. The Blum’s Farmers and Planters Almanac says that good days for starting seed beds will be the 7th, 8th, 17th, and 18th. That might be a good time to start some tomatoes and certainly a good time to plant pepper seeds. Deward’s granddaughter plans to grow a lot of peppers this year, but the Prominent Champion tells her not to bother because he will have a superabundance of them.
             It was an encouraging sight Wednesday afternoon up on Highway 76, just west of the old Coffman place, when an eagle in all its majesty soared away from the dead armadillo on the side of the road. Two of our favorite things are our beautiful bald eagles and dead armadillos. When we see an eagle, we often think of Marian Conradi who loved them, often including their pictures in her correspondence. Armadillos first moved into the United States in the 1850s from Mexico and finally made it into Missouri about forty years ago where they have been wreaking havoc on hay fields and yards. The Missouri Department of Conservation says it is okay to shoot them on your own property if they are causing damage.
             Skyline fifth grade student, Lotus Winter, had her birthday on March 1st. Fifth grader Ryanne Harvey and mandolin maven Dennis Shumate both celebrate on the 3rd of March. The birthday song was sung at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday in honor of Dennis and Ruth Collins who had her birthday back on February 24th. The 4th is for eight grader Grace Rystad. Linda Heatherington and Krenna Long both around Norwood share their birthdays on the 5th with eight grader Gabriel Castillo. Sue Murphy also plays the mandolin and sings with a strong clear voice. Her birthday is March 8th. In a chance encounter with her recently, she said she hopes to be back at the jam one of these days. Kay Dennis will party on the 9th. She enjoys a frequent swim over in Seymour. C.J. Castillo is a second grader with a birthday on March 11th. We remember Champion Geoff Metropolis and Cathy Odneal on March 12th. The were both farmers, hard-working people with lots of skills, both guitar players.  Geoff was a master at whatever he laid his hand to. Cathie was undaunted by mechanical tractor problems and worked them out herself. We remember L.R. Johnston on the 13th and miss him and his tenor banjo at the Vanzant Jam. He was a Champion who loved the old songs and passed that love along to more than one aspiring musician. Trinity Castillo, a sixth-grade student at Skyline has her birthday on the 13th. We celebrate dour friends and families on their birthdays and remember dear ones who have passed on.
            Dawn Henson down in Houston, Texas says she thinks their winter is over. It was close to 80 degrees when she was writing. She and Hovey were sad to hear of the passing of Beverly Barnhart and of Gary Proctor and had hoped their condolences had been received. She also said that they were entertaining the idea of trying to make it to Mountain Grove in July for the reunion. She did not know if it would be possible. A favorite Champion musician, far across the wide ocean to the east, says to do what you can do now so you can do what you can do later on, or more eloquent words to that effect. We shall endeavor not to rule out possibilities while we continue to proceed with caution, consciousness, determination and empathy as Champions–Looking on the Bright Side!

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