June 11, 2007
CHAMPION – June 11, 2007
Gardeners and haymakers are at odds over the rain in Champion. Some like it and some don’t. Folks are not overly contentious about it, however, since no one has control over the weather. The hard freeze that came back in March wrecked havoc with the peaches, blueberries and other fruit in the area. Worst of all is the possibility that the gooseberries will yield poorly this year! This is a devastating blow to Harley Krider, who fairly lives for them. He’s been known to wade through snake infested waist high brush to pick gooseberries. He likes them green. He likes them pink. He likes to pick them and to stem them and to have them in a pie. If he doesn’t get enough he’s liable to cry! He comes home to Champion on the pretext of helping his brother make hay and to look out after his property but everybody knows he just can’t resist the Lure of the Gooseberry. Linda may have some Gooseberry bushes over at the Plant Place in Norwood. Her Almanac says that the 15th to the 17th will be good for planting crops that yield above ground.
“Oh, Mama, I’m excited I’m almost out of breath. What I saw the light that made me run myself to death. I was on the mountain side when I looked down below. And, Glory be! I thought I’d better come and let you know. We got company comin’ company comin’, we got company comin’ up the road. They’re down the road about half a mile. They’ll be here in a little while. There’s company comin’ up the road!” That is the first verse of the Johnny Mullins song made popular by Porter Wagoner and now the most recent addition to The Missouri Song List that goes like this:
- The Missouri Waltz
- Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie
- I’m Goin Back to Whur I come From
- The Westphalia Waltz
- The West Plains Explosion
- My Missouri Home
- Kansas City, Here I come
- May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You
- Walking in the Sunshine
- Keep a Little Song Handy
- Company’s Comin’
The latest addition was suggested Mr. Al Nance over on the Western Edge of the Ozarks. A copy of the CD “Beyond the Missouri Sky” is on its way to Champion. This is the collaborative effort of Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny which has been offered for consideration by Tennessee Champion Darrell Haden. In his recent letter he said that he had recommended the Champion Items to the AHS Class of 1950, and that the next time he was in the neighborhood he would find Beautiful Downtown Champion. For future reference anyone starting out from Ava to find Champion needs to go east on Highway 14 for about 17 miles and turn left (North) on Highway C at Evans. In two or three miles the first paved road to the right will be WW Highway. Turn there and find Champion sprawled out at the bottom of a long hill about two miles later on just before the pavement ends at Fox Creek. The Champion sign has been missing for about two months now. There had been some talk that someone from over in Spotted Hog, jealous about not having a sign of their own, had taken it. That hardly seems likely. When the theft was reported to the Department of Transportation by Champion’s most prominent businesswoman she indicated that the thieves had taken the sign but had left the hole. Champions will take the High Road and say, “If a man should steal your sign, give him also your hole.” So the thief will be admonished to Return the Sign or Take the Hole too!
Sometimes something can be gone for a long time before its absence is noted. Such is the case of the moustache of the illustrious Postmaster of Norwood. Practically everybody in Champion who gets mail gets it from Route 2, Norwood. Kirk Dooms said that he had done away with that moustache back in the fall and that nobody had mentioned it until now. Probably someone had noticed, but was just too polite to mention such a personal thing—until now. Well, mustached or not, Mr. Dooms is doing a fine job of post mastering and Champions are glad to get some of their mail. (They get it all, but are only ‘glad’ about some of it.) Mr. Dooms was glad to hear that a Shindig is in the works for his Aunt Esther Wrinkles’ Birthday on Saturday the 23rd of June. It promises to be a lovely Afternoon Party at the Skyline School. Everyone who wishes to celebrate a milestone birthday with Mrs. Wrinkles is welcome to join the fun from two o’clock until five. Those who can’t attend may send her a card at Rt. 1, Box 845 Vanzant, MO 65768. Her birthday is actually on the 27th but there are no rules in Champion that prohibit starting early to Enjoy Life!
Those schoolboys from down on Cripple Creek in Tennessee will be back visiting with Krider Grandparents this week. They’ll be getting ready to show some cows at the Fair and generally being good help down on the farm. They can watch their Mother in the milking parlor to see how its done and particularly to see how to go about being a helpful appreciative child. Linda joins three sisters and a brother exemplifying that delightful attribute.
Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver, 28, of Urich, MO, and two other soldiers were killed in Baghdad when multiple improvised explosive devices blew up near their vehicle. The three were assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 45h Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. This occurred on May 22nd. So far in June 36 US Service People have lost their lives there bringing the total to 3512. Their sacrifice elicits Love and Gratitude from the whole Nation and from Champions especially.
Bald face lies about gooseberries and the people who love them, admonitions to thieves, lessons in music appreciation, things that are notably absent and Birthday Party Invitations are all welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or Champion News. Hand deliver those things and examples of taking the High Road and delightful attitudes to Henson’s Store if the congestion and hubbub of Champion’s urban sprawl is not too much to bare. Look for the hole where the sign used to be and turn right. CHAMPION—LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE!
