Green to Gold to Green again…

J.c. says “Meet Becky. Abilene’s legacy…”

An Old Champion is working to get the potatoes in the ground before St. Patrick’s Day. That is what his Mother-in-law told him to do, and he took everything she said to heart. His yield was not very good last year on account of the borers, but planting time is always a wonderful time for optimism. He favors the Yukon Gold and has ten pounds of seed to show he is serious about it. Young Felix the Farmer is probably seeing garlic he helped to plant poke up through the mulch. Children with their hands in the dirt will be feeding us the healthy stuff in years to come. He has some great teachers to show him how. J.C. Owsley up in Cross Timbers (or over in Jordan), has heirloom tomatoes sprouting. He has Lone Star Abilene long-horn fertilizer, as well as all the horse hockey he wants to spread in his patch. He will tell you himself that he is a lucky man—lucky for having the lovely Kay by his side and exceptional children and grandchildren. He also seems to enjoy what he does for a living. Not everyone can say that. Perhaps he will join a Champion Trail Ride sometime in May and will lollygag out on the wide veranda to describe how he weathered the winter.

Due south of the Vanzant Convention and Wisdom Center, at one time known as The Bloated Goat, the “Chateau B & G” is serving up Biscuits and Gravy to a select clientele. With possible rare exception, it would seem a person needs to be blood kin of the cook in order to get a table. Food critics rave about biscuits from scratch. Does he use butter, shortening, or lard? Buttermilk? His secret is safe in the family. Ice cream season is on the horizon, however, and it is said that standards loosen so that practically anyone can enjoy the famous fancy frozen delight in an al fresco experience if invited. ‘If invited’ is the caveat. There will be time to curry favor before summer.


Spring Peeper

The green that turned to gold in December is green again and the swift subtle shifts in color enchant the eye. “I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden Daffodils; Along the lake, beneath the trees, Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.” Wordsworth paints the picture for us. See the whole poem in the March 5th, 2018 posting here and wander through the archives of Marches going back to 2007, if you have forgotten what glorious spring wonders are soon coming our way. Linda Clark over Ava way reported hearing a chorus of spring peepers and Ms. Oyl in Champion East was pleased to report the same.

Bob calls down to Champion from way up on Fox Creek every week or two to say they are well and miss their visits to the Bright Side. He calls early in the morning while Ethel is probably doing the breakfast dishes. Then she will spend some pleasant hours opening gates for him. Farmers do the hard work no matter what the weather and we have them and many others to thank for the relative ease with which we have passed these recent months. They have been significantly more difficult for countless others. The time changes on Saturday and we look for good changes for those suffering hardship around the country. For us, we are counting on garden starts and music to help us keep our hearts light as we Spring forth in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

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