A quote from an unknown source: Respect the old when you are young. Help the weak when you are strong. Confess your faults when you are wrong. Because one day you will be old, weak, and wrong. Twenty-three years from now, will the young folks be sitting around the old stove at the Historic Emporium talking about the old guys who were there on Wednesday talking about the old guys of previous generations? Wes Lambert says, “Probably not.” Then he went on to spin a yarn about some shenanigan he and Ray Hicks had pulled back in the day. (Chances are pretty good that Ray will be down from Bluegrass, Iowa for the Denlow School Reunion on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. He will be sad to know that about half the roof is off Orville’s old barn now and buzzards are roosting there.) Among the other recollections that day was a story about a ten year old girl named Mable who often rode her horse from Drury to Rockbridge and back, about a three hour trip. Her uncle sent her there for medicine for her grandfather, Henry Shannon. Uncle Harry ran the Drury Store. The General’s younger sister said, “We all loved Harry. He treated all us kids good at his store.”

Myrtle Harris was someone to remember. She loved flowers and it was impossible to get out of her presence without her, “God bless you!” She left us in 2019 just a month after her 90th birthday on April 19th. The 20th is for Wyatt Boehs. He was born in 2010 and is a bow hunter and hide tanner among his other skills. Jordan Ellingsworth is a sixth grade student at Skyline where the field day and fun run and other exciting things are going on this time of the year. His birthday is on the 23rd. Jacob Moffett‘s is on the 24th. He finds arrowheads in creeks, fields and woods and is a guy who can take down a tree with great precision—a big one next to house. We can thank his sister, Rachel Barry, for keeping Jean’s Healthway going so beautifully. The 26th is for Gary, one of dear Ruby Proctor’s sons. Juniper Wiley is a seventh grade student at Skyline. She is new to Champion, a barrel racer, archer, and musician—a welcome addition. The 30th is for Champion granddaughter, Teagan Krider. She lives up around Springfield and is a regular visitor to the old home place.

Concern that the men might be outnumbered eased as The General joined the circle at Vanzant on Thursday. To have as many women in the circle as men is unusual, six of each. The music was up to its usual musical marvelousness—magical medicine. Even those in the audience, not plucking, strumming, or bowing, get noticeable health benefits from music. Introduced as the Vice President of the Booger County Studebaker Association and Preservation Society, Bob Berry was roundly celebrated in song for having been born 77 years ago. Mary joined in the singing and the visiting and smiling.

The 18 mile trip from Champion North to Rockbridge takes about 45 minutes going by way of the monastery, taking it slow for taking pictures along the way. We know of Dogwood Hill over west of Ava, but on this beautiful Saturday, hills, glens, gulches, hollows, dales, vales, and valleys were all named Dogwood. They and the red buds and great sweeping vistas made a lovely trip. Friends gathered for a luncheon on the birthday of their friend who passed away back in the winter and thanked him for causing them to go out together on a glorious spring day. He had given himself a ‘living wake’ party a few years ago when he realized he would not be living much longer. So, his friends said if we can have a wake for a guy who is alive, we can have a birthday party for a dead guy. Friendships sweeten life.

The first hummingbird scout arrived on Cold Springs Road on April 13th. The little fellow has been back every day since. Soon filling the feeders will add to our spring and summer chores along with weeding and watering. Gardeners struggle to get things ready and struggle to hold off planting the tender tomatoes and peppers this early. May 10th is said to be the last ‘possible’ frost day here. Of all the struggles going on in the world, these are some of the good ones to endure in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

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