June is the middle of the year and why we spend the long winter looking forward. Champion Brixey kids and others had a wonderful showing at the Tri County Fair. Sharry Lovan was an inspiration to a bunch of budding musicians at the Ozark Mountain Music Association Bluegrass Camp. The first announcement of the 57th annual Vanzant Picnic, scheduled for July 7th and 8th showed up on the internet. Through the mail came a notice to the Mountain Grove Class of 1959 Back Room Breakfast will happen on July 1st at the L & A Cafe on the Square. They have a request for RSVP at (417) 259-0742. We live in an interesting and exciting part of the world. Lucky us.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a program for black vulture control. (573) 893-1416 for information. They are increasing in population and their aggressive nature can cause problems for livestock producers. Turkey vultures are gentle and non-aggressive, usually found in large groups. The species are easy to tell apart. The turkey vulture has a read head and a white beak. The black vulture’s head is black or gray with a dark bill. One kind or the other once had a roost in the old Champion chicken house, which has since been washed away. Sometime back in 2011, at 11:05 a.m., the Cowboy, and some so called or ‘erstwhile’ friends ventured inside the shack to view the vulture hatchlings. As the Cowboy ventured closer to see the white fluffy little critters, his friends backed out and shut the door, locking him inside with the hissing little birds. The ruckus that ensued was epic with pounding and yelling and language to embarrass the clergy, sailors, and oil field roughnecks alike. How long he was trapped in there with the scary baby birds and how he got out were not part of the story, though after an undisclosed period, somehow the friendships were renewed. The incident is one of many that get recounted in the place where they happened by the very Champions involved.

June 11th is the birthday of Blaine Denlow’s grandpa Buzz! He is rarely seen without a smile—a happy guy and with good reason. The 15th and 16th are days to celebrate the birthdays of Champion grandchildren, Anastasia and Foster. Tyler, Bella’s dad, was born June 20, 1988. Tennessee newcomer, Waylon Watts, has a young Champion grandmother born on the 21st. That is a big day for Felix’s cousin, Sierra, out in Oregon. Local celebrity, Cinita Brown, author of “The Black Kettle Ride” and other works celebrating this part of the world, celebrates on the 22nd. The 24th is for Skyline cross country star Kash Hurt. Skyline prekindergarten’ Danielle Shaffer will have a celebration on the 25, as will the delightful chanteuse, Sherry Bennett. Sherry spreads musical joy. She can’t help it and we are the beneficiaries. Surely there is a video of her that we could share here, but we have been unable to find one. Enjoy her at the Vanzant Jam any Thursday evening and other places around the area. Thank you, Sherry. Skyline’s Alexander Bradley will enjoy the 28th for his big day. That was the birthday of Champion Esther Wrinkles, who is much missed, as is her contemporary, Eva Powell, whose birthday was the 29th. Here and now, far away, and long gone, your birthdays remind us of our affection for you. Past, present, and distant, to us you are Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

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