By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Delbert Horman, Tull Garner, Frances Scheeter, Lefty Seyer, Samantha Kluesner, Kathy Reisenbichler, Bertha Essner, Chelsey Hanback, Steve Graham, Tammy Rains, Jimmy Wolsey, Rockey Rainey, Marvin LeGrand, Janie Fowler, Maria Collins, Neeley Bollinger, Marlys Ford, Stephanie Seyer, Amy Pobst, Agnes Landewee, Stephanie Uhrhan, Steve Rogers, Jessica Barnhart, Garrett Pepples, Natalie Townsend, Josh Hanlon, Mike Kitchen, Breanne Gilmer, Elnora Bramlett and Dewaine Shaffer.

Happy anniversary to Kelley and Brenda Swain, Alfred and Dorothy Wolfe, Donnie and Phyllis Ford, John and Jeanie Smith, Vernon and Susie Pobst and Howell and Kathy Rice.

Congratulations to Robert and Theresa Hinkebein whose home on Helen was chosen as Chamber of Commerce Residence of the Month.

Summertime flowers are here

The weather went from a short spring to summer! The irises around town are beautiful as are the azaleas and peonies. My sister Jo and I were talking with a lady who had just moved from a Chicago suburb to Dallas, Texas. She was bemoaning the fate of her beautiful peonies up north because they wouldn't do well in Texas. We were wondering what is a peony until we realized she was pronouncing the flower as 'penny' and we knew it as pe-on-y!

Birds are nesting

The orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks are fewer in number now but we sure enjoyed them while they were here. We did hear an oriole this week on our stroll about town and spotted him and his nest high in a tree. The birds are busy now raising their young. Richard's Indian Fantails and Rollers are sitting on eggs and some have hatched out.

After a previous successful sale of Indian Fantails and Mookees at the Fruitland Poultry Swap, Richard's recent trip was nonproductive. At least he didn't return with more birds. He did see some young goats which he thought were cute but thankfully didn't bring one home. I think of the time Dr. Finney bought a goat to send a message to his young sons, Buck and Tyke, about stepping up their lawn mowings. They named the goat Susie I guess after their sister Kay Sue although it was a male. It was quite the sight on Elliott. All was fine until one day the goat was gone -- it had chewed on one too many items on the clothesline.

Have you seen the coyote on the short cut behind the airport? We've seen it twice out in the field.

It's vacation time

Let the summer vacations begin! There will be road trips, summer jobs and camp.

My sisters and I attended church camps but I don't recall music camps. Band practice resumed at Chaffee High in late summer. Because it was so hot, we would practice early in the morning on the dew covered grass. Everyone wanted to play in the band and wanted to do so on a brand new instrument. How many parents struggled to pay for those? My sister Ruth Ann and cousin Kay Sue Finney were determined to play the flute. Neither flutist lasted long. My sister Carolyn got a brand new clarinet when she started so when I joined the marching band, director Durwood Lawson loaned me a two-piece metal clarinet until Carolyn graduated and left hers behind. I still play every once in a while but I don't remember it requiring so much wind!

A guy who could really play the trumpet was Billy Ray Warner, Dr. Finney's stepson and son of Mardell Finney. While Tyke and I played outside we often heard Bill practice. Mark Hopkins tells me that he was an aspiring trumpet player and Bill was his hero. After Bill graduated, Jim Lynch became lead trumpet then later Mark but Mark says no one could play like Bill. Mark adds that Bill was musically talented in other ways as well. Mary Francis Burnett put on a variety show that was entered in the SEMO Competition at what was then in the early 50s Cape State. That was the era of "Show Boat" on Broadway and the key song was "Ol' Man River." After much prodding, she finally got Bill to agree to sing the song in his bass voice. He became the star of the show and they won the competition. Other participants included Betty Davenport, Ann Woodyard, Larry Himmelspoch and Jae Hopkins.

Remember to tell those special people in your life you love them -- those three words mean so much.

Email you news and comments to me at darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

Then there was the Royal wedding.