First signs of spring, a day trip at Mingo and presidential happenings

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Topper Slinkard.

Happy birthday to Tara McClard, Wayne Turner, Betty Williams, David Glastetter, Zac Hindman, Brian Pfefferkorn, Robyn Hindman, Aaron Wilson, Alfred Wolfe, Tommy Rauch, Nancy Griffin, William Hargrove, Bob Baert, Patricia McDonald, Brandon Parker, Chris Hampton, Brenda White, Mark Totty, Jim Kemper, Logan Emerson, Lewis Hamilton, Julie Hodge, Sharon Ayers, Alfred Horman, Patty Tanksley, Kenny Chapman, Megan Devenport, Travis Lee, Charlie Clark, AJ Glastetter, Pansey Acey, Evelyn Kluesner, Paul Nation and Jerome Kluesner.

Happy anniversary to Craig and Allison Ressel and Doug and Carol Sutterfield.

We have wondered about Topper Slinkard before and were told he and his wife, Judy, live in Arizona. One of his former classmates would like to know if anyone has his contact information.

The yard sale at the senior center starts Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday hours are 7 a.m. to ? and Saturday 7 a.m. to noon.

Spring awakening

Spring begins today and next week is Act Happy Week! We will be enjoying a full moon, which is referred to as Fish Moon, Windy Moon and Moon When Eyes are Sore from Bright Snow.

There's no snow here, and we are enjoying some beautiful springlike temperatures. It is a great time to get out and do some spring cleaning in your yard. The city reminds residents to clean out your culverts so the rain will drain properly. There is a lot of standing water around town, most of which could be resolved with a good clean-out by residents of their bar ditches.

It also is a good time to check out nature. Jonquils, spring beauty and other wildflowers are putting on their spring display. Take a hike through the woods and you will see spring wildflowers, especially on the south and west-facing slopes, warmed by the sun. Look for dog-tooth violet, toothwort, Dutchman's Britches and May apples. Later we'll be seeing wake robin, bloodroot, Jack-in-the pulpit and many others.

A day trip to Puxico

To step it up a notch, a great place to see our feathered and furry friends is Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can drive or walk the boardwalk. You can see deer, eagles and maybe an osprey. This time last year we saw all of those and also got to hear a barred owl when we were on the boardwalk. The 20- to 24-inch owl is often seen hunting during the daytime and his call sounds like, "Who cooks for you?"

We always make it a day trip and drop by Mel's Diner in Puxico for lunch. It is closed on Mondays.

An Easter tradition

Next Sunday is Easter and we are wondering if anyone still makes hot cross buns, the traditional Good Friday yeast-leavened soft buns with the vanilla icing drizzled cross on top.

Presidential visits

I'm not certain how much fanfare occurred when presidential hopeful Ted Cruz was in Cape. It is always a special treat to watch the fanfare when the U.S. president is in town. Whether you are a fan or not, it is a sight to behold. President Obama was in Dallas last week and we got to see Air Force One fly over our house. Once before, when George W. Bush was president, we got a very close look at Air Force One as it flew from Love Field in Dallas. When my mother was in Dallas in 2001, President Bush was in town and I rented a wheelchair-accessible van so we could catch him arriving at Love Field. We were able to park directly behind the fence at a private air field, so we had an unobstructed view. As it turned out, he arrived on Marine One escorted by four Black Hawk helicopters. It was exciting!

Exciting it was at a Dallas restaurant when former U.S. president Bill Clinton was in town. My good friend Mary and I were not fans of Slick Willie, but we did want to see him. Security was high, and first the big dogs came through the restaurant checking everything out. Mary and I endured a long wait, but we did get a glimpse of Clinton as he made his exit through the kitchen!

Final thoughts

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

Please email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who said baseball is a tired sport.