Colorful skies introduce, conclude these beautiful fall days

By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Jim Emerson, Yolanda Schlosser, Travis Dumey, Lawrence Seyer, Virginia Bohnsack, Lauren Bader, Jeanette Wachter, George Burton, Larry Hendrickson, Betty Nordin, Monica Senciboy, Joyce McCullough, Jim Hodge, Mary Craft, Brenda Swain, Allen Cox, Julie Prindle, Christa Beck, Jodi Pfefferkorn, Tony Swain, Kelly Burnett, Diane Eftink, Mike Eichhorn and Shirley Moberly.

Happy anniversary to Danny and Joyce Loucks and Jerry and Jeanette Beck.

The clear cool mornings have resulted in a sky with ribbons of pink and blue as if God took out his paintbrush and painted the sky himself. Beautiful! The sunsets have been equally as stunning.

As we welcomed the month of December, many ladies are happy to say goodbye to "No-Shave November" and see the men folk looking clean-shaven once again. We are enjoying the full moon of December, often referred to as Cold Moon, Frosty Moon, Moon Before Yule, Long Nights Moon and Christmas Moon.

The weather has been so nice that folks have been out mowing or raking and burning their leaves. We remind residents once again that burning in culverts and alleyways is not permitted. When you do burn, do it on a calm day and have a water hose handy.

Remembering Mom

Richard and I did our annual red balloon release on my Mother's birthday, which this year was the day after Thanksgiving. We released the balloon at the North Cape County Park, a place where my sister Jo and I often took Mother. We would enjoy a donut from Schnucks, after which Jo and I would walk a few laps, waving and wondering if she could see us across the pond.

Around town

The Chaffee Public Library fundraiser is 1 to 4 p.m. today at the VFW Hall. Drop by and purchase a bowl of chili and perhaps a fuzzy animal for a little one. A fun afternoon for a great cause -- helping our city library.

City council meets 7 p.m. Monday at city hall. The city reminds us to check the back of water bills for notices and updates. Taxes are due the end of the month. Scott County Collector Mark Hensley is at city hall 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Chaffee Historical Society will present "A Christmas Concert" at 2 p.m. Dec. 10 at the VFW. Featured are Big Band of the Heartland and Chaffee Elementary Honor Choir. Doors open at 1 p.m. Chicken-noodle soup and hot chocolate will be available for purchase. Plus, Santa Claus and his elves will make a surprise visit!

The society is offering memorial bricks for sale through April 2018 at a cost of $75 per brick. It would make a nice Christmas gift and is a wonderful way to pay tribute to family members, friends and organizations. Requests for forms can be mailed to the society at 109 South Main, Chaffee MO 63740.

Holiday visitors

My sister Jo and her husband, Don, were in from Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend, and we dined at 36 Restaurant and Bar in Cape. The service and ambiance were delightful and the food was delicious and beautifully plated. Our "dessert" was a visit to Isle of Capri!

After a disappointing Thanksgiving Day for Cowboy fans, we were able to watch a weekend of entertaining college and pro football games. But Thanksgiving Day was mostly about cooking and coordinating the many dishes, so it lessened much of the pain of the Cowboy loss. I did the Martha Stewart's method of wrapping turkey in parchment paper after Richard seasoned it with Texas trail dust and the Himalayan pink salt Jo introduced us to. Locked within the earth inside the pristine Himalayan mountains, the gourmet salt is infused with 84 minerals and trace elements over millions of years. Jo brought her decorative apple and gooseberry pies along with a special surprise -- Rice Crispy Treats!

I also made Lesley Dormeyer's Sweet Potato Bake I saw on KFVS Channel 12's Heartland Cooks. It is easy to fix and a nice change from the usual sweet potatoes. As always, Richard's pecan and pumpkin pies were tops.

My Aunt Mardell Finney's oyster-cornbread dressing was especially delicious. Everything was wonderful, and I took the annual picture of Jo and Richard with their pies.

As always

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

Please email your news to darbuck2@airmail.net or call (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was Breville's The Smoking Gun, which infuses wood smoke flavoring into meats and beverages.