An arboreal donation, a bird watcher's update and baseball season openers

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Sharon Bruce.

Happy birthday to Pam Kelso, Courtney Scheeter, Ian Hemingway, Tonya King, Jonah Hendrix, Dave White, Bertie Evans, Kirk Hemingway, Ryan Dysinger, Katherine Phillips, Daniel Peeple, Tom Cunningham, Kevin Dudley, Lindsay Phillips, Sherrin Rains, Liz Hartman, Gary Hester, Diane Curry, David Little, Terry Boese, Mark McKinley, Layton Tenkhoff, Anna Schmitt, Andy Proffer, Gladys Eifert, Zachary Wachter, Debbie Mirly, Richard Hinkebein, Angela Rehm, Ann Ingram, Kim Shell, Mary Elizabeth Hagan, Patsy Tenkhoff, Shannon Dannenmueller, Jeff Dacus, Tammy Eifert, Paul Keller, Roberta Grojean and Steve Whitaker.

Happy anniversary to Charles and Marcella Westrich, Don and Kathy Leggett and Jim and Janie Fowler.

The Chaffee High School class of 1966 will celebrate its 50th at the CHS Alumni Banquet Oct. 8. We will "wonder about" some of those class members, as we did today, so they can update their roster.

'Red' and green donation made

Jada Sadler, granddaughter of Ed and Tanya Sadler, made Arbor Day a little more special by donating a red oak tree to the city. It was planted at Circle Park, where the Chaffee Elementary fourth-grader can easily keep an eye on it from her home. Thank you, Jada!

Chaffee city updates

Get your items out for the Citywide Spring Cleanup this Tuesday and Thursday.

While we welcomed Darin Teague, owner of Teague's Barbershop, his wife, Jessica, and their two young sons, Tucker and Carter, the chamber of commerce also held a ribbon cutting for Tracks, formerly Depot Deli, owned by Kenny and Lara Eades.

Birds are back in town

We will soon be blessed with the arrival of some of our favorite birds. The Baltimore orioles will be arriving along with the ruby-throated hummingbirds! According to my bird journal, the colorful rose-breasted grosbeaks should be migrating through our area anytime. What a glorious time of year for birders and nature lovers! Don't forget the 48th annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival in Charleston, Missouri, next weekend!

An eagle sighting

We recently visited Mingo Wildlife Refuge. On the auto tour we spotted a bald eagle on its nest and another eagle perched on a limb above a creek. Although eagle sightings are frequent here, it is always fun to see another. The auto tour is open and is about 20 miles long, ending at Highway 51. The boardwalk is now referred to as the "Swampwalk Nature Trail," as it winds through a swampy area of Mingo. You can spot lots of birds, even a prothonotary warbler that nests in a tree cavity or a woodpecker hole. The visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. We enjoyed lunch here at Chaffee's El Mexicano before we went, breaking our normal routine of eating at Mel's Diner in Puxico, Missouri.

Play ball

Baseball season has arrived, and we are all cheering for our beloved St. Louis Cardinals! The ceremonies on opening day are thrilling, and who doesn't love the flyovers! The Cardinals' home opener is tomorrow afternoon, hosting the Milwaukee Brewers.

In Dallas, the Texas Rangers asked a 105-year-old lady to throw out the first pitch at the third home game last week, starting at 1:05 p.m. She was a math teacher and became a baseball fan when she retired, never missing a televised game. She said at her age, one is never nervous, but she did practice for the big pitch.

Wacky ballpark treats

There are some new, over-the-top food offerings at baseball stadiums this year. The Texas Rangers offer the $27 Wicked Pig sandwich loaded with pulled pork, bacon, sausage, prosciutto, ham, pork rinds, coleslaw and barbecue sauce. Pittsburgh offers the Cracker Jack & Mac Dog, Atlanta the Burgerizza, Houston the Flying Pig and Arizona the Cheeseburger Dog. Not only do they pack a big punch calorie-wise, but they also have a hefty price tag!

Spring storm warning

With spring comes the threat of tornadoes and storms. We urge you to take those watches and warnings seriously. With weather radios and apps now available, it is easy to receive weather alerts. Although occurring in December, the EF-4 that struck Garland and Rowlett just northeast of Dallas killed 13 people. Many of us think we are safe in our car, but amid all of the destruction, 12 of those 13 were in their vehicles and were killed when the tornado crossed Interstate 30.

Final thoughts

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

Email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or call (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the license plate "R U KIND."