Laboring to corral the birds

By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Jack Dragoni, Alex Davie, Judy Finley, Jamie Holder, Dustin Craig, Ely Kerber, Nancy Cutright, Floy Marvel, Cheryl Anders, Doris White, Lacey Rister, Misty Hibdon, Mildred Moudy, Stephen Shrum, Lindsay Cook, Greg Glastetter, Delores Turner, Sue Tyler, Jeanette Beck, Olivia Coomer, Karen Brown, Kathi Stone, Veria Naeve, Barbara Arnold, Hubert McDonald, Marcus Seyer, Brian Little, Jessica Swinford, Ron Dirnberger, Peter Dohan, Mary Long, Jo Rutz, Brian Friga, Dan Hinkebein, Kate Proffitt, Karen Senciboy, Karen Benton, Staci Pepple, Jack Coomer, Kyle Moyers, Danny Gordon and Rusty Duncan.

Happy anniversary to Bill and Mary Jo Pfefferkorn, Ron and Joy Moyers, Lefty and Ida Seyer and Larry and Paula Glueck.

Happy birth month to all Virgos! My birth month of August is over, the birthday cake has been eaten and it's back to the routine. My angel food birthday cake, with pink frosting, the ladies at Schnucks made was tops!

We hope everyone had a swell Labor Day weekend. We had some excitement in pigeon land. Last Sunday I mentioned our surprise to see four Mookies on our roof. Last Friday evening we saw them fly over Second Street and back to the roof. That startled us but the next event even more so. They flew again over Second then headed south across Elliott. A hen returned to feed her newly hatched Mookie but the others spent the night out. Richard and I walked the south end of town Saturday and saw two of them fly over Capshaw Street. When we returned home, Buddy, Richard's favorite Mookie, was sitting on top of the house across the street but soon flew off perhaps to round up the others.

Later that evening we saw them fly here and there. I just had to remind Richard that when we bought the first pair of Mookies, we asked the seller if they could fly since we had lost some fantails to hawks when they flew off. She told us they just walk around like chickens. These birds fly high and fast! Even in Dallas, we have driven down streets and alleys looking for lost birds and that was the case last Sunday. We enlisted Bob Burnett's help in locating the three after Mike Eichhorn reported that his wife Emily spotted two on a floatie at their pool! They were gone by the time Richard got there. But as it turns out, I was in the backyard and just happened to look up to see two fly overhead. Richard whistled, got on his bicycle and headed to where he thought they landed. He found them in the alley behind Randy Stroup's house. When Richard whistled, Buddy, the ring leader, flew to him. He netted the other bird, leaving one still on the loose.

on Monday, Richard spotted it on a rooftop at Second and Frates, and after several attempts he finally took Buddy down there and the lost one finally flew down. Richard, get this, walked the Mookie home like a parent walking a disobedient child home.

On the calendar

You can see plenty of birds and many other attractions at the SEMO District Fair. Be sure to drop by Aaron Horrell's Paint for a Cause in the Arena Building. Just $1 allows you to paint for one minute and goes toward a great cause -- the Cape Veterans Home.

The deadline for the Sept. 30 CHS Alumni Banquet is this Friday. Please get your checks in the mail to PO Box 172. They've heard from Red Devils from 1944 to 2014. It pays to read your email; Sue Gremer Ivie and Mayme Horrell Cobb won two free 2018 alumni dinners in the Mary Lankford Hopkins Sweepstakes!

Flu shots are available this Friday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the Senior Center.

A sure sign of fall is when Ralph Enderle of New Hamburg starts cooking sorghum! Cooking starts this Saturday, the 16th. Yummy!

Football fever

Are you ready for some football? I am although it was an enjoyable weekend of various sports. Regular NFL season is back, and tonight the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants. Now that former quarterback Tony Romo is a CBS sportscaster, there are no more Romo what ifs. Monday Night Football returns tomorrow with Hank Williams, Jr. back at the mic singing, "Are you ready for MNF?"

As always

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

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

And then ...

Then there was pigeon watch.