Prepping for the Fourth of July, a Texas visit and a Mookee recovery

By Darla Buchannon

Happy Father's Day!

Happy birthday to Peggy Lee, Ryan Dirnberger, Janice Trankler, Chris Qualls, Amber Schlitt, Amanda Ford, Carl Kagle, Pat Burger, Regina Wall, Terry Glenzy, Ashlie Smith, Ronnie Eichhorn, Randy Rister, Laura Schilling, Robert Stovall, Jerry Lee, Mamie Cooper, Nick Powderly, Brittany Bennett, Devohn Foulk, Betsy Rice, HB Rice, Sarah McDonald, Kathy Leggett, Dan Burger and Randy Payne. Also, Shirley Bucher, Thomas Moore, Brenda Parker, Judith Scott, Carolyn Stokes, Boyd Summers Jr. and Barbara Urhahn.

Happy anniversary to Bill and Clara Gramlisch, Robert and Jo Stovall, Jim and Robyn Hindman and Steve and Wanda Hahn.

Congratulations to Carol Swinford, whose home on South Third is Chamber of Commerce Residence of the Month!

Bring out those lazy hazy crazy days of summer, because tomorrow is the first day of summer!

The full moon we are enjoying is referred to as the Rose Moon, Green Corn Moon, Lotus Moon and Moon When June Berries are Ripe.

Gearing up for the Fourth

The gazebo at Circle Park is looking mighty fine and patriotic. We can thank Jim Whistler, president of the park board, and Caroline Pfefferkorn for their time and talent.

Fireworks season is June 28 through July 3 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; on the Fourth, the time is extended to midnight. Fireworks are permitted only on private property and not on alleyways, streets, sidewalks or public property. Remember, no bottle or missile-type rockets.

The city reminds folks that you cannot leave unlicensed vehicles parked in the yard, on the street or on public property. Also, according to Section 265.080, any vehicle that is allowed to remain unmoved more than 72 hours on a public street or property is considered "abandoned" and declared a public nuisance.

A trip to Texas

Richard and I spent some time with my sister Jo and her husband, Don, at their place in the Texas Hill Country. Sister Ruth Ann was unable to join us since she was in Washington, D.C., visiting her son, Travis. The weather was pleasant until the overdue heat wave arrived. It was still bearable, though, with the constant breeze, and it was fun identifying constellations and planets in the clear evening sky. Always the consummate hostess and host, a good time and good eats were had by all.

Nature sounds abound

There was plenty of hummingbird activity, and in that area you see the black-chinned and Anna hummers. We also saw deer and bunny rabbits. One morning as we sat outside enjoying our coffee, we saw a mole poke his head out of a hole in the yard. The mole seemed quite comfortable, but disappeared after Richard took a shot, with the hostess' urging. Their gardener reported a sighting of a long coachwhip snake and I was hoping to get a look at it, but it never showed up, much to Jo's relief. We didn't see any roadrunners but heard lots of quail. It is nice to get out into the open country, the clean air and hear the sounds of nature.

Lost Mookee recovered

We have good news! Richard's lost Mookee has returned! After several reports of sightings on Next Door, a woman caught the lost bird. It was drinking out of her birdbath and flew up to perch on her shoulder! She easily put it in a cage and called Richard for pick up. The young Mookee has had quite a good time flying around the neighborhood, so much it will not be let out for recess any time soon.

Pronunciation preferences

With Muhammad Ali's memorial service being held in Louisville, Kentucky, it was interesting to hear news media pronounce the city. Some pronounced it "Lou-a-vul" like most locals, while others referred to it as "Lou-ee-ville." Then there are some who say New "Or-leens" rather than New "Or-lee-ans," for goodness sake. Nevertheless, it did remind me of years ago when a travel agent corrected me when I was arranging to fly to Cape Girardeau. She quickly told me the proper pronunciation is "Cape Gee-rar-doh." I quickly responded that if I pronounced it that way, no one would know where I was talking about. I know a lot of those pronunciations are colloquial, but do you remember hearing our grandparents refer to it as the Cape or Cape Girada?

Final thoughts

Remember to tell your dad and other 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 this special day to celebrate dads.