“Do everything in love.” I Corinthians 16: 14 NIV

Diana Pearcey Flory told me that her mother, Dora Pearcey, lives next door to Lee Blooding in Windsor. Lee and Maxine (Peck) Blooding were the 4-H leaders who began the Prairie Queen 4-H Club in the late 1940’s. Some of the family names I remember who are forever grateful for this club and what they learned are Berry, Kelley, Jacobs, Wissel, Graham, Meyers, Weisdorfer, Nelson, Garner and Lessenden. Lee was so glad to see the recent Eads High School alumni book with photos and the index which Marty Miller typed that Diana and Ken Flory bought a book from Kim Richard’s office for Lee to enjoy.

Shelly Meyers continues to change the paintings on store windows monthly. Some Sunday mornings when I leave town, I see her painting and she is still at some store painting in the afternoon. Her designs, cartoons, and people drawings are delightful, plus quotes and scriptures. Thank you, Miss Shelly, for sharing your artistic talent with others. 

It was good to hear that the classes of 1958 and 1960 had gatherings during the county fair. Now that I look at the photos in the alumni book, I realize that many of those students did return to the fair and to visit. Those were large classes full of memorable personalities. It is good to have the lovely Cobblestone Inn and Jennifer (Rittgers) Schofield’s J J’s Ranch House meeting room and tasty food open for such happenings.

George Temple, formerly of Wiley, was a resident at the Weisbrod Extended Care Unit. His family was always so good to visit him and spend time with him. After his funeral they left many beautiful floral arrangements and plants for the residents and visitors to enjoy. Madonna (Wissel) Pollreis’ horse quilt is such a pretty and an appropriate quilt for this time of the year in the ECU dining room.

The Lamar Rotary Club visited Mrs. Charlene Gifford’s third grade class in the Eads Elementary School. They gave each third grader a dictionary!

The monarch butterflies are migrating through Eads to Mexico. Through the years they stop to enjoy my purple fall asters and Russian Sage. But there are not nearly so many as in previous years because people are cutting down a lot of trees that they light on in Mexico. However, when I rolled over to greet some bicyclists in the park, they said there were lots of butterflies on the trees near the picnic bench.

During the half time of the Eads-Kit Carson football game Friday night, the Monsato Company gave an award. Both purple and gold teams had middle school and high school volleyball and football games that night. The Eads cheerleaders are Molly Kelley, Aubree Rybacki, Raegan Johnson, Alyssa Harp, and Cynthia Watson. Their coach is Shay Johnson.

Sunday “fun day” of the county fair had a really good turnout in the junior, intermediate, senior, and adult groups. The participants could come from out of county also. The winners of the age groups received belt buckles from the organizer of many years, Yonda Leonard, who was also assisted by members of the new riding club of the county.

Another feature of the county fair that people may not know much about is the childrenss gamehouse with carnival games for children. They could win prizes in the booths manned by volunteers with the lead organizers, Jeff and Barb Scranton, and other fair board members. Also this year, Laura Via Bybee and Jamie Lane of the July 4^th Parade Committee spent a number of hours of managing a big colorful bouncy house and the 9 -hole putt-putt golf course. Fred and Debi Derby built that golf game on boards several years ago for the Maine Street Bash festivities, so it is good that kids could enjoy it another year. The Scrantons, along with fair board members, plan to have the “Scare House” open for a spectacular night of fun October 27 and Halloween, October 31. They plan to have a time with the lights on for younger children also.

The Dusty Plains Car Show was a hit again this year. It was good that Tina Adamson and Shelley Englehardt of the Commissioner’s office arranged for the cars to get to the fair grounds earlier than in past years. People were so glad to see that Bonnie Morgan is healing and feeling so much better from her bout with cancer that she could work along with Rick as they and A.J. and Ciara McCracken organized another great auto show. Late in the afternoon, there were still people viewing those cars with their hoods uplifted. 

We want to thank the fair board for another great county fair. They are to be commended for their year of hard work and meetings!

After seeing Dudly Jackson having coffee outside the Demitasse coffee shop, I was reminded of reading recently that 100 years ago, his father, Kelly Jackson “broke his arm cranking a Ford with the spark too far advanced.” I do remember seeing my Daddy crank cars, but I will have to ask an old timer what the “spark too far advanced” means.

Having the use of the county transit van is another fine service of our county commissioners: Richard Scott, Cindy McLoud, and Donald Oswald, who appreciate the work and recommendations of the volunteer Transit Van Committee.