“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…” Psalm 23

That scripture was chosen to be on the funeral program of Pam Johnston of Arlington. She was a part of our Small Dining Room family. Pam was a part of a Basque family who had immigrated to America and settled in Arizona. Her family had land in the valley and owned mountains where they herded their sheep up the mountains to graze in the summertime. After Pam went to college she became a professor at a Michigan university. That is where she met Kent Johnston of Arlington, who had traveled up there to visit with the agriculture professors about certain techniques they were working with. After marrying Kent, his daughters and grandchildren became her own. Pam was so gracious and loving. We loved her and miss her. A sudden illness struck her body, but the Lord gave her time to plan her final days and to enjoy her family and friends longer than thought possible when she came here.

Many people in southeast Colorado are excited to enjoy the last few fairs of the season. The State Fair wound down Monday, so county extensions agents and many other exhibitors began carrying home their counties’ exhibits. We are eager to see the 4-H exhibits from the State Fair that Extension Agent Tearle Lessenden and his assistant, Krystal Eikenberg, set up to display at the Kiowa County Fair in the Exhibit Hall.

Edith Koeller showed me photos on her phone of three of her grandchildren who won championships at the State Fair. Her 10-year-old granddaughter, Aribella, had a winning first-year entomology exhibit. That reminded me of how interesting it was to watch my brothers, Virgil Allen and Dwight, catch and mount an insect collection. Her grandsons, Blake and Chance, had winning exhibits in woodworking that won top awards in Prowers County and at the State Fair.

Mia Crow, who is a junior at Eads High School, showed me a photo of her gorgeous red, white, and blue blanket she quilted and won Reserve Grand Champion at the State Fair. This young lady is one of our activity assistants. Her brother, Jett, won a top award, but I will have to wait until the County Fair to report on that award.

Kent Frazee submitted the winning theme for the Kiowa County Fair: “With Pride We Strive, With Confidence We Succeed.” In the contents of the Kiowa County Fair book, it is very interesting to read the names of men and women who have committed time to work or serve in various departments or committees to make our county fair run smoothly for people to enjoy.

Saturday was the Kit Carson Day celebration. I’ve enjoyed going there for many years to see my friends. Thanks to my friend Liz Hulteen, who drove me there. She likes their barbecue, which is so good with colorful vegetables including corn on the cob, and it was free. After the barbecue the parade was next, with floats that included all middle and high school classes, the Melodrama cast, a massive amount of blaring fire trucks and ambulances, horsewomen royalty, the Citizen of the Year, Tony Johnson, and polished vehicles. My favorite two were Roger and Betsy Evans in a sleek red auto and Cardon and Joyce Berry of Eads in their aqua and ivory Chevy. This was all preceded by a rodeo on the prairie east of town and a Duck Race on water from the Pool Hall down to the new Recreation Center. Another lady greeted me saying, “I am Karen Crow who used to live in Kit Carson.” Most of her family has moved to Grand Junction. She was having a good time and was busy introducing her four young grandchildren to their great-grandfather Herb Crow’s former grocery store and to the “wonders of Kit Carson Day,” and she had taken them to a Garth Brooks concert in Denver Friday night.

Nine of us went in wheelchairs to the high school gym last Thursday to watch the Cheraw-Eads varsity volleyball games. How exciting to watch the B-Team win their matches and the A-Team battle against the Wolverines, who are ranked first in the State. Although they lost by only about two points in those games, we were strong!

Reece Barnett was singlehandedly selling a gorgeous array of beautifully colored T-shirts with eagle logos. Her teacher came to help her and explained to me that Reece was in a new class that she and her students are really enjoying. They have a business, “Eagle Enterprise.” They have ordered many colors of T-shirts, and the students design an eagle logo that is then applied to the T-shirt. These sell for eight dollars, and if you want your name on the back, that is five dollars more.

Claire Lane is such a caring nurse aide when she works here, but she also has another thriving career. That is her food trailer. She goes to Sheridan Lake and to Kit Carson once a week, and other times when she is not working at Weisbrod she is open for business to sell her specialty drinks or coffees or burritos and sometimes light meals from her home on Hickman Street or one of the parks in town.

Mary Ellen Englehardt arranged a pretty sight to enjoy in the large dining room with a red and white quilt made for her by a friend. The bookshelf above has black horses, longhorn cattle, and wagons.

Watch for the Veterans’ float in the parade to wave at those wonderful men and women veterans.

See you at the FAIR!