May flowers come from April showers and one of my top flowers is the Tulip. They have such deep rich colors and early bloomers next to the Easter lily. In March I wrote ‘in like a Lion and out like a Lamb’, but I believe the Lamb forgot to show up this year. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a windy time as we have had this year. Our nation also experienced a rare eclipse, and I hope these weather extremes don’t continue this year. Now our full moon in May is the 23rd and is known as the flower moon which makes sense with warmer weather and the flowers starting to bloom. May 12th is Mothers Day and don’t forget May 27th is Memorial Day and the reason we are celebrating this Holiday.
Another May event at a lot of churches is Homecoming, an opportunity to visit and fellowship over a delicious meal, and mine at Mountain Grove is Sunday May 19th and everyone is welcome.
If you remember in December, I mentioned that in 2023 we had lost a lot of wonderful people. As the Bible states, it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgement. And in 2023 there was a lot whose appointed time came. But what is sadder is this year has started off worse. I don’t think a week has gone by that I haven’t read about an acquaintance, friend, or family member who has departed. This reminded me of the story of my uncle. He had just returned home from the funeral of a school buddy, and some family members had stopped in to visit. As they sat on the porch reminiscing about their childhood days with the departed and how unbelievable it was that time flew by as fast as it did, it just seemed impossible that he was gone. It was at that time one of the gentlemen calling the other by name made this statement, “Millard, we need to realize it is our generations turn to go”. I had never heard that statement, but it certainly is true. We don’t think of it as it’s our turn to go.
Enough of sad thoughts, it’s time to lighted up things a bit. I mentioned Mountain Grove Church Homecoming, and it brought to mind a picture that is very popular. It was taken on May 10th, 1959. The photo was a congregational photo, but with careful observation you noticed there was an oddity. For in the photo the two young men on the far right were the identical same two men on the far left. Now because of the large group it was found that the photo required two shots and then would be jointed in the middle to make one large photo, so for years people thought these two young men poised for the first and once the picture was snapped, they ran to the other end and poised again, being in the photo twice as a harmless joke. BUT almost 60 years later the mystery was solved. It seemed that the photographer who was from Gitchells requested that the two young men do this so that they would know where the end of the group was and to help join the two photos. So there it is, the truth be known or so they say!
Next, as I mentioned in a past issue, after the original stocking in March, The Game Commission closed the river in May to restock trout and the first Saturday in May at daylight the season reopened. Now this was very tempting for some, all those trout just waiting, swimming in the river wanting to be caught. This brings us to these four young men. They just could not wait, so they came up with a well thought out plan. “Let’s go catch some trout before the season comes in”, but I will say more thought was put into it than that. This was during the time that Red Hill Bridge was still stocked and below the bridge was a beautiful hole filled with trout. So, the plan was this! Two of the young men would leave from the Dry River Bridge and walk upriver through the brush and river bottom till they arrived at that hole of fish. Now, they were armed with a walkie talkie. Why? Well, I will tell you. One of the other young men was setting in his car at what was then Crider Brothers’ Store, with his CB Radio (Citizens Band Radio) tuned in. The other young man was stationed at the top of Red Hill Road, also with his CB tuned in.
This was foolproof! Any sign of a game warden, the watchers had a signal code to tell the other watcher, while the other two fishermen were turned in on the same channel. The code would tell the fishermen trouble was near and get out of there. They could already taste the fresh golden brown trout supper. Back to the fishermen, as they are arriving at this honey hole and now ready to cast suddenly something unexpected happened. Before they could get a line in the water “someone” threw a rock in the river from the other side. What in the world is going on, and then another rock hits the water.
This was enough for them, back down the river they went as fast as their legs would take them. When they were at a safe distance they stopped and gave the signal for the two other men to meet them at the designated place. The two mobile units thought, boy they sure had good luck to be done fishing that quick. But when they met, they found out the cold hard facts of life, no fish means no fish fry. Who could have been there in the middle of the night? So, the next day they went up to the fishing spot and don’t you know the dirty culprits were still there! Yep, swimming around like they owned the place and as soon as they got close those Beavers smacked their tails down on the water the same as they had done the night before. A warning man was near.
Believe it or not
Until Next Time
Ronnie
