YES, I AM STILL HERE peeking out my window on Main Street and I am finally getting around to congratulating the winners of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce awards, last week.
I have a perfectly good excuse for my tardiness. The banquet was Monday night. Our newspaper is printed on Tuesday afternoon, therefore I had to have last week’s Mine Creek Revelations column already written before the banquet so that I would have time to write the banquet article and process the banquet photos before our own deadline.
Chalk it off to me being an ancient geezer and slow at my job. So, let me get around to thanking and praising the chamber’s winners for their solid gold contributions to our community.
• Lisa Hagler, Woman of the Year, thank you.
• Luis Maya, Man of the Year, thank you.
• Michael and Joanna Howard, Orange and Black Education Award, thank you.
• Billy Ray Jones, Lifetime Achievement Award, thank you.
• Winners of the chamber awards for businesses, thank you.
• Chamber officers and directors, especially executive director Tim Pinkerton, thank you.
• Contributors to the silent auction, thank you. Bidders in the silent auction, thank you. Cake re-bidders, thank you.
• Master of ceremonies Loren Hinton, thank you.
It was nice to see our district’s elected legislators present. I’m talking about Sen. Jimmy Hickey and State Rep. DeAnn Vaught. DeAnn ‘s district includes western and northern Howard County. Also present was Dolly Henley, candidate for the state legislature to represent part of Howard County and Hempstead County.
I do have a small suggestion: As far as I know, no one’s cell phone went off during an acceptance speech, so we may no longer need someone to remind everyone to turn their phones off; but we DO need someone to stand at the door and remind gents to remove their caps, especially for the invocation.
The long history of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce is one reason this town will continue to shine.
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THE GOOD EARTH. Very definitely there are buds on the ends of limbs of the Gingko Balboa tree I had someone plant in my side yard last spring.
This is a critical summer for that precious tree. Once before I planted the same kind of tree at the same spot and it survived only for the first whole summer, and died one limb at a time after the next summer.
I’ve often wondered if the death was due to rotten roots because I watered it too much (the instructions said to keep it well-watered the first year).
Maybe I was just a jinx. I once planted a ciutting of a fig tree in the exact same spot, and it also died after two or three years.
But last summer I had someone else — a knowledgeable person — plant the Gingko Balboa tree at almost the same spot, hoping that I had either an abundance of bad luck or the chosen spot had some kind of dark ju-ju that might be broken with prayer and peat moss.
I certainly hope it survives this critical summer in which we may face extremely hot days and dry stretches. I’ll strive NOT to water it too much.
It’s important that the chosen tree thrive at that particular spot.
My hope in planting this tree at that spot is that it will grow tall and strong, and have magnificent yellow foliage in the fall. In my mind it would be easily visible from the side street.
I’ll be long gone by then. I’d like it if people would drive by just to get a look at the vibrant yellow. They’ll say: “I remember when the old man planted that tree.”
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THE EARTH IS GOOD; THIS WRITER NO SO GOOD.
I raved about noticing fuzzy green growth on hardwood limbs and completely missed the eruption of color on Yellowbells and Flowering Quince and Tulip Trees and other early bloomers.
It seems to be happening a bit early this year. And along rural roads there are dogwoods, wild pear and wild cherry just absolutely screaming their glory.
I am awaiting the first report of clouds of pollen.
I’m already sneezing and coughing and suffering from runny nose and eyes, so I’m dreading it when the pollen season really gets going.
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ANIMAL CRACKERS. More bluebird watchers have come forward to say they have also seen those beautiful little birds this early spring.
I have been pretty good at putting out raw peanuts on a patio table. So far have not been able to draw bluejays or cardinals back to the dining table.
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WORD GAMES. The Bicycle siblings: Pedal and Coast. Life is all downhill for one; the other one works much harder but actually gets wherever he or she wants to go.
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HE SAID: “The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.” Thomas A. Edison, inventor
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SHE SAID: “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” Susan B. Anthony, social reformer
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SWEET DREAMS, Baby
