Hill-Topics
Well another April Fool's Day has come and gone, and that means my wife, Claire, born in 1957, has celebrated another birthday. She had four separate birthday celebrations over a three-day period, so, hopefully, she'll remember at least one of them, now that she's 50 YEARS OLD!
Not that I'm rubbing it in anymore than usual. This happens every year, as Claire suffers through 19 days of hazing. I get to tell people that I'm a year younger, that I married a much older woman, etc., until my birthday April 20.
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In 1957, Russians launch Sputnik I, first earth orbiting satellite; Dwight Eisenhower is president of the U.S., and the first Toyota rolls off the boat in America.
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Claire celebrated her half-century on the planet by flying a kite at the elementary school, and running several flights of hurdles at the track at Tabor College. She's excited because, at 50, the hurdles in masters track and field are moved closer together, so she can three-step them again, like she did in high school and college. She is very excited about this. Why? I don't know. Hurdles and I never got along.
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Speaking of track and field, we had a great time watching the Hillsboro Middle School track meet Monday night. Eighty-degree temperatures, 20 degrees above normal, made for a sensational afternoon. Being track people, Claire and I were thrilled to see the large turn-out, and to see how many prominent people were helping to run the meet, which ran like clockwork.
School board president Rod Koons, vice president Eddie Weber, and several other board members were at the finish line, keeping time with stop watches. So were the elementary school principal, the head high school football coach, and the fifth grade science teacher who, just in case you missed it, recently turned 50 years old.
We look forward to track season every year, but it looks as if our first season in Hillsboro will be extra special. Of course, I look forward to covering the other spring sports, as well.
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Claire's folks, Keith and Betty Brewer of Wichita, treated Claire and I, our daughter, Jillian, son, Garrison, and his girlfriend, Stacy, to an evening in the spirit and tradition of the great American cowboy Saturday night at the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper, located on a working cattle ranch not far from the Chisholm Trail (about 15 miles northeast of Wichita, just north of Benton).
Gosh, it was fun! They served all we cared to eat, directly to our table; delicious barbecued brisket, cowboy beans, potato salad, fresh biscuits, and hot peach cobbler. Then, since we were too full to move, we sat there as the Prairie Rose Wranglers entertained us.
The four-man cowboy band performed classic western music of the silver-screen era, such as "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," and "Ghost Riders In The Sky," as well as some salty originals. As musicians, they's ain't no yokels. The group has performed twice at Carnegie Hall and toured Red China.
If you haven't been to this Kansas tourist mecca (more than 70,000 people attended last year), you really should get over there sometime. It's open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, year-round, except during the Christmas season when it's open seven days a week. (Reservations are required 24 hours in advance).
All of us, with the possible exception of Garrison, 20, who presently favors "home boy" music over cowboy music, enjoyed ourselves a whole bunch. And even Garrison laughed at the jokes. They were a hoot.
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Speaking of hoots, as in owls, as in things that come out at night, we bring you sad news: Milky Way, the milk snake Claire kept in her fifth-grade science classroom until it got out of its cage two weeks ago, apparently has slithered away for good.
We shared the sad details with you last week. Since then, Claire tried everything to lure him out of hiding. If he had still been in the classroom, he would have been attracted to the heating pad, or the morsel of mouse she laid out for him this past weekend. Apparently, he sneaked out the back door of the school, which is only a few feet from her class.
All of this has been traumatic for the students, who'd grown fond of this "rescue snake," which was given to the class by a state wildlife officer after being confiscated from smugglers. Claire says she's going to notify the authorities, to see about getting a replacement reptile.
The teachers had a surprise birthday party for Claire Monday after school. They wrote clever poems and birthday messages on cut-out paper snakes and hid them all over the teacher's lounge. The fifth-graders also had a surprise party for Mrs. O, with black balloons and lots of fun. Of course I knew they were planning something, but, as you might expect, Claire was completely fooled.
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In 1957, the climax of the baby boom, more than 4.2 million of us are born in America. "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac is published, as is "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. The Frisbee is invented, and Vanna White, Donny Osmond, and Osama bin Laden are born.
Although I, too, was born in 1957, there'll be no black-balloon parties for me. Like I've been telling people, I've been living my 50th year of life this year, so on April 20th, I won't turn 50, I'll be in my 51st year. See?
On second thought
What was I thinking?
— GRANT OVERSTAKE
