MONUMENT – On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the menu consisted of hot turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, peaches and big raisin cookies, and it was enjoyed by 52 appreciative diners! I nearly wrote it was enjoyed by 52 “hungry eaters,” but that sounded kind of tacky! Or maybe just a little bit “redneck.” But you can only write it so many different ways.

Our guests were Neva Kolbreck and John Englehart, from Dayville. Jerry Cowger won the Chester’s certificate and Allan Grant won the free meal. The MMM club just finished a new quilt and are getting ready to start on another one. The senior bus went to John Day with a load of seniors for dinner at John Day’s Senior Center, shopping and errands, and looks like they had a good day for it. I called Bob at Chester’s and told him the bus was going over with a load of “old people.” He told me not to say that; they were “senior citizens.” That’s what I said, a busload of old senior citizens! He said I was going to get into trouble, and I probably will, but maybe a little “jump start” will do everyone some good.

I am announcing that spring has officially sprung! My brother, Royce Dotson, the “Steelhead Stalker,” saw three sand rats down by Donna Campbell’s on the 12th. And I have a bunch of red-winged blackbirds aggravating my little bitty chickadees and a new woodpecker. This guy is about 8 to 10 inches long, all brown colored with a little bit of red on cheeks like blush. He’s not mean though. “Hi” to my little Princess Caitlin Willett over in Prairie City, and the “gang” at Blue Mountain Nursing Home.