MONUMENT – A lot of people must have gone on shopping trips, or to the doctor’s last Tuesday, May 27, but 27 still showed up for dinner. The menu consisted of tuna sandwiches, green salad, chicken rice soup and the birthday cake was chocolate with coconut-pecan frosting. The birthday boy and girls were Ray Parenter, Betty Breeding, Donna Campbell and Grace Sweek. Happy birthday to you!

Seven happy travelers boarded the bus for Heppner Wednesday morning and as far as I can tell, they had a fine time. The weather was unsettled of course, but they took care of that – they went over by way of Top and back by way of Heppner Junction. So, they had no dust going over, and no mud coming home.

Just got word that our friend Charlotte Howell (Shike, to me) just had surgery on her neck, but should be home by now. And for the ones that would like to send her a note, here is her address: Charlotte Howell, 150 S. Williamson Drive, Prineville, OR 97754.

Quick note to Les Zaitz: I’m an old-hand (really old) at fence building and I’ll tell you, don’t waste time, or money, on fence-building lessons. Have a little barbecue party and invite all of your neighbors who have nice tight fences; you might have to invite their foreman, but ask whoever does the fencing.

Make sure you have all of your fencing tools handy, plus a small roll of wire, some staples and maybe some of those little “brackety” things for steel posts.

Now, after everyone has eaten, mention you’re having a problem with your fence repairs and could any of them tell, or show, you how it’s supposed to be done? Nothing will tune them up like being able to show a “greenhorn” how to do something important – and simple! My favorite vocal lesson was that you had to crank the splicer really tight – tight enough that if one end comes loose, it will strip the barbs off of one-quarter mile of wire.

And if you run into “woven wire,” I’ll tell you how to make a gadget that Gene Campbell told me about 30 years ago! I’m too old and stove up to build fences anymore, but I can still tell you how.

Oh yes, Lexie Grant won the certificate from Chester’s and Shannon Bravos gets the free meal.