News For the Week of April 8, 2015

I'm sorry if I gave everyone the idea last week that a mountain lion was skulking about our farm devouring our livestock. It has been only speculation. We have not seen any sign of a mountain lion. Bob did find some kind of footprints but it was muddy and they weren't clear and could have been a dog or any number of other animals. It was earlier in the year that our two calves disappeared, before the reports of dogs going missing and may or may not have been the victim of a cat, they just disappeared. They may have died and the buzzards had a feast or been rustled for all we know. We did have a large calf killed several years ago and it had marks on its shoulders. We always wondered what might have killed it but we really don't know. We have had reports of sightings of mountain lions and bears here and on our neighbor's farm but we have never actually seen either one.

Our daughters and their families all came to our house for Easter dinner on Sunday and of course we all have a wonderful time when everybody is there. Our son David and his wife, Amy will be coming home for a visit later in the week so there will be a few more dinners and visiting this week. We all try to eat together when David comes in so we can just be together. We want to use the fire pit and be outside some if the weather will just co-operate with us. The forecast is for severe weather later in the week. And of course, if the mountain lions and bears stay away. It's beginning to sound like I have landed in OZ. We just need some tigers. Oh my!

Easter services at New Mansion Church were well attended on Sunday, with a good message and several special songs. One was a video presentation with a song on the video sung by Lindsay Marsh and Koleder Ross. A very touching presentation that brought tears. Cindy Todd sang “Amazing Grace (My chains are gone).” Vicki Blair sang “ When He Was On the Cross, I Was On His Mind” and had help from her twin nieces, Laramie and Mesa who came up with her when she sang. Then Vicki played the piano and sang along with Belinda Wyman and Melanie Whittaker. They sang “I Bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy.” They always do a great job on that song. Of course there was an egg hunt after service and all the children had a good time hunting eggs, even though the temperature had dropped several degrees from when we first got to church.

I saw pictures of the sunrise service held by the Bradleyville Church of the Nazarene up on the Cunningham's hill on the bluff and it was a beautiful place to see the sun coming up and to worship. Looked like they had several at the service and more at church for regular service later in the morning.

A few people have been finding some mushrooms, mostly the red ones but I have seen pictures of a few of the smaller black ones. If it turns as warm as forecast this week they may be popping up everywhere. It won't do me any good because I am awful at finding them. I guess it's a good thing I don't care that much for them. I like them but can take them or leave them.

Birthdays for the coming week include: April 9: Amy Case, Tyler Hankins; April 10: Shirley Hall, Sharon Maggard, Beverly Smith; April 11: Ryan Elizabeth Flanigan; April 12: Kelsie Thomas; April 13: Sonny Guerin, Brandon Maggard, Cole Thomas; April 14: Levi Baker, Justin Chaney, Toby Davis, Hayden Day, Max Powell; April 15: Susan Mooney.

Anniversaries for the coming week include: April 14: Mike and Nancy Howie.