News on the Mountain

By CAROL GUNTER

Here it is Friday evening and we've had almost an inch of rain around here the past couple of days. Would be nice if we can get some more rain through the weekend. Next week Monday - Thursday no rain is forecast for us. I'm hoping their forecast will be wrong and some rain will creep back in. The weather guys and gals do the best they can but they do miss their predictions sometimes. I have been keeping up with the rainfall we have gotten since Friday and it has all totaled up to 3.7 inches of rain around here. That sure will help with our rain deficit.

Gassaway Homecoming on Saturday, June 4th, went off without a hitch. Told you Clyde was the Grand Marshal of the parade. Some fans (like you fan yourself on one of those hot sweltering days of summer time) were fixed up honoring Clyde. I'm wondering just how many of those fans he autographed for people at the event. It has a good picture of him - a picture of him being honored by Governor Haslam and the State of Tennessee on February 18th in Nashville and at the Cannon County Courthouse in Woodbury on March 18th, being honored by Cannon County Executive Mike Gannon as Mike proclaimed March 18th as Clyde Nokes Day. If you haven't got one, you need to get one. This is one great idea by someone to honor Clyde in this way.

Little more to add about the homecoming. At the last second, Clyde told the 'little green men' to get lost as they weren't musically talented like him and certainly hadn't dedicated their life to a career in Bluegrass Music that has spanned over seventy years. Little green men let him know they plan to retaliate. Clyde says he's not taking that too seriously as they have threatened him before. He says their words are 'too thin to splatter'. There are supposedly an awful lot of these little green fellas around so let's hope he doesn't have to eat those words.

Those pesky Japanese beetles are back! Spotted two on my Aunt Lou's flowers that bloom a pretty purple till frost late yesterday evening. Got the Sevin Dust powder out of our garage and gave them beetles a good dusting. They hadn't worked on my dark maroon cannas's leaves yet. I try to keep the Sevin Dust handy as those little beetles or (baby junebugs as I call them) don't stay around after being doused with that powder.

Resting on our patio drinking some Diet Dr. Pepper as the yards are mowed and trimmed and the hummingbirds seem to be everywhere enjoying this splendid weather and, of course, acting like they're fighting over the feeders.

Smithville Jamboree not too far off on the horizon. Make your plans to attend. A lot of great events going on at this time of the year as summer officially begins on June 20th. We have the CMA going on in Nashville and Bonaroo in Manchester this week.

We've got some birthdays coming up in the month of June to let you know about: Beverly Hubler 3rd, my brother Norman Warren 13th, Gunter Pitts 16th, Brenda Underwood, 16th, Brenda Neal 16th, Mrs. Macon Judkins 23rd, my brother J. L Warren 25th, Tracy Neal 28th, Nephew James Pedigo 29th, and Tracy Hullett 30th.

People to keep in prayer: Carlon and Mai Nell Melton, Charlie Mai Daniel, Denise Stanton, Ruth Brown, Fay Pitts, Edith Miller, and the family of Lillian Taylor.

If you have any news for this column, just give me a call at 615-563-4429. Have a great day!

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27