Sassy Deflects a Ticket on the Way Back from Moline

 "Officer, I was only looking around for a place to stop."

We were getting close to Arkansas when we decided to stop and fill up in Nevada, Missouri.

We got off I-49 one exit early and thought we might connect to Nevada  (Ne-vay-da to us locals) on the old highway. The streets were almost deserted - with an emphasis on almost. Soon a police car lit up behind us and stopped us.

I could only roll down Sassy's window because mine froze up weeks ago. So I began talking to the officer about our search for gasoline. He checked out my pristine driving record (no arrests) and came back without his writing pad. Good news so far.

He was very friendly and asked if he could pet Sassy. I am sure Sassy was giving him those loving eyes she uses on everyone. He petted her a while and said, "I will drive you to the nearest gas station. Follow me."

He took us north on I-49 a mile, the south on I-49, then into Nevada to the gas station, doing a U-turn and driving away, waving.

Singing Our Song


Sassy signals her need to stop with a high-pitched sound, not loud, but distinctive and lasting.

We answered by saying we were close and not to worry. Sassy's Cattle Dog style chattering began with certain mutterings mixed with high-pitched sounds.

Only four or five minutes to Ne-vay-da,
Please don't get wet on the seat
Mama will cry from the mess you make
Please wait longer for goodness sake...
(45 Minutes from Broadway)

Sassy sang and murmured along with me. My mother had us write variations in poems. At the end of her life, after a broken hip, she composed poems on the fly as we wheeled her through the nursing home where she was recovering. The staff was stunned, because she used a poetic meter and rhymed everything as she rolled along.

This is Sassy's response to being in trouble.
"No one could possibly be upset with me."

Some MHS 50th Reunion Photos - Class of 66. The Class the Stars Fell On First Installment, Ripped from the Pages of Facebook

Fun Night for MHS 66 Along the River

Logan Grade School group - all growed up.

MHS 66 - Fun night along the river. Packed room got louder and louder as the night continued. Parking was terrible for late-comers. We sold our spot for $5,000 and a Raytheon missile kit. Neat. Lots of friends and many there for the first time. I offered to haze one first-timer.

I will list some names - not all of them: Mike Heald, Marilyn Rue, Lane Gans, Darlene Gabriel, Dave Coopman, Jim Kron, Bob Hook, Kris Streed, Pam Nystrom, Alan Hoffman, Jackie Ozanne, Sue Forber, Tom Gramkow, Ray Diehl, Kathy Wilcox and her husband George, Lucia Bjorn and her husband, Mike Fleck, Patty Calzia and her husband, Delma Reakes, Dean Parker, Kym Dennhardt, Marsha Anderson, Billie Seasland, Brenda Roggendorf, and some others I can see but not quite name at the moment. And that is just a sampling.

MHS Reunion - Thursday Informal Gathering - Whiteys and Country Style. Whiteys Won Dessert Storm I

"You said which one is better?
Draw."

We are going to have an informal gathering at Whiteys and Country Style on Thursday evening at 7 PM.

Some have claimed that Country Style is even better than Dairy Queen, so this will be a good time to check.

Toby McGriff
Toby is at Rosewood Care Center, 7300 34th Avenue. Sassy Sue and my wife and I had a great time seeing him this afternoon. He is hoping ot come to the Whiteys/Country Style gathering.

It is easy to get to Rosewood. Take John Deere Road East to 70th Street, turn left, then turn right on 34th Avenue. It is nearby on the right.

Our GPS took us to the closed portion of 38th Ave and back around to the same spot again. We began complaining about this, so the GPS turned itself off. Once I reset it, we cruised over no problem.

All the complaints about John Deere Road are under-stated.

Mike Collins Had His Business Go Up in Smoke When the Firemen Let the Blaze Rekindle From the Other Side of Building

Mike Collins, MHS Class of 1968, lost his entire shop when the local firemen let a fire rekindle from next door. Let's pitch in and help him with rebuilding his business.

https://www.gofundme.com/2gc8nvj8

Here is his Facebook page.

Sassy Returns as the MHS66 Mascot

Dateline - Sprindale, Arkansas

Sassy has agreed to return as the MHS66 mascot. Her fanbase continues to grow as she visits various cities on her travels. She was booked early for the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1966, The Class the Stars Fell On.

Favorite food - Pupperoni, grilled chicken.
Favorite snack - Frosty Paws Ice Cream.

Sassy is a big hit with children and adults, because she gets along so well with three legs. One let had to be amputated after a horse kicked Sassy and her family neglected her. They dropped her off at a shelter and a rescue group provided her the medical care she needed.

Sassy is extremely loud when she is happy, but always gentle with everyone. She makes friends with cats by barking loudly in their faces. That has not worked out well for her.

Small dogs adore Sassy and love to follow her around.

She is an excellent manager and herder. She helped return one lost little boy who was crying on a busy corner. The boy knew her and followed us home, one block away.

Sassy also collected a pitbull named Gucci, who followed us home and into the garage. His anxious owner put the full-sized dog in the car and said, "He is such a baby and he is always breaking his chain."

Sassy Sue's catching and fetching ability left the owners at the dog park slack-jawed and the other dogs jealous of that magical orange ball, which made everyone clap for the three-legged German Shepherd and Cattle Dog mix.

Sassy treats her staff well, smiling when we catch onto her hints.

A rotating tail means displeasure. When the speed picks up, the displeasure is turning into extreme disgust.

Scratching the antique table meant she wanted attention. After the table was moved, she simply began scratching in the air.

Sometimes she will perform the Cattle Dog Blues, either howling for the chorus or barking. Once she got a room full of dogs howling with their snouts in the air. It looked like a scene from Lady and the Tramp. When she performed at a tire store, the customers asked for her blog address.

The Big Question for the 50th Anniversary, MHS 66 - "What About My Hair?" - Men Are Asking

The Elvis look is classic and bound to get attention.

Larry Easter had a special speech about anyone who wore a mullet.

The Yul Brynner was a far-sighted
way to hide hair loss.

No one ever again reached the heights
of Wayne Cochran, the blue-eyed soul singer
who broke new records in hair excellence.

Wayne Cochran could sing beautifully in this tear-jerker, a bit better than "Teen Angel."