The Rock Wall

Kimball came back from the Prairie Day all enthused. She took our nearly 11-year-old grandson, Ben, and it sounds like they had a blast.

First up was throwing the atlatl. I’ve never even seen one but what she told me, you mount a spear in a wooden base then use it to launch the spear.

I don’t know if Kimball actually threw one, but Ben got pretty good with it. He killed a wooly mammoth. The name is from the Aztec language. Don’t know if the Aztecs actually used it or if they was the closest name to it.

Then they moved over to the archery range. Kimball has been familiar with the stick and string since her high school days or before so she did good. Ben got along famously even putting an arrow in the bullseye.

They learned a few other things, too, like it takes 10,000 acres of prairie for prairie chickens to thrive. Wah-kon-ta is only 3,000 acres. They don’t think the lek is used any more but the one at Taberville is used.

Kimball and Ben did find the hotdog tent.

I can see more Grandson/Kimmie outings on the horizon. She went to his Grandparent’s Day a week or so ago.

I told Ben that when we catch a warm fall day, we’ll have to go fishing. I spent so many years perfecting that vice, I need to pass it on.

Kimball said at the Prairie Day Conservation Agent Derek Farwell asked about me. It’s been several years since I have been able to get out turkey hunting but I still have the fever. I quit deer hunting because of Chronic Wasting Disease. So I haven’t had a chance to meet up with Agent Farwell professionally.  Never did see him when I was out hunting, but enjoyed our conversations when he has been in the office.

– Had a delightful chat with Bruce Rogers about the advances in professional crappie fishing with his son, Matt. A scope depth finder is now available that will let the fisherman see a single crappie on a piece of structure and will show in real time where your jig is positioned. Doesn’t make the fish bite, though.

– I checked with Adrian. Snider weighed nearly nine pounds at his doctor’s appointment late last week. Van weighs 27. I didn’t get a weight on Cain or Adrian, Cain’s job of putting new guardrails on the 26 mile Causeway is going better and he many not have to work every night in the near future.

Adrian and Cain are putting their house up for sale on Tuesday. Contingent on selling it, they have a pending purchase of a house in one of the best school districts in the state, good for 90 days. It’s fairly close to where they currently reside. The things we do for our children.

– The School Board hopes to have a replacement picked bu Thanksgiving for

Superintendent Mark Koca who announced his retirement at the end of this school year.

I reminded him after the board meeting last Thursday, that he was sitting in the new gym watching his Humansville team plan when I told him Roger Barnes has announced his resignation. I told Mark, “You ought to throw your hat in the ring.” He said, “I might do that.”

When his hiring was announced, I called him up and said, “Well, I understand the superintendent search has come to a logical conclusion.”

He said Thursday night, “That was nine years ago.” He said he has had plenty of stress in the past year. KL