The Rock Wall

On his last day as El Dorado Springs superintendent, Mark Koca sent me his Fiscal Year 20 budget message. Its 10 typed pages are chock full of good information. I’d like to use it in the paper, but Kimball says there isn’t room, so I’ve asked Gwen to put it on our web page, www.eldoradospringsmo.com

You can read it there. She updates the web page on Thursday. While you are on the web page, look at City Link TV. Kimball and Davis have archives of all the shows they have done.

– I corresponded Monday with the incoming superintendent, Heath Oates. He told me he will have his plans for dealing with Covid 19 ready for release by the end of school Wednesday, July 1, his first contracted day in his new position. We should have that issue in stores by late next Tuesday afternoon and in local mailboxes on Wednesday. We go to press Monday evening, print that night in Springfield, take delivery on Tuesday afternoon.

– Our new cat, Jack, is settling in. You know we lost Caddeaux two weeks ago on a Wednesday evening. Davis and Erica highly recommended we adopt Jack, a mostly tailless cat they had in Nevada. Kimball picked him up from Shawn Abell last Tuesday, took him to the vet for shots, deworming, and flea and tick treatment and brought him home in a cat cage. He immediately disappeared. We could see him hunkered down in place under Davis’ former bed.

When my alarm went off Wednesday evening to tell me it was time to go to prayer meeting, I could see a cat resting in the doorway to our bedroom. I started talking to him and he answered. He came on over and I picked him up and set him on the bed. Suited him fine.

When Kimball came home, he hid in our closet, but answered when she talked to him.

After we got home from church, he was ready to be petted. He has about 10 times the energy of Caddeaux and demands 10 times the petting.  He has one gear – overdrive.

Jack has sticky feet and uses them on Kimball and me. I’ve asked the vet’s office to trim his claws Wednesday while he’s out for his surgery. Then I’ll try to take over. Bo Simmons gave Kimball some welder’s gloves as a joke when a cat nailed her. I’ve got those when I’m brave enough. For 10 years, I was the only one who trimmed Caddeaux’s claws. Never had a problem.

Jack sleeps on the bed down by our feet, something Caddeaux only did occasionally.

So, we’ve got the exact opposite of Caddeaux – long nose, short tail, hyper-drive personality and tiny feet, but he is gray and has a little over 9 lbs. of muscle. Caddeaux had 10 lbs. of fluff.

– Oh, I stand corrected. Snider was up here for Christmas. I met him then.

– Erica had us worried Saturday night when she went to the emergency room.  Apparently not the virus. She’s better.

– Reese, at 15 months, is walking better every day. Van, at 32 months, still can’t walk – he runs. I’ve got plans to take Ben, 11, fishing some late afternoon.

Thankfully I still know the names of all my grandchildren and their ages. Sometimes I have to ask Kimball the ages of our children… or do some figuring. KL