Girl Scouts began in 1912 after Julia Gordon Low met Lord Baden Powell who had begun the Boy Scouts. She returned to her home in Savannah, Ga with a plan for a similar program for girls and it has been a wondrous success.

Girls have been learning and developing troop by troop ever since. Douglas County, Missouri is no different than locations all across the country and around the world.

Sherry Vanderstine, current Girl Scout leader in Ava, Missouri has a commitment to the troop she works with and to Girl Scouts. She became intrigued with the historical statement of the upcoming centennial of the organization and the memorabilia that is out there in the collections of women who once were young girls earning Girl Scout badges, going to camp and learning to work within a team. The intent is to involve volunteers, charge no admission, but to accept donations of Girl Scout collectibles for display in the museum and donations of financial support.

Sherry’s interest grew from a small personal collection very rapidly. As she examined the items and information she was gathering, the potential and mission for a Girl Scout Museum became clear. And, never a woman to do things part-way, Sherry has taken on the development of the museum in reality.

Plans include a museum that is open to the public and especially to Girl Scouts to have a place to come to work on badges. A place to participate in workshops and meetings that are pertinent to Girl Scout Troops. The community of Ava is ideal for troops to visit to be able to maintain the history of Girl Scouts and track it through the development down the paths of time. And set goals as they grow up to build a path into the future for their daughters and granddaughters to be able to participate in Girl Scouts.

Do you have something that you would like to donate or loan to the Girl Scout Museum on Ava, Missouri? Leave a comment and we will get you together with the founder of this new museum.

Big Country 99.3 FM radio is working with Wehr Ford to celebrate the Ozarks Deer Season with a Deer Rally.

Saturday, November 13 from 4-6 pm at Wehr Ford in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Eighteen years and older can be eligible to win a deer rifle.

Big Country 99.3 FM will be there to participate in the fun during the day.

Aarons, Houston’s home/business sales and lease business, is helping the Houston Food Pantry by inviting folks to drop non-perishable food items at the store during store hours. Winter days and the economy have put pressure on families and others who have trouble finding assistance other places. Houston Food Pantry is there to help.

Sometimes our neighbors don’t tell us when they could use some help. Saving face is a small, but powerful instinct in tough times. That’s fine except we can’t help if we don’t know. By donating to the Houston Food Pantry, we can get the help to those who need it without having to know everything about their business. And, if someone can only donate a few packages of food that may not seem like enough to really help. But, when all of the ‘few packages’ are put together, the effect grows and helps more than that one person ever dreamed. Compare it to yeast in bread — the small just spreads and grows.

While you’re downtown, combine your tasks and take advantage of the open doors at the Aaron’s store to leave off your donation.

We like to support our community by helping organizations with their fund raising or other activities. Paul Beck, manager said today.

Besides the Houston Food Pantry project, Aarons has helped with other projects since first opening the doors in a business change about a year and a half ago. They’ve helped with the Houston High School car wash fundraisers and with local blood drives.

Thanks, Aarons of Houston. We appreciate you.

P.S. The link is to Aarons of Houston’s facebook page.  Go there and ‘like’ them!

Missouri Proposition B for the Management of Dog Breeding Kennels Read this link for the in-depth details of this proposition.

There is a great deal of controversy going on at the present time because business people in Missouri are breeding and selling dogs and doing so under conditions not considered appropriate for pets.

Some of these people have what could be considered a LARGE number of breeding animals. They also keep them under conditions which could be considered EXTREME confinement. Unlike cattle, horses, sheep and some goats, dogs are difficult to fence in. By not having them properly confined according to the breeders’ perception, the investment isn’t protected. The dogs are supposedly bred under a plan, so they cannot be fenced as a herd of cattle might be confined because the breeding plan could go astray. Estrous for dogs is much more difficult to control than with cattle.

Dogs that were fenced as horses or cattle are would be either vulnerable to theft or escape. These are the concerns that the breeders’ have when they put their dogs in EXTREME confinement.

As disgusting as I find it, I believe the breeders do not perceive their dogs as much different than the cattle or horses except for the fencing. I have a dog which/who is a PET. As such, I try to keep him warm or cool in conditions that are connected to the sort of comfort that I prefer, not the conditions that nature might give him if he had the misfortune to be born a fox, a coyote or a wolf. The dog breeders do not consider their dogs in the same manner.

I do not like puppy mills and would be very reluctant to buy a pet that was conceived and started under these conditions because of the potential character flaws in a poorly socialized animal. Similarly, when someone has to bust a puppy mill and confiscate the animals, I would rather not have a little beast that has lived in a kennel for its entire life because of the character flaws that must surely develop in a creature living under those conditions.

That is a personal opinion and clearly not that of the market or the puppy mills would be growing something else to try to make a few bucks.

In Missouri, there are laws in place that call for licensing and inspections of breeders with a certain population number or greater. I’ve been told ‘three’, but I’m not positive about that. I believe that rather than enact unrealistic restrictions on what is basically a farming operation not particularly connected to the pet perception, the people in charge should be trained and authorized to enforce these laws upon the businesses. If the courts determine that dogs require a certain treatment to avoid cruelty, then those standards should be followed.

Another layer of superfluous regulation will not protect the animals and produce the sort of treatment that the proposed regulators believe dogs should have. I agree that good dogs intended for both work and pets would be treated better than the methods used in the despicable puppy mills. Printing up paperwork that makes celebrities feel good without converting the thinking of the producers won’t change enough for the individual animals. Already, the animals have to be near death before they are given relief. What makes you think this would change because of more rules?

What will happen will be something like this: The people who try to do a decent job will be further harassed because they are easy to find. The real snakes will continue to do business as they have in the backwoods where anyone would be afraid to go in and look for them.

There are ‘middle people’ who are involved here who could be a part of the management of the kennels. Brokers and pet stores who take animals from offensive kennels could be held liable as are employers who hire illegal immigrants.

It would be okay to go to Fullers’ to check out the 1400 <> cookie jars that the owner/manager has collected.  Of course, not all of them are on display.  There is an entire Christmas collection that is put out for that season.  Last week, when we dined there while traveling, we were treated to a medley of brand name and theme cookie jars.

But, if you don’t care about cookie jars, go for the food.  We enjoyed a special of salmon patties, harvard beets and REAL mashed potatoes with pie for dessert.   I ‘bottomed out’ on the pie because I wasn’t about to leave any of the excellent main course on  the plate.

If you happen to be traveling through Nebraska and need a good meal and a respectable, but economical motel, check out the Motel 8 (Close to a Casey’s with good donuts and coffee) and enjoy dinner at Fullers Family Restaurant.

I’m having a difficult time getting back into the McCook Chamber of Commerce Website.  I really wanted to dig around in there again because it didn’t appear at first as tho Fullers is a member of the Chamber.  I was blocked out before I could check the motel. Maybe better luck later.  Edited I did get back into the Chamber website and while Fullers is listed as a business, but not a member, the Motel 8 is not.

Kentucky Headhunters will perform on September 25, at the West Plains Civic Center in West Plains, Missouri beginning around 7 PM.

Area bands will begin the program starting at 1 PM. Local businesses, including Big Country 99.3 FM are sponsoring this event.

Kentucky Headhunters began performing in 1986 with brothers Richard and Fred Young, Greg Martin and brothers Ricky Lee and Doug Phelps.

Dumas Walker was a big hit even though the recording company had a difficult time believing in it because the song seemed too regions. The song ranked well on Billboard and is a pleasant harmonic listen any time. In the 1990′s, the original composition, It’s Chitlin Time was another popular recording.

Big Country 99.3 FM, K-Kountry 95 and Bud Light are happy to bring this regional country rock group that has held high popularity for many years. Check out the poster, call for information and haul yourself to West Plains for a very big day!

Resources: Big Country 99.3 FM Facebook page and en.Wikipedia.com

Thirty lucky people will be able to enjoy and benefit from an illustrator workshop with Rich Davis.  The event will be held on October 16, 2010 at the Conway, Missouri Community Center.

Learn more about Rich Davis and his work at:

Rich Davis’ portfolio and bio: http://www.richdavis.freewebspace.com

His creative drawing blog: http://www.richdavis1.wordpress.com

His drawing game: http://www.pickanddraw.com

The event includes a lunch and interactive art lessons.  Ella Ragland Art is offering a discount rate for students of $55.

Please open the FLYER for the RICH DAVIS ILLUSTRATOR WORKSHOP to learn the details of fees and to get a registration form.  Learn more about Ella Ragland Art and read stories of Ella Ragland at the BLOG.

Alexis Neuroth of Mountain Grove, has become a representative for Scentsy. “What,” you ask, “is Scentsy”. According to information at Alexis’ website, Scentsy was the result of the designer/inventors wishing to have a safe, wickless alternative to candles.

Because the Scentsy designers were into making their own alternative to candles, they understand that many users would like to be able to create individual, personal and unique scent sources. At Scentsy, you can order pre-made scent-ers or you can order supplies to feed your creative creature.

In 2004, Scentsy launched their marketing focus — home parties. Scentsy is available for order from Scentsy representatives and also through scheduled parties.

The holiday season approaches! You know that. And, scent products such as Scentsy make thoughtful, beautiful gifts. If you would like to help your friends and neighbors get their shopping started by inviting them to a party, email Alexis aneurothATgmail.com (you know how to put that email address to work, but we’ve made an effort to help her dodge spam). If you want to try some yourself, go ahead and order online.

When she’s not offering a unique home décor item, Alexis is the Production Director for Big Country 99 FM radio which is how I got acquainted with her.

A couple of Mountain Grove, Missouri hunters who appreciate the value and beauty of Wildlife have created their own mix for game attractant. They tell more at Wallhanger Addiction. They write that they’ve tested other products that are more expensive but not as effective than theirs. Check them out and contact them at their website for more information.

I learned about them at the Big Country99.3 FM  Radio facebook fanpage which led me to the Wallhanger Addiction fan page.

They photos of their product at a wildlife cam. Great photos of deer in the Ozarks.

While you enjoy the views, listen to the entire span of country music from vintage to rock at BigCountry99.3 FM Radio.

There is no denying that I am card carrying lazy. Or maybe I am just efficient. Yeh, that sounds better. But, I do hate to drive very far for necessities — like food.

When my lazy inclinations are met by a local Super Market — Town and Country Country-Mart in Mansfield, with extra nice service, more than sufficient choices and did I mention extra nice service, well, then I win twice.

Today, for example, in the produce department, GRAPES were on special. Grapes are always special, but when the price is low, they really catch my eye. However, some slip-up in the computer to scanner had a widely different number and price. The friendly check-out lady who has OVER-plenty to remember, caught the difference and took steps to get it fixed. She called the produce department to check and before she could finish the transaction, the produce department CORRECTED the number/price issue. That made more work for the staff at the checkout where they were trying to give me a refund. But, because they watch out for customers, it was all fixed up pretty quick.

Recently, the Town and Country store in Hartville, MO burned, leaving folks there in a real bind for a local place to shop. Like in a total bind with NO place to shop. Town and Country is rebuilding, but while that is being accomplished, staff from the Hartville store are employed at other stores. Even better, a shuttle bus runs between Mansfield and Hartville or between Mountain Grove and Hartville. Folks can ride free to get to a super market and purchases food necessities and all the other stuff that we can’t live without. The bus doesn’t run every day, but regularly so people can plan their trips, make a list (and thereby save money by actually spending less at Town and Country).

If my lazy card expires, I want to maintain enough wisdom to keep shopping at my local store where the staff is friendly, efficient and considerate!