In these curious times fraught with uncertainties, good drama is happening at artCentral!
Give Carthage Day on September 1, 2020, was an amazing production and a huge success benefiting artCentral and many other non-profits. Under the sponsorship of the Carthage Community Foundation and the leadership of Heather Collier, foundation coordinator, and with the generous giving of community supporters like yourself, funds were raised to help keep artCentral vital and program strong. I send out a special thank you to board president, Betsy Flanigan; board members Maddie Capps and Wendi Douglas; Brad Douglas, videographer extraordinaire; founding artCentral director Sandy Higgins; and former artCamper and now intern Brady Cloud for contributing their time and talents to help create our vigorous online campaign.
The curtain is up and visual dramatic arts are happening at Hyde House with the 2020 Membership Exhibition fully staged and waiting for your visit. Awards recipients have been named. Each is a show stopper! Come see for yourself at 1110 East Thirteenth Street in Carthage through September 19. Weekend Gallery Hours are each Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. CDC protocols are practiced at artCentral. Face masks and social distancing are required for everyone entering Hyde House. Please help us keep each other safe and healthy!
Domestic drama occasionally unfolds in the home I share with my husband and family of furries and feathers—the old 1890’s house we affectionately call Paradise! A few days ago, before the rains came, the evening had grown quite late. After my artCentral day working remotely at the computer in my home office, I went outside to catch up on all the weed eating—edging our brick sidewalks, flower beds and along the curb and tiding up the puppy yard around our Aussie’s agility course.
Just as I finished my husband David arrived with a week’s supplies purchased at our local big box and waiting to be sanitized and put away as darkness descended. By the time we finished a quick dinner and our daily garden watering and I got upstairs to draw a bath and David went back out to collect eggs, the sun had long since set and the chickens had already gone to roost.
I was ready, like the chickie babes, for a good night’s sleep. I waited for David to come back inside and report on their egg-laying successes. I waited some more. He seemed to take forever! When he finally came in, instead of eggs to show off, he brought a story filled with dramatic antics.
David’s story goes like this: “I went inside the chickie palace yard and there was Coquette on her perch. All the other girls were in their usual huddle in their sleeping box in the coop. In the dark I reached up and into the first nesting box just like I always do to feel around for an egg. Nada. In the second box again there was no egg, but my hand touched something. There was a stir. That something moved! That something pushed my hand! That something was hairy!
I scooped up Coquette all sleepy and compliant. I put her down to nestle with the others. With all the girls safely inside, I double-locked the door to the palace, and then I fetched the battery lantern and the long stick with the gripping tongs. When I came back and held the light high, I spied the intruder crouched down and pressed hard against the fence of the chicken yard. I had him cornered! But he bolted! Under the fence and up into the monkey tree he climbed, then down the other side of the fence and into the front yard. I chased after him. He got away! I don’t know where he is, but I’m going to catch him. I set the live trap—left the door open with an apple inside. Possums love apples. I will get this critter!”
David did get that critter! Carried that possum far, far away. Relocated our visitor way out in the country! Finally shutting our eyes, we rested well knowing our girls were safe. Of course, David is resetting the live trap in case any family or relations come snooping about in these curious times of uncertainties!
Good drama continues happening at artCentral while we are keeping everyone healthy and safe at Hyde House! Though critter drama may still be lurking in Paradise, with a little extra vigilance we feel confident we can keep our girls safe and secure!
