On a farm near Elam lives a dark handsome Prince with the most compassionate brown eyes. He sports a snowy white breastplate and white spats on his feet.  His job is to help and protect all the farmer’s creatures large and small. 

Mr. Prince begins his day with a game of “chase my tail and bark.” When he tires of that, he then races against himself to the family cemetery and back to his pen. While racing around the cow pasture, he spots the confusion (good word for a flock) of guineas. 

Being a herder by nature, he feels compelled to drive the adults and keets back to the front yard. He circles, bringing in the stragglers, and then starts them to scurrying toward his goal. Guineas, when disturbed from their routine, holler with a loud, raucous noise. They also will run around like the proverbial “chicken with its head cut off.”  Prince has his job cut out to get all of that confusion driven into the yard. 

Prince’s attention is diverted from the fowl by the cattle as they top the knoll coming back from their morning watering. It is much more challenging and fun to herd them. 

He circles around behind the calves, who are running and playing and not keeping up with the cows. He moves in low and quickly with a yip and nip at the back heels. The young legs kick out behind them, and they break into a run to get back with the herd.

Daddy Long Legs, papa bull, hears the yipping and bleats and turns to view the situation. As Prince runs toward him, he lowers his massive black head and gives it a shake while he advances one huge hooved foot. 

“No, sir. I wasn’t bothering your children. No, not me,” whines Prince as he turns and races for the yard and the front porch of the farmhouse. 

When the farmer steps out of the front door to see what the ruckus is about, he is greeted by a smiling Prince sitting in the green metal porch chair. With red tongue hanging out, Prince seems to laugh as he stretches out his black head for a petting. 

Once, he has been fed his morning treat, out of the chair he bounds, down the steps, around the house to the backyard, and down the road to the creek. Time for a big drink and a good romp in the water jumping at imaginary objects. 

Prince does glance back over his shoulder to bark, “Woofy New Year to all.”

Community Communiqué

The Prospect Historical Society will meet on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Prospect firehouse.

Pamplin Town Council will meet on Thursday in the town council meeting room at 6 p.m.

The Darlington Heights Volunteer Fire Department will have stew on Saturday, Jan. 9. It will be ready for pick up by 11 a.m. Please call (434) 248-6771 to place your orders in advance.

Ian and Cindy Foster Scheu and their daughter Sabiel have been in visiting with family and friends for the holidays.

The Pray and Stitch Group of the Prospect United Methodist Church met with Betty Coleman on Dec. 16. Those present were Kitty Miller, Eileen Fiscus, Betty Coleman, Sue Case and Dot Campbell. They enjoyed lunch at Wendy’s after the meeting,

Marge and Rick Swayne celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary last week at Colonial Williamsburg.

Kenneth and Bettye Brisentine spent a few days during Christmas with their daughter Sheri Hicks in High Point, N.C.

Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers:  Jimmy Coleman, Frances Anderson, Noreen Murray, Kenneth Brisentine, Martha Whitehead, Dorothy Womack, Betty Jean Bolt and Gary Fiscus.

Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Cpl. Andrew A. Aimesbury.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce 

If you have any news, call Edwina Covington (434) 574-6576.

EDWINA COVINGTON is a retired teacher and columnist for Elam. Her email is ecovington@centurylink.net.