Page 42 - 2009 DT 7 issues

Oliver Ranch is Fortunately we needed to take a Day could be celebrated in June, the
Alive and Well break from our labors when the need month of her father’s birthday. And so
arose, to entertain the Long Eared, Four it was that almost one hundred years
by Clara Hatz Footed, People-watching Burros. ago Fathers’ Day came into being.
Initially there were no cards and
Fathers’ Day
liver Ranch seems to have no gifts, only flowers. A white rose
the ability to reinvent itself. by Dan Wray celebrated the life of a father who had
OPerhaps it should be named died, and a red rose was a tribute to a
“Phoenix,” for the bird that rises from f you think that Fathers’ Day was living parent. The idea soon spread be-
the flames. It’s been the home of celeb- something thought up by greet- yond the town of Spokane, eventually
rities, a summer home for Las Vegas Iing card and gift manufacturers coming to the notice of President Cal-
residents, and an infirmary for sick to increase sales and profits you are vin Coolidge who, in 1924, proposed a
and starving wild horses. It’s called a wrong. Fathers’ Day is one day in the national day of tribute. The wheels of
ranch, so it probably had bovine resi- year when we can let father know just government grind slowly and it took
dents at some time. how special he is, and to say thanks two years to get together a committee
Now it’s going to be the home of for his care and love. to discuss the matter. It was only in
It was precisely those sentiments
some growing plants. “Plant nuts” and 1966 that President Lyndon B. Johnson
gardeners are full of hope and plans for which led Sonora Dodd Smart on declared a public holiday for Fathers’
a plant nursery and propagation area. Day. It was another six years later that
We will be doing the best we can to President Richard Nixon declared that
cover Red Rock Canyon with green it should henceforth be celebrated on
(gray?). When a driver misses the road the third Sunday in June.
and leaves destroyed plants and tire The idea of a Fathers’ Day began
tracks, the bald spots can be filled in to spread beyond the boundaries of the
with healthy plants. U.S. England and Canada celebrate
On Saturday, May 2, a group Fathers’ Day on the same day as we,
of assorted volunteers, including a in the U.S., but Australia chose to
hold the celebration on the first week-
team building group from the Ex-
end of September.
calibur Hotel, performed a “Start-up, Whatever the date and whatever
Clean-up, Weeding, Tree Pruning, the form celebrations may take, Sonora
Furniture Moving, Mulching and Dodd Smart’s original intentions and
General Housekeeping” project at the sentiments are still there and we say a
ranch. We worked with seeds and en- hearty “Thank you” for the devotion
joyed the scenery while we collected of that very important person in our
March 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washing-
them. This part of the project included lives, our father.
ton to arrange a special “thank you”
interaction with the small bushy tailed celebration for her father. Her father
herbivorous residents. Ground squir- was a Civil War veteran who had May General Meeting
rels like to eat seeds and we needed to single handedly brought up a family
convince them to share. of six after his wife died giving birth he third quarter General Meet-
We will use cuttings, seeds and to the last child. ing was held on Saturday,
some transplants in the nursery and Sonora had been moved by a TMay 9, 2009 at the Red Spring
propagation area, working in the dirt Mothering Day sermon in her local Picnic Area. After a catered breakfast
and doing what it takes to encourage church and felt that fathers, too, should in the shade of the pavilion, the meet-
growth and development . . . including have their own special day. She decid- ing was called to order by President
an occasional Rain Dance. ed it would be appropriate if Fathers’ Pat Williams.

Page 2 FORRC/June/2009