Wallowa County born and raised folks age well. Have you ever noticed that?

I was particularly struck by that idea when I met the 1958 Chief Joseph Days Queen Court Saturday evening. Janice Dougherty Burns, Judy Begley Lamy and Judy Stockdale Bothum kept the crowd in stitches with their presentation on what it was like in the “old days.”

The three were part of the 13th year of Chief Joseph Days. From the sound of it, they had a blast. And they appeared energetic enough to step right back into their roles in 2018, some 60 years later.

It was clear they had a ton of fun and enjoyed every minute of their year in the spotlight. It was my pleasure to have a chance to meet and chat with them.

LAST YEAR, the coronation was the first event my wife and I attended after arriving in Wallowa County. We didn’t know anyone, and by the end of the evening, we weren’t completely sure what we had gotten ourselves into.

This year was entirely different. We knew a large number of people at the event, some have become good friends over the past year.

We knew both royalty candidates personally and their families. We sat with Del and Brinda Stanley and anyone we didn’t know, they did.

I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. When we entered, Debby Short handed me our tickets, and we went inside. I went to work shooting and interviewing folks, and when it came time to go through the chow line, those dang tickets were nowhere to be found.

Debby graciously replaced them and vouched for us. I still haven’t found those tickets.

WE ALSO attended the Enterprise Education Foundation “We Love Our Kids” auction on Friday night. Cloverleaf Hall was packed, and everyone had a good time. Most importantly, everyone reached deep into their wallets to help support this amazing organization.

The program listed more than 100 donors. It took some work, but we managed to walk away with a silent auction item my wife had her eye on from the moment we walked in the door.

This year a full-blown dinner wasn’t part of the auction; however, the desserts were a big hit. Our table was served a fresh fruit tart that was totally delicious.

The foundation is making a difference in the quality of education in Enterprise. Kudos to them for their efforts.