SFPC Blog

Could you spare $2 a month? Do you like free t-shirts? If you answered "yes" to these questions, you are a prime candidate for membership in the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.

Hello again, friends!

Everest here. I thought I'd write in to update you all again on my goings on with St. Ann's second grade class. Before I do that though, I wanted to remind everyone about why I'm writing, or perhaps inform our first-time readers. I am a buffalo, out here at Shelby Farms Park, and a few months back I was lucky enough to be adopted by the second grade classes at St. Ann Catholic School in Bartlett through the Shelby Farms Adopt-a-Buffalo program.

Greetings, friends!

My name is Everest. I am a buffalo who lives at Shelby Farms Park, and I was lucky enough this past spring to become an adopted member of the family at St. Ann Catholic School in Bartlett through the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy's Adopt-a-Buffalo program. Three second grade classes there got together to become my adoptive parents, and I could not be happier to have become a part of their community. Plus, it's great to know that there's someone taking care of me out there, thinking about the future well-being of my herdmates and me.

I'm being ironic.

Like the wiener dog, my natural enemy is a steep incline.*  Even when I was in fighting shape, there’s nothing I looked forward to less than a jaunt up a hill (besides perhaps 10 jaunts up a hill).  Fortunately for me, Memphis isn’t terribly mountainous.  But I’ve gotta say, there’s something magical about being on my bike and powering up a sharp hill that makes me feel really alive.  It’s the duality of Jen. 

Overcoming the odds is a beautiful thing, but I’ve had a lesson or two in patting myself on the back for defying my low center of gravity.  Yesterday I was wandering through the lobby on my way to my regular 3pm coffee break, when I spotted a guy in a wheelchair gazing at the Master Plan map hanging on the wall.  I asked him if he had any questions.

Star Power

There is a well known voice on WYPL, reading the CA live on Saturdays, and also heard on BookTalk. You could hear those same confident, soothing tones by calling the Park on Monday afternoon!

From the Book of Jen's Earth Day Revelations:
1. Not even 6 months worth of reverse rain dances can stop really determined precipitation.
2. Shouting "Rain Rain, Go Away" at the top of your lungs during a storm is not an effective method of weather control.
3. It takes more than a little moisture to ruin an Earth Day party.

Ladies and Gentleman, we proudly introduce the 2009 GreenShoe.

by Kat Gore (painting does not include "GreenShoe Gala" text)

[Hold for wild applause]

This year's fabulous GreenShoe is an original piece of artwork by local artist and fabric librarian Kat Gore. Kat hails from Memphis and combined her love of rich texture and interesting layers with her penchant for hot shoes, and mixed it all up with some inspiration from none other than Mr. Salvatore Farragamo's 1930s era platform sandals. Using reclaimed decorative papers, Kat has created a GreenShoe like no other. This shoe's not for wearing, people. It's high fashion for your wall. Kat's mixed media masterpiece is 12"x12" on a two inch thick wooded frame. You can see the image in the logo at the top of this newsletter.

"I leapt at the opportunity to do this year's green shoe project," said Kat Gore. "First and foremost, I love shoes. Inspired by a vintage Salvatore Ferragamo shoe, I used reclaimed decorative papers. To me it is both frivolous and poignant."

You can bid on this incredible piece at the third annual GreenShoe Gala on Friday, April 17. There will be lots of other unique, "green" items up for bid in the live and silent auctions. Let's take a little trip back through time to visit the shoes of GreenShoe Galas past.

Phil and Morris, Morris and Phil.  Those names are synonymous for those of us at Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.  You rarely see one without the other.  They don't know quite how it happened.  Happenstance, Morris says.

For the last few years, these two volunteers have worked every Thursday morning at the Visitor Center.  Phil's started volunteering on Thursdays years ago, spending much of his time out in the Park before he bummed up his leg and started working at the Information Desk.  Morris eased into Thursday from Tuesday several years ago they've been fishing, shooting, restaurant reviewing and volunteer buddies ever since.

At a recent round of trivia,* my teammates claimed that the following sentence is grammatically correct:

"Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo."

Naturally, I took personal offense to such a blatant grammar lie and thinly-veiled attempt to prove, once again, that I am easy to fleece (note: the word "gullible" is NOT written on my ceiling. I checked. Thank you very much.) The whole thing stunk of an elaborate plot to use my affinity for all things grammar** and love for the American Bison against me.  For shame.

On this year’s Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and everyone knows this means six more weeks of winter.  Groundhog day is special for another reason, but Phil really has nothing to do with it for our Information Desk volunteers, Bev and Elvin.  This Groundhog Day 2009 was their 58th wedding anniversary.  Now that's news worth hearing!