Highlights of the 1998 issue of "Leaks" included a vivid account of Ella's trip to Nepal, lots of
news about children, grandchildren, former co-workers, and pets and artistic pursuits.  One page featured descriptions of the Friends of the Library Dinner from staff members who attended.
The issue also published a list of the State Service Awards given in 1997, along with the book
titles chosen by staff to honor their years of service.  Scattered throughout, were limericks, silly poems, stories and Gateway oddities.

Co-editors for this issue were Cindy Slater and Ann Pearson.


***BIG Travel Story***
Ella Ross is enjoying the best of both worlds, retired but working part-time in Special Collections, and traveling the world.  Her latest trip was truly a dream vacation.  Here's the story, in her own words.    At noon on December 19, 1997, our group of nine met at the Recreation Center.  Our flight from Greensboro to Newark departed at 1:30.  The evening flight to London took about seven hours and arrived at 7:30 the next morning.  After checking into our hotel, I took the train into the city for an afternoon of sightseeing and dinner at the Hard Rock Café.  Early the next morning I was off again to do as much sightseeing, including rides on the "tube" (British term for their subway), as possible before returning to the airport for the flight to Kathmandu.  After a nearly three-hour delay we were off.  Fourteen hours and five time changes later, we arrived in Nepal.  The first two days were filled with guided tours to historic temples and palaces and a long session with a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The next day we and part of our trekking crew travelled by bus to the town of Pokhara in the next valley.  Our first full day there included more tours to local points of interest and a visit to a Tibetan refugee camp.  On the second day our bus took us to the starting point of our very strenuous but exhilarating mountain trek from Birethanti to Ghorepani (includ-ing sunrise on Poon Hill).  Six days later we boarded the bus again, this time to lower elevations and our river rafting rendezvous.  The three-day rafting trip took us on three rivers with waters that ranged from clear and rocky to slow and murky, and rapids rated up to no.3.  The bus which was to take us from the landing site to our jungle abode in Chitwan National Park failed to meet us.  After several hours, our guide procured another, only to have it get stuck about thirty minutes away from our destination.  After another hour of trying to free it from the mud, a nice Massey Ferguson tractor with a cart was commandeered to transport us the rest of the way.  While in the jungle, we took walking tours to a nearby native village, to learn more about their culture and into the jungle to view animal life.  There were fast, bumpy jeep rides to other points of interest, such as a dugout canoe ride down the river looking for crocodiles, and an elephant ride searching for rhino and other animals.  The two evenings were filled with performances of traditional song and dance.  On the third day, the jeep driver took us to the bus station for the highly anticipated ride back to the very polluted air of Kathmandu Valley and a nice, long, hot shower at the hotel.  On the last full day in Kathmandu, our last cultural tour took us on a thirty minute walk through city streets and a 386-step climb up to the famous "monkey temple."  The rest of the day was for shopping in Thamel and enjoying a lavish dinner provided by our host travel agent.  On the day of departure, we were up at 6:00 and off to the airport by 7:30, where we waited for three hours for dense fog to burn off before we could begin our long journey home.  We arrived safely in Greensboro on January 10, 1998.


Pet Stories:
Patricia Black saved a lovely little beagle named Julie from the Animal Shelter. The two have undergone obedience training and now Patricia does everything Julie tells her,  including making the pup the star of her own photo album!  One of the photos is featured on human friend Jeff Mile's homepage.
 
Janis Pardue's "puppy," Roxanne, has grown bigger and more spoiled. "She has just about taken over Jerry's recliner; when he's not in it, she is!"  Janis reports.  "She's still just as crazy about playing ball every day when I get home from work. This rainy winter didn't please her at all, because I refused to play when the back yard was a swamp.  (We think she was a baseball player in her former lifetime -- she'd rather play than eat! )"

Lu Lietz's granddog has a girlfriend, but doesn't appear to know it. The innocent Hawkeye prefers his "aerobies" ring toy to games of love.  Will feminine wiles prevail?  The "lady" gets to the ring first and sits on it, giving Hawkeye little choice but to pay some attention to her.

Maryjane Conger's cat, Xiao Xiao, has finally learned, after six years, how to jump up onto the washer and dryer, where the food is kept.  He also likes to push the loveseat cushion off onto the floor, bounce on the springs, and generally wreak havoc.

Cindy Slater's six-year old Terrier-mix is learning new tricks.   Freida is now "ambidextrous;" she successfully changed her "settling routine" from counter-clockwise to clockwise. Sofa reorientation caused this inconvenience.  Much worse was the 1996 perambulation of a fully loaded coat-rack.  Freida threatened the upstart with teeth bared and a menacing growl until it went back to its proper corner.  And gone, long gone are the days when former dog neighbor "Zack" would pull Freida around on a ripped up blanket.  *sigh*
 
Clara Kelly is in hock to the "at-home vet," but everyone's had shots and Susie's teeth are sparkling white.  Susie (canine) gets extra treats with the aid of Louie (feline accomplice), who jumps up onto the counter, opens a cabinet door and knocks the treats down for her.  ...There's  really a saga here only a few know.  Long ago when Clara only had a few cats hanging around, there appeared a lean and hungry stray cat, a yearling who picked on the aging Floyd.  Clara threw rocks occasionally at the interloper, but he persisted.  (Free meals and fun with Floyd). Gradually,  an "uneasy peace" broke out, with the youngster "Splotch" taking over the front yard and Floyd relegated to the back. Both were promptly neutered.
   One day Splotch brought home a friend (just platonic), a wild, homeless calico kitten, to share a hot meal.  The little thing was so furtive and wild,  she only appeared now and again, like an apparition Clara wasn't sure was really there.  Clara had grown less violent toward strays by this time and tried to tame the new stray with loving kindness... and food.  The kitten never grew any tamer, not too this day, but soon she was fatter -- expectant, one might say.  She had one litter, (all given good homes), then later a second. "Mama" knew all the unneutered males in the neighbor- hood.  That last litter included many a famous library cat: Xiao Xiao (Mary Jane Conger),  Carmen (former Serials staffer Pete Laurence), Anna McGee (Kathy D'Angelo, formerly in Acquisitions).  Oh, and Louie!  Louie, now 7 years old, reigns indoors, as mentioned before, hopping up on things and opening any door he pleases.

Gaylor Callahan got a dog last fall.  "Rosie's a golden retriever, a 'rescue dog,' so I don't know how old she is--estimated 2-3 years.  The Triad Golden Retriever Rescue Club got her last May from the Forsyth Co. Animal Shelter.  She was in pretty bad shape--very thin, with heart-worms, and had recently had puppies  (who knows what happened to them).  I first read a description of her on the TGRRC home-page... (maintained by Susan Shelmerdine). Fortunately, Susan was fostering Rosie during her heart-worm treatment,  so I got to meet her and actually visited with her a lot during August.  She was pronounced heart-worm-free on Sept. 15 and I adopted her that day.  She is certainly no longer thin, but she does still show signs of early mistreatment.  She is VERY needy & is scared of things like grates, storm drains, etc.  However, she is much more confident than she was and spends her time sleeping on the sofa, chasing squirrels, and retrieving tennis balls.  She and the cats tolerate each other -- even when Cotton walks under her, rubbing his back on her belly!  ... Rosie covered herself with glory and me with humiliation  during her recent graduation from obedience school.  She did almost everything well -- except when she tripped me, causing me to fall on her! (She graduated anyway, but I think it kept her from being valedictorian.)"

Lois Miller has already been back on the dog show circuit, after her recent surgery!  Lois and Darwin took Katie to Roxboro in March. Katie's out of practice, and Watson sticks close by Lois, as usual. Lois looks like she's been to a spa!  Reading, renting movies, and relaxing at home-that's the life, but she's back ½ time now, full-time April 6th.


Arts & Entertainment:
Kelly Swindell is doing well since foot surgery last October. She has resumed rehearsals with the Jan Van Dyke Dance group, and her first show was April 1st (no fooling ) in Green Hill Gallery.  That's great news!!

Jim Thompson, renowned binder and doughnut preser-vationist, received a $1300 grant from the Central Piedmont Regional Artists Hub Program in December. He is using the money to renovate his pottery studio. "Work is underway (I'll do everything but utilities work) and will be completed by late spring.  I'll actually have a heated, insulated space in which to work, with real windows, interior walls, and adequate light."

On March 14, Rick Anderson played with the local fife and drum group at the reenactment of the battle of Guilford Courthouse. "This was a nostalgia trip for me -- I grew up in the heart of American Revolution country  and played for the Menotomy Fifes and Drums during high school,"  Rick said.

"Martha & the Mood Swingers," including Keith Buckner, played two gigs at Tate Street Coffee: Feb. 20 & Mar. 28, and another at Greensboro College, Mar. 24th. Songs include "Shine on Harvest Moon," & tunes from 30's band "Cats in the Fiddle," like "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," "Never Too Old To Swing" & "When I Grow Too Old To Dream." The Swingers are currently joined by Neil Clegg on clarinet. Neil teaches clarinet & saxophone at Greensboro College.

During the holidays, at the annual Winter Show at Green Hill Center for N.C. Art, George Keck sold the three color photographs he had on exhibit.  George continues to exhibit two different
8x12 photos each month in the entrance to Technical Services. Staff members in Acquisitions and the Catalog Department are thrilled and honored by their private art gallery, and everyone who enters Tech Services gets to enjoy some fabulous photography.

Janis Pardue describes an artistic project going on in  her household, actually "a major life event."  "My husband, Jerry, has been building a 1948 Chevy pickup for the past three and a half years, and it is about ready to take its maiden voyage to Myrtle Beach this weekend (March 19-21st) for a big car show.  Now maybe I can get him out of the garage and working on  projects around the house!! " (Or will it just be another old car, Janis ?)

Jeff Miles has a chapbook of poems called Tigers coming out in May.  "Publisher is Old Barn Enterprises, Carthage, NC--book will be part of their 'Scots Plaid Fine Poetry Series.'" Jeff also won this year's Icarus Poetry Award (a state-wide thing) "($$!)" -- and wife Rebecca Warren took the 2nd  prize. "(More $$!--well, neither one was all that much...) We get to read together as a result, on the Outer Banks in May."  Congratulations, Jeff !

Audrey Sage is showing some artwork at the Center for Creative Leadership "Portrait Exhibition" this month.  (Go see it!)

Nancy Fogarty is the organist at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The choir, with soloists, harp, tympani, and organ will present "The Seven Last Words of Christ,"  by Dubois, on April 5th.

Patricia Black is expanding her home-page to include film reviews.  Check it out for excellent writing & evaluations.

Paul Hessling performed Irish fiddle music in Durham, NC, with an informal musical group, including his brother. Paul played guitar mostly, but attempted a dulcimer accompaniment on one song.

Anna Kirby-Sullivan will be back at UNCG on April 3rd, appearing as "Cherubino" in  "The Marriage of Figaro." The opera also has shows on the  2nd & 5th of April.