To the Good People of Ava,
I was born and raised in a small village in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York. Cold Spring is a beautifully scenic town nestled at the foot of a mountain on the banks of the Hudson River. I wasn’t the type who wanted to get out of my small town as fast as I could and see what the “real world” had to offer. No, I loved my small town and wanted to stay, but, as life would have it, I moved on and eventually made it to the Ozarks.
About three years ago, my wife and I “discovered” Ava because of good friends, the Elwoods, who live here. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with this town. It took a while, but Shannon and I moved here just over a month ago. It was one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Every morning before I go to work, I spend about a half an hour at Sonshine Cafe enjoying coffee and toast. My wife and our daughter, Elsie, frequent Ava Drug for some ice cream and Coke and I join them on Saturday mornings for one of Daisy’s cinnamon rolls. We have now gone to every Mom and Pop restaurant in Ava. I am excited to live in the home of my favorite BBQ joint, Hucklebuck Smoke Grill. I do think they under-sell themselves a bit, though. They aren’t only “the best darn BBQ in Booger County”; they are the best darn BBQ … period! What’s become a favorite activity for me is walking over to the Douglas County Herald to pick up my newspaper hot off the press. I really look forward to doing this in the winter, as only a fellow Northerner would understand! We have made Ava General Baptist our home church and enjoy the “old time religion” that it offers.
More than all of the good food and businesses in this town, it is the generosity and kindness that all of the people have shown us that have made it such a wonderful time for us. We look forward to our little cub, Elsie, becoming a Bear! Thank you for making us feel so welcomed in our new town. It is a very good feeling to find a home. We look forward to making new memories with you. God bless each and everyone of you!
Sincerely,
TJ Jones and family
