YOU’RE INVITED: “If travel directions involve jacks, powerhouses
and tanks …

“If the best times of your life were spent in what would now be
called an ecological disaster area …

“If a childhood offer of a Jeep ride from a greasy old man in
the woods was a good thing …”

If so – … you might be from Derrick City.

And that makes you invited to the Derrick City reunion slated
for this Saturday at the Model T Inn on Derrick Road. Festivities
start at about 12:30 p.m.

Pete Gardner of Derrick City passes along word of the upcoming
reunion and also his “if” list to determine if you’re a bona fide
Derrick City-ite.

The reunion began as a Derrick City Elementary Class reunion
some nine years ago, an event organized by Kim Graham and Pam
Fredeen with Pete’s assistance.

“The first reunion was a great success, and fueled mostly by
word of mouth, comfort and grace it grew into an even bigger
success as the Derrick City Reunion five years later,” Pete tells
us.

We gather from Pete’s e-mail that the event is open to virtually
anyone who bonded with Derrick City and its people over the years.
Hence, his test (ala Jeff Foxworthy) to ascertain whether you
“might be from Derrick City.”

Here’s more from his “if” list:

You might be from Derrick City …

“If you know when the fracking crew is headed for a job …

“If walking on a suspended 2-inch pipe comes naturally …

“If the big boys (sixth graders) took their shotguns to school
so they could hunt on the way home …

“If the Fire Company has to specialize in things that go ‘BOOM’
…

“If you know what a hoopie is …

“If you enjoy the smell of crude after a storm …

“If the haves and the have-nots are on first-name basis with
each other and God …

“If your first construction project involved sucker rods and tin
…

“If a handshake made in a field is as good as a deed …

“If your neighbor fought to keep the world free, for free …

“If stories of a legendary lawman also included legendary pranks
…

“If you keep an eye out for a yellow dog …

“And lastly, if mom and dad titter about all the great parking
spots they found there …”