Chris Smith: Santa Rosa 5-year-old treasures a royal letter

A postal carrier in Rincon Valley just delivered to a 5-year-old princess named Maggie Couch something that she’ll treasure as long as she lives.

Maggie received from Balmoral Castle in Scotland a reply to a letter she’d written in July to Queen Elizabeth II.

The response from Great Britain was not composed by the 94-year-old queen herself. But it’s personalized, not a form letter, and it seems Maggie could be more pleased only had Her Majesty appeared at the front door.

Maggie is the daughter of retired Marine Col. Everett Keith Couch and 2001 Maria Carrillo High alum Casey Wilmore-Couch. Her maternal grandparents are Rincon Valley’s Scott and Jan Wilmore.

Among the child’s favorite things are the horses she’s been learning to ride since early this year, and her grandparents’ Welsh Corgis, Maggie and Lucy. She was quite excited to learn months ago that horses and Corgis are adored, too, by Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Maggie asked her mother if they might write to Queen Elizabeth.

“Since it was an excellent way to practice our letter writing skills,” shares Casey, “we did just that.”

Along with the letter in which Maggie told the queen about herself and the horses and dogs in her life, she drew pictures of the queen and the queen’s Corgis and other cool things. She included a photo of herself with Lucy and Maggie.

Casey mailed the letter to London about two months ago, and, after that, “honestly didn’t give it another thought,” she said.

Then, last week, there arrived with the daily mail a handsome envelope addressed to Miss Margaret Couch and postmarked Balmoral Castle, a Scottish estate of the royal family.

The letter inside was signed by Annabel Whitehead, lady-in-waiting to the queen.

She wrote, “Her Majesty was pleased to hear that you too are fond of dogs and, although unable to reply to you personally, The Queen appreciated your thought for her at this time.”

Should Maggie write again to Elizabeth, she’ll no doubt mention the best thing to come into her life since horses and her grandparents’ dogs: A baby sister, Molly, was born Sept. 2.

...

DO YOU SING? If so, hallelujah!

This December, Dan Earl, dean of Sonoma County’s choral directors, will for the 40th year conduct the Sing-Along Messiah hosted by the Santa Rosa Symphony League.

This time it will be a virtual production, with performers recorded as they sing from their homes.

And Dan is in need of more voices. Especially men’s voices.

If you know the Hallelujah Chorus and would like to audition, send an email to Ryan Brady at ryan@ryan-brady.com.

Ryan studied under Dan at Santa Rosa High School and today he’s living in Boston and leading a busy life as an award-winning digital artist and composer. Ryan is lending his production talents to the 2020 Sing-Along Messiah, which will appear on YouTube and will offer viewers an opportunity to donate to music education programs of the Santa Rosa Symphony League.

The deadline to apply to perform in Dan Earl’s 40th production of the holiday favorite: Oct. 14.

...

BETTER THAN FAIR: Before we drift much further from the pandemic-canceled 2020 Sonoma County Fair, we might salute the folks who made sure its virtual Junior Livestock Auction wouldn’t be a bust for the kids who raised and sold farm animals.

Concerned that bidding for the auction would be hurt by the scrubbed fair and from economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, volunteers with the charitable Sonoma County Fair Foundation did something epic.

They asked the community’s help to assure that every young farmer would receive a fair, minimum amount for their goats, beef, lambs and hogs.

The request brought in how much? $100,000.

And on the day of the virtual auction, dollars were ponied up each time the bidding for a young person’s animal fell short of the established floor price.

Chiefly to thank are the foundation that survives late Petaluma dairy farmer Alvin Hansen, the Saralee and Rich Kunde Education Fund, American Ag Credit and Community First Credit Union.

You can contact Chris Smith at 707 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.