It's a right windy day here in Northwest Tennessee due to the passage of a nice little cool front, a gift straight from God for those of us who don't like summer heat. I've got two brothers who were raised up here with me, all of us different as night and day personality wise. In some ways me and Harold are on the same wavelength as far as simplicity in life, the written word and picture takin'. He and his bride live in Virginia with their baby boy...moved up there about five years or so ago. He ain't no young thing by any means but every family needs a male heir so there ya go. Gotta carry that name forward and proliferate like the good book says.
The otha' brother, closer to me in age, is also my soulmate. He's all about the farm and the critters and the crops which is something that I've learned to love in my later years. I never quite appreciated how hard my daddy worked to raise us up by doing two jobs, one by day for the USDA and the other 24/7 as the farm manager. His four years in the Air Force counted toward an early retirement at the age of 55. I remember going to his big retirement dinner and meetin' all manner of folks whom I couldn't recognize now if my life depended on it.
Harold drove down from Virginia yesterday and we grabbed an opportunity to sit on the porch of that old cabin up on the hill to catch up on things. Thanks be to Blackberry, there were new pics of the baby boy and his mama, playing out on their deck in the plastic swimming pool. Little guy is just about a month shy of walking and then? There won't be no catching up with his little butt. I hate to say it, but I think they're BOTH gonna pay for their raising. We were all chilled out taking in the moment with the nice breeze and Daddy called. "You're missing all the excitement down here!" he said. Apparently there was a fire at the end of the road with some soybeans in imminent danger. He and mama had no power because a live wire maintained by the rural electric company had fallen smack into the middle of the wheat stubble with no-till beans just about to show some sign life after last night's rain. What kind of luck is that?
We piled into his Jeep and headed down the road only to spot Daddy hoofing it to the scene. He hopped in the back seat and we wandered on down to where the volunteer fire fighter and the head of the electric company were busy dousing that fire with a pumper truck. It was mostly smoke by then, bless their hearts. The farmer and his wife showed up soon afterwards, just in time to see Bubba driving over the embers in his trusty old farm truck. With his windows rolled down, by the way. That drives Daddy plum crazy when they go out to check cows in the morning.
Never a dull moment here in our little community. I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China.
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Written by Poopie @ Pecan Lane