|
It
was a very cool crisp Saturday mornin’ near nine when I walked into The
Flat Rock General Store. There was a crowd gatherin’ which included
Slim, Essex, Ms. Ida, The Widow Cora, Estelle, Willerdean and Bro. There
were other community and area Flat Rock folk comin’ and goin’ about
The Store also. Just as I settled onto my nail keg seat along side the old
potbellied heater, most near all the Saturday Mornin’ hunters comminst
to showin’ up – like Farlow, "Truth," S.R. J.R.,
"Hatch," Heath and Dustin. At first ganderin’, it appeared
that all ’em were empty-handed. However, just as I entered that thought
in my brain, in walked the night owl, Mr. Harley Hood himself, with a belt
stringer full of brightly feathered ducks. As heads turned and mouths
dropped open, "Truth" asked the question "where?" The
musician raised his head, grinned and said, "My secret honey
hole." This brought on lots of head shakin’ and comments were flung
out like "Them’s corn fed ducks" or "Shot ’em in a
pen," even words like "You got ’em down at the livestock
auction flea market in Russellville." In my thinkin’ I knew just
where Harley Hood had hunted them ducks out of the air at, ’cause I had
seen him down there fishin’. Even after the continued devistatin’
drought of ought seven this "honey hole" just off Mud Creek
still carried enough water for duck huntin’.
At
this moment a truck horn went to a blarin’ outside The Store causin’
all bodies gathered to scramble toward the old double front doors. To no
surprise, it was our good friend and John Thorn’s neighbor from over to
Waco, Mr. Orland "O.B." Britnell with his pickup truck with
Auburn flags still flyin’ high and totally decorated in AU orange and
blue paraphernalia. He was a celebratin’ Iron Bowl win number six over
Alabama and the 4-million-dollar-man coach. "O.B." is President
Elect of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and will take over at the
state meetin’ Feb. 1&2 in Birmingham. "O.B. was out collecterin’
cattlemen’s membership dues and presellin’ ribeye steak sandwiches for
the Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association’s next sell. Slim related
to O.B. that Baxter Black called him personal for an invite to the annual
NCBA meetin’ to be held in Reno, Nevada, in February of ought eight. He
further noted he did not speak to Baxter Black live but Baxter had left a
message on The Store phone after closin’. O.B. questioned Slim as to how
Baxter Black come on The Store’s number. In Slim’s quessin’ he had
probably got it from President George W. Bush, who had called The Store
back in ought five needin’ Slim’s personal help to keep Alabama a red
state.
Shortly
on as things normaled up again, most folk settled back around the old
potbellied heater because of the heavy outside coldness. Some folk opted
for lunch sandwiches, coffee or hot cocoa. Slim took the floor and begin
commentin’ about the lateness of ought seven — meanin’ ought eight
was upon us. He further commented about all folk "resolutin" for
ought eight and how matter factly these folk should in Slim’s words not
set out ought eight "resolutin" with a list of 20 or more items
rather stay determined on six or so reachable "resolutin" items.
Bro.
took the floor at this point and started passin out flyer’s concernin’
Godly/church "resolutin" type goals includin’—attitude,
prayer, family, church attendance, participation, preacher support and so
on. There were several others makin’ a full list too long to pencil down
completely, and possible too long for one individual person, relatin’
back to Slim’s thinkin’ toward "resolutin" for ought eight.
About
this time, the gathered Store people begin to disperse out for Saturday
evening responsibilities like some T.V. football watchin’ time, evenin’
naps or, just possibly, an afternoon shootin’ house huntin’/nap
combination. |
