sm
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Invited to come down, drink coffee, shoot the breeze and go Putterin' with a young 92 year old gent.
So I "got my skinny butt in gear" and "just showed up". At 92, one don't worry about time, folks "show up when they get here".
At 92 one does not wear a watch, no need to be anywhere on time, and just one more something to have to mess with and keep up with.
When it is light outside, must be daylight, when the dark falls it must be night
and when the rooster crows, time to make coffee.
Eat when hungry, not when a clock "says you are supposed to eat".
Cherry pie a helluva lot more healthy than some breakfast foods anyway..
My kind of folks.
Now back some years ago, before his wife died, they would go to bit bigger city and play Putt-Putt Golf. Make an evening of it, get something to eat, window shop, make comments at the folks "not from these parts" and visit with folks they knew.
Same folks they had hunted, fished, shot clay games, and everything else.
"Pa, we need one of them gas powered golf carts" - Ma had said one night, watching the kid out on the driving range putterin' around.
So he surprised Ma with a gas powered golf cart. Neighbors down the way just cracked up; expecting these two to show up in his old truck, or Ma's car...here come a golf cart up the drive.
Been married forever, never knew they were "growed up" and supposed to be older, much less old. Holding hands, flirting, sharing a soda with two straws...
Life might have been hectic for some folks, but not these two, and folks like them.
"Deer, rabbits, squirrels, doves and whatnot not used to seeing a golf cart down the property. Just stand there, gawk and get shot".
I asked about the doves "they just fly into the paint bucket in the back, saves having to shoot them".
If this feller looked at something - it was going to fall. Just a fact.
He went on and passed on some of his guns, fishing tackle and such years ago.
"I think it was about the time my second, or was it third doctor died - forget. Just kept what needed, got some stuff put back for some special kinfolks is all..."
Ma got down, did not make it and kinfolks he liked and thought like he and Ma got everything, the rest of the kinfolks he told them to go to hell and other stuff, and not been bothered since.
Lawyer got it fixed no amount of griping gonna make a difference either.
"I like the simple stuff, always have, you were raised right, you understand all this" - I replied I did, and sipped my coffee made in a Steel Percolator on the gas stove.
"Lets go putter a bit, place probably changed some since you been down, not to mention you getting old and all, probably forgetting stuff"
I informed him when he got my age, it was fine and dandy to forget stuff, no matter what anyone said or thought.
"I get your age, I hope I got some spunk left". - he said as he winked, and stubbed out another cigarette butt in the ash tray.
We headed out back and he hollered at the dawg to fetch his "putterer- arounder".
Dawg instead just chased after a peppermint I had tossed.
"Damn dawg, can't train 'em to do nothing, can't cook, wash, iron, do dishes,... figured he would take to chauffeuring me around, since he keeps putting his paws on the steering wheel...nope just wants to ride and mess with the steering wheel...grins a lot too..."
Fetched a old H&R Topper in 20 gauge, a coffee can of shells and we fired up the "putterin' machine" and took off.
"I like the idea of pissing off the Revenuers when I get my license and tags renewed...ain't got to license this thing, and I like messing with folks - never knowed if gonna be in this thing ( cart) my old truck, or in the John Deere...keep folks guessing I say..."
We puttered and piddled, dawg riding in back sometimes, sometime out running ahead, puttering and piddlin' himself.
He had his old model 36 in his pocket, I had a handgun concealed and one old old H&R Topper with whatever shells in a coffee can.
He popped a few squirrels. "I bet you forgot how to call 'em with quarters since you and got old on me..." he said.
I replied “I may be old - but I ain't forgot..."
I "turned them, he shot and the dawg run up and " I found it!"
Teamwork is a good thing...he drove, we went by and I snagged on the fly the squirrel and keep on trucking.
"Some folks make some stuff too damn difficult - you recall before how you got all old on me - how things were" - He went on. Typical of us.
He felled 4 squirrels total, with 4 shots, and he was smooth, fluid and sure. Poetry in motion.
I was "company" so he reached into his pocket and got his old old Case pocket knife out and in short order "skint" the squirrels, rinsed the knife, did some 'taters, carrot, celery and ...tossed this into cast iron dutch oven.
"It'll be ready when its ready...the smell will tell ya when..."
He washed and rinsed that old knife, hit it on a old strop he'd made, drop of Singer Sewing Machine oil on the pivots and - dropped it back into his pocket.
I was invited back down, this time not in a real hurry, but still had to.
It was the morning of his favorite gal’s birthday, that gal that he had been married to all these years. The one that had passed on before him…
He just did not wake up on her Birthday.
I can understand this, we all could, figured he just wanted to celebrate this B-day with her, get something to eat, and go play a round of Putt-Putt with her…
Yep, as promised the gun was cleaned up, presented to a young man, and he thinks its kinda neat to have a “putter-arounder” .
Even lets his parents drive it sometimes…Being three, them pedals just not quite tall enough yet…
He’ll grow into it, just like the guns , knife you carried forever, and other stuff too…
It was a good run - damn good run indeed my friend.
Steve
So I "got my skinny butt in gear" and "just showed up". At 92, one don't worry about time, folks "show up when they get here".
At 92 one does not wear a watch, no need to be anywhere on time, and just one more something to have to mess with and keep up with.
When it is light outside, must be daylight, when the dark falls it must be night
and when the rooster crows, time to make coffee.
Eat when hungry, not when a clock "says you are supposed to eat".
Cherry pie a helluva lot more healthy than some breakfast foods anyway..
My kind of folks.
Now back some years ago, before his wife died, they would go to bit bigger city and play Putt-Putt Golf. Make an evening of it, get something to eat, window shop, make comments at the folks "not from these parts" and visit with folks they knew.
Same folks they had hunted, fished, shot clay games, and everything else.
"Pa, we need one of them gas powered golf carts" - Ma had said one night, watching the kid out on the driving range putterin' around.
So he surprised Ma with a gas powered golf cart. Neighbors down the way just cracked up; expecting these two to show up in his old truck, or Ma's car...here come a golf cart up the drive.
Been married forever, never knew they were "growed up" and supposed to be older, much less old. Holding hands, flirting, sharing a soda with two straws...
Life might have been hectic for some folks, but not these two, and folks like them.
"Deer, rabbits, squirrels, doves and whatnot not used to seeing a golf cart down the property. Just stand there, gawk and get shot".
I asked about the doves "they just fly into the paint bucket in the back, saves having to shoot them".
If this feller looked at something - it was going to fall. Just a fact.
He went on and passed on some of his guns, fishing tackle and such years ago.
"I think it was about the time my second, or was it third doctor died - forget. Just kept what needed, got some stuff put back for some special kinfolks is all..."
Ma got down, did not make it and kinfolks he liked and thought like he and Ma got everything, the rest of the kinfolks he told them to go to hell and other stuff, and not been bothered since.
Lawyer got it fixed no amount of griping gonna make a difference either.
"I like the simple stuff, always have, you were raised right, you understand all this" - I replied I did, and sipped my coffee made in a Steel Percolator on the gas stove.
"Lets go putter a bit, place probably changed some since you been down, not to mention you getting old and all, probably forgetting stuff"
I informed him when he got my age, it was fine and dandy to forget stuff, no matter what anyone said or thought.
"I get your age, I hope I got some spunk left". - he said as he winked, and stubbed out another cigarette butt in the ash tray.
We headed out back and he hollered at the dawg to fetch his "putterer- arounder".
Dawg instead just chased after a peppermint I had tossed.
"Damn dawg, can't train 'em to do nothing, can't cook, wash, iron, do dishes,... figured he would take to chauffeuring me around, since he keeps putting his paws on the steering wheel...nope just wants to ride and mess with the steering wheel...grins a lot too..."
Fetched a old H&R Topper in 20 gauge, a coffee can of shells and we fired up the "putterin' machine" and took off.
"I like the idea of pissing off the Revenuers when I get my license and tags renewed...ain't got to license this thing, and I like messing with folks - never knowed if gonna be in this thing ( cart) my old truck, or in the John Deere...keep folks guessing I say..."
We puttered and piddled, dawg riding in back sometimes, sometime out running ahead, puttering and piddlin' himself.
He had his old model 36 in his pocket, I had a handgun concealed and one old old H&R Topper with whatever shells in a coffee can.
He popped a few squirrels. "I bet you forgot how to call 'em with quarters since you and got old on me..." he said.
I replied “I may be old - but I ain't forgot..."
I "turned them, he shot and the dawg run up and " I found it!"
Teamwork is a good thing...he drove, we went by and I snagged on the fly the squirrel and keep on trucking.
"Some folks make some stuff too damn difficult - you recall before how you got all old on me - how things were" - He went on. Typical of us.
He felled 4 squirrels total, with 4 shots, and he was smooth, fluid and sure. Poetry in motion.
I was "company" so he reached into his pocket and got his old old Case pocket knife out and in short order "skint" the squirrels, rinsed the knife, did some 'taters, carrot, celery and ...tossed this into cast iron dutch oven.
"It'll be ready when its ready...the smell will tell ya when..."
He washed and rinsed that old knife, hit it on a old strop he'd made, drop of Singer Sewing Machine oil on the pivots and - dropped it back into his pocket.
I was invited back down, this time not in a real hurry, but still had to.
It was the morning of his favorite gal’s birthday, that gal that he had been married to all these years. The one that had passed on before him…
He just did not wake up on her Birthday.
I can understand this, we all could, figured he just wanted to celebrate this B-day with her, get something to eat, and go play a round of Putt-Putt with her…
Yep, as promised the gun was cleaned up, presented to a young man, and he thinks its kinda neat to have a “putter-arounder” .
Even lets his parents drive it sometimes…Being three, them pedals just not quite tall enough yet…
He’ll grow into it, just like the guns , knife you carried forever, and other stuff too…
It was a good run - damn good run indeed my friend.
Steve
