"Old Moody and the sewage"

     A little chat with Chester Myers today brought back something that I have not thought of in years.  His daddy, Cherry was definitely a coon hunter.  He had several dogs penned up but his blue-tick, Old Moody, ran loose.

     Once I pulled into their drive and there lay Old Moody in the drive sound asleep.  I do not see how with the loud exhaust I had but he remained asleep while I pulled the car over him.  Moe Stephens and I went in the house to get Chester and when we left ol Moody was still laying there asleep.

     When we returned Chester cried out, “Look over there.”  Moody was leaning against the outside wall of the house.  His left front leg and his left back leg were on the ground with his left side against the house.  His right front and right rear legs were crossed with the left legs.  Yep, he was again sound asleep.

     Another time Cherry took the dogs and went raccoon hunting and when the dogs were called in Old Moody was stinking to high heaven.  He had run a raccoon through some sewage somewhere.  Cherry loaded up the other dogs and left Old Moody until the next day and went back and washed him up before loading and bringing him home.

     My uncle and one of his Oakton buddies used to take me with them hunting raccoons in the bottom near where the Washout is now.  I liked the no take season best.  We let the dogs run and we built a camp fire and put on a huge coffee pot.  We would set back against a log and whittle, drink coffee and listen to the dogs run.  Each dog had a distinct voice and we could tell easy when and which dog would pick up a scent.

     Taking season was a lot less fun for me.  We would sit around the fire until the dogs treed and then had to run toward the sound.  The coon would have to be shot out of the tree in the dark where you could not see the sights so you had to be good at barrel sighting, and I was not all that good at it.

“Clinton and Oakton, touch of PO random thoughts.”

 

I was trying to unravel a computer problem this morning and it brought to mind something that happened when I was elected to the Hickman County School Board.  The day after the election the superintendent came to me and asked my reason to run as everyone has an agenda.  I responded that I was interested in my kid’s education but my secondary reason for running was to see computers used in the schools mainly so a graduate could tell a prospective employer that yes; I have had hands on experience with computers.

     To make a long story shorter we soon had the computers.  I had a photography hobby and a dark room at home.  The teachers were starting a program recognizing a teacher of the week to run in the paper with a picture and asked me if I would take the pictures.  I agreed and took pictures in all the teachers’ classrooms.  It was a wonderful experience and I really enjoyed it.  We had just acquired computers for the class rooms and one of the first teachers recognized was Ms Ruby Samples.  I was so amazed that being the oldest teacher she had embraced the new technology wholeheartedly.  She was using it as a teaching aid and not as a crutch to replace the teacher.  That all the teachers were receptive to the new technology was pretty obvious but Miss Ruby`s total acceptance really impressed me.

     Within a year we not only had computers but had computer labs at both schools and computer classes as well.

    Driving by the ICF this morning and having just read the obituary for Virginia Nell Davis reminded me of the time when it was a hospital and she worked there.  She along with Ruby Jackson, Libby Larkin, Jack Byassee, Carolyn Hickerson and Carolyn`s mom were truly angels of mercy.  One or more of them always seemed to be there when I or some of my family were patients.  Virginia, Carolyn and I were classmates and good friends as well.

    I remember when my Dad passed away my cousin, who was on a heart transplant team in Michigan, was here and Libby Larkin showed her around the facility.  On the way to my house she said that really the only things that she saw different from where she worked was that they have a heart surgeon on site at all times and the other was that the crash cart here was much more sophisticated than what they had.  Especially since ours recorded everything that occurred during an incident.  She was equally impressed with Western Baptist when I had bypass surgery there. 

     The Clinton Hickman County Hospital and Dr. Vester Jackson`s clinic both saved many lives and are a great loss to our community.  Dr. Jackson`s clinic was located just west of the museum where Jack Roberts later had an office.  I understand that there was also once a hospital where the pool room was as well but before my time I think.  The Jackson clinic had a few patient rooms as well.  I will always remember the time two friends, Jack Matthews and Dale Barclay were home on leave and were in a terrible accident and were there for an extended stay.  I doubt either would have made it to the county line by ambulance for back then the ambulance consisted of one station wagon without oxygen or EMT.   Without the hospitals we are so very fortunate that we have the Clinton Hickman County EMS and their life saving equipment and expertise.  Being able to communicate with the hospital in route so their ER can be ready ahead of time is a blessing.

     I may have mentioned this before but one of the funniest happenings at the Post Office was one of J. D. Barclay’s experiences.  It was raining hard one day and he had a parcel for one of his customers.  It seems that the house had no porch and no one was at home.  He did not want to leave a note and them have to go to the office to pick it up so he checked and the front door was open. 

     JD cracked the door just enough to put the package inside where it was dry.  Little did he realize that that was just enough opening for their dog to make a dash for the dry, warm indoors.  J. D. chased him into the kitchen where the dog took refuge under the kitchen table.

     I can just picture the rest.  As JD got on his knees to retrieve the dog the homeowners returned home to see the spectacle in front of their eyes.  Luckily they were friends and thought it was as comical as everyone else.

     Contrary to what some people believe, mail carriers take pride in the safety and security of mail and they take every precaution with the mail entrusted to them.  Invariably under the worst conditions a small amount will get wet in delivery but is kept to the barest minimum.

     JD and Ed. Latta were active officers in the American Legion of Kentucky and one being Democrat and the other Republican and along with others in the area worked tirelessly petitioning Washington to get a Veterans Medical Center in Mayfield.  They did not see it happen but I am sure that their efforts on behalf of all local veterans had a lot to do with the fine clinic located in Mayfield today.   They can be proud of their efforts.  

'The Elvis I remember, a model soldier'

                  

                     “A reluctant Elvis fan”  

  I was just reminded that today is Elvis Presley birthday.  In the 50s I was like most men and enjoyed his music, especially “Ode to Mama” I think it was called, but otherwise jealous of the near worship by the girls.

     When I was drafted into the Army I was sent to the 2^nd Armor Div at Fort Hood for basic.  They were a TOE Armor but for the largest military draft in history they were sent stateside and were converted to a basic training unit.

     Elvis was assigned to them in Germany and had not long been gone.  I was in the same battery and the old career soldiers were still talking how he was a soldiers soldier and would not go into special services but wanted to be in a line unit.

     It seems when he went on pass or leave they had to send MPs with him for protection.  They told of one example of him taking care of business.  They went into town on pass and when they got out of the taxi he was gone.  He was spotted running to help a GI who was being beaten by three or four civilians.  By the time they got to him the fight was over.  That Judo master former truck driver had single handed whipped them all.

    They told of his doing for the battalion anything he did for himself.  It was customary to have Saturday inspection and he bought him an extra pair of boots to keep shined and not worn  just for inspection.  Yep, he bought a pair for every soldier in his battalion. 

     He had a juke put in the dining hall and the company kept up the music.  No cost to play.  It was still at Ft. Hood when I was.

     Another thing that impressed me was when he was assigned to mow the companies portion of the parade ground.  Now these were old reel push mowers without power.  He got a friend to go to town and have a new power mower to each of the four companies.

     Needless to say I was a fan after that experience.  It takes a good man to impress all those lifers.

“Frieda and her zoo”

Someone suggested a blog on this so here I go.  I knew before I married her that Frieda was a stray pickeruper.  Once at the drive in restaurant she picked up what had to be one of the ugliest dogs ever.

      We have gone through a mob of dogs and cats in these 48 years.  Once she and the girls came home with what was called a Cabit.   Now I was assured that this barely weaned little thing with a stub for a tail and back legs longer than the front followed them home from all way across town.  Yeah, I bought that and a suspended bridge in San Frisco the same day.  The tail was not bobbed off as I thought but was born that way.  It seems that they are an Asian breed and has long legs for they originate in marsh country.

    The others were dogs and not really unusual but at the time we were buying dry and canned dog and cat food she was feeding every stray that came through the yard.

     She used to put out dog food on our carport for a big female coon.  Now our neighbor John Craddock had quite a garden and had electric wire around it to keep critters and especially Frieda`s coon out.  He finally set a trap and caught her.  The coon not Frieda. He took her to Obion creek bottom near Springhill and released her.  In a week she would be back begging on our back step.  We would have fed her by hand but I was afraid she would snap a finger. 

     One evening we looked out to check and she was there.  Frieda had already put out a plate for her but she ignored it.   She left and in a few minutes she was back with four or five babies.  She paraded them for a while and left again without eating.  In about the time it would take to nurse them and get them asleep she was back.  Ate her supper and left.  There can be no doubt that she brought them for the single purpose of showing them off.   She spent several years visiting us before it stopped.  She must have had a den in the woods behind us and near the town creek.  We have missed her visits. 

     Now she is feeding strays plus a big fat opossum that wants to be close to her so it took residence under the shed with the old feral cat that lives there and also mooches off us.  It is so big that it must be at least two generations removed from domestic.

     Now to the part I am writing this for.  The snake.  Lloyd Callison was doing some plumbing under the house and told me he found a snake but it had not been dead long for it was soft.  He said he brought it out and left it in the yard.  I looked and it was clearly in hibernation.   I told him not to tell Frieda for she might make me move thinking there were more.

     After he left she came home from visiting her mom and I decided I better tell her before she saw it and stroked on me.  Not my wife.  “Did he kill it.”  “Can we put it in a box and bring it in.”  “What do they eat?”  Mice and bugs.  “If we cannot bring it in can we put it back under the house?”  How about the shed?  “Won`t that be colder?”

     Needless to say she got a shoe box for bedding and a baby blanket to place under and over.  Naturally her snake had to have a NIKE box.  She fixed the top so it was cracked open so that if it makes it to spring it will be able to slide right out.  It is probably last years hatch as it was long but only about 3/4” thick.  Just a baby.

     Now that is not the end of the story.  This lady will stop right in the highway and run around front to pick up a terrapin or turtle and move it to the shoulder on the other side to keep it from getting run over.  Not considering that that may be where it came from.   I just hope she never encounters a big old alligator snapping turtle that can reach half way behind itself.  Fingers have disappeared that way.

     I do not even think Janie Howell is that bad.  She is a different kind of wife but she really is still a keeper but do not tell her that.