Redfield Road harbingers

The first "real" harbingers of spring for folks out here on the Redfield Road have arrived. The yard is full of orange-breasted robins. I assume they're making their way north from wintering days in Mexico. I know I can always tell when autumn is just around the corner, too, when these same birds fill the yard on their southward trek.

Seeing these birds brings back my memory of Mack. I was 10 years old or thereabouts and was patrolling our back yard with my trusty bb gun. I didn't mean any harm, but I aimed at one of the big robins and fired away. The bird tumbled over and I ran to pick him up. I could see a crease across his head where the feathers were gone, a sure sign my copper bullet had grazed his head. He was dazed, but otherwise looking okay.

I picked him up and took him to mother, of course. She cradled him in her hands and rubbed him and he started to come around. We kept him in the house for several days and provided the best of care, hoping he would be all right. Seems like I remember we let him sit in a shoe box. After several days, I took him back outside and he hopped away. I'm not sure if he was unable to fly, but he got his bearings and hopped away into the weedpatch over by Si and Beulah's. I said, "Goodbye Mack." I had named him Mack after Mac McKenzie, our bald-headed school superintendent.

A year later, I was back out in the yard, with my BB gun, and aiming away again. To my surprise, I looked at the robins and there he was, the familiar streaked head, Mack. He was back and hopping like mad. It was good to see him and I was so excited. I yelled at him and I swear he looked back at me. Looked back as he flew away. He had learned the hard way not to hop slowly when there was a country boy doofus with a gun. I hope he lived a good life and I hope his head didn't get cold when he flew into the colder climates.

Other big news is I picked up my two big largemouth bass from the taxidermist. A ten-and-a-half pounder and a nine-and-a-half-pounder. I caught them October 30, 2007, while fishing with my brother-in-law J Boyd. On back-to-back throws with a BooYah black spinner bait. They were huge in the water and actually pulled our boat around. I turn big ones like this loose, but I kept these because I knew my chances of ever catching their equal was slim and I wanted them on my wall. They sure are pretty and they dwarf my other two mounts from the early 70s, the ones weighing just under 8 pounds. I love bass fishing and I honestly think I would go every day if I could. And I'm going more and more now that I'm officially retired and I love it. Caught some dandies last week and earlier this week.

Grandson came down and we played in the pretty snow. We got about 5 to 6 inches here and it was a pretty wet snow, easy for making snowmen. I hooked up the sled and pulled him around the north 40 behind my 4-wheeler. Ultimate rednecking in the white stuff and he loved it. The photos are amazing and if you who know his parents you can hook up on the internet and look at the boy's photos. He's quite the camera hog. It was a great day and one I'll always remember, seeing him laughing and yelling as I pulled him thru the snow. It was weird to see the snow melt as the green grass emerged. Usually, the grass under the snow is brown.

Gotta run. Hogs play Vandy this afternoon in the SEC cage tourney. We have a good chance of winning, but I figure we're in the big dance regardless. Ole Miss and Florida went down in the first round and they could have "bubbled" the Hogs out, but I think we're assured a big dance ticket now. And me and Peanut have tickets to the big games at Alltel next weekend...boy that will be fun. She loves basketball as much as I do. Looks like Tennessee and perhaps Kentucky will be in the Arkansas tournament...and maybe the Hogs. Wouldn't that be something?

So that's my news. Not too exciting. The big news around here is our police chief being implicated in an FBI probe. Lots of rumors flying around the Redfield Road area about possible bad cops. It'll all come to light soon and I hope it ain't as bad as some folks 'spect. I hate it when people get themselves all in a mess.

That's all for this time, til next time, thanks for your time.

redf

In like a lamb...

I guess March "blew" in lamb-like, in easy-enough fashion, warm temps and all, and then the snow. Peanut's pap says 13 inches up in the mountains and I bet it was pretty, up there at Nebo land. Bout the time the gobblers are set to tune up, the "white stuff" (the TV boys always say that) appears. Here, it snowed about an inch or so and the oaks were beautiful, each little limb outlined as pretty as I've ever seen them. All along the Little Creek bottom, where bro-in-law Roy ventured out bravely with his Kodak to snap some pretty shots.

Wal-Mart was swamped, of course, the milk-and-bread people out in force. Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode I wrote several years ago, entitled "The Blizzard of 96." It was a high point in my writing career, the call I got from Hollywood saying my script had won approval. Mine was to be script 113, the producer lady saying they had 112 already ahead of me, but I was still overjoyed, knowing they liked it, liked me, liked what I'd put on paper for Jerry and Elaine and George and Kramer, how Kramer strolled out into the New York blizzard to buy bread only to get run over by the bread truck. Elaine shows up at a TV interview with Jerry and does an emergency stand-in as the weathergirl. And Jerry debates when the windchill ends and the heat index begins. "I mean, why can't we have a wind chill in the summer?" he asks his mom on the phone.

Anyway, I still remember some of the words and I have my copy of the script here somewhere around the house. I've re-read it a couple of times and still like it. Oh, and it never made it to film as you know...a few weeks after I got my call, Jerry announced he was retiring the show. And they still had more than three years of scripts in the can. But, he went out on top and I give him high marks for that.

Got tickets to the upcoming regional NCAA's at Alltel...it ought to be a blast! Probably get to see Memphis, maybe Tennessee, one of which will probably get the Number 1 seed. Hogs could surprise, but I am doubtful of their chances since they have to play away from Walton.

Not much else to report. We survived a week of flu, down and pretty bummed out. Now Sis next door is snifflin' with it and I just hate that. I'd rather have it myself than see my loved ones down. I hate the stuff and I hate flu season. It's the only thing that makes we wish for warm weather.

I picked up another nice art piece, this one from a local lady who is putting her brushes aside after 70-plus years. She's so talented and so nice to call and invite us over to make a selection. What an honor and she was so happy that I love art so much. Once you have these nice originals around, you are lost without them. The new one hangs nicely in the green room where our guests spend the night.

Must run. I'm glad I had time to update the blog so Triple L up in the hills won't be fussin' at Peanut about my laziness.

That's all for this time, til' next time, thanks for your time.