Wednesday, June 27, 2012

New Tahoe

The new car for the city of Ashford's fire department is a new Tahoe.  We lettered it with gold backed up with black and a red reflective stripe.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Dawson Depot

sixteen feet by eight feet mural painted for Dawson Downtown beautification Board.


Monday, June 11, 2012

East L A

Here in East L A(Lower Alabama),
as they drink not from their mama,
the gators relax in the shade
against the trees
with their backs
and without saying please
the man slaps a tax
on everything
perhaps the man
from the tree should swing
as the gator drinks from the can

Friday, June 8, 2012

Cows, Cowboys and Cops

     Even at the best of times, the teen age years are a disaster.  Such was the case of Natalie.  When she turned fifteen, she lost her mind.  The crowd that she started running with were all operating without a brain also.  Her attitude went from bad to extremely bad.  This put a lot of stress on Sheila and I for we could do nothing with her.To her a curfew was a joke, something not to be concerned with.  After spending many sleepless nights waiting on the front porch we were despondent. I guess we soon got used to her behavior and would go to bed a little earlier.
     The summers in south Alabama are notorious for being hot and humid.  Sometimes the air gets so thick that it is a struggle just to breathe in a little air.  The humidity is so thick that sweat just sits on  your skin.  The only way to get it off is to wipe with a towel and the exertion of wiping, just makes you sweat more.  Occasionally the nights are cool with a soft breeze blowing.  After the heat of the day, this is a refreshing change.  This July night was just such a one.  It was late when we went up stairs and cool enough that we raised the windows to let the night air in.  The gentle breeze was blowing just enough to move the curtains ever so slightly.
     We were so tired and the night air was so comfortable, that we drifted off into a deep sleep.  Around two o'clock in the morning I heard a strange noise outside.  It had to be different to wake me up.  "Moo ma, moo ma, moo ma".  I could hear it in the front of the house, then on the back.  There were no windows on the side of the house, so all that I could hear there was a muffled noise.  As I slowly awakened, I could tell that it was the same noise, just moving around the house, and pretty fast at that.  I was tired and in a deep sleep, so I thought that I was dreaming.  Sheila finally awakened and yelled "What?"  She thought that Natalie had come home drunk and could not get in.  She assumed that it was her yelling moo ma, moo ma.  She rushed over to the window and looked down.  What she saw in the bright moonlit night angered her.  "What are you doing?" she demanded. 
      "Trying to catch our cows." the young man answered.
     Then the whole picture came in.  Up on the road, the cops had their cars parked, lights flashing and directing traffic.  There were three cows running around the house with the young calf close behind, bellowing "moo ma."  Behind the calf were two men trying to catch the four bovines.  By the time I got my pants on and got downstairs, the activity had moved to the barn.  My neighbor had gotten a rope on one of the cows.  As he and the cows rested, he wrapped the rope around his wrist.  Just as everyone was settling down, the horsed, who had been watching from the shadows, came up to the fence by the barn. 
     One of them snorted or broke wind and the loud noise busted the peace.  I could see by the eerily green glow of the mercury vapor light on the barn.  Two men, four cows and four horses all fighting for relief.  All of this seeped into my mind as I watched the man tied to the cow.  She bolted and he was a limp rag doll, pulled through several small trees.  How he kept his hand from being pulled off was a mystery.  When the cow stopped, he sheepishly pulled himself up off the ground.  Using a small sapling as a pull up point, he was careful not to spook the cow again.  There was blood and torn skin on every exposed part of his body.  His clothes were torn loose and only the belt kept his pants up.  He smiled an embarrassed smile and one of his teeth was dangling.  I am sure he would have cried if no one else was around.
     We helped him herd his cows home just as dawn was breaking.  In the early light, I could see that the cows were in need of food.  They must have smelled the hay stored in my barn and in desperation, they tried to get to it.  The neighbor offered everyone a cup of coffee, but I as well as the others declined.  We had to go and get some sleep.
     As I walked from the road to the driveway, I could see the barn in the soft morning light.  Natalie was standing there talking to bob.  I waved to her to come on over to where I was.  As she walked up, I asked, "Where were you last night?"
     "I went to the barn to see the horses, when I came home last night."  she replied.
     "Almost as soon as I got there, I saw the police cars."
      "Then the cows running around the house.", she continued.
     "Do you think the man is hurt bad?" Natalie asked.
     Relieved at knowing where she was, I answered "Probably not!"
     "Come on in and let's eat breakfast." 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Cedar Hawg

This little hog is a swine carved out of cedar.  The size is 12x4x3".  The knot worked out well for the snout.