Monday, October 28, 2013

Six Six Six

This is 18x24 inches, oil painted onto paper that I just finished.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Copperhead

  Yesterday Sheila and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary.  Our idea of fun is work.  We decided a couple of weeks ago that we close the shop and clean up the farm.  Last year my mom died and my two brothers and I inherited the place.  My side had  a gully at the bottom of the hill, just before you get to the creek.  During grandpa's working time, there was no garbage pickup or a junk yard for worn out farm implements.  So in the gully, out of mind.  When we unloaded the dogs, we began to pick up discarded roofing tin. Sheila had the great idea to take a couple of garden hoes to pull the tin up so we could grab it without bending.  I thought that was a wonderful idea, because snakes sometimes den under debris like that.  I did not however inform her of that.
     After a couple of hours we had that area clean, so we decided to go to the edge of woods next to the creek.  There next to a large hollow Oak was a small pile, that was covered in dirt.The dogs were sniffing around and digging at the tin.  I just thought they were after rats or chipmunks.  As soon as we started to pull dirt away and scrape the tin with the metal hoes, they left.  When Sheila screamed, I jumped.  There was a blue tailed skink about eight inches long, ran from under the tin over her feet.  After they danced for a few seconds the skink was able to break free and climbed the hollow Oak.  I thought it was funny even when Sheila threatened to whip my ass.  I returned to digging and saw something slither out from the tin to the right of me.  I will admit that it startled me.  It was an odd looking rat snake,  copper colored and no scales.  That's weird, I thought to myself and reached down to pick it up by the tail.  When I grabbed it, it shook away from my grip and went into a hole at the bottom of the tree.  Thank God for arthritic hands.
     "You stupid idiot!" Sheila exclaimed.
     "It's just a rat snake."
     "It's a snake."
     I chuckled to myself and went back to work.  Psalms 91 tells us that "thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the lion and dragon shalt thou trample under feet"
  I knew where it was and I could see it so I was not concerned.  All of a sudden a  larger one came slithering out.  I instinctively jumped back and I could see his head clearly.  It was a triangle.  I knew that it was not a moccasin, rattler or coral snake, but I knew that it was poisoness.  We decided that we did not need that piece of tin and left it laying.  I pulled the trailer out of the woods and to the top of the hill to tie the metal down.  Sheila told me, "I just realized that is a copperhead."
     I have lived for 63 years and never saw a copperhead, but I saw two yesterday, Sheila and I made several trips around the trailer adjusting the straps.  On the last trip I looked down and there was the largest pile of dog dookey that I had ever seen.  We had been all over it and never touched it.  I guess that we can trample a lot of things under feet safely.  Tomorrow we are going to get Sheila a pair of snake boots and I am going to wear mine.  Don't know what to do about picking the snakes up, regain my sanity I guess.
to read more of my life and see some of my art go to blackwhiteinthesouth.blogspot.com

Friday, October 18, 2013

Big Al


Mascot for the University of Alabama, that I carved out of cedar.  It is 12 inches tall and 6 inches wide.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Rip's Adventure (changing name to *Tom A Hawk*

"Here is a good place to rest." said Mike as he stepped through the wall.
     When they walked in behind him, they could see that it was just a hole in the wall.  Partly because of the small size and partly because of the sign above the bar, "The Hole in the Wall Saloon".   Tom was overjoyed to finally be able to sit down and rest.  He was going to order a Jack Daniels and coke.  He did not look up when the waitress walked over.  "Tom, Tom A Hawk, is that you?"  she asked.
     Tom looked up and saw the most beautiful sight ever created.  A young Indian maid, bright red skin, long black hair, braided on each side of her lovely face.  Her big dark eyes and slender figure that made even the red skinned Tom blush even brighter.  Tom was speechless, taken aback by this beautiful sight.  It was his beloved Red bud, that had been killed by a bear, years ago.  Jumping up, he grabbed her, pulled her close and squeezed and squeezed.
     "Tom, let me breathe,"  she laughed.
     "I have missed you for so long."  he said, with tears streaming down his face.  "I wanted to die after you were gone."
     "I know, I could see you for a while, but then I had to go.  I thought I would never see you again.
     Tom and Red bud grabbed a table in the back, talked, and held each other for a long while. Rip, Orson, Mike and Jack the Ripper sat in silence and drank a lot of Jack Daniels.  So much had happened over the last few days that the bourbon had little effect on them.  Jack was feeling remorse for what he had done in White Chapel.  The guilt was eating him alive, but what bothered him even more was knowing that he would do it again.
     Rip was missing his home in the Dutch Hills country in Pennsylvania.  What wonderful yarns he could spin when he returned.  Orson was keeping a journal of the events as they happened.
  When the door opened, Mike slumped down in his seat and hid behind his glass.  Rip, Orson and Jack followed suit.  They knew if Mike was apprehensive, there was good reason.  The figure that walked in was not that impressive.  Small of stature, bent over at the waist, supporting himself with a crooked staff.  His white hair and beard, just barely visible under the black hood of the long black robe, cinched together with a serpent that was tied into a bow in the front.  He barely raised his cold black eyes as he looked for a place to sit, knowing he could sit anywhere he wanted.  There was a dark heavy cloud over his head that blocked out the already dim light of the bar.
     Tom, who was unaware of the new patron, was surprised by the sudden darkness.  "Hey, who turned out the lights?"  he shouted in a booming voice.
     The old man stopped in his tracks, casting his deadly gaze in Tom's direction.  Thunder and lightening erupted from the cloud.