Short Road

The road of life is short.  We start out as energetic youngsters and wind up as people so worn out they need help walking.  All that happens between the beginning and the end gets lost in the daily hustle and bustle.  The only constant is our faith in our Lord and Savior.  Thank God He stays with us throughout the journey.

Stidio Shed

I just wanted to post some of these photos of my shed I purchased from Randal Rathel.  In the near future I am going to try and carve an alligator with a chainsaw to go on the deck.  The inside corner is for Indian Crossing, some of my artifacts and a few good Indians.  That is my security system, Starbuck.  He wouldn't harm a fly unless it was to protect me or Sheila Miller Sims.  Then his fury would come out.  The toilet paper on the easel is for wiping brushes, some of you thought it might be for...  I digress, maybe I should hold that for five more minutes.  Sheila and I insulated the walls and ceilings, wired electrical and installed the windows on the back.  I at one time painted in the house, but it was a strain to keep from making a mess.  Now I can relax, listen to gospel 91.3 at full blare

and carve with wood chips up to my ankles.  Then just sweep.  Also Starbuck could not go upstairs to be with me in the room there.  Now he can go in and out, bark at coyotes and then fall asleep on his bed.
     Bob is waiting for his peppermint and his feed.  He is like me, on the upper edge of age and hard to get around.

Life Circle

The two women are looking forward to their past.  The girl is marching forward to her future, which is behind her.  16x20 inch oil on stretched canvas.

Walking Stick

another carved cedar walking stick(staff) I have been working on.

J C'S ACCOUNT

CHAPTER THREE
     A big football game was going on tonight and on the way home from school, Davey cut across the square to watch the homecoming parade.  As he walked through the crowd he saw a group of students riding in the parade on an old convertible.  For some reason he could never figure out, he decided to place his foot under the rear wheel.  Idiocy sometimes takes control of a human, not just the young ones.  As the wheel rolled over his foot, the pain was surprising.  He never expected that.  What was worse, was that one of the girls riding on the car saw what he did and laughed at him.  The embarrassment of being thought stupid was much worse than the pain.  Davey limped away into the crowd and headed home.  No running this time and for a while to come.  The girl was not the only one to see Davey lose his brains.  Dave was also watching.
     Something about Davey was interesting to Dave.  He decided to keep an eye on him for some time.  For the next few days Dave waited at the square to observe him.  Nothing unusual that he could see, but every day Davey would go into the dilapidated shop between Miss Mary's hot dog stand and the feed store.  Watching from the window, Dave could see he was up to no good.  After a couple of days, Dave followed him into the store.   When Davey finished his transaction at the counter and walked out, Dave took over.  "You know that kid is stealing you blind, don't you?"
     "Yes sir, boss."
     Dave was shaken to his feet.  The man did not look familiar, but the voice was unmistakable.  "Doesn't that bother you?"
     "No Dave, you know that was you, don't you?"
     "I knew there was something about that kid."  "But why doesn't his stealing bother you?"
     "Before a certain age all are innocent and their transgressions are added to J C' S account and he has paid in full."
     "Who is this J C?"
     "Jesus Christ" was the matter of fact answer.  "You know that you can charge onto this account also Dave."
      "You know my name for some reason, so you also know that I am far from innocent and way too old to claim youthful offender status."
     "You can receive this gift, regardless of what you have done, simply by asking for Jesus to come into your life."  "Do you want it Dave?"
     For years God had been chipping away at Dave's heart of stone with a sledge hammer and a chisel.  It had been a difficult task.  Stone and scar tissue covered it up as if it were steel.  After decades, a small crack appeared .  Just large enough for Jesus to run his finger into and reach the tender part.  As soon as He touched it, Dave's heart exploded, sending millions of fragments of sin in every direction away from God.  Dave shouted as he was filled with the Holy Ghost.
     "Yes, yes, yes" said Dave as he fell to his knees.

J C'S ACCOUNT

CHAPTER TWO CONCLUSION
    
     Dave was awakened from a fitful sleep by a grey squirrel dropping acorns on top of the truck.  The sun had been up just a little while and the dew was still heavy on the ground.  He was in a crap mood, wondering about the old man.  Maybe it was just a dream.  Feeling better at that, he climbed back into the cab of the truck and pulled back onto the road.  He did not have a travel plan, but something was pulling him back to his hometown.  As he rounded the curve he saw a dog standing in the road.  Normally Dave would gun the motor and run him over.  However this time he jerked the wheel so as to avoid hitting the animal.  He hit the edge of the road, the front tire hit a large hole and he bumped his head pretty hard on the steering wheel.  "What the hell is wrong with me?' he muttered out loud.  "I don't care about running over a dog, all they have to do is eat, crap and stay out of the way."  He pulled over and checked his tires.  Everything was good except for his headache, and  it was hurting pretty good.  The dog trotted away not knowing it should be grateful for the change coming over Dave.
     As the steep hills gave way to gentle slopes, he pulled over into the parking lot of a small truck stop.  He need was hungry and needed to relieve himself.  His headache was worse, but he knew he would feel better after he ate.  As he sat in the stall he could hear people coming and going.  Everyone was in a good mood and exchanged greetings as they passed.  Dave sat up straight as he heard an old man respond to a question of if he felt all right that morning.  "Yes sir, boss." was his reply.  Dave rushed to finish, but when he walked out the rest room was empty.
     When he entered the café, he kept looking around for the old man, but it was futile.  Even with all this anxiety the eggs and grits were pretty good.  He had a good bit of cash left from his last con and was not in a hurry to leave.  He decided he would stick around for a while and search for this old man.

J C'S ACCOUNT

CHAPTER TWO

     Dave looked down at the woman he had just picked up at Larry's bar.  He could see the fear in her eyes as he tightened his grip around her neck.  Her face swelled, turned blue and her struggle stopped.  As she passed out a strange feeling of compassion and remorse took over him.  Stunned, he released her.  He had not had a conscience for as long as he could remember.  He had done some terrible things over the years and nothing had ever bothered him.  Murder was one of the things he had never done.  He had just reached his limit of evil.  Realizing that the woman was still breathing , he dressed in a hurried but deliberate pace.  No one in this town knew him and if he left now he would be in the clear.
     Walking out the door, he could hear the woman groaning and coughing to regain her breath.  With a sigh of relief, he walked to the white truck and drove off.  Dave was a loner and never had any friends.  He made his living by swindling, gambling and often times stealing.  He never stayed in any spot too long, to avoid getting caught.  Nothing had ever bothered, but this feeling of remorse was worrying him.  It was a new concept and he was having a hard time trying to figure out what was happening to him.  As he drove out of town, the street lights on the two lane road soon ended and he was in the dark except for the dim headlights of his truck.
     After a couple of miles he saw his lights reflecting off a vehicle in the distance.  As he approached he could see the elderly man standing beside his truck waving him down.  Dave knew the old truck was in trouble by the way the man acted.  Normally he would slow down and assess the ion to see if he could benefit from the situation.  If not, he would just drive on by.  Something about this situation was different. The old man smiled at Dave as if he knew that Dave would stop.
     "Need help" Dave asked rhetorically.
     "Yes sir, boss." was his reply.
     Dave was impressed by the majesty in the old man's answer. 
     "Looks as if it is done for the night."   
     "Yeah, but if you could take me down the road to next town I would appreciate it."  "I'll be glad to pay you." he added.
     "Get in, the ride is free."
     As they drove off, Dave felt at ease with the old man.
     "Why do you drive a truck?"  asked the old man.
     Before he answered, Dave thought about this question.
     "Why do you ask?" asked Dave.
     The old man gazed at Dave intently and replied, "You are a strong, virile and simple man, I would think you would want to impress the ladies."
     It was a shock for Dave to hear this and he answered with the truth.  "Well, I live a life of crime and hate and don't want to draw the attention of the police."
     "Is that all?"
     Again Dave was taken aback by the question.  This caused him to tell even more of the truth.  "The truck allows easier access to grab people.  I can ease up to them without arousing suspicion.  Potential victims let their guard down when they see a middle-aged man drive up in a truck."  Dave confessed.  He felt at ease confessing to this old man.
     "Do you ever regret the things you have done?"
     Dave was confused.  "Never until tonight.  I don't know what has come over me."
     "Dave you have wasted your life and destroyed others in the process."  "Perhaps it is time to change."
     At this Dave slammed on the brakes and turned to the old man shouting  "How did you know my name!"    
     He was shocked to see the old man had disappeared.