Fitness and foolish stubborness combined for an awakening in a predawn beach walk run
Stunning
Chapter 23
Success is blooming like the fruit trees, but an early frost foreshadows a bitter harvest. 1980
Take a picture of this,
this is me leaving
Take a picture of this,
this is me walking away –
Don Henley Take a Picture of This Don Henley – Cass County
Stunning
“Good Morning Carol, it is nice to be here again. Even nicer to be working with a real budget we should end up with some great photos. “
“Good morning, Zeph. How did you get your name?”
“My father loved trains, I’m Zephyr actually.”
“Better choice than the El Capitan or the Super Chief.”
“Yes, I have come to love Zeph. We will be doing some video; the new cameras are easy to carry. The re-issued book “The Bountiful Earth in Photos” is doing well. Stephen got an advance for a second book and we are contracted to document your farm in photos, videos, and interviews. The new book will have many photos but there may be a documentary. Are you ready to tolerate us imposing on your bucolic lifestyle again?”
“I don’t know if the book itself has helped our sales, but we got some local press coverage. They went in just before our Fall season, Lizzie was busier than a fissicked Woodpecker. I have been trying to add some colloquialisms. I can tolerate some inconvenience for the increased sales.”
“Pam is my assistant and she will be out here soon. She is the best to develop the right light, framing, and she has gotten the hang of these new video cameras. She says tripods, tripods, and proper light. I hope her being here is fine.”
“Sounds like she has the talents you need. We may get a feature in one of the national farm magazines. I will give them your name when they call next week. Ruth says Lizzie already believes she’s a model now that her photo went into the illustrated book and was in the paper. Maybe they can buy and run your photos and I won’t have to put up with another group interrupting work. “
“Speaking of models, Carol you are the one selling this book. You are tall, blonde, and beautiful. The cover photo of you just being yourself carrying that basket of apples makes everyone pick it up. “
“Zeph, it was a basket of peaches. I use my strength and body to work hard here, I use my mind to crunch the numbers and calculate the risks, and if my long gangly frame and blonde hair are in style… I am unsure, but if it makes the work of my mind and body a success, OK. “
“The weather is supposed to be great; we should be able to make Parker Produce look like the Garden of Eden.”
“Photos don’t show the thorns, bugs, or snakes. You create the illusion and we will try to come as close as possible in the real world. Being in the farm magazine will twist old man Grisham’s balls.”
“Carol! I have to ask?”
“Grisham is this old grouchy snot, who is almost as big a deal as he thinks he is in the county. Grandpa Parker was on the Soil and Water Conservation Board for several years. The board had a vacancy, and someone suggested me. Grisham laid into a diatribe. Women should know their place. It wasn’t proper for me to be here working like a man. He wasn’t going to allow any feminist Hanoi Jane on a farm committee, he was sure my big-time lawyer Daddy would grow tired of throwing money away on me, and I would run back to a commune with my lesbo sisters. He had lost his son because of those Yippie/hippie filth. He wouldn’t have the likes of me on anything. I would be gone before next Spring, anyway.”
“Not a supporter of the ERA, I would guess?”
“He said it all in open meeting on the record. They amended the official record, but it’s a rural community, everyone heard about it. As gossip went around some heard even wilder speculation. Max Greene is friends with the Board’s secretary, he was taking it all down. He gave Max a copy unofficially, thought I would want to know the actual from the rumored version.”
“Don’t know what to say about these bumpkins.”
“They are good people and very ingenious. There are always a few bigots some of them very prominent in the community. The odd thing Grisham’s son wasn’t actually killed in Vietnam. He was stationed in Germany. He was killed at a club or on the way to the base. Max said no one knows for sure. He says it involved something off base that no one talked about it. Yes, I hope I’m in that big farm magazine. I want Grisham to feel it right where my boot would be if he were standing here.”
“Miss Carol, I believe I will get to work. Lizzie has got me calling you that now.”
“She’s from Tennessee, it sounds natural to her, just not me.”
“I should move, I somehow feel less safe standing here now. I think that is Pam’s station wagon. We’ll make you and Parker Produce dazzle for that farm magazine and the book of course.”
“Thank you, Zeph, I can control myself. Just because you got them doesn’t mean I’m going to kick them.” Carol got in her truck and headed out to the new orchard. They had taken another small field out of crop for apples and a row of peaches. Max had joked maybe I could do better keeping the deer away from the apples than he did from the corn.
-
“Hey Lizzie, I brought you lunch. Zeph said they would be here at the market until 1 or so.”
“Thank you, Ruthie, I feel like an actor, they told me how to stand and move, it was fun. Miss Pam is one sharp cookie. She said she was glad to get to see the farm. It was obvious that Stephen would fall for Miss Carol. Pam said once she saw the photos of the farm and Carol she understood. She had picked the photos for the first book. She wanted to make this next book as successful as possible, as she would get half the royalties on this one, but not another.”
“Lizzie why is Pam getting half the royalties on the second book?”
“It was part of the divorce agreement when her first marriage broke up. Seems folks just quit these days too easy. Why Mabel Collins: she finally laid out her husband with a good ole Griswold skillet, he had beat her so many times. He straightened up after that and they was married still when I left the hills. “
“Lizzie who did Pam divorce? Lizzie.”
“Oh Pam, Pam was Stephen’s first wife. She said she was young and foolish; she was glad Miss Carol had let her come do this shoot. She said she was talented and the whole project would do better for her being here. But some women wouldn’t want her here anyway. Zeph had told her Miss Carol was a special woman and I couldn’t agree more. I had so much fun helping make those artistic shots of the arrangements around here. “
“Lizzie, Pam is Stephen’s first wife?”
“Yes, and Zeph said so, they wouldn’t be making it up. Miss Carol is real sharp I figured she wanted the good advertising and could overlook an old left behind bundle of soiled britches. “
“Lizzie I was going ask you to not say a word, but I want you to take Della home in my truck. Watch her and start supper for us. JB said he’d be home after six. He had to finish that tractor for the Coopers today. I will be home by then. “
“Cousin Ruthie, Miss Carol knows all about Miss Pam, doesn’t she?”
“I don’t know, but this would not be the time to find out from some blabber mouth.”
“Ruthie I can keep a secret.”
“Take Della and go home, I’ll tell you more tonight.”
“How you gettin home?”
“I’ll ride Jimbo, now go home.” Ruth flipped the sign over to ‘gone for a while’. She walked to the barn and saddled up Jimbo. She found Zeph and Pam in the West orchard. They had taken some extreme close ups of leaves and beginning fruit and a blooming tree. Now they were set up taking longshots back to the house and building. They loved that Ruth had ridden to them and they had several shots of her on horseback. They asked her to pose with Jimbo and come riding back at them again. They wanted to go up by the house and barn and take various shots of Ruth on her horse,
“Before we go up to the house, I need to ask you something.”
“Sure, Cousin Ruthie” as they both laughed.
“Yes, Lizzie is a chatterbox. I learned about your divorce settlement from her.”
Pam grimaced, “Yes I wouldn’t have said anything, but she was just jabbering on and the next thing I knew I was explaining why I would do such a good job on this project. I shouldn’t ramble on about it.”
“I want you both not to say anything about a divorce, first marriage, or a settlement. I do not know what Carol knows about any of your past with Stephen, but I know she doesn’t know you are sharing this advance and royalties.”
“Stephen does not enjoy the unpleasant realities of life, and he imagines them away. It would be best just to never get into the topic. Carol is probably not wanting to know details or more then she does “- Pam speculated.
“I’m going to ask Lizzie to fill in for me tomorrow. I’ll get the team out in morning. I’m sure you will want some photos of them. They are very impressive aren’t they Zeph?”
“Yes impressive, as in frightening, impressed to immobility.”
“If Zeph could take photos of Carol at the market tomorrow, JB and I can take you to the lake, to a covered bridge, and a couple of those old iron truss bridges. People often are wanting to paint or photograph them. We can hook the trailer to the truck and take Jimbo. I think he’d look perfect coming out of the covered bridge. “
“Yes, that would be great and help in expanding the beauty and history of this place. I like that idea. Zeph believes Stephen will be out tomorrow. I’d be just as happy if Zeph finishes shots at the market and house. I could slip on home without seeing Stephen, it would be better for both of us. “
“OK good we can go up to the house. You want me to carry some of your stuff?”
“No, we can pack it, see you at the house.” Ruth mounted and rode up to the house. hearing camera clicks. A few shots of a woman riding home if not into the sunset.
-
Carol came driving in, she had agreed with Zeph to do an interview on the porch. Ruth helped Carol get some iced tea and lemonade out. Carol had some cookies to add as well. She did a quick clean up and came out wearing that black western style blouse Ruth had bought for her at the rodeo. Carol looked very cowgirl in her jeans and long boots. Sam decided to park himself at her feet once he sniffed both Zeph and Pam. He seemed uninterested in the camera and audio recording device they had set up.
Pam said “I’m going to take some stills while Zeph does the interview. Please just ignore me. Ruth said she would meet me at the barn in the morning and hitch the team up. Then she and JB are going to take me to some scenic bridges. Zeph will be at the market in the morning to finish the shoot. Oh, Ruth after I get in my car I’m going to drive over to the market. Could you ride Jimbo down the lane and over to the market I would like to take a series of photos. “
“I’ll be glad to ride over; I need to close everything up tonight anyway.”
“After that I’ll leave and see everyone again in the morning.”
Carol added, “Yes, Gotham has a bat mobile and we have a beast mobile. “
Zeph spoke up, “yours is far scarier.”
“Ruth are you riding Jimbo home? I didn’t see your truck.”
“Yes, I sent Lizze home with Della. Danny is coming to drive the team tomorrow.”
“Is he wearing that god-awful cowboy outfit, again?”
“Danny idolizes Porter Waggoner.”
“OK but it looks ridiculous out here.”
“I am going to take Jimbo over to water when you get down to the market. Pam. I’ll start ridin him down the lane., Good night everyone.”
Pam very stealthily got some great shots of Carol as Zeph got her to talk about coming here as a girl and what it was like to start a business on the family farm. She walked to her car and waved at Ruth and drove to the market. Ruth closed everything up. She walked over to Pam who still had her camera.
“You take a lot of photos.”
“Never know which one captures the best story until you start developing them.”
“JB and I will meet you up by the barn in the morning, is 8 o’clock OK?”
“I’m just going to that little motel loading film and getting ready for tomorrow, eight will be fine.”
“I’m surprised you would come even with your half interest; it must make you feel uneasy.”
“I’m the best at this. If the documentary is made, it could lead to a good connection on other projects. I am all in this for me. Portraying a great story about Carol and her farm is what will make me known as a woman with her own talents.”
“Morning then, I’ll pack a picnic lunch and we’ll enjoy some of my favorites spots here.” Ruth rode home, it was to the East, but the afternoon sun cast some great shadows which were very popular in the book. One won Pam a first at an important competition.
photo gui
