Get off of my lawn

Chapter 5

Hound Pup

JB and Carol were both cracked vessels when they met in 1975. Everyone has their flaws, but neighbors are required in a rural community. You share talents, knowledge, and sometimes failings, but it all is a part of the whole fabric. A good dog always helps.

Something happening here

What is isn’t exactly clear

Young People Speaking their Minds

Hooray for our Side -

For What It’s Worth Stephen Stills

Apple Playlist -- Null Stillness – Buffalo Springfield

Get off of my lawn

“Hey Miss, what are doing on my place in that rice-eater covered with peace-nik stickers?”

“I think actually this is my place. I’m Carol Parker. You’re not some redneck insulting my pick-up, are you?”

“Sorry miss, I only seen you at the funeral, you were all dressed up then. Mr. Parker was a fine man we been neighbors a long time. Down at the shop it’s what everyone calls those foreign jobs. You going to boot me from my house?”

“I have learned you don’t pay rent, and I got bills to pay. The lawyer said you inherited the no rent deal because of your family having worked for the Parkers forever. He also said he would call you a worthless SOB, but your family was fine folks. Mr. James did say you were a good mechanic and could likely amount to something if you didn’t spend half your time drinking and fighting. I could use some one with mechanical skills I am going to start a produce farm. “

“You’re going to garden?”

“More than that if you would come fix up some of my equipment, then I could pay you in free rent. You do keep the place up quite nicely for a roustabout.”

“What’d you call me – I’m used to the worthless drunk part – that last, a rustybutt?”

“Sorry, you ever see the musical Carousel? not meaning to call you names.”

“Ma’am, my only music is Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, well in Nam Jerome got me listening to James Brown. Jerome told me I was his cultural outreach project, but I ain’t much on culture and prefer folks mind their own business. I guess this is your business, not just poking your nose where it don’t belong. I reckon I could work on stuff after work if you pay me a fair rate and don’t gouge me on the rent”

“I will make up a formal contract, so we are clear, and it is fair. You seem quite adequate not the old drunk I envisioned. Do not make fun of my truck and I’ll stop calling you names. What is your name?”

“JB ma’am and I understand how a man feels about his truck guess girls do too.”

“In the contract I’m putting in, do not call me a girl.”

“Man, you Hippie Chicks are something else.”

“I think I like Hippie Chick, stay with that” Carol drove home fuming and a little amused. What a hillbilly even if it was flat as a table where he lived. She needed a mechanic. The lawyer had said, “Donaldson boy works at the implement dealer, and everyone says he is a very good mechanic when at work. Also, everyone adds, he is drunk most of the time he isn’t at work.”

She could draw up a simple contract, having a lawyer father and brother must give her some legal sense. It didn’t appear JB was a legal scholar, fair and straightforward ought to work. Mr. James had explained what average rent might be on a country house. He also said, “renting a house in the country is a nuisance, finding a good renter is worth more than the rent. With Donaldson my advice is keep him busy. He could afford a higher rent if he wasn’t in so many fights.”

I asked, “Did he get hurt and miss work?”

Mr. James laughed for almost five minutes. “Donaldson is too much of a knothead to get hurt. No, he is broke from all the fines and restitution. I suppose he won’t fight with a girl. “

“Mr. James, I prefer not to be called a girl. I’m an adult woman.”

He chuckled, “Donaldson might fight with an adult woman, but I would run. You look like you could outrun him. He’s a Vet who came home with more demons than mechanic skills. Donaldson’s a real-life Charles Bronson a man best left alone.”


Get to work

“Carol went armed with an Extension guide for fruit trees and began measuring where new trees could go. She had found a hundred-foot tape in Eldon’s shop. Her Dad said Grandpa Eldon never liked people picking over dead people’s stuff at auctions, wanted him to let Max Greene have what he needed. Tom Parker and Max Greene worked out an arrangement; Max bought some of the bigger equipment. Thomas knew Carol was coming to the farm, they left her with a couple small tractors and a lifetime of old tools. She was walking back to the shop to put the tape where she had found it. Eldon had taught her that in her summers here. It goes where it belongs, or it won’t belong to you for long. Carol had just gotten to the lane when an old pick up truck drove in. Carol was not yet the pickup truck expert she was to become. However, she knew it wasn’t rounded enough to be a 50’s truck. It must be an early 60’s model, and it was a Ford.

“Evening Carol, this is my wife Shirley.”

“Nice to meet you, I assume I should thank you for the cookies, Gene brought over after I moved here.”

“Yes, Carol I hope you liked them. I just thought someone should welcome you back. You are one of the closest neighbors not much more than a mile as the crow flies.”

“Hard not to feel welcome with those chocolate brownie cookies. I remember them from bible school.”

“You’d be welcome at church anytime. We came to give you this pup. Gene said I shouldn’t just go giving you a pup, but I insisted you needed a good loyal dog. We brought food and a box for him to sleep in. Gene says you ought to keep him on your mud porch at night, but he’ll tag along with you during the day. A young girl like you shouldn’t be out here alone. Sam will be a great companion and protector when he grows up.”

“He is cute. What type of dog is he?”

“Sam’s a redbone hound. He’ll be a great pet, but they do love to hunt. He might wander off at night, so best keep him inside at night. He will keep you safe that way.”

“I haven’t had any problems. I rarely see a car; an owl gave me quite a shock one night. He was sitting in the big tree by the house as I walked past it.”

“It has always been safe here, but the country’s changing. No prayers in school now. As you know in big cities like Chicago, they are all full of troubles. Never know when someone might come wandering looking for trouble, even here. I got to thinking about you all alone and praying over you. It came to me you ought to have a dog. Sam here is a little small and he wasn’t wanted as much as the others. He’ll grow and may be a better tracker than the other pups. I figured you weren’t interested in coon hunting. Sammy here would be the perfect dog for you. I made Gene drive us over. “

“I don’t plan on doing much hunting. I don’t even own a gun.”

“See Gene all the more reason for Carol to have a good dog. Carol honey maybe you should consider getting a small pistol or something. There must be a shooting every night on the local TV from the Cities. “

“I think a nice dog, will be enough protection."

“We’ll drive up by the porch and let you and Sam can get acquainted.”

“I’ll put this tape back, be right up.”

“I put Sam’s box on the back porch or mud room as Grace called it. I put his food up on top of the chest freezer. Now his food is more for puppies, but he will soon be ready for regular dog food. I can bring you by a new bag in a couple of weeks, I get them at the Mill.”

“OK, I can pay you back then “- Carol began to pet the puppy while sitting on the porch step.

“You could pay me back in rhubarb, Grace always had good rhubarb patches. She would let me pick some for Shirley every year. Shirley makes a rhubarb sauce, and a strawberry rhubarb jam, well and a pie. They are all the best.”

“That sounds fair I don’t know much about rhubarb, yet. I ate it when I was visiting in the summer “-Sammy continued to relish the attention as Carol answered.

“Did you have a dog growing up, Carol?”

“No, we didn’t have pets. Mom felt a dog, or a cat would be messy. Pets are more inconvenient in the city. I did have goldfish for a while.”

“I remember Helen when she lived here. Helen was always neat as a pin. We live on the farm I grew up on. Gene is a transplant. He even went to a different school. All consolidated now Gene and I would have been in the same class now. I have known the Parkers and the Hayes all my life. What were you measuring?”

“I was marking where I could add more fruit trees west of the old trees.”

“You’re planning on being an orchard then?”

“I am and I am adding raised beds for strawberries. I want to try to be as good at raising vegetables and fruit as Grandma Grace. “

“Grace was such a fine lady; we sure lost a saint when cancer took her. She and Eldon are happy together in heaven, both fine people. I’ve read the jet planes disturb the whole air, and everyone sprays so many stinky chemicals now. Rather a wonder we all don’t get it. Here are a few treats, you should give Sammy one.”

“He is an adorable dog, here little puppy you want one of these. I think treats are a hit.”

“Vets say not to give dogs bones and table scraps like we used to, but it seems like a dog should have a bone. No chicken bones they splinter.”

“I think I like him; how big will he get?”

“He’s got some feet to grow into, but he is the smaller pup. He still should weight sixty-five pounds I would guess. He’ll be a big enough dog to back up his bark. You’ll have to get him a rabies shot, or you could get fined. He’s not old enough just yet. The Vets handle shots and a dog tag. Nobody is going to look if he has a tag out here, but the county keeps a record.”

“He is a nice-looking dog.”

“Looks like he’s found a home. You’ll be safer now and I’ll sleep better. Too many strange people I’m afraid they will start roaming through the country. Gene and I will be going now.”

“I’ll stop by in couple of weeks. Check on how you and Sam are getting along.”

“Thank you, Gene and Shirley, he sure seems to like me.”

-

"OK, pup I don’t seem to feel safer, but maybe you’ll grow into the role. You do have huge feet and big floppy ears. You are rather adorable. A coon hound, I’ve seen raccoons here maybe you can chase them off. Mom always said a dog needed room to run and the city wasn’t a place for a dog. We do have room to run, I have lots of that. You better not cost too much to keep things are running close this year. Maybe you could eat frozen corn, I seem to have a barrelful of frozen corn in the chest freezer.”






Note photo of pup from Vickie on Flickr