Bluegrass in the Heartland

Our old threashers group here in Shelby County held their 1st annual bluegrass festival this past weekend. Seven different local bands showed up and played a lot of good music for those attending. They had a fish fry saturday night as a fund raiser, as the festival was free to the public.
I've always been a music lover. Bluegrass being one of the styles I like to listen to. I think this will get bigger each year. X.

Big Charlie!

That's what everyone called my grandad White, my dads father. He was 6' 5" and weighed about 260 in his prime. My mothers family were short in stature, so I ended up a little stunted at 6' 3".
I wasn't as close to him as my other grandad but was always in awe of him and had much respect for the man that he was.
He worked for the Missouri highway dept. most of his life. Dad likes to tell about how grandad spent his first winter pulling people out of mudholes on highway 36 that goes thru this area. That was in the 30's and the highway wasn't much more than a dirt and gravel road at the time.
Then there was the time Grandad had his state truck blocking the road. An Irate driver pulled up behind him and got out to give him a peice of his mind. As soon as Big Charlie stepped out of his truck, the guy just said "nevermind" and went back to his car.
He was a jolly character. Always had Milky Way candy bars and plenty of bottles of Coke on hand when any of us grandkids came to visit. I think that's where I got my addiction to both of those goodies.
As you can see he was a veteran. Fought in WW1. The White family has always been strong supporters of the United States. My ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War.
Big Charlie was always at the American Legion dances helping out on saturday nights. He even drug me along a few times. Provided some colorful entertainment for a young lad.
X.

Total meltdown

What is going on with Blogger. Can't comment on anyone elses blog. It keeps signing me out.

Garden, Rain, and Locusts, Locusts, Locusts!!!

Our garden has been doing good so far. We have had quarter inch rains about once a week up until last night. We had a good one and half inches which really soaked up the ground.
This is a locust year apparently. They are coming out of the ground every where. They don't appear to be the noisey kind as I've not heard any buzzing from them yet. X

New Greenhouse

Here are a few pictures of Gi Gi's new greenhouse. I built it over the raised table that I have shown pictures of previously. Needs shingles on the back roof, painting and a few more pieces of plywood on the outside. She got some windows from her sister who had put new ones in thier home. The top two are sliding glass doors. X.

Somethings Fishy

It's been kind of crappie the last few days. X.

Walnuts!!

One of the saddest things that happened
was when Sam hired that ol' Frank Beasley
to clear one acre in the back corner of his land
next to the crick.
Sam ain't over it yet.

He had spent days walkin' out a path
for the bulldozer that wouldn't take down any trees,
or dig up the dirt so bad he couldn't put it back.
The trees let him know it was OK, they trusted him.
Sam knew Frank's pretty mean, but he does good work
for a fair price.

After Sam lead him around the twisted path
marked out with pieces of old bandanna,
he watched as the dozer piled trees in one corner,
makin sure the ones he wanted to save
didn't get hurt.
When it started gettin dark,
Beasley said he'd be back tommorrow to finish up.

After lunch the next day, Sam went to town
to price fencing, chickens, and hogs.
Took him most of the day to pick'em up
when everything was ready.

When he got home, there was the Caterpillar back on it's trailer,
and Frank standin' there with a bill in his hand.
Sam went ahead and paid the eight hundred
cause the man said he had to get on to his next job.
It wasn't until he had sighed with satisfaction
at his new, clean corner that he noticed the three black walnuts
the old bastard had knocked down
tryin' to find his way back out.

By Vol Lindsey