The old McCullough chainsaw is now silent, the crosscut is still leanin up against the wall in the shed, the ax is un-moved as is the sledge and wedges. The harness for the work team is hangin in the barn on the south wall and the team is now gone too.

What used to be a "real" workin farm is now just an old farm void of it's fromer owner. The mad died several years ago and all work in the timber stopped. He won't drag out anymore logs with the old team of Mules who he had named and were actually friends of his.

Many old timers did loggin in the off season to garner enough money to put their next years crop in. These old timers weren't afraid of hard work because they knew that if they didn't work they didn't eat! No welfare back then but then again not much taxes either. If a neighbor got sick or somehow laid up so's he couldn't work the rest of the neighborhood would pitch in and help out. About once is all they would help a slacker tho. They were good hard workin honest people but they weren't stupid!

Somewhere along the way we've lost our dignity and self respect it seems. I see young folk who just refuse to work. Too lazy? I don't know but apparently they know something that I don't.

The breath of fall is already in the air here. Lil Dumplin and I were out and about this evenin in our golf cart havin a looksee in the river bottoms. Couldn't get in there very far because of the backwaters are up--heavy rains north of us couple days ago. Noticed some birds are startin to gather in the trees, locusts are hollerin their fool heads off already. Weeds are headin out really quick now and in two days after mowin it seems it needs it again.

We are also in the last of the last days before Jesus Christ comes for His Church. The days are a lot shorter than most folks believe. old hoot. Matt.24:44

-- old hoot (oldhoot@shawneelink.net), July 11, 2003