It's Thursday! Today you get three!

"Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river." ~ Cordell Hull

"He who postpones the hour of living is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses." ~ Horace, 65 - 8 BC

"In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time." ~ Leonardo da Vinci

1:) ~ a thought~ a memory~~~ Happy Thursday! At least I hope today brought you happiness. It has been extremely hot here today. You know that sweltering kind of hot that makes you want to find a slow moving; deep; Icy cold river and jump in head first. Then after a loud squeal that says.." Man this water is cold!!!"... Just relax and float along with the current for a while until you cool off. You will need a few things to do this though.. an inner tube if you can't swim... something to drink.. a six pack of coke ties just fine to the inner tube... something to eat if you plan to stay very long or if you are bringing the young uns. You might want some towels too and in some cases even a change of clothes. It Pays to have at least one Gator watcher.. That is the guy that stands on the shore and watches to be sure no alligators come your way...

~Dave and used to take turns pulling Gator watching duty when the kids were little. We'd pack up the kids and the fishing poles and a lunch... That was usually some sandwiches and what ever we had to drink in the fridge.. we might have some cheese puffs and some home made cookies or even a pound cake to take along too. The guys would dig bait out by the barn while me and Jenny got the food together.. Her job was to empty all the ice trays into the big old cooler while I poured cool-aid into empty drink bottles... We'd make everyone a couple of sandwiches and pack up towels for everyone.. Emily would get cold and shiver till her teeth chattered so she also had to have dry clothes and a shirt with long sleeves..


Pulling in to Little Hell I always scanned the crowd. We knew most of the folks there. They had all been there since sometime the night before.. Some even stayed down there almost every week-end during the summer... they even left their tents up the whole week sometimes... Lots of times someone would offer us a meal down there... I ate the best catfish stew I ever tasted down there on the bank of little hell..

~ But back to where I scanned the crowd ~ I was always on the look out for someone that was just a little too drunk or maybe a tiny bit ticked off. I didn't want to see anyone get hurt.. I had kids with me... Me and Dave almost always had at least one kid along.. They all loved Little Hell.... We would pick us out a spot and set the cooler down.. I would set myself down with some crochet and take the first watch for Gators. Dave would swim out to tread water under the big tree.. He would wait there under that big old leaning tree treading water and standing ( or treading) Gator watch while our children joined in the long line waiting to take their turn on the rope... Cooper was always the first to go... he'd walk up the tree trunk as far out as he could and then reach way out with his skinny little arms and swing and sway out over the water hanging on for dear life.. sometimes he would make three swings over Dave before he would let go.. he was always way out in the river and Dave would swim out and meet him as Cooper swam to him.. Emily was next and she would yell for Dave on her way down.. It was almost as if she just jumped from the tree... she would let go of the rope and yell "DAVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE" as soon as her feet left the board nailed to the jumping off point! David would make a decent swing.. He didn't need Dave he told us once but we didn't listen and Dave was always there when he fell into the water.. Jenny would swing a few times and then come and sit by me.. I remember the day I realized she was growing up.. and yes... even away from me and her Daddy.... I think she was about thirteen then and so pretty....

I reckon it's the sweltering heat that makes one remember things like swimming in the river.. drinking from the flowing well there and not even caring if the icy water is clean.... I hope my children realize how lucky they were that we carried them to the river and that they had me watching for snakes and Gators and Dave there to catch them all as they fell... I realize that he and I were also Lucky to have them to share it with.. If not for them we might have been one of the ones people steered clear of.. the ones I looked for when I scanned the crowd.... The ones the Gators wouldn't eat... I am thankful for those times.. I might pack me up some cool-aid and a baloney sandwich and head down to the river any day now!

2:) a Haiku~ read carefully and think.. let me know what you think is going on in this haiku...
and No a Shepherd does not carry a WHITE CANE!

Summer Storm

white cane thump; thumping
he tries to outrun the rain~
I roll up my hose

written By: Patricia Sawyer
6-4-2009


3:) A Picture that I love!!!
























As I walked along behind Dave and His Only Aunt.... Aunt Ruth... I couldn't help but think how wonderfully Lucky I am to have a big family.. Dave hadn't seen Aunt Ruth in many many years and yet just look how alike they are.. Both with their hands shoved down in their pockets... walking in step.. talking quietly together as I tagged along behind them making secret pictures..

There ya go three things I have shared with you today.. three for Thursday! I hope you have enjoyed today's blog! I hope you had a great Thursday! Blessings to all!
Patsy

Walking Distance!

"Writing is like walking in a deserted street. Out of the dust in the street you make a mud pie."
~ John LeCarre

"All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

" Everywhere is walking distance~ if you have the time." ~ Steven Wright

Years ago when I bought my first computer from an auction. I would go into a poetry chat room.
It didn't take too long for even me to figure out that there wasn't much poetry writing going on in there! I did however "meet" a few people who actually did write when not involved in the room drama. (Drama being a nice word!) One of them still sends me quotes sometimes to write from. The third quote above is his latest quote gift to me. Thanks John!

When we were kids we had almost everything we might need in walking distance. Aunt Lucy and two Uncles~ Emmett and Oneal. Grandma Blacks house and the store. The pond and the woods. We would take long walks through the woods, coming out at the Railroad tracks. I remember one time in particular that Jimmy and Frank found an old Ice box someone had dumped in the woods and we all went to see it. It was a beautiful old wooden ice box. Aluminum lined the inside. It had Wonderful carvings on the front doors. We intended to tote it home but when we tried to carry it; it fell into pieces there in the woods. I remember walking home following behind Mama and Daddy and being happy that they were holding hands. I skipped along, catching up to hold mama's other hand myself. I remember that they were talking about an ice box that one of the Grandma's had owned long before then.

Later after I got grown I often walked from Barnwell out to Mama and Daddy's house or to Grandma's to spend the day. Me and 'Tricia would get together and "play" beauty shop. Me and Anthony walking to her house, stopping by the store on the way to grab us a Pepsi to share. I'd walk to Trudy's house almost every day. We walked to the library at least once a week and I guess even then everything I needed was with-in walking distance.

I still like to walk. I mostly just walk around my own property line now unless I decide to go all out and make a trip across the lake and back.Walking is good for your body and I believe good for your spirit as well.

I am posting today the poems I wrote from the Quote that was a gift to me. The third one I wrote for a contest that used the same quote but had to be written with only 15 words! Again I say thanks John! Please take a walk when you get the chance. Maybe just a walk around in the mall. Or Maybe you know of a nice park to walk in. Or you can come here and walk with me and Mason through our Pines! Have a great day!
Patsy

Angel Walking

I rode passed him slow
thinking how extremely
green were his eyes.
Frightened that I could see
their Beautiful color from so far.
I drove on.

Finding a spot I turned around.
Driving by again and again.
Searching his green eyes for a sign.
Looking for wings. Seeing no sign.
Seeing no wings. Shaken and afraid.
I drove on.

Thoughts of Angels walking
filled my heart and head.
would I be blessed by stopping.
But fear also ruled. Might I just be
found dead in the ditch by a passer by?
I drove on.

I made the turn for one last ride by.
give me a sign I shouted I'm human.
Even in believing I doubted. I looked
up and down for miles on that road.
Here was my sign. The Angel was gone.
I drove on.

written by: Patricia Sawyer
10-31-2008

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In Walking Distance

Home all day alone.
Bored.Me and him.
Him just two.
We walked this town over.
Visiting friends and sisters too.
There was nowhere too far.
We had learned to like to walk,
you see, For we didn't own a car.
Sometimes a little change we'd have
for a soda we would share.
A sweet pay phone call to Mama
if there was a quarter spare.
We haunted the local librarian
reading all her books.
He'd hide behind the front hall stairs
when she gave us funny looks.
We prayed in all the Churches.
Waiting out the Rain.
The last drops still dropping
and off we'd go again.
To the Lake for a swim
he loved it best down there.
He'd shake in the sunshine
his golden curly hair.
Everywhere in walking distance,
we had plenty of time.
Some days we walked by his plan
Some days we walked by Mine
He's all grown up now. A Man.
Doing things in his own ways.
I just hope that he remembers
That His Mama can walk for days!

written By: Patricia Sawyer
10-31-2008

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Walking to Grandma's

Cook up peas and Okra.
Rice is nice.
Halfway there sunrise.
Joining you for Lunch.

written By: Patricia Sawyer
10-31-2008