Flashback .. Fast Forward

It Was One Hell Of A Barn Raising

rose early the next morning .. a beautiful fine Saturday

rooster crowing loud is what the hell woke me up

six a.m. barely daylight .. neighbor farmers and ranchers returned

they were serious about finishing .. raising Uncle Max's new hay barn

Uncle Max provided all the eats, drinks, beer .. evening entertainment

sawing .. hammering had begun .. hot as hell summer day

two side walls .. the other endwall were up by noon

Uncle Max sent Aunt Myrl .. mom, to town

handed several hundred dollar bills to them

said get a fifth of every name brand whiskey

ten cases of miller high life .. five blocks .. ten bags of ice

hightailing it they went .. leaving a dust plume trail high in the air

it's a mile long country gravel road in and out of uncle Max's ranch

us kids fed and rode the horses until they sweated and frothed

had to let them cool down .. Jimmy Don had an idea

tied lots of grass rope together .. lassoed a wild pony

he was dragged and cut up for a quarter of a mile before he let go

bleeding like a stuck hog .. sad tears in his eyes

I helped him hobble back to the house for some first aid

mom and Aunt Myrl drove up .. screaming what the hell happened

they doctored .. bandaged him up .. us kids were laughing

Uncle Max walked up .. he said you boys settle your asses down

the women made sandwiches for all the menfolk working

Uncle Max hid all the whiskey .. took beer to them instead

one cowboy just stood around and drank

arm in a sling .. they say he was burned badly

helping Uncle Max save the hay from the burning barn

word was Uncle Max had said, aww hell .. let the rest burn

outside, two clawfoot bathtubs .. iced down, full of beer

us kids got drunk while the menfolk worked all day

several men went to get a hog for the pit

seemed their stomachs were queasy .. badass Arlis jumped up

shot the hog twice in the head .. gutted it .. ready to be cooked

us kids had wondered why Uncle Max had us dig a deep pit

all night fire burned as we turned the big pig on a spit

neighboring farmers .. ranchers finally drank the whiskey

told the silliest jokes .. danced with one another

around and around the campfire they do-si-do

a little after daylight .. groans were heard everywhere

they all had terrible hangovers .. even us kids

through it all, the roof was on .. barn finished by noon

everyone was completely exhausted .. starving too

hamburgers, hotdogs, steak, ham, ribs .. vittles were served

every single cowboy, farmer, and rancher took a two hour nap

slowly dust rose along that old rancher's dusty gravel road

there were hand shakes .. boot scooting .. nods .. tipped hats

it was one hell of a barn raising

Copyright @ June 2014

StandingBear