There's something in the air

Hi folks!

Well it's finally officially Spring. Oh I don't mean by the calendar. It's been Spring for some time now according to that. Never put to much trust in any particular date for that sort of stuff. Don't put to much stock in the prognostication of any ground marmot either for that matter. Yeah ifn that critter was really accurate, Winter would have been over sometime in mid-March instead of hangin on 'til some part of April. Yeah, what with the wind and storms and even some late snow, it's been pretty darn interestin around these parts the last few weeks or so. Course it's calmed right down now that we're getting closer to May.

Like I said, I knows that it was really Spring t'other day. Had a sign I trust more than any other for that sort of thing. I was out on South Creek Road diving back from the Wallace place. William lives out there with his entire family; his wife Betsy, his sons Bill and Arnie, and his daughter Mary Sue. Well it seems William went and broke his leg last Thursday while trying to clear some trees knocked down from that last big wind storm we had. Hitched up his team of Nargles and started pulling those trees out one by one so that his sons could take turns trimming off the branches and then cuttin the trunks up into usable pieces. William has a small furniture business he operates on the side and them trees make a good source of raw material for the stuff he makes. He does real high end custom work... all sorts of stuff... cabinets, dressers, end tables, beds... you name it, he can probably make it. He made me a desk a few years ago... best investment I ever made on furniture... sturdy yet elegant... yep real fine furniture maker that William is...

Well like I was saying, he had his team all hooked up and was workin away at it... moved a good bit of the trees before he went to take a break for lunch. Course he couldn't leave them Nargles in the traces for an hour or so, so he'd thought he'd unhook 'em and give some water and some mash so they'd be plenty strong for the afternoon. Them Nargles are strong beasts but makin sure they're fresh when you need them to do some heavy pullin is always a good idea. Got that done with little or no problem and then set about the business of lunch for them and him.

It was a good lunch from what I've been told, a couple of slices of Nauga on rye bread with some homemade sidewinder mustard and a bit of green relish to finish off the sandwich. I've had that mustard and I've got to say it's got quite the kick to it. Real flavorful but burns like the dickens ifn you gets some on your fingers and scratch your nose or something without wipin your hands first. Not sure what causes the reaction, maybe some sort of chemical transaction as it gets onto the sensitive skin up there around the nostrils. Bet William could probably make some money on it ifn he ever wanted to sell it. But he just whips up a batch ever now and again just for his family's use... although he does give some to his friends occasionally.

Anyways, as I was sayin, he finished up his lunch and went and rehitched his team. Got them all set up and out in the wood area and even had hooked up another fallen tree to pull out. His wife says one of them Nargles must've got tangled up in the harness somehow cause William went up to fix it... took ahold of that critter's head to sooth it when all heck broke loose. Seems William hadn't done too good of a job when he'd wiped his hands after eatin and still had some of that mustard on them. Well he touched that Nargle's nose and bam that chemical transaction thing kicked in. That Nargle bellowed and lunged and took off runnin... pretty much draggin the other one and the tree with it at full speed. Well William just hung on for dear life, yellin at that Nargle to stop. Yeah he got bounced and dragged for near two hundred feet as that Nargle ran straight down to the pond William's got on his property. Didn't stop 'til he'd plunged his head right up to the yoke into that water. Scared Betsy half to death. Thought William was dead the way he was just laying there in the mud by the edge of the water. She ran over to him cryin and sobbin only to find out he was alright. Not a scratch on him... maybe just a few bruises here and there but nothin serious. She was real relieved nothin bad came from that little mishap.

Funny thing that... to think that he could go through all that with just a couple of bruises only to break his leg slippin on a rock while he was trying to get them Nargles back away form the pond. Well that's why I was over there yesterday to help out as the kids tried to finish up clearin the fallen trees. Took all day but we go the job done. Them Nargles are a fine pair of critters. Wouldn't been able to do it without 'em. Finished up, got them all wiped down and put in the barn with some good feed and water and then headed home.

That's why I was out on South Creek Road... I was coming home after helpin out. Beautiful day... not a cloud in the sky... windows down... breeze blowin in... that's when I noticed it... a certain scent I hadn't smelled for quite awhile. Nothin like the sweet smell of manure being spread out on fields by local farmers to tell you that Spring has finally arrived. Used to smell it all the time... practically grew up on the smell. Used to be loads of folks around here that owned farms. Not so much nowadays. Young folks just seem to want to get into high tech jobs... up and leave and let developers have the land. I miss that smell... brought back a lot of good memories. Yes sir, nothing like that smell to tell you that Spring is for sure here to stay. You can bet on it. Just try not to step in any of the stuff that the spreader might have left on the road somewheres.

Anyways guess that's it for today. 'Til next time. Jon