Shadows filled the backsides of the rolling hills as the fire died and the coffee cooled by the fire. He tossed a handful of small twigs in the ashes and watched as one curled and snapped and sent a trickle of smoke drifting up over the wagons.”
–Rod Collins (Bitter’s Run)
Welcome, welcome pard. I guarantee the coffee’s hot and strong. Sure was a good week–this Christmas was a real blessing, at least for me exceptin’ the eldest daughter and her family wasn’t here. Santa good to yuh? What? I told yuh to behave yurself. I reminded yuh all year to stay away from nonsense. So, all yuh got was some long-handles and socks. Well, I won’t mention the long-handles, don’t need them much down here in South Texas, but yuh needed some socks. I’ve seen yuh without yur boots on and the pair, oh yuh got two pairs now, the pair yuh have is full of holes. Reckon they are a blessin’ after all. Yuh only plan on washin’ one pair a week is that it?
Ahhh, drink that java down, and sigh. I’m ponderin’ if this is a good day or a blah one. It’s either a day that means the last Saturday of the year and that could be good or bad, dependin’ on yur year. Or it could mean that next Saturday is a new year, but we have no real clue what the year holds. However, pard, go ahead drink up, there’s plenty in the pot, the Lord will give us each day, we take it as it comes and know that He is there with us–good or bad.
Just like the ol’ boy in the above quotation. When that smoke drifted up it disappeared. It was overcome by the atmosphere. Was it the old year passin’ off into history with all its lessons, challenges, some of them continuin’ to be faced, or was it the thought of the new year? Smoke in the air, dissipatin’ so quickly that we cannot see it just as we can’t see the year ahead of us.
What’s that pard? Yuh got ‘nother present? Sure, I’ll go out and see it with yuh. Coffee all gone? Then let’s go. Ha, ha, yur shore did need that. The wife was feared yuh’d fall off ’cause yur not always so careful and she went an’ bought yuh a new cinch. Still don’t do yuh no good if yuh don’t check it.