The Lowdown Hoedown

Gertrude winked at Harry from across the hall.  She was enamored by him and wished he felt the same way about her.  Harry was sporting a coon hat with a long tail.  An end of a leek was protruding from his full lips. 

The clock struck 8:00 o’clock and the tables were moved from the dance area after the pie eating contest. It was one hour before the dancing began. Gertrude’s sister Hannah took first place again much to some of the fellas’ chagrin.  Gertrude could still taste the sourness from the cherry pies she ingested. Her front tooth was stained from the blueberry pie she ate quite often, blueberry was her favorite. She knows they serve cherry pie for the contest because it not one of the favorites of the contestants.  The berries were not sitting too well with the contestants and you could hear toots as they walked across the floor.  The air was made fug by the odorous smells in the barn.  The air smelled of horses and their manure mixed in with the rank smell of damp hay.  Most folks from around these parts took those smells as a way of life and nature’s perfume. The dance hall was actually Bernie’s horse barn.  Bernie moved the horses outside to the corral and swept the main floor to prepare for the night’s hoedown

Fishing rods were lined up on one of the walls of the dancing hall.  Trapper reeled in the biggest catfish that morning and won the fishing contest. Poor Jethro lost his fishing pole when his fish hook got snagged on a log in the river. 

A tub was placed in the center of the room that contained water and apples for the apple diving expedition.  Gertrude nudged her sister Maybelle in the ribs and said, “let’s show up those other gals over there and get the most apples this year.” Maybelle and Gertrude squatted on the floor on two sides of the tub and started diving for apples. Maybelle being as competitive as her sister said, “I got to get me as many of those darn apples as I can get.”  Jeers were emanating from the audience.

Just then Sally Joe walked through the door, one of Maybelle’s arch enemies.  She was standing with her feet shoulder width apart and her hands on her hips.  She reached for something out of the pocket of her patchwork skirt.  Maybelle tensed up and stood to face her opponent.  Sally Joe pulled a quail feather pen out of her pocket with a piece of paper. 

“You know the pen is mightier than the sword. I am going to run you out of town on a rail Maybelle,”said Sally Joe as she pointed her nubby finger at Maybelle.  Sally Joe’s finger got caught in one of the gears of her tractor last year during harvest time. 

Maybelle was thrown off balance by the force of Sally Joe’s voice.  Sally Joe challenged Maybelle to a game of tic tac toe.  Maybelle was trembling as she drew the first x.  She always went for the center; but that was not a sure way to win the game.  Sally Joe was known around these parts to be the best tic tac toe player in the county.  A bead of sweat was rolling down Maybelle’s face. Sally Joe drew a circle on one of the corners.  Before Maybelle realized what Sally Joe’s strategy was, Sally Joe had a circle on two corners.  Maybelle lost the game and walked with a slouch to one of the corners of the dance hall.

Sally Joe turned towards Gertrude and Gertrude shrunk away from her.  Putting a hand up signaling that she did not want to play a part in trying to beat Sally Joe.  Sally Joe smiled smugly and walked over to Harry.  She put her arm around Harry.  He smiled like the cat who swallowed the canary.  He began to pick his teeth with the tine of a fork. 

“There’s no ifs, ands, or buts Sally Joe, you are the best tic tac toe player in the county,” said Harry proudly. 

Dusk was falling on this warm sunny night.  Children were still playing tag outside.  The children looked up at the sky marveling at the full moon. Two loons swam past the onlookers as they were gazing at the moon.

The soup was simmering in a large kettle.  Mary Sue put the lid back on the pot after she stirred in some spices. 

“Do you mind if I have a cup of that soup?  I haven’t eaten since noon,” said Billy when he opened the lid to smell the savory aroma of the soup.

“Yes, go right ahead,” replied Mary Sue as she handed him a metal cup.

“Mum told me that there was hail the other day when Uncle Willy set sail to fill their freezer for winter.  He was going to bring home a mess of catfish,” exclaimed Billy.

“When I got the mail the other day, my second cousin Henrietta told me they were hit with a bout of hail two weeks ago.”

Mary Sue added some soy sauce to the soup.  Her mum told her that soy sauce gives things just the right amount of kick. 

“Sprinkle some of that magic sauce on my cup of soup, will ya,” demanded Billy.

“Did you hear those bears rummaging through our garbage last night?” asked Mary Sue.

“Yes, I did.  I paid old man McCoy $5.00 for this bear repellant stuff and it didn’t work.  I am going to bring that tube back to McCoy’s store and demand my money back.”

“I swear on the holy grail that I covered my garbage cans with bricks and when I woke up the bricks were gone,” said Mary Sue with a look of frustration. 

While Mary Sue and Billy were having this conversation, Gertrude stared at who she thought was her soul mate from across the room.  She thought to herself, I am so mad at that con artist Sally Joe.  She has been after my man for months now.  If I had a ton of bricks right now I would set them up so they would fall on her and get rid of her once and for all.  Gertrude dotted her face with a handkerchief as her mood became more and more pied.

Jethro began playing the fiddle while Henry played the washtub base.  People started tapping their feet to the music. 

Gertrude worked up her courage, walked over to Harry, took him by the hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.  A look of surprise crossed everyone’s face. 

Gertrude said gruffly, “I have been pining for you since I saw you take first place during that outhouse race last fall.  It’s about time you started paying attention to me.”

Harry replied, “It’s about time you admitted your feelings for me darling.” They ended up dancing the night away. 

Note:  This short story was developed by using words that my friends and I came up with during the playing of an UpWords Game.  The words that are in bold print are from the game.  I challenge my readers to do the same.  I find it challenging and fun to write something either a short story or poem using specific words that I may not usually use.  This also expands my vocabulary.  Have fun. 

 

 

 

 

The End of the Road

Last evening (Sept. 13, 2012), I attended a presentation given by Helen Shackleberry about fracking in Pennsylvania and other areas closer to me in Michigan. I could not use her real name to protect her from retribution. This presentation was definitely an eye opener for me and others who attended this event.  I conducted some research to explore further after this presentation because I was made aware that fracking is occurring in Cheboygan county in Michigan where my adult daughter and her family including my two grandchildren live. It’s not that I don’t care about the people in Pennsylvania, however this is hitting too close to home. 

Let’s go into what is involved in fracking.  First of all a hole is drilled 10,000 feet into a 40 foot layer of rock referred to as Utica/Collingwood formation in Cheboygan county which encompasses underground 20 northern Michigan counties. A protective lining is inserted for the first part of the drilled hole closest to the opening. It does not always prevent its intended purpose of preventing toxic leakage. Then approximately five million gallons of water from our Great Lakes, rivers, etc. is pumped into the hole with great force along with toxic chemicals such as arsenic and HCL.  Earthquakes have been associated with the fracking in Oklahoma and other states.  It only makes sense that earthquakes could be the devastating result of fracking. 

After this process is completed and natural gas is located, it is sucked out of the hole by using a vacuum process.  The polluted water is burned off into the air until what is coming from the hole is pure natural gas.  The fire was reported as being at least 200 feet high.  Elizabeth could see the fire from her home which was separated by very large hills and her home.  The large conglomerate from Canada called Encana Corporation is behind the fracking operation in Cheboygan County. 

This is a reality folks in Michigan.  According to a report prepared by Michigan State University entitled Michigan oil and gas development: A mid-year update, drilling in Michigan was down 22% for the first half of 2012.  A total of 66 wells were drilled between the dates of January 1st to June 30^th compared to the higher numbers in 2011. Jackson and Lenawee Counties were the previous focal points for the majority of the drilling activity.  There were 19 well completions in these areas.  However, 14 applications are still pending for new wells and just two of the 28 permitted well drillings are reported to date as producing in the Kalkaska and Cheboygan counties. What lies in the future for these counties concerning the air quality, water quality, and peace and tranquility of these areas?

Helen reported that her health and the health of many others in the area in the rural area of Pennsylvania she resided in suffered greatly.  She knows of people who died due to life threatening illnesses.  People who were healthy the year before, then became very ill and were met with an untimely death shortly after they were diagnosed with a host of possible ailments . Helen, who was an avid outdoor person, was reduced to staying indoors or limiting where she went hiking and walking to where the air didn’t make her sick.  The dirt roads to her home and the area were always under continuous repair because of all the truck traffic.  She was run off the road by the large trucks during the winter months and the roads were impassable most of the time due to the heavy truck traffic.  Her quiet beautiful serene home became a loud polluted industrial zone. 

Before the fracking began in her area she paid for an independent study that was approved by Penn State concerning her water supply as a safety measure.  According to Helen, because of the proposed fracking, the water study involved the measure of chemicals that would not usually be included in other water studies to test for purity such as the level of arsenic that may be in the water. Upon reading research I discovered that arsenic can be a problem that many areas experience concerning their water supplies.  It was explained in the State of Michigan’s Triennial Report that organic arsenic is not lethal, it is the inorganic form of arsenic that can be lethal.

Back to the water study, Helen didn’t report a follow up water study that was conducted after the fracking began or perhaps she did and I missed that part of her report.  She told me at a later date that they were still fracking so a follow up report could not be conducted. I would be curious to see what those results would be.  She was asked if the air quality was tested before and after the fracking and she said it was not.  Helen moved to northern Michigan and had to take precautions concerning her health such as limiting the stress in her life. 

According to Special Report: Modern gas rush stirs controversy in Michigan officials at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, they reported that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality provides the regulation of oil and gas exploration and also generates fees on the industry. This report also included that increasing national demand for natural gas would increase more drilling in the Utica/Collingwood formation.  I reviewed the 2011triennial report prepared by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and there was only one section addressing the capping of abandoned gas and oil drilling sites.  I did not see in the report information about the managing and monitoring of the fracking process in Michigan.  The Air Toxics Chemical Release Inventory is usually self reported by citizens.  Only facilities that exceed activity thresholds for manufacturing, processing, or otherwise use of chemicals on the registry are required to report. There were no reports provided by oil and gas companies regarding their contributions to air or water pollution in Michigan so it is my understanding that their emissions of toxic waste into the water and air aren’t being monitored or at the very least not a part of this report. 

In conclusion, I was made aware of a process that is occurring in Michigan, North Dakota, Colorado, and extensively in Pennsylvania that is causing many warranted concerns from early deaths to earth quakes.  A dollar amount is placed on our freedom to breathe fresh air and drink water that is safe.  Penn State University reported that the drilling in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania where I understand Helen is from added $3.9 million to Pennsylvania’s coffers in 2009 and created 48,000 jobs.  According to Helen, many of the local people from her area had to quit these jobs because it went against their values. The corporate leaders from Canada are even more removed from taking any ownership for their actions. She made a point that needs our consideration that the company that caused the oil spill in the Gulf were permitted to earn a profit before they cleaned up the spill.  Michigan State University is warning Michigan citizens to be wary of leasing their land to the oil and gas conglomerates and suggest seeking advice from an oil and gas attorney before signing a lease. Leases of land are being actively sought in Michigan by oil and gas companies. What comes to mind with fracking and the mining of uranium in the area where the Navajo Indian people reside in, is let’s sacrifice a few people  for many people and last but certainly not least let’s earn a huge profit while doing so.   The people who are suffering from the aftereffects of fracking are not getting rich.  Helen reported that her checks averaged almost $5.00 for her royalties from the natural gas company who fracked near where she lived.

 

 

 

 

Caribou Summer

On September 6^th, Kathy and Jim Bricker gave an interesting presentation entitled Caribou Summer to the Lake Superior Elders.  They provided us with information about many of the secrets that unfolded during their stay on the tundra near the Artic Circle in Canada.  Kathy and Jim explored a domain that was blessed with many forms of wildlife and plant life.  They spent seven weeks during the summer months traveling by canoe to various parts of this region.  I have to commend them for their fortitude and foresight in doing so. They prepared an excellent colorful rendition of this adventure in narrative and video form. It was quite evident they both shared a desire to learn as much as they can about the wonders nature has to offer.  A sea plane dropped them off and they were on their own until the plane was scheduled to pick them up.

They demonstrated how they prepared their food for their venture by drying fruits and vegetables and storing their food in a large cylinder type container.  The fish they caught served as the main source of their protein. There was Lake Trout and Artic Grayling that were plentiful.  They stored water which was used for drinking, washing themselves and clothes and preparing lots of soup.  When they came across snow, they prepared snow cones with gator aid and snow. 

Bull Caribou can weigh up to 460 pounds, and their antlers are the fastest growing material in the world, up to one inch per day. Their main form of communication is through smelling. Caribou produce specific chemicals to portray various messages such as when danger is approaching.  White wolves are considered their enemies. White wolves, which are considered our friends by Kathy and Jim and many others,  are known to help keep a healthy eco balance.  The wolves only eat the weakest and oldest of the caribou. They save the strongest to procreate and make new caribou.  Beautiful white wolves were shown in the video.  A wolf cub was calling out to his mother.  The narrators recommended respecting and honoring the territory of wolves.

Another amazing fact that Jim and Kathy portrayed was that the Grizzlies’ diet consist of 80 to 90% plant life even though they are considered carnivores.  Grizzlies need to gain at least 100 pounds to prepare them for hibernation. Jim needed to shoot a rifle to scare off a Grizzly Bear during the wee hours of the morning. Caribou need to eat up to two large bushels of leaves a day.  They are usually found foraging. Kathy and Jim told us about a lot of the plant life they discovered on their journey:  Dwarf Willows; the Artic Bumblebee flower; and the Mountain Sorrel are a few examples. 

Some of the large birds discovered in this area were Rough Legged Hawks, sandpipers, and falcons and some of the smaller birds were the Savannah Sparrow, and a medium size bird called the Parasitic Jaeger who got its name because they steal food from other birds. The bigger siblings eat the smaller siblings.  I never heard of that before with birds. 

Some of the animals they discovered besides the caribou were foxes, and the unique Muskox with their curly horns and fur that is eight times warmer than wool.  I thought I stepped back in time when I saw the Muskox.  Some of the smaller animals consisted of the Artic Ground Squirrel. There were berries available for the Inuit and animals such as crowberries, blueberries, and rock cranberries. 

Kathy and Jim visited Nadluk Island, the only place in the world in which the inhabitants used caribou antlers to build their homes.  They visited an Inuit grave site and found out that they could not bury their dead so there were a lot of artifacts left on top of the ground such as human remains and the things they were laid to rest with.  Was the custom of not burying their dead because of the permafrost or due to some tradition? 

Kathy and Jim took an adventure that I could only dream taking for many reasons.  Part of it would be the vast separation I would feel from civilization and another reason would be that I have to admit my reliance on the modern conveniences.   As a result of their exploration, they have brought us into a world of exploration. 

Wooo.... Haaa.....

The end of summer bash at a farm in Wolverine, MI was held on a balmy Friday night on August 31^st.  The theme of the party was “What Happened to Summer,” or “Woo… Haa….”  The summer months sped by like a jet speeding down a runway preparing for takeoff.  The guests for the party were selected from the Wolverine and surrounding area book of eclectic individuals.  The party was hosted by my sister Shelley and her husband Roderick and their collection of animals; hens, goats, chickens and a cat.  Our two dogs added to the entertaining and interesting atmosphere.  Visiting a world unlike my own is always an adventure.  I was looking forward to the music of a different sort along with an assortment of food.

When we arrived, a large group of people were sitting on various chairs, trunks, and a porch swing around a camp fire.  There was a large table set up with a smorgasbord.  It always amazes me when a potluck is held that rarely does someone bring the same dish as anyone else.  My sister gave me a head’s up about one of her friends, who happened to be from the Philippines. I think she ended up in this country as a mail order bride.  I could be wrong.  This woman is known for her chicken feet delights and other unique dishes. I tried one of the chicken feet and they actually tasted like chicken. I guess I don’t know what else they would taste like.  I watched her cook trout wrapped in foil on an open fire that she had marinated for a couple of weeks.  Her daughter Emma hung out with me while she was cooking the fish.  I was told that Emma is selective of who she hangs out with so I took that as a compliment.  There was barbecue beef dish, salads, vegetables, etc. and I brought my well-known zucchini bread, dilly beans, and pickled beets.  Shelley provided the guests with plates, napkins, and plastic ware.

Shelley and Roderick have established some long-lasting friendships in Wolverine.  These friends possess a variety of talents and interests.  Roderick makes instruments such as sweet sticks (a long wooden instrument with three strings) and dulcimers.  As a result of his musical interests, he has accumulated many friends with musical talent.  At the party I observed several men playing the wash tub base including Roderick.  Someone played an antique wash board.  There were approximately 12 musicians altogether playing guitars, drums, mandolins, and the instruments mentioned above.  They played and sang around the camp fire songs and songs that were well known.  I could have listened to them all night.  They quit playing when it became too dark. 

Shelley has a friend who just found out she was expecting a little bundle of joy.  She is with someone who already has a daughter.  She had to sneak off and get sick because of morning sickness which didn’t visit her only in the morning.  Her significant other was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and is in the eighth month of this disease so he doesn’t have much time and his hands are already becoming disabled.  I told my sister that her situation reminded me of how fortunate we are and I am going to pray for the family.

My husband, Don, being the outdoor enthusiast, walked all over their 30 acre property and took the dogs for a walk to the Sturgeon River three times during our visit which always has a fast current. I went with him once the next morning. The dogs went swimming and chased sticks.  Our dogs were a source of conversation while we sat around the camp fire. 

The moon appeared brightly over the horizon and begin approaching its highest peak around 10:00 p.m.  It was a blue moon, which is a second full moon in one month.  The women howled at the moon. We all laughed. You’ve heard of the saying “once in a blue moon.” Since there wasn’t a cloud cover, the air became chilly so we had to don jackets and long pants.  Some of the women, including me, stoked up the fire and soon the campfire was blazing and the flames were dancing in the moonlight.  Someone asked if anyone brought marshmellows.  Shelley said she had all the makings for s’mores.  So guess what we did next.  We retired for the evening in our popup trailer with smiles on our faces.