Hay season is in full swing, oh goody! You fellers know I do not enjoy haying, but I do it. It is just like paying taxes; it has to be done. Now, after many years of misery, my male offspring seem to take care of all but the hauling to the barn. They thrive on the smell of oil, grease, tires and sweat as they prepare the machinery, starting in early spring. Not me, and that does not make me a sissy even if my close relative says so.

I have had over six inches of pop-up showers in the last couple of weeks. We have discussed the blessings of living in an area where green is the dominant color and we sure do like it. My close relative’s flower beds are doing well and the grass is growing at an inch a day, or close to it!Already had to sharpen the mower blades and get another load of gas for it.

The blackberry bushes are loaded this year. It will be a bucket buster crop if nothing unforeseen pops up. We should be having blackberry cobbler by Father’s Day. And homemade ice cream helps that cobbler go down real smooth! Course, I’ve never needed any help at all getting cobbler to disappear off my plate!

Gypsy Jones came by this morning to inquire about buying some of the T posts he saw stacked up in the corner of the bull pasture. There are about thirty of them and the grass is taller than the stacks so Gypsy had to be looking real hard to see them. He is the best of the best when itcomes to knowing where and when merchandise is stored.

I asked him how come he needed posts and he said he figured to buy agoat or two and needed to build a pen for them. He already had a roll of wire he found some time ago and was going to build a little lean-to with some lumber he’d picked up. I sold him fifteen posts for six bits each. He thanked me, shook my hand and promised to pay as soon as he had some cash!

You gotta figure Gypsy’s mother didn’t name him that. I’d rather think it was John or George or Frank but probably not Gypsy. He had to grow into that handle and work at it too.His close relative calls him for supper by his earned title so who will ever know what his registered name is. And I am sure he is registered! Papered, even!

Gypsy doesn’t ever hang out at the coffee emporium. He is too busy for such and besides it costs a little cash to eat and drink. We all know him because he was raised in the area and his siblings are businessmen in a town nearby. One brother runs a used car lot and one has a hardware store. Gypsy marched to his own drummer!

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, being grateful for a good spring and enjoying the pretty green growth and flowers is better than a three day cruise for relaxation! No packing, no dressing up, no seasickness, just praising God and rocking! That is the vacation of a lifetime!My advice is cheap and at the same time priceless! Take it for what it is worth and enjoy!

-Bill Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette author of this weekly column

News, Pages 4 on 06/02/2010