Ronnie's Roost

CB Radio Days..
Remember those fun days back in the 70's when everyone was into the CB radio crazy? You just had to have all the required hardware plus more. You wanted to be heard by many other CBers. I got into the craze with both feet. First I got a mobile radio for my truck, next one for our car. So everyone was setting up base stations so I had to have one. Found an old Guardian 23 tube type and had her peaked with power. You just had to have an antenna on the house to broadcast. My first one was a simple one but later I had to have one of those Moonrakers on a high tower. Man I was almost set to talk around the world. You know you needed more power than the 5 watts the FCC allowed. 300 watts tied to the radio illegally and I could talk long distance. When you made contact with other ...

CBers in other states and foreign countries you send and received cards in the mail called QSL cofirming you contact.
I met a lot of good people I might never have met if not for my CB radio. A group of fellow CB'ers formed a club and we called ourselves the Channel 22 club. I came up with an award to be presented each week called the Bucket Mouth Award. It was a piece of plywood cut into the shape of a bucket with a wire handle. The award was to be given to the person that talked the most that week on the radio. The winner had to have all the club at their house for the meeting. We would bring food and drinks for the occasion. Man those were fun days!!! You used handles when you talked on your radio and never used your name. Handles like The Texas Longhorn, Double Trouble, Grinch, Amber Lady, Georgia Peach, Jolly Green Giant and my handle; The Aggravator.
Our club put on a charity event for a local deputy sheriff that was in bad health. CBer's from all over the midstate came to help out. The whole town including the mayor supported our club efforts. We raised several thousand dollars that went to the sick deputy.
Yeah, those were fun days before the cell phone. CB slang words like what's your 20, 10-4 good buddy, bear at mile marker 100 and 73's filled the air waves. Now we don't go any where without our cell phones.

NO GUARANTEES IN LIFE

Two thoughts are on my mind this morning and both are about death. We know we are not guaranteed another day of life on this earth. So many things can happen and life ends. That's just the way life works.
My sister called after receiving word that our last living aunt had passed away. She had lived a long life. Her husband had passed away in 2003. They had raised three children and had several grand children and 13 great grand children. The last years of her life were filled with many health problems. My aunt had lived a long life of 76 years and on May 31 her life on this earth ended.
A tragic automobile wreck happen on our road going to Tullahoma the same day we learned of aunt Wilma Jo's death. My grand daughter Lindsey had called and said there was a bad wreck on Rock Creek road. Saturday while coming back from  Captain D's with a take home fish dinner I saw a truck parked near the accident scene. I stopped and asked the couple did they know how the people were that were in the wreck. The woman said, " My daughter is fine but her boy friend was dead in the accident. He was 18 years old and just graduated from high school in Manchester." I told them I was sorry to learn that the young man lost his life and drove on home.
Later last night I called my son and told him about talking with the girl's mother about the wreck. What my son was going to tell me about the young man made me even sadder. The young man was given up by his family at a very young age. We don't know why his family gave him away. Only they know the reason. The young lad was raised by his grand parents. Some there around his age of 14 one of the grandparent's died and the other one was put into a nursing home. The boy had become friends with a new family that had moved into his neighborhood. They didn't have any children and they adopted the young man at age 14. Finally the boy had another family. Life was looking good for the young man all the way through high school. So young and life looked promising........the young man had driven from Manchester to Estill Spring to pick up his girl friend and were on their way to Tullahoma when he lost control of his car and ran off the road and the car landed on its roof. Such a loss of the life of a young man.
One person had live a long life and been blessed with children, grand children and great grand children. The others death came at a young age. May they both rest in peace. Death knows no age limit.

ANOTHER FIRST FOR ME...!!!!

My wife recently was in the hospital with pneumonia. She stayed 14 days and was very sick with other problems too. Three days in ICU unit and the doctor ordered two units of blood. I had never given blood, I have a thing about seeing blood especially if it's mine. I guess you could call me a wimp. I passed out during my blood test when we went to be married, LOL, now but she has never let me live that down.
Once I went outside the hospital to get some fresh air after ICU visiting hours were over; guess what was out front of the hospital?? Yeah you guessed it...the Blood Assurance Bus. I'm thinking what a good time to be a big boy and go give blood. My body wanted to go but my feet didn't want to move. I finally entered the bus and people were packed waiting to donate. When I told them the story about my wife receiving two units of blood and I wanted to give blood for my first time. They were very nice and put me to the head of the line after a lot of question and a finger prick to test my blood. I looked around and I was the only man giving blood. The head of the blood bus explained a new way to give blood and you would get credit for two units instead of the regular way of one unit.
The machine they hooked me to after I said yes is called a Apheresis. The machine draws blood from your body and spins it extremely fast which separates the Red cells and places them into two donor bags. This machine take about twenty minutes to complete the cycle. Once the red cells are collected the machine pumps what is not used back into your body along with saline and an anticoagulant medication. I was doing great until that machine started pumping the fluid back into my arm. Yeah, I had to look at my arm. I remember saying, "I'm feeling faint" When I woke up I had two ice packs on my chest and two on my back and a pretty lady handing me a sprite and a little debbie cookie. Not bad at all???
The large tech told me it was over and that fainting is very normal for a first timer. Didn't make me feel any better with all those ladies looking on. He said you have the same amount of fluids in your body as you came in here with. Drink plenty of fluids and eat a good meal tonight. It was quite an experience for me but if I ever give blood again it will be the conventional way.

MOTHER GOES TO THE OPERA.........THE GRAND OLE OPERA.

My Mom was a simple woman. Her love for her family and friends always came first. Now as I look back on all the things she did to keep our family's necessities in check. It was amazing at how much she did for the family that I didn't realize at the time. We were raise to help with the chores as we became of age. Mother loved to cook. She could have a big meal prepare in about an hour from scratch. Dad loved meat so there was always meat on the table. Mom would cook what Dad liked most of the time. What's that old saying?? The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well, it was working for my Dad.
Not only doing her duties with the task of running a household; Mom sewed baseballs and softballs to help out with the family income. Worth, a local company made baseballs and softball. Mom was a home sewer of these products. A sack of balls consisted of 144 balls. The company furnished all the goods to complete the process of finishing the balls except  the actual sewing the covers on. This was done by hand. Mom was good at finishing the balls. When all were finished Dad would take Mom and the balls to Worth to be graded. Mom was always very nervous on that day. If the inspector, who graded each ball culled one Mom would have to sew another to replace it. Mom usually had an extra one already made just in case. Once the entire 144 balls passed inspection the company would cut Mom a check. Back them they paid twenty cents a ball so Mom got a check for $ 28.80 and another sack of balls to take home and begin the whole process again.
Saturday nights at our house Mom and Dad would listen to the radio. A popular country music program called The Grand Ole Opera was broadcast over a famous radio station out of Nashville, Tn. with the call letters WSM. The station was owned by an Insurance Company, National Life. Their call letters WSM....WE SERVE MILLIONS. Listening to her favorite music late into the night Mom was an authority on who was singing a song when it came on the radio. Stars like Kitty Wells, Ray Price, Faron Young, Carl Smith, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, The Browns and a little fellow named Little Jimmy Dickens. There was ONE SINGER that MOM admired more than any other. He was a new face on the Opera named Marty Robbins. Through the years MOM bought all of Marty's records and albums. The early ones were on the 78's and later ones on the 45's. Back then record players were all we had to play our records on.
MOM, always talked about someday going to Nashville and to the Grand Ole Opera. Dad, was always willing to please MOM. She only bought one kind of pinto beans and there wasn't any store locally that sold them. Dad would drive Mom on a 60 mile round trip to buy pinto beans at a Piggy Wigglys store in Fayeteville. I guess it also helped that this was MOM'S home town.
One week MOM was very excited......we were finally going to the Grand Ole Opera. I think I was about 14 years old, my sister 12 and brother about 7. What a trip we had and MOM talked about till her death in 1993. She had such a good time with what she enjoyed; her country music. As we stood in line to get our tickets MOM saw Marty Robbins get out of a car and enter a door on the side of the building where the performer's entered. Man, was she excited!! That sure made her day. That night at the opera and what an event it was for MOM still lingers in my memory.

KITTEN FOR AUNT MAE

In all the years I've visited Uncle Ted and Aunt Mae I've never seen a cat or kitten around their place. A while back I decided to pay them a surprise visit as I haven't been by their place in a long time. Uncle Ted was sitting in his favorite chair out on the front porch. My, that's strange!! There is a yellow kitten curl up in the other chair on the porch. Uncle Ted has always been a dog lover. Through the years I've seen bird dogs and coon dogs greet me when I arrive. Uncle Ted is a avid hunter.
Greeting were exchanged and my curiosity got the better of me. What it the world is up with that kitten?? " That ain't my kitten that belongs to Mae." I guess that's the first kitten I've  ever seen at your place. " You would be right on that." I'll tell you a story about how Mae got that kitten.
I don't know if the story is true or not but it came from a preacher who heard it from another preacher. You know some of those preachers tell some tall stories. Well, the preacher and his wife had this small kitten and the darn thing climbed up this small popular tree in his front yard. He tried every thing he could think of to get the kitten down put to no avail. The tree was too small for him to climb . After a lot of thought he decided to tie a rope around the tree up as far as he could reach. He backed his truck up to the tree and tied the rope to his trailer hitch. He pulled the truck up till the tree came down close to the ground. As he got out of the truck the rotten rope broke and the kitten was airborne off into the wild blue yonder. He couldn't find the darn kitten. The next day as the preacher was shopping at the grocery store he noticed a lady member of his church buying cat food. He asked, " I see y'all must have a cat." The lady begin to laugh and told the preacher the strangest thing happen yesterday. My daughter has been after me to get a kitten for the last several months. I told her to go out in the yard and pray for a kitten. As she was praying I looked out the window and a kitten came flying through the air and dropped near the child's feet. "Strangest thing I ever saw!"
I was hooked on every word of Uncle Ted's kitten story. I guess stranger things have happened. Well, Nick I decided after hearing about the preacher's story to get Mae a kitten after all these years. And I'll tell you.... I kind of like the little bugger.

UNFORGETTABLE HAROLD

Going through life I've met some amazing people. People with different traits; good points and bad points. I try not to judge people but some times it's hard not too.
One of the most remarkable people who has left a favorable impression on me is Harold Kimbrell. I first met Harold while working for my Dad. Harold and I started working for him about the same time . From those early days one could see that Harold was a hard worker. Harold was some what older than me; maybe five years older. Harold and I hit it off from the start. I was going to college and working with Dad during the summer while we were out for the summer.
I was taking accounting in college and it was near income tax time. Harold asked me if I knew how to fill out tax forms and I told him yes. " Will you fill mine out" and I was happy to help him with his return. He was going to get $ 56.00 back and was quite happy once he got that check back from the government. Harold never told me he had never filed a tax return. Come to find out he had worked at a local filling station for 5 years and had received $75.00 cash a week. Not too long after receiving his check; one day a stranger showed up on our work site wanting to talk with Harold. He was an agent with the internal revenue service and told Harold he owed the government back taxes for 5 years . He told Harold how much he owed but I can't remember the sum. Brash, Harold stated he wasn't going to pay the back taxes and the agent said we will get it one way or another. Back then they could freeze your wages all but $12.00 a week. Harold told the agent I'll quit and go off and work some where you can't find me. Harold's uncle worked on a pipe line some where up North and Harold quit and began work some where out of state. The pipe line work paid big money to their workers. The company would hold back two weeks wages before the first payment to an employee. Harold was excited to get that first check with the big bucks. Hold on this check can't be right it's only for $24.00. Yes, Uncle Sam had found Harold and got their taxes. I can feel the disappointment that Harold must have felt at the time.
Harold later came back to work with Dad and me. Harold was a quick learner. He pick up building techniques the first time he was showed. For years Harold and I worked side by side for Dad. We always did the roofing on the houses that Dad built. Harold and I would always race to see who could get back to the starting line first. I would always lay off the roof as to how we started laying the shingles and nailing them down. I would start in the middle of the roof and strike lines every 10 inches apart and both of us would start in the middle one going right and the other going to the left. Once we reached the end of the building we would return to the middle to start again. I would always beat Harold back to the starting line no matter how hard he tried to get back first. This went on for years. I had being laying the roof off where I only had two less shingles to run than Harold. Finally after all those years Harold caught what I was doing and said, " I'm going to lay off the next roof we do." From then on he won some and some times I won.
Harold was very strong for his size. He was about 6 foot 4 inches in height and weighted around 170. He would bet people like plumbers, electricians that he could carry up 3 bundles of shingles that weighted 210 pounds at a time up the ladder to the roof. I've seen several workers lose their $5.00 when Harold pitched the 3 bundles down on the roof. Harold like to frequent the bars around Tullahoma on the weekends. Harold after some alcohol would get into fights. He won a lot of these bar room fights. One weekend while at a rough honky tonk, Joe Rico's, he got into a fight with two air force men. The owner of the bar went and locked the door and helped the airmen beat up Harold. Harold was taken to the hospital to recover from the beating.
We were building a house in Shelbyville and Harold would ride in the back of my pickup on the way back to Tullahoma. Near the bridge over Duck River just out of Shelbyville we saw a lot of ground hogs. Harold would shoot them from the moving truck with his 22 rifle. He killed several back during those days. Once while we were framing a roof Dad wanted Harold to throw the 100 foot tape down to him. Harold pitched it off the roof to Dad and it landed hard on Dad's foot and broke Dad's foot.
I had found a 1940 Ford coupe at a store in Tracy City. I didn't know how I was going to get it home. Harold said he knew where we could get a tow bar to tow the old car home. Harold would go with my brother and me to bring the car back to Tullahoma. Once at Tracy City we aired up the old tires and attached the tow bar to the bumper of my 1954 Ford convertible. The old 40 didn't have brakes and the old motor was in the trunk. We had the tow bar chained and wired with bailing wire to the convertible. I decide than I would ride in the old 40 on the way back. Every thing was going according to plans and we stopped on top of Sewanee mountain to check out the hookup before descending the 5 miles off the mountain. What was I thinking riding in that old 40. We were almost down off the mountain, probably 250 feet from the bottom, when the tow bar, chains and wire broke. I was able to steer and passed Harold with another car approaching us. You should have seen Harold eyes as I passed him and my brother Frank. After I cleared Harold and got back in front of him in the right lane before the car coming at me reached us. Harold gassed the convertible and got in front of me and begin to brake as we finally came to a stop on the side of the road. We were able to reattach the tow bar and made it safely home. I've always shivered at the through of what if the 40 came loose further up the mountain. Guess I wouldn't be writing this. We had a new guy working in the crew. He was just out of college and was the son-law to the man we were building houses. Doc Oliver wanted Dad to teach Don the building trade. He would leave his hammer on a middle 2x4 brace in the wall and if we were sheet rocking Harold would say just cover up his hammer. Don lost a lot of hammers during those days. Years later while doing a remodeling job I found one of Don's old hammers while tearing out paneling in one of the house we built.
After many years of working with Harold work got slow and Dad and I went to Clarksville to build houses. Harold went to work for a big home builder in Nashville and soon became the foremen. While Harold and his boss were at a bar one night the guy told Harold we need to ride out to where I want you to start our next house. He was leaving town on a two weeks vacation and told Harold he wanted him to start the house while he was gone. Once at the site the owner drove a wooden stake in the ground 100 feet off the road. " This is were to start the front of the house." Harold and the workers had the house frame in in no time. He noticed an old man coming around watching them build the house every day. Once back off his vacation the owner came out to the job site and looked puzzled. Harold I think you have built the house on the wrong lot. "What do you mean I've built the house on the wrong lot. I built it were you drove the wooden stake." The house was on the wrong lot, it belonged to the old man that was coming around every day. The contractor tried to swap lots with the old man but he wasn't having any thing to do with that. They did agreed to exchange lots plus the contractor paid the old man $10,000.
I have fond memories of the times Harold and I worked together. Dad had a slow pitch softball team and Harold was one of our best players. Times continued on and Harold and I grew apart raising our families and working. Harold years ago met death when he fell from the back of a pickup truck. I didn't receive the bad news until weeks later and was sad to learn of his death. His son lives in the same town I live and I hope these written memories I have will some how help Doug know some things about his Dad that he missed. Rest in peace Harold.

POPCORN SUTTON........MASTER MOONSHINER

Marvin ( Popcorn) Sutton a world renowned Moonshiner. A scrawny long bearded man with a fowl mouth and a passion for copper pipes, kettles, corn, sugar, yeast and fire. A true master at the trade of making white lighting liquor.
He made his home in the rural town of Parrotsville, Tennessee which is located in Cocke County. This rural county has been identified in the past as the world capital of moonshine. The practice of makin moonshine dates back to the Scots Irish who brought the art to the new world.
Better known as Popcorn Sutton he learned his trade from his father. Making moonshine was legal up until after the Civil War. Popcorn had several run in with the law over his illegal moon shine in the 1970's. People who consumed his product stated that it was the best they had ever tasted. After several brushes with the law old Popcorn stated time and time again, " that's the last likker I'll ever make. He tried hard to keep out of trouble but said, " once making likker gets in your blood it's hard to stop.
Popcorn always wore and old hat and bib overalls.For decades he crouched over as he walked from carrying sacks of sugar and corn to his still in the hills. Popcorn received his nickname from an unfortunate encounter with a popcorn machine in a bar.
Around his home town he liked to be called a distiller. Old Popcorn became quite famous. He's wrote his autobigraphy, " Me and My Likker." He's appeared on TV in documentaries on whisky making and even has a video on you tube, " The last run of Likker I'll make." He played the banjo and if the mood hit him he would serenade his guest.
Popcorn insisted on making his living on the art of moonshine maked  the old fashion way. In 2007 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives raided and busted him with 850 gallons of moonshine hidden in an old school bus and a shed along with some guns. He didn't want the agents to take photos of his stills and himself. His photo standing in front of a brick building shows him giving them the old middle finger.
He was convicted in 2008 with two 18 month prison sentences. He's probably the last known moonshiner to be convicted. Now here is where the story takes a sad turn. Popcorn being in ill health and facing jail time was found by his wife Pam, in his green Fairlane Ford dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. Popcorn Sutton died at the age of 61. Gone from these Tennessee hills but not forgotten; a remarkable character who lived life his way.
Tonight on our local news, a story about a man who is legally making Popcorn Sutton White Lighting by Popcorn's recipe in quart mason jars. It's got old Popcorn photo on the jars and it's made in Nashville.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS....

Back in the early sixties a building boom was in full swing in Tullahoma. People moving into Tullahoma from all parts of the states needed housing. The Arnold Engineering Development Center near by was adding to its growing work force. I was working for my father, Hubert Burton who was a home builder. I had been working with Dad since I was around 12 or 13. Dad was teaching me the building trade. Dad was very good at his trade. Dad only had a sixth grade education but was street smart and had a natural talent for building houses and was a very good cabinet builder.

During those early years learning the building business we had a crew of Dad, myself, Harold Kimbrell, Buck Buchanan, Ronnie Jones and my younger brother Frank Burton. Frank only worked during the summer while he was out of school.

 Dad had an offer to build some houses for Doc Oliver, who owned Taylor Drugstore on the square in Tullahoma. Doc Oliver would supply the capital and pay Dad’s payroll each week. Doc Oliver wanted Dad to help his son-in-law, Don Bailey, learn the building trade. An agreement was reached where Don would work with Dad’s crew.

Taking on the brash new college man didn’t set too well with the crew. I can’t pin point the real reason why we all didn’t like Don at the beginning. We all had some good laughs at Don’s expense during those early days. Dad had told Don to go to Highlands Lumber Company and order two 18 foot 2X 12’s and tell then we needed them ASAP! In a short while we heard a racket as Don pulled up to the building site with the 2X12’s tied to the bumper dragging behind his white Volvo. We sure got a good laugh as the 2X12’s were now some what thinner than they started out.

One day Doc Oliver came out to our work site. Each time we would start a new house we would move some of the left over materials to the next job site and try to use it up. After several new homes were built the pile of materials were covering the yard in the back of the house that we were building.  On seeing all the mess in the yard Doc called Don to his car and we could see that he was giving Don a chewing out over the pile of materials. As Don exited Doc’s car we heard Doc tell Don, that better be cleaned up the next time I return. After Doc left Don went and bought 5 gallon of kerosene and set fire to the whole pile of materials. Yes, he cleaned it up; about three hundred dollars worth.

Don would leave to go some where and leave his hammer on a 2X4 brace at the center of the wall. If we were sheet rocking the wall Harold would say just cover it up and we would. No telling how many hammers we covered in the early days. I did a remodeling job on one of the houses we built years ago and while tearing out the paneling on the walls on a house on Fort Street I found one of Don’s old hammers.

We had built a house for the Owens and it was near completion. One day the electrician needed in the house and it was locked. He climbed in the bathroom window and his hammer fell out and knocks a big piece of white porceliem off the bottom of the tub. Don hired a man to come and fix the damaged bath tub. The Owens returned on a Saturday while the man was in the house fixing the tub. When they arrive at the house Don kept them out of the house while the man completed the repairs. I think he even took them out to eat. Years later I built some cabinets in the house for the Owens. Mr. Owens asked me to look at the bath tub. It had a discolored spot in the bottom. He asked me if I knew what was going on with the tub. I replied that I had never seen one go bad.

Once for a reason I don’t remember Don fired Frank and Ronnie. He told Dad that he had fired them. Dad said did you pay them to which Don replied no you have to pay them. Well Don I didn’t fire them, guys load up all our tools we are going home. Cool heads did prevail and no one was fired.

After a while we began to like old Don more as he took control of all the building we were doing. He was now in charge of all phrases of the building and selling the homes. He wasn’t losing any more hammers.

I will never forget Don coming up on the roof of the Matthews house on the corner of Fort Street. I had just installed a copula with a weather vain rooster with North, South, East and West on the top. Don took his finger and flipped the weather vain around and it broke off.  He had to glue it back together.

On the other Matthew’s twin brother’s house that we built on Country Club Drive, Matthew’s insisted that the garage should have had a steel beam in the center to hold all the ceiling up. The house was all completed and he was crying that the beam was going to be installed before he would make the final payment to Don. To the best of my knowledge the steel beam was ordered and placed in the yard next to the drive. Matthews paid Don the payment but years later after Matthews died I went back to put fancy locks on all the windows and doors for Mrs. Matthews. The steel beam was still lying in the yard next to the driveway.

Mrs. Matthews pulled a good one on Dad. Her husband had made a deal with Dad to cut the trees in the way for the house. Dad would get the trees to be sawed for lumber to build a fence at his house. Mrs. Matthews wasn’t aware of the deal and sold the logs to a sawmill. Matthews had to pay Dad for cutting the trees. Mrs. Matthews always felt bad about selling the logs. She even cooks all the crew a big Thanksgiving dinner as we worked that holiday trying to get them into their new home.

Work got real slow in Tullahoma and Don and his family moved to Clarksville. He wanted Dad and me to come to Clarksville and build his houses. Dad agreed and off to Clarksville we went. Don had rented us a trailer to say in while we would work Monday through Friday and return home for the weekend. Early Monday morning we would leave Tullahoma around five o’clock on our way to work another week. We would always stop at Kristy Kream for doughnuts and coffee. We built some big houses in Clarksville for Don.

One Friday morning it began to snow heavy. Dad told us to gather up all the tools we are going home before we get stuck up here. Parker Smith was working with us while out of work. We loaded up the 1964 Ford truck of Dads and I would drive. Man it snowed big time. By the time we arrived in Nashville the snow was already six inched deep. Traffic was at a stand still. We sat in front of a liquor store for three hours before we moved. I joked about going into the liquor store and buying us a bottle of wine. Dad was very nervous on the way home. Come to find out he didn’t have any insurance on the old truck. We would have to get out and help push people’s vehicles over hills. Once we even had to push a bus. The trip took us nine hours to get back to Tullahoma and there was twelve inches of snow on the ground. My car was covered with snow and a thick sheet of ice and I drove home to Estill Springs with my head out of the window.

I had built our family a new home in 1965 before going with Dad to Clarksville. I was missing my wife and family and made a decision to leave my Dad and try to find some work around home. A sad day after all those years working for my Dad.

A phone call left on our answering machine from Don Bailey while I played golf on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. I returned the call to Don and was very happy to talk with him about those days working with him and for him. Those were the good old days.

AMAZING WAFFLE HOUSE COOK

I haven't been to the Waffle House for breakfast in years. Since I had an early lab appointment for some blood work I sure was hungry after leaving the doctor's office.
The place was crowded as no tables were available, so I had to set at the counter. A young lady was directly in front of me cooking at her grille. Things were happening very fast as two waitress called out orders for her to cook. She wasn't writing any orders down just taking them in her head. My waitress called out my order....pecan waffle, sausage, hash browns and the cook placed my saugage on the grille along with other foods cooking. There were pork chops, steak, bacon, eggs sizzling in their skillets. Talk about multi-tasking this girl had it going on big time. I was mesmerised watching her prepare every ones meal. She didn't seem to be having any trouble finishing her orders as others were called out to her. I asked her if she cooked at home. Her answer surprised me....no not much??
I tell my waitress, she knows whats she is doing...she replies...she filling in for the regular cook who is off today. Well that cook had better watch out because this girl is a wonder.
I guess we take people's jobs for granted when we visit a place for a meal. I'm sure they don't pay when a lot of money for there ability. Another person that totally blew my mind watching her preform her duties at a Mexican restaurant last year while 14 people attend my sister and my birthday supper. The waitress begin taking every one's order. She wasn't writing any thing down. I'M thinking this will turn out to be fun. Once she returned with the orders she calmly placed each order at the proper place without a mistake....that's 14 orders !! I sure was amazed at her memory. She probably didn't have any trouble crossing the boarder either???

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE......

They built a new high school. Torn down the old one I attended for two years. The old school grounds had a football stadium, baseball field and a detached gym as well as an elementary school. Progress through the years as a new school is almost completed at the East Lincoln Street site. The only original building that will remain is the old Industrial shop .
My first job one summer was hitting baseballs and softballs up against the brick shop wall. We were testing them for durability. Some would tear up in two or three hits while others took many hits to damage. Eighteen dollars for that week's work.
The old elementary school, grades 1 through 6 holds some special times in my early childhood. It also holds some low points. Played hooky one time and got caught. Worked in the lunch room for a free meal. Remember my first kiss near the school. Play tackle football at recess on a cinder field. Broke a classmate's leg during a tackle. Push another classmate off the porch down onto some bicycles 8 feet below. He tried to drown me while I was learning to swim. At the time it was justified?? Appointed a school crossing guard the next year after the hooky ordeal. I was the only one of four who didn't get a paddling. The principle caught me coming after class to get Bobby's new bike the day we played hooky. That didn't go as planned. " Hey Nick I'll let you ride my new bike if you will go to school and get it for me." You BIG DUMMY!!
My late brother, Frank was starting school at East Lincoln. We lived about four blocks away from the school. Mother walked Frank to school that first day and got him into his room. Frank was crying and didn't want to go to school. When Mom returned home Frank was setting on the front porch still crying. He took a short cut home through the woods. Mom whipped him all the way back to school. After about two days of this Frank decided he better get an education.
The new school can be seen it the back ground of the photo. I hope it will through the years create memories for students in the future. Buildings can be hazes to the ground but fond memories from childhood will remain for ever.

TULLAHOMA'S LANDMARKS DISAPPEARING

Say it isn't so?? Our old landmarks are being torn down. The old Geneso building on the corner of Anderson and Carrol street has been hazed. It sad to see this old building leaving it's home since 1934. The land was originally donated by the late John W. Harton to the city of Tullahoma with the stipulation that the city would bring a manufacturing plant to Tullahoma. General Shoe Corporation had said it would be interested in a shoe plant in the town if provide with a building. During the depression the city was on the verge of bankruptcy. Employment just barely existed. A government grant was available for $100,000 for a civic center. The sly maneuver by the Mayor and alderman to apply for the grant as a civic center till the building was completed and then turn it over to General Shoe. The local banks found out that the building wasn't going to cost $100,000 but would only cost $60,000. To not try to deceive the Federal government the four local banks agreed to share in the $60,000 loan to the city. Those banks were First National, Traders, Farmers and Merchants.
The city signed a lease in 1934 with General Shoe for $1.00 a year rent on the building. General Shoe flourished as Tullahoma largest employer during the depression days and was given credit as Tullahoma saviour from bankruptcy. The General Shoe became Geneso and employed many people through the years in and around Tullahoma. Additions to the building in both 1939 and 1945 increased production to an all time high. I recall many people through the years working at Gensco. My late father-in-law comes to mind.
The doors were finally closed in 2000 when SAS or San Antonio Shoe ceased operation at the building. My brother-in-law, Ned Hindman was the plant manager.
Progress will go on at the site but many people that still are alive will have many memories of those good days of working at Gensco. They had their own newspaper and held many social events for their employees and the town through the years.
GOOD BYE OLD FRIEND.................

RONNIE'S ROOST.....

People talk about plans on what they want to do some day. I think we all have had some strange ideas we want to accomplish in the future. I always laughed at a guy who worked with me for many years. Ronnie always talked about having a place on the river and living in a tent. He would bring this up many times over the years when his rent went up or he received a high electric bill. I would agree with him and say, " Yeah, one of these days??"
My sister had told me about Ronnie's place down on the Duck River several years ago. She had told me they were having a family get together at his place for the Fourth of July. On the spur of the moment I decided to see if I could located Ronnie's Roost.
A scenic drive down through the Cascade Hollow, home of the George Dickel Distillery. Around here if you don't know JACK you might know GEORGE. After a short drive you arrive in a very small town, Normandy. The only thing going on was a place in the middle of the town square renting kayaks. I soon passed my landmark; the fire hall and found the first turn off the main road onto Ronnie's Roost. Down a short steep incline and under Ronnie's sign announcing your arrival. High on the hill on my left was his herd of goats in their fenced in area. Chickens and ducks walked close to the road and I got a chuckle out of the signs posted.....Chicken Crossing...Duck Crossing. A fenced in area on my right was full of young ducks and a large white dog with a gruffy bark. Soon I came into a open field with a few cars and trucks parked. I parked my truck and was out walking to an area where some people were seated in lawn chairs near the rapid flowing river with a large home built table nearby with a covering over the top of it.
High on the hill on my left I heard Ronnie's voice asking," Who in the world is that walking up to the people seated near the river's edge." It didn't take him long to figure out who I was. " Hey, Nick come on up to the cabin and I'll show you around." The climb up to the cabin was steep and rocky but I didn't have a lot of trouble reaching the porch of the cabin where his wife and another woman were seated. We shook hands and he began to tell me all about his roost. Almost all the work was done by Ronnie using used building materials he had accumulated over the years. The small cabin wasn't the only structure on the land. He could tell you where all the materials came from in each structure. After showing me the small one room cabin with a bed, wood stove and a table.....Nick I have no electric bill, water bill or sewer bill here on my four acres. We walked a little ways to his newly planted peach and apple orchard. I want to show you my outhouse. He explained that he thought about building an old fashion out house but changed his mind......Maybe Brenda changed his mind. We entered a small building with a bunk bed by the window. A door opened to the bathroom with a commode. Four buckets of river water sat on the floor for the flush cycle. He had some barrels filled with stone as the septic system hidden in the ground.
Ronnie was upset because the river was flowing at a  high rate. TVA was releasing water at the dam about a half mile away from all the heavy rains we have been having. Fishing and swimming wasn't going to be happening this weekend. His oldest son arrived and told me if his mom died first he was sure his Dad would stay here on the river full time.
Yes, Ronnie had talked big about his plans to have a place on the river many years ago. He had accomplished his dreams. Way to go Ronnie!!!

PEOPLE WATCHING...............

Ever wonder what people are up to when you see something strange while you are out and about??
Yesterday, we went to eat after I took my wife to the doctor in a big town. We like to go to Ryans for lunch after her Doctor's appointment. While having our meal I noticed a woman opening the men's restroom doors and looking inside many times. I told my wife I think I'm seeing my first woman pervert. We both found this event unusual. Finally out of the restroom came a blind man and the woman lead the man to a table near us. That sure solved the mystery but also created another mystery for me? Did she go inside and help him with his aim??
Once she had him seated she went to the bar and fixed him a plate and sat it down in front of him to eat. He sure was having a hard time keeping the whole kernel corn on his fork. I was sorry to see all the trouble he was having with eating his meal. I can only imagine the hardship of been blind.
The world has seen some amazing blind people through the years. They have exceed way beyond their handicap. The great Ray Charles comes to mind. Look at all that man accomplished during his time on earth.
Amazing people with their handicaps succeed in life where a lot of normal people fail.

SUN DROP COLA......MY FIRST ONE....

Do you remember the first time you tried some thing new?? Maybe a new food or drink. Looking back in time I remember the first time I sampled a new soda called Sun Drop.
Charles Lazier came up with the idea for a refreshing citrus soda in 1949 while driving around his home town. He jotted down the ingredients and gave them to his son Charles Jr. The next move was genius; Sun Drop Cola was born.
The cola hit a few stores in a few states in the South in 1951. We had a small neighbor store on Franklin Street called Scott's run by two elderly sisters. Going to the store for a soda and peanuts the Double Cola truck was parked at the store. The cola driver was giving away a new soda to customers. It was Sun Drop and I got a free one. At the time all sodas were only five cents. It was different in taste and I didn't particular like it at the time. I wasn't going to switch from my Pepsi.
Time goes on and old Sun Drop becomes a top seller around the Southern States. People became addictive to the cola. My son's friend in the Marines would have his parents UPS him two cases of Sun Drop to California since it wasn't sold in all States. Sun Drop crossed many State lines in those early days. Just like Coors Beer. Beginning this year Sun Drop has gone Nationwide for the first time. Nothing beats a refreshing Sun Drop on these hot summer days. This cola is very popular with the younger generation. We old folks enjoy it too!!

TIMBER HARVESTING

For many years I have been against having our timber cut on the back of our property. With so many trees being blown down during the recent storms I reconsidered my options. Many of the trees are also dying. I decided to contact a friend that I ran around with during my high school days. Wayne came by and we walked the back acres where he said the timber should have been cut 20 years ago. The woods had several species of old trees. Wayne told me that timber was at an all time high in price. Our deal was for him to cut and ship the timber to a sawmill located about 35 miles from the sight. We agreed to a 50 / 50 split on the timber sales. The sawmill would provide a computer list of every log sold. This would include the length of log, the diameter, grade and price.
The woods featured red oak, white oak, poplar and some hickory trees. Only the market timber would be cut. Wayne used a bull dozier to pull the down logs to a clear area to be stacked. A huge piece of equipment with forks would load the logs onto a log truck to transport them to the sawmill. That first week Wayne cut and shipped 275 logs to the sawmill. Wayne is 69 years old and small in statue and man can he cut down the trees and fall them just where they need to fall. He gave his Stidl chainsaw a good workout that week. Nine loads were shipped. On Friday afternoon Wayne rang my doorbell and said I have your first check. I sure wasn't expecting a check till he completed the job. With the check was the computer list of all the log data. Wow!!!! I had no idea my check would be this much. The woods with all the tree tops left was indeed discouraging but that check made it not such an eye sore.
The next week he completed the job with two more big loads going to the sawmill. He was saving the MONEY LOGS which were the big White Oaks to be sold to a friend that makes barrel staves to be shipped to France and used in the wine industry. Indeed these logs brought top dollar. The red oak lumber will be used for hardwood flooring, railroad cross ties, cabinets and furniture. Hickory is used for flooring, paneling, smoking meats chips and made into handles for hammers, shovels, picks and etc. Poplar used for furniture, wood pulp and paper production. A total of 377 logs were cut and only two were culled by the grader at the sawmill.
All the tree tops left on the ground will be cut into firewood by friends of mine that burn wood. Oh, yeah, I'll be cutting wood for the next 20 years??????

LIFE IS SHORT..........

Last Wednesday 8 senior men began a golf tournament for 7 weeks. We would play with a different partner each week. 2 points for a win , 1 point for a tie. One in our group was going on a vacation for 3 weeks. No problem Bill we will wait till you get back to resume. I'm sorry to say our friend will not be back. We never know when life will end. Yesterday our golfing friend's life ended in a sudden tragedy. He was visiting with friends and all were on the deck which was ten feet off the ground. Bill was leaning against the railing when it broke and he fell to the concrete and broke his neck. Our Bill was gone from this life.
Bill was a fun loving man. Loved to golf; loved to win. He enjoyed poking fun at his golf competitors when his team won. One week Bill was unbeatable in his match against my partner and me. Bill chipped into the cup from just off the green on five holes. A feat that Bill will hold the record on for ever.
Bill is gone from this life but he left all of us with memories we want soon forget. Rest in peace Bill. I'm sure if there is golf in heaven Bill will tee it up. 

MOTHERS..........HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY..

Today is mother's day and I wish my mother was still alive. Not a day goes by that some thing doesn't remind me of my MOM. MOM was a simple woman who loved her husband, children, grand children, great grand children, relatives and friends. Mom never learn to drive. Mom was devoted to all her family and loved to cook special meals with everyone in attendance. Nobody could cook like MOM. She could have a good meal on the table in no time flat.
Mother spent many hours during the cold winters baby sitting for each of her children's kids. All the kids LOVED their Nanny. She made each one of us a quilt as well as the grand kids. All the work was done by Mom's hand. My quilt has some of my clothes that I worn a long time ago stitched into the pattern. I only became aware of this on looking at my quilt some days ago in closer detail. Wow, there are pieces of that pink shirt that I wore during high school that was so popular with the guys. By the time I got mine they were going out of style. Patches of my sport coat that my wife made for me years ago. Mom always was collecting pieces of material for her next master piece. Perhaps other pieces of clothes that my brother and sisters worn are Incorporated into my quilt. Mom sewed ever stitch with LOVE. It took many hours to make each quilt. I cherish my quilt and the love mom put into it for me.
Mom endured a lot of heart breaks during her 74 years on this earth. She lost all her family except a brother. Lost Dad, a daughter, and two sons. After Dad died mom was never the same. Life takes a toll of everyone but that's how life works. If you have a Mom still alive spend as much time as possible with her.

THIS PHOTO DOESN'T BELONG???

A REAL SURPRISE.....??????

A sudden blast from my past happened Thursday that sure floored me. We have been losing a large number of huge oak trees being blown down during the storms recently.
Through the years loggers have stopped by and wanted to cut the timber on our land. I have always been against cutting the trees as the mess the loggers leave is unsightly. With so many trees down on the ground it was time to rethink my options.
I had inquired about loggers from several people with no good results. While out to eat I ran into an old friend and asked him if he knew anyone that does logging. He was quick to answer yes it's Wayne Lynch and told me just where his office was located in town. Man, I had forgotten about Wayne. We go a long way back to high school days. He lived in an adjoining county and we ran around some in those early days. We both were car guys and both drove Fords. Wayne always had fast good looking Fords back in the day. Wayne helped his father Frank lay brick during his early working days. Mr Lynch was one of the best brick masons around our area. Frank taught his son well in the family business. My first house I built  the Lynch's laid the blocks and the brickwork. I laugh as I look back on Frank telling Wayne to slow down on laying brick. Wayne was fast!!
Time goes on and each son that starts out working for their father for some reason or another reaches a time when it's time to look for better employment. A time that's hard to pull away from a father that has taught you a trade. I too reached that point when I wanted to go into business for myself.
Wayne and I talked about him cutting my timber and he came out and we walked around in the woods. We made a deal for him to cut the timber. He told me he would be here to work in three or four days. Before he left I had to show him my 40 Ford coupe and the 52 Chevy truck I'm working on. After looking at the 40 Wayne said I have a 40 Ford title some where in some other titles I have acquired through the years.
On Thursday after lunch I heard a motor running in the woods. I went to see if it was Wayne and sure enough it was him and his son. They had brought the BIG Log loading machine into the woods. Hey Nick come out to the truck I have some thing I want to show you! Man, was I in for a big surprise. Wayne reached into his truck and pulled out an envelope. Nick, you remember me telling you I had a 40 Ford title. He pulled the title from the envelope and showed it to me. Nick this title has your name on it. Do you remember me buying that 40 Ford Coupe body from you?? I couldn't remember who I had sold one of two bodies I had back in 1962. I did remember selling one to a woman who wanted it for her husband's birthday gift.
There it was in black and white a 1940 Ford Coupe title I bought from  Wayne King from Cowan, the seller to Nick Burton , the purchaser dated 1962. Wayne had kept the title all these years since the guy he sold the 40 to never paid him all the money he owed. The title with my name as the owner was giving to me . Thanks Wayne!!! 

ALABAMA TORNADO SUPRISE......

Our heart and prayers go out to the all the people in our neighboring state of Alabama who lost their lives and property. More tornadoes have happened in the USA this year than any time before.
We lost some trees near our house during the storm but nothing like the people of Alabama suffered. I went outside yesterday morning early to survey any more damage around our house. A big tree just outside our den windows blew down while I was watching the high winds Wednesday night. Lucky for us it fell away from the house. I discovered two more big trees down in the rear of my shop. One was on the ground while the other one was lodged in another tree. In the 27 years we have lived in these woods only one tree near our house has fell because of a storm. This year in the last month we have had nine trees to fall. A few were rotten at the ground but most were big healthy trees that were up rooted from their place in the ground for well over a 100 years.
A piece of paper on our deck caught my eye as I walked around the back of the house with my camera to take photos of the tree at the den windows. I was still able to read the typing on the sheet of wet paper. It was the minutes from a meeting in which the motion to pay for the spouses lunch was voted on by the Bear Creek Housing Authority. I googled it and found in was in Bear Creek, Alabama. This I found out was 113 miles from my home. The winds had carried this piece of paper to my deck. I also found some other debris in the grounds around our house, a piece of paneling, tar paper, insulation and other papers. I ever found a page from a bible. I'm sure each one of these items could tell some hair raising stories.
Thanks for the internet I was able to track where the paper on the deck came from. The oddity that Bear Creek, Alabama is in the same named county as I live; Franklin County.