1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to this country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 2: I want you to stay a. 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: While as I share my experiences in life lessons. This 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,240 Speaker 1: Country Life is presented by Case Knives on Meat Eaters 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast. 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 2: The airwaves have to offer. 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate. 9 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: I've got some stories to share. Porridge, eggs and papaws. 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: Grandfather's really only one requirement to be one, and that's 11 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: to have a young and you like that, likes you, 12 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: willing to call you that now, whether it's a blood 13 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: relative or not, it's a moniker. I have myself, and 14 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: I'm pretty proud to be one. Unfortunately I only knew 15 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: one of mine, but to me, he was the best. 16 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 2: He said. 17 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: The bar is a grandparent for the rest of us 18 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: in my family who called him that, And I've got 19 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: a story about him, the father of my mother, a 20 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: grandparent in the traditional sense who loved the duty but 21 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: received it by default. But first I'm going to tell. 22 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: You this story. 23 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: This opening story is about a non traditional grandfather, the 24 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: one who got the title through other circumstances. Just like 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: the traditional grandfather doesn't matter how he got it, it's 26 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: what he did with it once he received it. Brentley Smith, 27 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: a native of the Sooner State and living in what 28 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: she calls the heart of the Homeland. She's sent in 29 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: a story about Tim, her grandfather. And since we're slipping 30 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: up towards Father's Day in a few weeks, I thought 31 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: i'd talk about Grandpa's today. So, in Brentley's word to 32 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: my voice, here we go. Fresh pellets radded to the 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: stove before the fireplace inserted door was closed. He calmly 34 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: took a seat in the worn leather chair. With the 35 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: light low and the flames dancing that old oak tree 36 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: casting shadows on the wall, he knew the conditions were 37 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: just right. 38 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: He put an. 39 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: Oversized orange cowboy hat on top of his head and 40 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 1: begin to tell a story tonight. 41 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: It's Goldilocks three Bears. 42 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 1: Now, conveniently, he doesn't have to seek out volunteers to 43 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: act out this tale, because there are already several little 44 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: people in the room who are more than willing and 45 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: eager for him to get started. We squeal and laugh 46 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: as we run from porridge bowl to porridge bowl, and 47 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: from Papa's. 48 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 2: Bed to Baby Bear's bed. 49 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: When the Bear family returns to their cabin, we all 50 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: jump up and run to the woods outside. And that's 51 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: when our storyteller calls after us. 52 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 2: Remember there's bears. There's in them woods now. 53 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: Still to this day, when I wake up in the 54 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: early morning hours to climb a tree stand, my heart 55 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: pounds in my chest as I'm still waiting for those 56 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: bears to pop out of the woods that my grandparents 57 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: land in northeast Oklahoma. 58 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: Where there are, in fact no bears. 59 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: My grandpa Tim is still acting out those stories with 60 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: that oversized orange hat on his head, but this time 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: it's with my own three little boys, and I'm no 62 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: longer the little one running from porridge. 63 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: Bowl to porridge bowl. 64 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: And what a better place to start In the beginning, 65 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: Tim married my grandma Kathy a month before I was born. 66 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: Biologically he's not my grandpa, but by love he is. 67 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: He chose to love the family he stepped into, and 68 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: that is a most precious thing to me. It also 69 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: speaks to the man I'm writing about today. When you 70 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: take the time to get to know people, you will 71 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: find that every now and then you come across someone 72 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: that seems refreshingly, rare, genuine to who God made them 73 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: to be, and you're attracted to their company like bees 74 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: to honey. Tim is one of those people. Husband, father, 75 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: business owner, gardener, paper boy, fisherman, auctioneer, cook, reader, teacher, veteran, 76 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: grandpa and great grandpa are just some of the titles 77 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: that fit this man. But there is one that he wears, 78 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: the best storyteller. The mind of this man is extraordinary, 79 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: and the best way I have found to describe it 80 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: is as his own personal filing cabinet, packed full of 81 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: details and pages from every person and interactions he's probably 82 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: ever had. I still have not figured out his secret 83 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: to keep it his memory so sharp, but I am 84 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,559 Speaker 1: prone to believe it's founded in his love of learning creativity. 85 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: In the twenty nine years I've known to him, he's 86 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: on the more shop, created beautiful gardens, cooked many good meals, 87 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: rigged up his own fishing jugs, flies and lures, and 88 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: has devoured one book after another. Once he masters one skill, 89 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: he tackles another just to add to his list. And 90 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: that alone has been one of my biggest inspirations lately. 91 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: We've all benefited from his latest skill of leatherwork, dog collars, belts, guitars, traps, bracelets, 92 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: and knife sheaths, all made by his willing hands. He 93 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: grows tomato plants taller than anyone who walks by him, 94 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: and smokes the best Thanksgiving ham you'll ever want to eat. 95 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: He's a master of talents, and the creativity he weaves 96 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: in his stories just adds to his list. Bloody Bones 97 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: and corn Bread may sound like the title of an 98 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: old Western nobby or maybe even a cordy horror movie. However, 99 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: this is still one of Tim's most famous campfire stories 100 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: from my childhood. Autumn nights in Oklahoma are perfect for 101 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: sitting around the campfire late past our bedtimes, watching the 102 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: flames the fire, the large brush piles ears attuned to 103 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: the owl hooting nearby. We would sit on the edge 104 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: of our seats stair wide eyed as we heard about 105 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: the little boy who was sent to the store by 106 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: his mother after school. He dawdled too long and had 107 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: to make his way home in the dark, resulting in 108 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: an ending that left us just scared enough to want 109 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: to hear it again. It left an impression mark on 110 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: all of us kids at that time, especially on my 111 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: little brother, whose elementary teacher had a lot of questions 112 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: from our mom after he copied it down for a 113 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: writing assignment. 114 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 2: Bringing that up still makes us bust into laughter. 115 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: He may have mastered telling stories around the campfire, even 116 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: acting out classics like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but 117 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: I realize there is more to storytelling than just fiction. 118 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: Every single conversation I have with him is weaved with 119 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: thought provoking questions, a funny punchline, a lesson learned, wisdom shared, 120 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: and all said in love. For the last few years, 121 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: I've taken the liberty to record some of the everyday 122 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: conversations I have with him, or even some he is 123 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: having with others. 124 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 2: I love randomly pulling. 125 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: Them out on my phone and listening to some of 126 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: my favorite voices and stories from those speakers. 127 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: Stories told from his. 128 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: Time in Vietnam, a phone conversation he had with his brother, 129 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: laughter as he jokes about my uncle's fear of snakes. 130 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: Each recording is filled with stories of specific people in 131 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: exact locations and times throughout his life. He turns simple 132 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: everyday conversations into stories worth remembering. There is something special 133 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: and rare about him, and it's to regard people as 134 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: worth knowing and remember. It can skim through those files 135 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: in his memory until he lands on the exact one 136 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: he was searching for. Doesn't matter if it took place 137 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: just months ago or even decades back. He knows the 138 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: details of the people he grew up around and worked with, 139 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: he served with, where he did business with. He's a 140 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: master of storytelling because he understands that people and their. 141 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: Stories are the story. 142 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: This has helped shape how I tell my own stories 143 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: in life and how I get the privilege of telling 144 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: them as the granddaughter of the true storyteller, one who 145 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: chose to love a gaggle of little kids who just 146 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: begged to hear Goldilocks in the Three Bears one more time, 147 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: and who always remember that there's bears in them woods. 148 00:08:55,720 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: And according to Brentley, it's just how that happened. Now, 149 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: do yourself a favor and follow Brentley on Instagram. She's 150 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: blogging away over at the Heart of the Homeland blog 151 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: and my favorite island Reva the Diva. Hanson is going 152 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: to post a LinkedIn where you can keep up with 153 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: Tim's granddaughter. In the show description, it is well worth 154 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: the look and the listen. Thank you Brentley, Thank you Tim. 155 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: My grandfather, fine Us Weaverslye was born in Malvern, a 156 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: city on the edge of the Washington Mountains in west 157 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: central Arkansas, on August eighteenth, nineteen thirteen. When he hit 158 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: the ground, he rounded the population number up to somewhere 159 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: around two thousand, six hundred and ninety. At the time 160 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: of his birth, Malvern had been the county seat of 161 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: government for thirty years. A new business concern was started 162 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: there that would later become Arkansas Power in Light, bringing 163 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: electricity to much of the state. The brickmaking industry would 164 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: also be a major influence in the area, with the 165 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: city claiming to be the brick capital of the world. 166 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: He grew up working hard and playing hard. He told 167 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: me stories about being bullied by bigger boys and getting 168 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: in fights for standing his ground and standing up for others. 169 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 2: He said, if you needed to chunk. 170 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: A rocket anyone that needed it, you didn't have to 171 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: take your eyes off the boy that was going to 172 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: get it to look for one. All you had to 173 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: do was reach down around your feet. There was always 174 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: one there. His family moved to southeast Tarkansas later on, 175 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: and there he worked in the local lumber. 176 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 2: Mill at night and farm during the day. 177 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: These were hard times leading up to and during the 178 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: Great Depression. A ten year period from nineteen twenty nine 179 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: to nineteen thirty nine were over two hundred banks failed 180 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: in the state, wiping out the savings of men. He 181 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: married my grandmother, Beulah Player in nineteen thirty and by 182 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty three my uncle Charles was born. A few 183 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: years later my mama, Betty lu would see the light 184 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: of day, and then at my aunt Patricia in nineteen 185 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: forty eight, who surprised everyone, most notably my grandmother. He 186 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 1: worked two jobs to support his family. A lot of 187 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: time he didn't have a car, so he walked to 188 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: the saw mill and warned from our farm seven miles 189 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: to town. After working all day in the fields, then 190 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: after eight hours at the meal he made that same 191 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: seven mile trek back home. That averages out to about 192 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: five and a half hours a day of just walking, 193 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: eight long hours at the saw mill, getting back home 194 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: for breakfast around ten am, just to go. 195 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 2: To work in the fields until time to eat supper. 196 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,719 Speaker 1: Take a nap, and start the long walk back to 197 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: town at eight that night. The Following World War Two, 198 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: times got better. He bought a store in town and 199 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: built a house across from it on North Martin Street. 200 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 1: He kept a farm, increased the cattle production, and built 201 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: two modern for the time chicken houses to accommodate seventy 202 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: thousand laying hens. He sold that store and built a 203 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: second one on South Martin Street. I remember this one 204 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 1: being built in the mid seventies. This store was supported 205 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: by the egg farm and set across from the saw 206 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: mill he walked to and from all those years ago, 207 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: an every day reminder of how far he'd come by 208 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: the literal sweat of his brow. And in the back 209 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: of that new store was a process and planned for 210 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: the eggs brought to town from the chicken houses. The 211 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: collected eggs were washed, grated, separated, and boxed in big 212 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: cardboard cases for wholesale distribution on a refrigerated bob truck 213 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 1: driven by my Papa, another man who worked the route, 214 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: and even my high school aged brother Tim when he 215 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: wasn't driving the school bus. Of course, the egg machine 216 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: was a big conveyor belt that threw an assembly line 217 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: type operation, washed and sanitized first, then ran the eggs 218 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: through a dark room with lights that lit them up 219 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: from the bottom, allowing cracks to be easily seen by 220 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: the person grading them. Once pasted there, they were separated 221 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: by size and eventually rolled into stations where ladies packaged 222 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: them in styrofoam cartings and blazoned with Sly Egg Company 223 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: across the top. It was at that first door where 224 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: a stranger challenged Papa's patience with rude behavior and an 225 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,439 Speaker 1: inappropriate language in front of my teenage mother and grandmother. 226 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: It didn't bowld well for the stranger, who, along with 227 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: sporting knots on his head and a bloody nose, has 228 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: the idea that an old man had done it to him, 229 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: my grandfather's premature white hair and giving him the look 230 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: of someone twenty years older than he was. I talked 231 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: about this that in great detail on episode three or 232 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: one of This Country Life entitled The Country Store. You 233 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: or to listen to that one if you hadn't already. 234 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,839 Speaker 1: But my grandfather's temperament was that of a man of faith, 235 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: whose family, above all else, came first. His patience with 236 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: his grandkids was legendary. His quiet and lovable sense of 237 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: humor endeared him to all who knew him privately, and 238 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: his honesty and integrity and dedication to doing what was right, 239 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: common sense, and putting his family above all else except 240 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: the Good Lord was the standard by which we were 241 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: all measured. His tolerance for anything outside of that was nonexistent. 242 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: And I believe that the combination of working so hard, 243 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: literally around the clock, to take care of his family 244 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: was what prompted the story I'm fixing to. 245 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 2: Tell you now. 246 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: Papa would give anyone the shirt off his back. He 247 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: forgave debts owed him by folks who were trying but 248 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: unable to pay. He'd lived that life as a young 249 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: man raising a family in hard times, and he recognized 250 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: what true effort was of a man doing all he could. 251 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: Those folks might wake to find groceries sitting on their 252 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: front porch that had been delivered during the hours of darkness, 253 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: no bill, no note, just necessities for those that needed them. 254 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: My grandparents' home sat across from the old store on 255 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: North Martin Street, and every day he made his way 256 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: to the farm to do what had to be done. Cows, hey, chickens, eggs. 257 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: There was always something to do. He never had time 258 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: to do anything else. He didn't hunt and I only 259 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: saw him fish half a dozen times. The majority of 260 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: those times when he came across from me and my 261 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: friends fishing behind the chicken house. Is he was going 262 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: about his chores. He didn't take time away from providing 263 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: for all of us. He was forced to go to 264 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: the doctor once, and after some tests, the doctor concluded 265 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: that he had had a heart attack sometime in the 266 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: recent passed and wondered why he hadn't told anyone. I 267 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: didn't have time, that was his response. He had a 268 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: high tolerance for pain and zero tolerance for a thief. 269 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: And a thief had found his way onto our farm. 270 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 2: They were stealing. 271 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: Chickens and eggs, the two main ingredients of an egg farm. 272 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: We lived on that farm, but over half a mile 273 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: away from the chicken houses by the road, and over 274 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: a quarter of a mile straight through the woods. Someone 275 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: was slipping on their property during the middle of the 276 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: night and stealing the eggs. From what we learned later, 277 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: chickens too. I'm sure you're thinking stealing eggs. Those folks 278 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: were probably just hungry. Well, it wasn't just a few eggs. 279 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: It was cases of eggs. In each case held thirty 280 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: six dozen some of y'all, who was tempting fate by 281 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: stealing eggs from a man who took overwhelmingly personal everything 282 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: that involved his family. They weren't just stealing from him. 283 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: He would have just likely ignored that now they were 284 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: stealing from his family. It was how we all survived, 285 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: being invested partners and heirs to this whole operation. A 286 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: significant portion of our income came from that farm, the 287 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: farm that had been in my maternal family for five 288 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 1: generations by the time I witnessed birth. Now, the way 289 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: my grandfather saw it, the thief, by taking the chief 290 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: commodity from that farm, was snatching food out of his 291 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:40,880 Speaker 1: grandkid's mouths and closed off their backs. He never said 292 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: a word about it to me. Even years later, when 293 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: I was a policeman, my mama told me that he 294 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: figured he knew who was doing it and sent word 295 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: through the grapevine that it needed to stop. 296 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 2: But it didn't. 297 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: Now what happened next is still up for debate. But 298 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: the person that was suspected of doing it was well 299 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: known in our rural areas being a thief. He was 300 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: also a regular customer at our farm. Some folks a 301 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: lot actually would stop by the farming buy eggs unwashed 302 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: fresh out of the chicken. My grandfather more or less 303 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: just covered the costs of the feet it took to 304 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: keep the chicken alive enough to lay the eggs, and 305 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: more or less was settling them for nothing. But this 306 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: guy hadn't been by in a long time. A local 307 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: restaurant started cutting back on their weekly egg order. These 308 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: folks were all acquainted. Didn't take charlote holmes to figure 309 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: out where the majority of the eggs were going and 310 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: how they were getting there. So in drew Papa overreaction, 311 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: he grabbed a rifle and waited for several nights on 312 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: the egg thief to return. My grandmother feared and he 313 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: was going to wind up in prison over someone stealing 314 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: a bunch of eggs and a few chickens. Now, before 315 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: someone starts balling about why he didn't call the shriff, 316 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: allow me to clear that up for you. These were 317 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: different times, right or wrong, and the sheriff had two 318 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: deputies for the whole county. There were no game cameras 319 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: to hang, there was no burglar alarm to install, and 320 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:19,959 Speaker 1: outside of driving by the farm when they were in 321 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: the area or dragging off. 322 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 2: A bullet ridden egg thief. 323 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: There really wasn't a whole lot that they could have done. Besides, 324 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: grandfather didn't have time to wait on whatever they would 325 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: or wouldn't do. 326 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 2: Anyway, he decided to handle it himself. 327 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: There are two persons my brother Tim and I believe 328 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: could have warned the thief. One of them would have 329 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: done so inadvertently since they worked on the farm and 330 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: lived nearby. It could have been overheard on the party 331 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: line phone system, a singular line that all the families 332 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: shared that lived near there during that time, including the suspect. 333 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: They may have been talking about what was on and 334 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: knowing my grandfather made a general statement that got back 335 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: to the suspect, mister Finance will shoot him if he 336 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:08,439 Speaker 1: catches him. 337 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 2: That's a very plausible theory. 338 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: Listening on other folks conversations was a big pastime for 339 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: several nosy roses out in the country, but I think 340 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: it was a valued family friend. Tim still on the 341 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: fence between the two, but I think my grandfather mentioned 342 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 1: the situation to him when he was sending word through 343 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: the grapevind that he needed to stop. Later on, during 344 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: a visit to the farm to get eggs, that man 345 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: found out that it hadn't stopped, and seeing the level 346 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: of disgust my grandfather had with the whole situation, he 347 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: took it upon himself to point blank tell the fellow 348 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: what fate awaited him. 349 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 2: I doubt my grandfather told him what he was going 350 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: to do. 351 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: He wouldn't have wanted to put him in a position 352 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: to have to testify against him in court, or why 353 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 1: he didn't report it to the authorities. It's my belief that, 354 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: knowing my grandfather and how folks handled their own business 355 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: back then, I believe that man paid him a visit. Regardless, 356 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: my grandfather spent several nights at that farm, lying in 357 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: wait to catch whoever it was, and thankfully no one 358 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: ever showed up. Had the thief suddenly repented and changed 359 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: his ways doubtful. Had the offender been warned of what 360 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: might befall him if he continued his recklessness, more than likely, 361 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: and that warning saved two families a lot of potential grief. 362 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: As a follow up, in the time they would have 363 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: taken for the restaurant in town to run out of eggs, 364 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: the amount coincidentally and eerily similar to what had been stolen, 365 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: they up their orders back to normal, and the suspected 366 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: egg thief he returned to the farm in broad daylight 367 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: with most of his family and farm workers there as 368 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: a witness buying eggs, this time from my grandfather. And 369 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: that's just how that happened. It took a lot of 370 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: gumption for him to return. It took a lot of 371 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 1: self control from my grandfather not to say anything. But 372 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: it only took one person getting involved with concerned and 373 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: keeping the peace that made the difference. In a time 374 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: now where we stare at our screens and block out 375 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: the world around us with headphones and earbuds, take a break, 376 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: look around and listen. 377 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 2: You might be surprised what you can hear. 378 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: And who you might say. Thank y'all so much for 379 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 1: listening to this country life, bear grease and the render 380 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,199 Speaker 1: all up your ears for my brother from across the 381 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: big Muddy Robert Lake Pickle, whose Backwoods University podcast will 382 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: be dropping right here on the same feed next month. 383 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: And as I promised, I've got something coming out just 384 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: in time for Father's Day on June the first that's 385 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: really sharp, like literally sharp, Come on, you know what 386 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: it is? Until next week. This is Brent Reeves signing off. 387 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.