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  • Checking in with old friends

    It’s been quite a while since I checked in with everyone at PWA. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to. In fact, there’s nothing I’d rather do than to sit down and talk with old friends. And Lord knows I haven’t lost interest in Power Wagons. Never will. My absence has been mainly about the long process of moving across the country and having a big to-do-list.

    My new house (it’s really old) sits on 2 ½ acres at a place called Stone Mountain, which borders the Uwharrie National Forest, the Uwharrie Mountains, Lake Tillery, and the Great Pee Dee River. It’s truly a beautiful place, and there’s no place I’d rather be. But the previous owner brutalized the land. He stripped the whole property of it’s grand loblolly pines;hundreds of them. And he let the old house go uncared for as well. So, I’ve got to repair the house and reforest the land. It’s nothing I can’t do…it just takes time and work.

    Anyway.

    I’m not complaining. Work is redemptive at this time in my life. Staying busy keeps my mind off of the fact that my beloved son has gone off to Wake Forest and I won’t be seeing so much of him anymore. And it serves as proof that I can still put my hand to the plow and accomplish a hard day’s work during a time of life when people are starting to label me as “the gray haired guy.” People are doing that. They are putting me in the old guy box.

    It’s nothing new. People put us all in boxes. They label us. When I was younger I was “the firefighter.” I was also the guy with the cool old truck. In 4th grade I was the smart guy who knew what a homonym or homophone was. Which didn’t really mean I was smart, it just meant I knew the difference between their, they’re and there and I understood that one doesn’t have to look closely to see that harass is different than her ***. They just sound alike.

    Anyway.

    I guess I really don’t mind being the old guy. It could be worse. It’s a far shot better than being the grumpy guy, or the dumb guy, or the guy who pees on the toilet seat. When I was a kid, I learned you’ve got to be careful of being labeled. Don’t pee on the toilet seat. Don’t be a grump all the time. And learn all you can learn each day. And when people start calling you old, you need to get out there and work circles around them. You may be old, but at least you don’t have to hear about it.

    The truth is, most of us Power Wagon guys really are getting old and the labels are now pretty much limited to either demented or distinguished. Distinguished isn’t fitting at a time when you keep losing your glasses and forgetting the word for the thingy that sits on top of the engine, you know, the gas-a-ma-jiggy. And you have to pee at 3 a.m. and while you pee, you remember carburetor and you’re happy with that; so happy that you pee all over the toilet seat. And in the morning someone says, “Who peed all over the toilet seat?”

    “Not Me.”

    Anyway.

    We love it here. The people of the rural South have charm and they have it in spades. They’re good folks who are, by and large, hard working and friendly. They understand that their work is important but are glad to drop whatever they’re doing to lean against a car and talk with you. The way I see it, the world could use more people like that. People who set aside time to talk about good things; things like the relative merits of Dodge, Ford, and Chevy, the art of getting along with women, and the importance of changing your oil.

    I judge they’re really not all that much different from good rural Midwesterners except that most southerners prefer eating barbecue to eating an Iowa pork chop. The fact is, I haven’t met anyone I didn’t like with the exception of the crotchety old hag at the DMV. Now THAT’S a label nobody wants to have. The crotchety old hag at the DMV.

    Charles Talbert and his wife live a short ways from here. I don’t know exactly how many minutes it takes to drive from my place to his place. Maybe 15 minutes. He and his wife have been a huge blessing to us. They, like most folks here, are native to the area and have really helped us get our feet set. In all, we have been welcomed very kindly by everyone.…even with our odd dialect and charm deficit.

    In Stanly County, NC, the only proper pronoun is Y’all. I’m working on it. But I will admit the first time I talked to Charles and he said, “how y’all doin’,” I looked to see if someone had snuck in behind me. They hadn’t. I was y’all. And that’s ok. I don’t mind being y’all. It’s part of the verbal folk art that makes this part of the country unique.

    We are also not far from Todd Somers place and I hope to get up there soon. It’s been a while since we talked.

    Fenway is doing fine. Momma’s doing fine. Colt’s doing fine. I’m doing fine. I hope y’all are too.

    Now, it’s time to get back to work. Nobody really wants to be labeled as the old guy.

  • #2
    I'm very glad to see you checking in Kevin, I think we all miss your contributions here.
    Don't worry about the language barrier, I'm sure with Charles as your dialect coach y'all be speakin suthun in no time...bless your heart.

    It sounds as if you've found a laudible project and I'm sure Gordon will have some tips on tree planting.

    One very pleasing aspect of the south for me was that everything is at a slower pace. I know it bugs some other yankees but I really like it. Of course , It seems everywhere moves at a slower pace than L.A. so you may not notice it as much as I do.

    My very best to you and the Mrs. and please keep checking in from time to time.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Bob Thompson View Post
      I'm very glad to see you checking in Kevin, I think we all miss your contributions here.
      Don't worry about the language barrier, I'm sure with Charles as your dialect coach y'all be speakin suthun in no time...bless your heart.

      It sounds as if you've found a laudible project and I'm sure Gordon will have some tips on tree planting.

      One very pleasing aspect of the south for me was that everything is at a slower pace. I know it bugs some other yankees but I really like it. Of course , It seems everywhere moves at a slower pace than L.A. so you may not notice it as much as I do.

      My very best to you and the Mrs. and please keep checking in from time to time.
      Thanks for the good wishes Bob. It was good to hear from you.

      I'm sure I'll be a regular around here again when we get things settled a bit. Always good people here. And I sort of think of the Power Wagon guys as family. I think I always will. You could search the world over and never find a more genuine person than a man who drives a sixty year-old Dodge.

      And you're correct in saying that the pace of rural NC is not all that much different from the rural Midwest. I think it's just rural life in general. Nobody worries if their lawn is perfect or if their car is better than the neighbor’s car. In the country, nobody primps their hair in the rearview mirror. Nobody rushes around to get the latest Dow Jones Industrial Averages. It leaves more time for the stuff that really matters.

      I spent my college days in Ventura, Ca. After that I moved back to the Midwest but my career was in the city. I suppose that kind of life suits some folks fine, but it's not for me. Not anymore.

      I can't say that I never got a keen sense of the divine in the city...but it was rare. Out here I see it everyday.

      Comment


      • #4
        Kevin, I'm with Bob glad you're getting settled in and finding life isn't much different from Iowa. With Charles and Todd you'll blend in saying ya'll in no time I'm sure. All the best to you, Momma and Colt. Enjoy that BarBQ.

        Comment


        • #5
          Worth in N.C.

          Kevin:

          It's good to have another PW guy in N.C. I live in N.C. 30 miles east of Raleigh and have a WM300 also. If you are up in this area give me a call. The BBQ debate in NC is which is better the Western or Eastern version.

          Worth Narron

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Ron in Indiana View Post
            Kevin, I'm with Bob glad you're getting settled in and finding life isn't much different from Iowa. With Charles and Todd you'll blend in saying ya'll in no time I'm sure. All the best to you, Momma and Colt. Enjoy that BarBQ.
            You're a true gentleman Ron. I really missed seeing you and all the folks at the teeter board sessions in Iowa this year. Missing out on the rally was one of the low points about leaving Iowa. There were others too. I will miss my ice fishing for sure. I'll miss my pheasant hunting. I'll miss my brothers telling stories in the same spirit that my dad used to.

            But this new place is so good that I don't spend much time thinking about what I'll miss. It has me feeling better than I’ve felt since my fire accident, as if something has been given back after a long absence. I’ve let myself be rooted in this place. The mountains. The trees. The rivers and lakes. The people. It's home.

            My best to you and yours Ron.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by wnarron View Post
              Kevin:

              It's good to have another PW guy in N.C. I live in N.C. 30 miles east of Raleigh and have a WM300 also. If you are up in this area give me a call. The BBQ debate in NC is which is better the Western or Eastern version.

              Worth Narron
              I'd love to meet you Worth. I'll look you up if I ever get east of Raleigh. And if you're ever down by Lake Tillery just do the same.

              I'm one of those odd people that doesn't care whether it's eastern or western. Give me a plate of BBQ and you won't get any complaints.

              Comment


              • #8
                Kevin, Y'all do just fine, enhoy the BBQ and the great folks around you.. Your blessed in many ways and especially with a couple of PW guys around.

                If you get a chance take the drive between Fancy Gap Va and Mt. Airy NC, it's a great drive as I'd made it several times.
                I drive a DODGE, not a ram!

                Thanks,
                Will
                WAWII.com

                1946 WDX Power Wagon - "Missouri Mule"
                1953 M37 - "Frankenstein"
                1993 Jeep YJ - "Will Power"
                1984 Dodge Ramcharger - "2014 Ramcharger"
                2006 3500 DRW 4WD Mega Cab - "Power Wagon Hauler"

                Comment


                • #9
                  Kevin, it's good to read your writing again.

                  Can you hunt ducks there?
                  Power Wagon Advertiser monthly magazine, editor & publisher.


                  Why is it that the inside of old truck cabs smell so good?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by W_A_Watson_II View Post
                    Kevin, Y'all do just fine, enhoy the BBQ and the great folks around you.. Your blessed in many ways and especially with a couple of PW guys around.

                    If you get a chance take the drive between Fancy Gap Va and Mt. Airy NC, it's a great drive as I'd made it several times.
                    We took a short drive up through Virginia and ended up in a place that wasn't even on our map. We were looking for trout streams where we could do some fly fishing and got caught up in the fun of it; so caught up in it that we were lost. The map said there was no way in or out of where we were. :]

                    We resorted to the GPS. I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that I am a bit slow at adapting to changes in technology. Perhaps slow is not a strong enough word. But I was thankful for the technology of the GPS and I'll make that trip up through Va. again. Beautiful country.

                    My best to you and yours Will.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Gordon Maney View Post
                      Kevin, it's good to read your writing again.

                      Can you hunt ducks there?
                      I've talked to a lot of deer hunters around here and they all kinda scratch their heads when I talk about ducks. I'm still working on getting a good answer. If not, there's always Bigfoot hunting in the Uwharries. It might be fun.

                      The elusive Sasquatch has been spotted numerous times around here. Within a few miles of my house. They lure him in with Snicker bars and such. I'm thinking about loading up the Power Wagon with chocolate and having a Power Wagon Bigfoot expedition in lieu of ducks and pheasants. :] Something different.

                      Good to hear from you Gordon. Really.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Glad eveything is going good for you, Kevin. The old area around here is about the same. I have not gotten much done on the PW, but I did get the old weed eater going for my dad, thanks for that. Better keep your camera ready in case Bigfoot comes a callin'. Maybe he likes snickers almond better! My mother-in-law has been talking of going back to North Carolina to visit family and if I get to go I'll look you up, if you are close to Lenoir. Take care, have fun, and be safe!
                        1949 B-1 PW
                        1950 B-2 PW
                        1965 WM300
                        1968 D200 camper special (W200 conversion)
                        1970 Challenger RT 383
                        1987 Ramcharger 4x4
                        1991.5 W250 diesel
                        1999 Jeep Cherokee limited 4x4
                        2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Steve G View Post
                          Glad eveything is going good for you, Kevin. The old area around here is about the same. I have not gotten much done on the PW, but I did get the old weed eater going for my dad, thanks for that. Better keep your camera ready in case Bigfoot comes a callin'. Maybe he likes snickers almond better! My mother-in-law has been talking of going back to North Carolina to visit family and if I get to go I'll look you up, if you are close to Lenoir. Take care, have fun, and be safe!
                          We're about 2 hours from Lenoir. It's an easy drive and I'd love to see you. If you come down, I could take you over to Charles' shop. He's got some really nice projects going on. I think his work will inspire you. It did me.

                          Glad the weed eater worked out. Being a Stihl, I thought it would come right to life. Stihl makes pretty good tools I always thought. Anyway, Momma says to say Hi and, by all means, if you can swing it, come on down.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Kevin
                            It was good to read your words of wisdom again, no complaints on the magazine, but it ain't quite the same without your thoughts and words of wisdom in it.
                            The greatest thing about the magazine and that includes all those who contribute to it is that it relaxes me and helps me reflect on my younger days when I think folks were a little kinder than many are today. I also think of the folks here as family. As I see age 60 staring me in the face, I have come to like things just a little slower and easier.
                            Thanks for checkin in here and please don't be a stranger, and the best to you and your family
                            Tom

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DB69 View Post
                              Kevin
                              It was good to read your words of wisdom again, no complaints on the magazine, but it ain't quite the same without your thoughts and words of wisdom in it.

                              The greatest thing about the magazine and that includes all those who contribute to it is that it relaxes me and helps me reflect on my younger days when I think folks were a little kinder than many are today. I also think of the folks here as family. As I see age 60 staring me in the face, I have come to like things just a little slower and easier.

                              Thanks for checkin in here and please don't be a stranger, and the best to you and your family
                              Tom

                              Yes.... if he could at least contribute once in a while. His opening post here reminded me of what we miss..... of what I miss.
                              Power Wagon Advertiser monthly magazine, editor & publisher.


                              Why is it that the inside of old truck cabs smell so good?

                              Comment

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