Don’t Take Romance Advice From Windy

The kitten has nothing to do with today’s post. I just love the meme. I dare you not to smile when you see it. Double dare you. 🙂

Before I turn the blog stage over to Slim Randles and the gang down at the Mule Barn Truck Stop, I want to acknowledge the glimmer of good news that the rate of infections of the Corona virus in the U.S. is down. So are the number of daily deaths and hospitalizations.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop being vigilant, or we should stop practicing the safety measures of masks and social distancing. Until we get a handle on the three new COVID strains coming from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil, we can’t let our guard down.

Not being careful soon enough last January and February paid a large part in the U.S. having such high numbers of cases of COVID and deaths.

Let’s not set new records.

So, wear a mask, avoid large gatherings, and get the vaccine when you can. It may prove to be the best defense.

Now here’s Slim and the others. Grab a cookie to go with the beverage of your choice and enjoy…

Windy, my man,” said Doc, “how are you and the widow getting along?”

“She’s been sorta creepitatin’ up on my blind side, Doc,” Windy said.

Dud set his coffee cup down. “Which side is that, Windy?”

“Very humoristic, Dud. Ha. Ha.”

We had all been watching, as closely as we could, the relationship between Windy Wilson, bachelor, camp cook, cowboy, and teller of tales … and Mamie Dilworth, aging hippie chick, starer at crystals, vegetarian, widow.

We all knew, those of us who lived vicariously alongside the perimeter of their friendship, that if it could’ve been filmed, it’d be on television longer than The Flying Nun.

“Doc,” said Windy, “ol’ Mame the Dame is a awful nice lady, sure ‘nuf. I have considerationed maybe takin’ our friendship to the next level.”

“What level is that?” Steve asked with a grin.

“Steve, that would be puttin’ one of my patented power sneaks on ‘er and holdin’ hands.”

“Be careful you don’t rush these things, Windy. You’ve only known each other a couple of years now.”

“I’ll be careful, Doc, don’t you worry none. Why, we almost got to that there hand-holdin’ when we capper-sized that stock tank boat of mine in the crick. Had to pull ‘er out. Weren’t no grateful smooch, howsomever.”

“So why ramp it up now?”

“Valentine’s Day, Steve! Comin’ up, ain’t it. Yessir, afore long there’s gonna be young lovers squarin’ off and smoochin’ and darin’ the world to stop ‘em from cuddlin.’ I really take to Valentine’s Day.”

“Buy her a card yet?”

“Thinkin’ on it, Doc. But I gotta get jest the right kind. Can’t be too moochie-smoochie or she’ll get the wrong idear. What I’m lookin’ for is one that says, ‘Mame, I kinda like you and think you’se smart and kind, And would you like to hold hands and talk about good stuff? And no more a-them tofu tacos, thank you.”

“That’s a tall order, Windy.”

“Valentine’s only comes oncet a year, boys.”

Brought to you by A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.  Avuncular tips from a guy who made lots of mistakes.

Check out all of Slim’s award-winning books at his Goodreads Page and in better bookstores and bunkhouses throughout the free world.

All of the posts here are from his syndicated column, Home Country that is read in hundreds of newspapers across the country. I am always happy to have him share his wit and wisdom here.

Slim Randles is a veteran newspaperman, hunting guide, cowboy and dog musher. He was a feature writer and columnist for The Anchorage Daily News for 10 years and guided hunters in the Alaska Range and the Talkeetna Mountains. A resident of New Mexico now for more than 30 years, Randles is the prize-winning author of a dozen books, and is host of two podcasts and a television program.

That’s all from me folks. I’ll be back on Feb. 4 with a review of Stork Bite, a terrific story by L.K. Simonds.

Happy Hump Day