While Valentine’s Day is traditionally thought of as a holiday to celebrate romance between people who are in a special close, intimate relationship, I think it’s a holiday to celebrate love, period. That can be between life partners, dating couples, family members, and friends.
Let’s Celebrate Love
To help us celebrate this day of fun and romance, Slim Randles is here with a story about Windy and his efforts to court the widow lady. 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.
“Which side is that, Windy?” Dud asked.
“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.
“Well, partner, 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.