My apologies for not having anything on my blog to commemorate Memorial Day. It’s not like the holiday meant less to me than it has is years past, it’s just that my body decided to rebel with a myriad of issues that made me feel sicker than death on a cracker. Thankfully, my kids came to the rescue, and I went to one of my daughters’ houses for some TLC and a reprieve from my normal chores.
Back home now, Wednesday, and really need to pace myself. Those who know me, have an inkling of just how hard that is for me, but I’ll try. Need to make sure I’m ready for a vacation later in June. The date is creeping up swiftly.
Before turning the blog over to my friend, Slim Randles with his post about a clever, fun, way to get rid of squash bugs in your summer garden, I want to mention that the Booksweeps contest in which one lucky winner will get a new eReader and 40 thriller/crime novels, has been extended for one more week, ending June 7.
I’m one of the sponsors, and the criteria is easy. Just follow the sponsoring authors to have your name entered into the contest.
By entering, you have a chance to win a copy of Brutal Season, the fourth installment in the Seasons Mystery Series, as well as books from some of my favorite authors who write crime fiction, like Stephen Puleston, E.J. Simon, and N.L Hinkens.
Ends June 7. Good luck!
Now, here’s Slim. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage to go with the cookies and enjoy.
Dud was heading home in his pickup truck when he saw the strange goings-on at the Bahdziewicz place. Abraham Lincoln Bahdziewicz was out in the family’s large garden with a full complement of kids who were happily hopping around. Some of the kids came from the neighborhood, but most of them were homegrown Bahdziewicz kids.
The Bahdziewicz family had a great garden, and went at the whole thing scientifically and in great fun, because this is one family that runs short on cash but long on kids.
Dud pulled over and watched for a minute as Abe laughingly directed the family dancers doing the vegetable boogie through the various rows of the huge garden.
“What’s going on, Abe?” yelled Dud.
“Squash bug stomping time,” Abe said, turning over another board lying next to the vegetables. As soon as the board was flipped over, a plethora of Bahdziewicz kids stomped the bugs flat. “It’s the kids’ favorite time in the garden.”
The third-grader, John Kennedy Bahdziewicz, said, “Flip another board, Dad.”
“Hold it!” Dud yelled. “Not another move until I get back, okay? I’ll be back here in five minutes. Five minutes!”
Abraham Lincoln Bahdziewicz looked at his oldest son, Woodrow Wilson Bahdziewicz and they both shrugged. The rest of the family stopped, too. Dud peeled out in the pickup and was back in less than two minutes.
“Okay,” Dud yelled. “Let’s do the squash bug stomp the right way!”
And he strapped on his accordion and fired up a grand polka as boards were flipped over and the exposed squash bugs were dispatched in record polka time.
Sometimes just living here can be an awful lot of fun.
Brought to you by the posthumous prance that sent all those squash bugs to insect heaven. Don’t eat them. They’ve been eating squash.
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. There’s also the book, Home Country. Check it out.
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.