It’s October and what does that mean? For me, it’s the annual Arts & Crafts Sale in Hawkins, Texas.
A great place to find some very nice jewelry, decorative items, fiber art, paintings, and more.
I’ll be there with books to sign for you or for gifts, as well as prints of some of my photography.
If you live in the area, come on by!
Saturday, October 19, 2024 *** From 9-3.
Holly Brook Baptist Church
3219 S. FM Road 2868
I’ve gone to this event every year for seven or eight years, with a break during COVID, and my daughter always goes with me. It’s our annual mother/daughter weekend, and we always stay somewhere out in the country. This year we have a cabin on Lake Hawkins and I can’t wait to sit on the long dock and watch the water.
This daughter, one of three, is my book buddy and goes to all events with me, helping to tote books, visit with people who come by the table, suggest books they might like, and be there when I need to step away for a few minutes. We both also really love going around to the other tables to see what kinds of goodies we can find for gifts. We take turns going shopping, finding some really unique and lovely items of all kinds.
Since I’ll be busy today finishing preparations to head to the venue and the cabin where I’ll be staying with my daughter, and driving there tomorrow, I’ll let Slim Randles entertain you. It’s been too long since he’s taken the stage here, and I’m happy to let him step in. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, or glass, and enjoy a cookie or two while you read. Fresh out of the oven!
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Bob Milford popped in for a cup the other day at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn truck stop. Bob isn’t usually seen in town during the day, as he’s manager of the big Diamond W spread, and there are lots of daylight things to do out that way.
As we worked our way through the usual topics: women, politics, laundry and welding, Bob said he’s planning a spring turkey hunt.
We nodded, silently vowing to check our own camo clothes and slate turkey calls.
“I sure hope this season goes better than last one, though,” Bob said, sipping his coffee.
“Didn’t you get a turkey, Bob?” asked Doc.
“Well, yes and no, I guess you could say, Doc. It’s just the way it happened that didn’t turn out so well. You see, I was driving the stock truck out the highway ….”
“What happened, Bob?” asked Dud, finally.
“Oh, this stupid turkey flew out of the woods and across the highway. That wasn’t bad in itself, but there was this state trooper behind me, you know? I kept watching him to see if he thought I was doing something wrong. You know how it is. I checked my speed, made sure my seat belt was on real good. I kept looking in the rearview mirror at him, but even if I hadn’t, I couldn’t have stopped it….”
He took another sip and looked up at us.
“You know the headache rack on the stock truck? Well, that dumb turkey pulled up when he saw the truck, but he didn’t clear that rack and smacked it hard. He went up and over and came right down through the windshield of that cop car. Smashed it all to pieces.”
“Bummer,” said Dud, who tried to be a hippie once.
“The worst part was, the trooper gave me aticket for it!” Bob said.
“A ticket? For what?”
Bob smiled. “Flippin’ him the bird.”
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For a good look at the cover of the new family novel, Whimsy Castle, follow the link to Amazon and look for books by Slim Randles. Thank you.
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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.