Chick Magnet

My beautiful little girl, Gracie,is a chick magnet. I bought her from a friend of mine for a discounted sum of $100.00.  I very lovingly say, "She is not worth a nickle, but you don't have enough money to buy her!"It was a Fri. when I picked her up, took her home and bathed her, picked all the fleas off her and rubbed her dry with brand new bath towel. Declared her Queen of the household and she has held that title for over 13 years. The next day we loaded the big red canoe on the old pickemup and hope she starts truck and headed to Lake Jocassee. [One day I shall tell about all the old and Worn out trucks I have driven, never paid over $500.00 for any of them. You meet lots of people! Just stand beside the truck, hold the jumper cables up high and smile! They will stop! One old man didn't even roll down his window, he just popped the hood. I hooked the cables up, started my truck, undid the cables, closed his hood, he backed up and drove away-never said a word! I even had a State Trooper stop me one dark night and tell me that I shouldn't me driving with out my headlights on, I stomped the dimmer switch a few times and they came back on long enough for him to get on down the road. Of course they went out again and the song "I'm driving by Faith" popped into my head-no wait the song is "I'm living by Faith" Never had a truck payment and never a dull moment.] Back to the lake. When we would get to the lake and back down the boat ramp I would jump out quick and put piece of 4x4 wood behind the back tire so she wouldn't roll into the lake. This is why Gracie is worthless, she has never helped. I got the canoe off the truck and on the water, loaded our gear and put Gracie back into the truck so as not to run over her. Would go park the truck, run and get the 4x4 race back to the truck stick the 4x4 under the back tire.[A thought just crossed my mind---Why did I not have two 4x4s?---DUH, How different my life would have been!] Gracie was only eight weeks old and not very big, cute as a button [what a dumb expression- have you ever looked at a button and said, "What a cute Button" I hope not.] and as wiggly as a big fat earth worm twisting on the end of a bamboo fishin' pole. She didn't weigh more than a five pound bag of sugar and was every bit as sweet. One minute she would give kisses with her pink tongue and the next be lickin' her nasty behind-You gotta love em! Those eyes, how they would shine with mischief as she chewed things she ought not be chewing. That first day, Gracie was laying up under my feet as I paddled, I would pick her up and set her in the water beside me and she would dogie paddle a couple of minutes then back in the canoe. When we stopped at the sandy beaches, she would run and play on the sand and in the water. I shared the corn chips and ham salad sandwich spread with her. Life was good and Life is good! We have logged many hours paddling on the lakes here in the Upstate of SC.

 The day came to an end and I all by myself paddled back to the boat ramp, herself sleeping between my feet.I could see some girls at the ramp, they were getting their gear together to load into their kayaks. Having been born with a big head which is mostly covered with gray hair, or no hair. Spending years expanding my waist line, talking to myself as I get out of the canoe, and scratching my belly when I stand up; all seem to build a barrier between myself and cute little kayak chicks I encounter at boat ramps. [It is important to note that I found my Chick many years ago. Am not hunting for another chick and wouldn't know what to do if  one came along! At that time many years ago; I did not know and would have never guessed that a cute little chick could be a mother hen, an old bitty, and a "madder then an old wet hen" all in a matter of a few minutes! A life lesson one does not soon forget!] OK, back to kayak chicks. I landed at the boat ramp, pulled myself out of the canoe, knew Gracie was to small to get out, started for the truck when I heard, "Oh, look a puppy!" I turned around and all I saw was Gracie's head peeking over the side of the canoe. Remember I wasn't at the canoe, I was halfway up the boat ramp. Five kayak chicks were swarming my big red canoe and little yellow puppy. [Kayak chicks-is it wrong for me to use that phrase?] They picked her up and loved on her and she licked all their faces with the butt lickin' tongue she was born with,[ I never told] they even spoke to me, wanting to know all about the cute little puppy-Cute as a Button! 

I intended to write about the hike we took yesterday, but as you see got a little side tracked. During the hike we stopped and talked with a group of students and their teacher from Wofford College. Part of their class requirement was to hike, sounds good to me. The girls saw Gracie before they saw me and they exclaimed with  excitement, "Look a dog!" then I was seen. They tried to take Gracie's picture, but she didn't like that idea and would not look at the camera. She let the students pet her and she rubbed against their legs, but no face licking. When we parted ways everyone was happy.

We settled in the truck and started home, Gracie winked at me and said,"I still got it."
I asked, "Still got what?"
She said, " Chick magnetism!"



Later,

Turtle