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Wednesday, April 27, 2011


PERRO AND ELDON SPENDING TIME IN THE MAN CAVE/SHOP

        "Okay Perro .... go find your buddies and I'll get the wood stove stoked-up."

Check list for an Outdoor Man-Cave/Shop

1) Men only ...... girls enter at your own risk. (Little Maggie is welcome)
2) Tool bench .... a place for everything and everything in its place.
3) Dogs welcome ...... sleep, scratch and lick to your hearts content.
4) Wood stove with flat metal plate on top for making cowboy coffee.
5) Lock installed if shop/man-cave has been "tidied up."
6) Accept fire extinguisher Monica gave me for Christmas.
7) Thank Monica for the stack of cut-up firewood she gave me for Christmas. (see # 6 above)
"I'll ask Maggie if she wants to go out to the shop with me and Eldon."
"Come on Maggie ... we're all going out to the shop with Eldon."

"No thanks Perro ..... I'm not feeling too well right now. Tell him I'll come out later."

"Buster! Get up .... we're going out to the shop to play with Eldon."
"Huh? .... Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty comfy and cozy right here ..... Would someone bring me a doggy biscuit and scratch my tummy?"
Okay, Brandy old girl, we'll wait right here for the rest of them.
.....................................


"Hey Eldon ... let us in! I have Kodiak with me."
.................
We called two of them our Grandpuppies.
One was Perro's best buddy.
And one was his "little Momma-dog" who taught him good manners.
These dear friends are chasing frisbees and tennis balls with Eldon in Heaven ....
Are there going to be dogs and cats, birds and turtles, goldfish and lizard pets in Heaven?
It says in the Bible there are going to be lambs laying down with lions ..... you decide for yourself.
......................................................

And you three darling young men
Gunner, Guiness and Perro.....
I'm not as much fun to play with as Eldon was .....
but I'll walk down to the bottom of the hill with you, 
and toss the squished basketball for you to chase,
and let you know when deer are in the yard if you don't
notice them first.
Oh my ..... so much love in these guys
and so much love lost.
................
My sons and sons-in-law, grandsons and grandsons-in-law spend time in the shop when they visit.
I hear a saw cutting into wood,
I see smoke billowing from the stove pipe ....
did I tell them about the fire extinguisher?
I walk toward the shop .... and stop, tears flow and heart beats stronger.
I close my eyes and pretend it's Eldon working in the shop .....
I do the same when one of them drives Eldon's tractor ... my tractor.
I open my eyes to see James waving at me to come see what he's working on.
I put my head on his young shoulder and cry a little.
He's strong and kind, gentle and misses his Grandpa too.
We step into the shop and close the door, shutting out the chill of winter.
.................
When I'm by myself, I go into the shop and read post-it notes, letters left by the men in my family, 
Eldon .... Dad .... buddy..... they say.
His best friend, Don, wrote his heart onto an old piece of paper he found on the bench.
And the empty bottles of beer .... one, two ..... three or four.
Small mementos of happy times, laughter and jokes shared in that little shop. 
I'll leave them there,
and pretend he just stepped out for a minute ......
yes, that's what I'll do
for now.