The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1956-11-01
ALONG THE R. F. D.

OIldQy rest Is already HldhlllS
ready for the winter days ahead.
Great piles of firewood are scat
tered here and there through the
woods at the upper place; wait
ing for rainy day, to be hauled
to the house. There it will be
stacked in neat rows or cords, SO
the boys of the family can be paid.
A visitor questioned our wis
dom of paying the boys for doing
something they will benefit by.
True they will roast their shins
and toes by the fires this winter,
marshmallows will be toasted,
peanuts and potatoes cooked in
the great ash banks allowed to
collect at each end of the dog
irons, but Dale and / feel they
need extra spending money and
what could be nicer than letting
your own sons make money that
is slose to home.
Even tho Tim is paid and we
feel well, he tries to get the whole
family to be stingy with the wood;
where we pile on five or six
pieces at once and send the flames
roaring into the chimney, Tim
says, Draw your chairs closer to
the hearth, and put on only three
or four pieces at the most"
want to enjoy a good fire and
If must be stingy with the wood
I'll simply sit in the kitchen and
turn on the gas heat i. F.. indeed
like a fire that causes you to push
back away from the flames and
one that gives dancing light to
the room. | like the great shad-
oWs the Pickering flames cause
to be thrown on the walls; I like
the reflection on. the window
panes, and hope those who pass
by enjoy the sparks sailing from
our chimney top.
October is special month to
me ". the children are in school
and | do many things l enjoy do
ing alone. l like to take long
walks into the woods, packing a
lunch of cheese and biscuits, an
apple or bunch of grapes sew
eral cookies and bottle of milk
When l go by the spring that
feeds Agnes Branch l put the milk
bottle into the icy cold water, and
hang the blue striped ticking sack
high on limb in the old beech
tree safe against. wandering cows
and hungry dogs sure to be sniff
ing around the woods now that
squirrel are frisking about in such
| plenty.
II my luck is good / discover a
few last-lingering wild plums on
a little tree behind the Gene
House. l go straight to the buck
eye tree and gather my pockets
full of nuts ;. /. these are for good
luck and what have you to wish
for rub the nut of a buckeye
tree and wish; sure as you stand
| on two feet, better get out of the
way, for here will come your wish
on rushing wings so say the
old folks who believe in such
things, as horse shoes, four leaf
clovers, knocking on wood, frizzy
hens and buckeye nuts.
| gather limbs from the sweet
gum tree red, yellow and pur-
pie leaves all on the same limb
II. these will look just right in
the old churn richly brown
and tan stone. l must gather
weeds and seed pods of all kinds,
they grow so thick in such beauti-
full shades of brown, tan and
cream at the Upper Place. / want
arrangements of dried materials
IN every room for the next two
months; then comes Christmas
with all its color and dash.
/ am reminded of poem 'Sea-
son of Weeds" l clipped to use
in my writings. 1t is so right for
our roadsides and wastelands.
SEASON OF WEEDS
Season of weeds, curiously tall