As I told you last Sunday, in Pidcoke most of our neighbors own acreage and livestock just as we do. There are many fence posts and long stretches of barbed wire fence that separates us. When Cowboy and I first moved out to Green Acres he encouraged me to meet our neighbors. He also said to leave the cattle talk to him. What was that all about? It’s not like I don’t know the difference between which cows are black and white and which cows are red. I’m not colorblind.
Anyhoo, unphased by his lack of confidence in me and my cattle talk, I go to find the jeep (Cowboy’s midlife crisis purchase, but that’s another story). Before I left, I asked him who I should visit first. Cowboy said, “definitely Ms. Smith, it’ll be quick, she doesn’t have much talk in her”. I said that’s good, I’ll meet her and a few of the others and then I’ll be home to get dinner started.” He chuckled and said, “good luck with that”. I wonder what he meant by that? Cowboy also addressed my concern of being shot at. He assured me there would be no guns involved. So I no longer worried about that.
As I was riding down our long country road with the scent of cow manure wafting in the air and the wind to my face (kind of sounds like a country song, doesn’t it?) I was thinking of how Cowboy described Ms. Smith. He mentioned that she was in her late 70’s and that she’s a widow who owns thousands of acres. I immediately pictured her as the character Clara Forsythe Allen in Lonesome Dove who was played by Angelica Huston. Cowboy’s cousin was also in that movie. But that’s another story.
So off I go to meet Ms. Smith who apparently doesn’t talk much. No worries, I have been known to partake in one-sided conversations before. And I have also been known to “un shy” (is that even a word?) a person.
I get to Ms. Smith’s house and see a woman on a riding lawn mower wearing a moomoo dress, a cowboy hat and rubber boots up to her knees. My idea of meeting Clara quickly faded and I immediately started to laugh.
I’m not sure if you all know what a moomoo is. It’s also called a lounging dress and typically is meant to be worn inside your house… while you’re lounging. My mama totally rocks her moomoos. I’m pretty sure she has one for everyday of the week.
In my family we have one rule where moomoos are concerned. Our mama is NOT allowed to wear her colorful frocks in public. Like ever!
Ms. Smith sees me and starts to wave. She whips that riding lawn mower around practically on two wheels and heads in my direction, dust flying. We introduce ourselves to one another and she begins to tell me about her family. She also gives me a rather detailed history lesson about Pidcoke and our neighbors. Ms. Smith is definitely a wealth of information. I don’t know who knows more about the neighbors, her or the neighbors themselves! During our conversation (where she did all of the talking, I could barely get a word in) we moved from the driveway to her front porch and then inside her house.
I began to think that maybe Cowboy had mistaken her for one of our other neighbors because this moomoo-wearing landowner certainly wasn’t shy with her words or how long she held her audience captive.
I finally said I needed to be going since it was getting late. Ms. Smith said “come back anytime”. On my way out of her driveway, I looked at my watch. Sweet Jesus I had been at her house for 2 hours… TWO HOURS. My hopes of meeting the other five neighbors quickly went out the window. I headed toward home. Cowboy was on the porch when I arrived. Grinning, he asked about the neighbors.
And right then I knew…
I knew just as sure as I knew how much I liked M&M’s and cheetah print that this dude had set me up.
I kissed him on the cheek and told him to sit tight and I’ll bring him dinner.
I made dinner alright… the biggest peanut butter and jelly sandwich you have ever seen. Grinning I handed it to him and said “Ms. Smith says hello”.
‘Til next Sunday y’all-
𝔁𝓸, 𝓣𝓪𝓶𝓶𝔂 ❥
