Friday, March 6, 2009

Petitioning for Warning Signs

On a warm July fourth weekend in Texas, friends and family were gathered together in celebration of the national holiday. Canton is a city located between Dallas and Tyler. Close enough to the big city to head there on a whim for shopping and fun, but secluded in a peaceful small country town set a part from the modern day hustle and bustle of suburbia. The day had begun with a country breakfast feasted on by young couples and their children. Everyone gathered around the table for eggs and croissants and ham, served with coffee and juice. The leisurely pace was much appreciated by all who were there. The opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of familiar individuals further developing lifelong friendships was a blessing. It was nice to slow down for a brief couple of days.

The afternoon was spent on the front porch deck watching the young children playing together. They enjoyed the companionship of their cousins in the same way that the adults remembered doing when they were the same age as their kids are now. The water hose was turned on for the greater part of a day. The children played in the water and in the plastic wade pool splashing about with the joyous laughter of youth.

The men watched their children play. They reminisced of old times as their wives caught up on the gossip. They recalled the mischief that they got into as teenagers. And how they had fun together at all things. They were in singing groups together. Yes, they were amateur songwriters and vocalists. They played sports together. The spent the night with each other and rolled girls’ houses that they had crushes on. And they were pranksters, each in their own way. Even as they were older, they still enjoyed playing a joke now and then.

As it grew later in the afternoon, as per tradition when living outside the city limits, the fireworks stand was visited. Several hundred dollars was spent on the nights’ upcoming entertainment. Bottle-rockets, roman candles, canons, sparklers, and a slue of other items were purchased and brought to the Johnson’s home.

As it grew darker outside and the large orange sun started to set, the men excitedly began preparing launching stations. Two liter bottles were buried in the ground at seventy degree angles. Perfectly measured trajectories when taking into account the wind velocity and range of their arsenals. The time was just about at hand.

The women sat up chairs in the lawn for themselves and the children and lit sparklers that started this years’ Fourth of July show. Spectacular homemade firework displays were a matter of pride for the men. The ladies laughed at their husbands’ anticipation as they could see them instantly turn into children again.

The launch pads were manned and the firing order scheduled. And with a final countdown the show began. Blasts of colors soared high into the sky exploding into multicolored starbursts that were a fantastic display. In the distance other independent firework shows were underway, but nothing compared to the barrage of bright color and sound that illuminated the Johnson land. And then, a dud exploded a few feet above the ground. With a loud pop it sent sparks and flames flying in the direction of a nearby fence. The embers that landed started a small fire.

The men ran over to the burning ground and began to stomp out the small fire. As the adrenaline rushed, Jason, Rodney and Kish frantically tackled the fire so as not to spread it into the open field were Jason’s livestock grazed. As they stomped, they laughed nervously as they could see their emergency reaction pursuits had just about paid off. A few flames had escaped into the pasture just underneath the wire fence.

Kish went to the flames grabbed hold of the fence and began stomping on the flames. “Dang it!” he yelled. A few remaining flames scattered a bit further from the fence line. He still grabbed hold of the fence and used it to steady himself as he stretched his leg forward and began to yell frantically. “Son of a gun. These flames are shooting up my pant leg!” Kish painfully yelled to the other men that had stopped extinguishing the flames and began laughing hysterically. Kish then realized that he was in a world of anguish while finally stomping out the last flames. “Jason, is this fence electric?” Kish asked as he let go of the top wire.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Jason replied with a smile on his face. “We use it to keep the horses from coming onto this side of the property. You just kept grabbing it. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out what you were doing.” As Jason made that statement Rodney was in tears with the ladies as they laughed at the mishap.

“Wish I would have known that,” Kish said. “Or it sure would have been nice to see a sign or something.”

1 comment:

  1. I love it! Thanks for reminding me, I will never forget this!

    ReplyDelete