Just Ain't Done Yet posted 3/27/2008 4:00:04 PM | 12 kudos what's this?     report abuse

Tunes4u

My dusty boots made the old wood floor creak as I stepped out of the hot dry Wyoming day, and into the cooler dusky old saloon. I was ready for a drink, even though it was still light out. Sun didn't seem to want to go down this evening. Felt like it wanted to stay up there all night, making it hot as hell, and making me thirsty.

I had been out since early morning doing one of my favorite things. Ya see...I like old graveyards. I like to find 'em, and walk around in 'em. Reading the weather worn stones and markers, if there is anything left to read. Lots a times, there is only pieces of markers left, with a few barely readable words still standing over the grave, marking the place where some feller ended up. Like it was gonna do that for as long as it could because it was it's job.

The markers that seem to last the longest are the ones that lie flat on the ground. trouble with them sometimes is, ya gotta find 'em. Ya push back the grass and weeds so you can see what it says. I think the constant wind tends to wear a stone down over time, along with the weather always changing like it does. Kinda like it does to us, those of us who choose to live here. It can wear a fellas skin out in a hurry. Wears them stones too. The taller the stone, the quicker it disappears.

I find these final resting places all over the hills and high lonesome plains of Wyoming. Usually just outside of some small "one stop sign" sized "town". All there is in these places is a small gas station, a saloon, a small river or stream, and maybe a family owned grocery type store. Oh yeah....and a store that sells stuff to the ranchers that are about. Feed, metal troughs, fencing, and reins and stuff. I love the way those stores smell. Hell. I love the way them towns smell.

Some of the graveyards I come across are still being used, as there are occasionally fresh dug graves, with plastic flowers sitting up against them. Real flowers wouldn't last a day. At least the plastic ones last a couple months, if ya invest in the heavy duty ones and weight them down with a plow blade or anvil or something. They don't look very realistic up close, but from the trail, or dirt road, I guess they look real enough. They do their job too I spose, for as long as they can, just like the stone markers.

One of the best things about grave huntin' is that the old ones will once in a while tell ya what happened to the occupant. Don't know why it went out of style to tell what happened, but I think it did. I love it when they give a little history to the location. Now that's when things get interesting.
Look around for a spell, and you can usually find Grampa, Grammy, and sometimes even go back way further than that. She died of the fever, or she died in childbirth. Or died at 3 months old. Those are sad ones to me. Kid never had a chance.

I like it when they say something about being shot, or buried in their boots. Makes me feel kinda like I better be careful just how long I hang around in their sacred place.

I have come across outlaws, Mormons, gold hunters, children, moms, daddies, aunts, uncles, and scoundrels. Even good old dogs get a space in the family plot once in a while. A couple times had to run off a rattler or two just ta get close enough to read the markers.

Well
The saloon air is cool, almost damp, and it is kinda dark after a day in the killer sun. The bar itself is huge, with a giant mirror and crystal shelves stocked with different colored bottles and small glasses.
The story is always similar, about how the bar was moved from somewhere over seas, back in the early 1800's, like maybe they were anxious about leaving it there while they were coming here. "No sense it leaving the damn bar....might as well bring it with us." I can hear 'em now....and I don't blame 'em either! These things are not just something ya leave forever. I know I always kinda hate ta git up and leave 'em. Thing is, I live here. I can come back. Those folks out there under the high lonesome plains...they left their homes over there and came here, never to return. A different breed of people for sure. Hard and strong. I just love 'em. Real folks.

The barkeep pours another shot of good Irish Whiskey for me, and draws up a cold draft beer. The mug is frosted naturally, and the beer..... it is mighty good.

I think that I have maybe sat at this bar before. And I think about how many of the folks that I visited today, sat at this bar and enjoyed a cold beer, on a hot day, just like today many years ago. Same bar, same wooden floor, same walls.....

Wonder where I'll end up? Wonder if I'll get me a stone? Wonder if my kin will get me a good stone saying what happened? I would like that, depending on just what happened that is. Even a rattler bite would be better than say a traffic accident or brain malfunction. Damn! What the hell fun would that be ta find on a stone a hundred damn years from now?
I think I would just like ta go kinda peaceful like. With maybe a slight whiskey buzz in me head.


Here Lies Tunes
Died with his old guitar in his hands
and a tune in his head.

I would like a plain wooden box too. Something that don't last too damn long, or costs an arm and a leg.

And while we're at it...lets make it about 50 years from now too, k?
I jest ain't done lookin' around yet.

Stay Tuned
I do

Tunes

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Blogs by Tunes4u: The Big 100!! What a Milestone! I Close My Eyes, And Enter My Dreams Goin' Out To Da Country, Baby Ya Want a Go? Just Another Wyoming Sunset Short Conversations Giving it Back Banjos in the Rain..no....Snow...Part Two....sortta The Rain Banging on De Drum All Day We Interupt Your Blogging Daydream for this Important Word From Your Planet Fer Cryin' Out Loud! On Being Committed..... Just Ain't Done Yet My Name is Tunes & I'll Be Your Server Tonight...... Staying Tuned Looks Like a Cola, But it's Snot. It's Finally Done! Alright! Ya Been Gone Quite Long Enough! Chasin' Wome....Opps....I mean..It's Friday! Rodan? Godzilla? King Kong? Mothra? Otis? Brutis? Popeye? As The World Turns New Addition to My Family A Quiet Passing of the Torch I Got Questions A Public Service Announcement