ZIP-A-DEE-DO-DA

“ZIP-A-DEE-DO-DA, ZIP-A-DEE-AAA, MY OH MY WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY.  ZIP-A-DEE-DO-DA, ZIP-A-DEE-AAA, WONDERFUL FEELING WONDERFUL DAY.  MISTER BLUE BIRD ON MY SHOULDER ,  IT’S ACTUAL, EVERYTHING IS SATISFACTUAL.  ZIP-A-DEE-DO-DA, ZIP-A-DEE-AAA.  WONDERFUL FEELING, WONDERFUL DAY.”  I SANG AS I WALKED ALONG THE SANDY ROAD, BARE FOOTED.  THE SUN WAS WARM ON MY BACK AND THE SAND FELT GOOD ON MY FEET.  I WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND DIDN’T HAVE A CARE IN THE WORLD.  I HAD JUST HAD A BIG DINNER OF FRIED CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES AND GRAVY, GREEN BEANS, AND HOT BISCUITS WITH A FRESH PEACH COBBLER FOR DESERT.  MY MAMMA WAS ONE OF THE BEST COOKS THERE EVER WAS.  WHAT MORE COULD A BOY WANT, THEN TO HAVE HIS BELLY FULL OF GOOD FOOD AND THE SUN SHINING ON HIM WITH NOTHING HE HAD TO DO AND NO WHERE HE HAD TO GO. 

THEN I WOKE UP.  I LAY THERE IN MY BED ROLL FOR A WHILE REMEMBERING MY DREAM.  I THOUGHT, WAY CAN’T REAL LIFE BE LIKE THAT.  I ROLLED OUT OF MY BED ROLL AND SHOOK MY BOOTS TO MAKE SURE NO VARMINTS HAD TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN THEM WHILE I WAS ASLEEP.  THEN I PULLED THEM ON, AND STOOD UP.  I WAS THE FIRST ONE UP SO I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE COFFEE.

THREE OF MY FRIENDS AND I HAD GONE SQUIRREL HUNTING DOWN IN RED RIVER COUNTY.  I HAD A FRIEND THAT OWNED SOME LAND THERE AND HE LET US HUNT ON IT.  WE HAD ARRIVED FRIDAY NIGHT JUST AT DARK AND SET UP CAMP.  WE HAD CAMPED THERE BEFORE AND HAD OUR CAMP SITE FIXED UP REAL NICE.  WE HAD A FIRE PIT LINED WITH ROCKS AND A ROD SUSPENDED OVER IT TO HOLD OUR COFFEE POT.  WE HAD MADE A TABLE BETWEEN TWO TREES, BUILT OUT OF TREE LIMBS.  WE HAD TWO LOGS BY THE FIRE PIT TO SIT ON AND A STACK OF FIRE WOOD WE KEPT SUPPLIED FROM THE DEAD TREES ALONG THE ROAD.

WE HAD BUILT A FIRE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THERE WERE STILL LIVE COALS IN THE FIRE PIT. SO I ADDED SOME SMALL STICKS ON THE COALS AND BEFORE I GOT THE LANTERN LIT THE FIRE WAS GOING.  I PUT SOME LARGER LIMBS ON THE FIRE AND IT WAS READY TO MAKE COFFEE.  I HAD A TWO GALLON COFFEE POT WITH A BAIL ON IT.  I HUNG IT ON THE ROD OVER THE FIRE PIT WITH ABOUT A GALLON OF WATER IN IT.  I PUT A HAND FULL OF COFFEE INTO A SOCK, SLIPPED AN EGG INTO THE SOCK AND TIED A KNOT IN THE SOCK TO KEEP THAT FROM SPILLING OUT.  THEN I BROKE THE EGG AND MASSAGED THE COFFEE INTO THE EGG.  THEN I DROPPED THE SOCK INTO THE COFFEE POT.  I LET IT BOIL FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND SET IT OFF TO THE EDGE SO IT WOULD STAY HOT BUT NOT BOIL AWAY.

NOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF PUTTING THE COFFEE INTO A SOCK WITH AN EGG.  BUT THIS KEEPS THE COFFEE GROUNDS FROM POURING OUT INTO YOUR CUP.  THE EGG HARD BOILS WITH ALL THE GROUNDS IN IT AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TURN THE SOCK INSIDE OUT AND DUMP THE EGG OUT AND YOUR SOCK IS READY TO USE AGAIN.  BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

BY THE TIME THE COFFEE WAS READY THE OTHERS HAD WOKE UP AND WERE GETTING DRESSED.  I STARTED COOKING BACON AND EGGS FOR BREAKFAST.  WHILE THE BACON WAS COOKING I OPENED A BOX OF BISQUICK AND MADE A DOUGH.  I WRAPPED THIS DOUGH AROUND A LARGE TREE LIMB I HAD PEALED THE BARK OFF OF AND HUNG IT OVER THE FIRE.  I HAD WRAPPED IT AROUND THE LIMB IN A SPIRAL AND WHEN IT COOKS IT IS LIKE A BISCUIT CRUST.  WHEN THE BACON WAS DONE I SCRAMBLED A DOZEN EGGS AND CALLED EVERY ONE TO BREAKFAST.

AFTER BREAKFAST DENNY AND I TOOK OUR GUNS AND WALKED OFF DOWN STREAM ON THE LITTLE BRANCH THAT RUNS BY OUR CAMP.  WHEN WE WERE 100 YARDS FROM CAMP WE SPLIT UP AND DENNY WENT ONE WAY AND I WENT ON DOWN TOWARDS THE RIVER.  IT WAS OCTOBER AND THE LEAVES HAD ALREADY STARTED FALLING.  THE GROUND WAS COVERED WITH DEAD LEAVES AND IT WAS HARD TO MOVE AROUND QUIETLY.  AFTER I HAD GONE A WAYS I HID BEHIND A BIG PIN OAK TREE AND WATCHED THE TREES OUT IN FRONT OF ME.  IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE I SAW A SQUIRREL IN A BUTTER CUP OAK TREE RUNNING OUT ON THE END OF A LIMB TO GET HIM AN ACORN.  I EASED MY RIFLE UP AND WHEN HE STOPPED FOR A SECOND I PUT THE CROSS HAIRS OF THE SCOPE ON HIS HEAD AND SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER.  THE SQUIRREL, A BIG OLD FOX SQUIRREL, FELL TO THE GROUND.  I MOVED ON DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER AND HID AGAIN.

THEN I HEARD DENNY’S 20 GAGE SHOT GUN.  DENNY HAD FOUND HIM A SQUIRREL TOO.  AS I CONTINUED TO HUNT I HEARD DENNY SHOOT THREE MORE TIMES THAT MORNING.  I FIGURED HE HAD FOUR SQUIRRELS.  THAT’S WHAT I HAD BEEN ABLE TO SHOOT.  AS IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO NOON I WALKED BACK TO CAMP.  DENNY WAS ALREADY THERE AND SO WAS O. W. AND LARRY, O. W.’s SON.  THEY HAD HUNTED TOGETHER THAT MORNING AND THEY HAD FIVE SQUIRRELS.  O. W. AND DENNY WERE CLEANING THE SQUIRRELS SO I ADDED MY FOUR TO THE PILE AND SAID THEY COULD CLEAN THEM ALSO.  LARRY WAS SITTING ON A LOG, DRINKING A COKE, WATCHING THEM.  HE SAID HE WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP BUT HE HAD NEVER CLEANED A SQUIRREL AND DIDN’T KNOW HOW.  I DON’T THINK HE WAS TO ANXIOUS TO LEARN EITHER. 

WHILE THEY WERE CLEANING THE SQUIRRELS, I GOT OUT THE SANDWICH MAKINGS AND LAID THEM OUT ON THE TABLE.  THEN I STARTED PEELING SOME POTATOES AND AN ONION.  I CUT THEM UP INTO SMALL PIECES AND PUT THEM IN MY BIG DUTCH OVEN.  I HAD A BIG CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN 18 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND SIX INCHES DEEP WITH A LID ON IT.  I CUT UP 12 CARROTS AND ADDED THEM TO THE POT.  WHEN THE GUYS HAD FINISHED CLEANING THE SQUIRRELS, I CUT UP FOUR OF THEM AND PUT THEM IN THE POT.  THEN I POURED A BUNCH OF LEMON PEPPER AND GARLIC SALT IN AND ADDED ENOUGH WATER TO COVER IT ALL.  I PUT THE LID ON AND MY SQUIRREL STEW WAS READY TO COOK.

WE HAD BUILT UP THE FIRE WHEN WE CAME IN AND HAD A BIG BUNCH OF COALS.  I TOOK THE SHOVEL AND DUG A HOLE BIG ENOUGH FOR MY DUTCH OVEN TO FIT IN AND PUT SEVERAL SHOVELS FULL OF COALS INTO THE HOLE THEN I PUT THE DUTCH OVEN IN ON TOP OF THE COALS.  THEN I ADDED SEVERAL MORE SHOVELS FULL OF COALS ON TOP OF THE DUTCH OVEN.  WITH THIS DONE, I COVERED THE HOLE OVER WITH DIRT.  I HAD JUST FINISHED COOKING SQUIRREL STEW FOR SUPPER THAT NIGHT.  IT WOULD BE READY TO EAT WHEN WE CAME IN FROM THE LATE AFTERNOON HUNT.  IT’S ONLY 1:00 O’CLOCK NOW SO WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR A SIESTA BEFORE WE GO BACK OUT.

ABOUT 4:00 O’CLOCK I WOKE UP AND THE CAMP WAS QUIET.  I LOOKED AROUND AND EVERYONE WAS GONE.  SO I GOT UP AND GOT ME AN APPLE AND WALKED OFF DOWN THE BRANCH EATING MY APPLE.  AFTER I HAD GONE A LITTLE WAYS I TURNED OFF AND STRUCK OUT THROUGH THE WOODS.  I HAD NEVER BEEN IN THIS PART OF THE WOODS BEFORE.  IN A LITTLE WHILE I FOUND A PERSIMMON TREE AND IT WAS FULL OF PERSIMMONS.  I WALKED OVER TO IT AND GATHERED ME A HAND FULL OF RIPE PERSIMMONS AND BACKED UP AGAINST A TREE AND SIT DOWN TO EAT THEM.  NOW IF YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT PERSIMMONS I BETTER TELL YOU ABOUT THEM.  WHEN THEY ARE RIPE THEY ARE SOME OF THE SWEETEST FRUIT YOU EVER PUT IN YOUR MOUTH.  BUT IF THEY ARE EVEN JUST A LITTLE GREEN THEY WILL MAKE YOUR MOUTH PUCKER AND HAVE AN AWFUL TASTE. 

AS I SAT THERE ON THE GROUND LEANING BACK AGAINST THIS TREE I HEARD SOMETHING MOVING IN THE DRY LEAVES.  I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS A SQUIRREL SO I GOT REAL STILL AND WATCHED.  IN JUST A MINUTE I SAW WHAT IT WAS AND IT WASN’T A SQUIRREL. IT WAS A MAMA POSSUM WITH FOUR YOUNG POSSUMS FOLLOWING HER.  SHE WAS HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THAT PERSIMMON TREE.  POSSUMS LOVE PERSIMMONS.  SHE CLIMBED UP INTO THE PERSIMMON TREE AND ALL FOUR BABIES WERE RIGHT BEHIND HER.  SHE CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE TREE AND STARTED EATING.  THE FOUR BABIES GOT TO THE FIRST LIMB AND ALL FOUR OF THEM WENT OUT ON IT TO GET THEM A PERSIMMON.  AS ONE WOULD GET HIM A PERSIMMON ANOTHER WOULD TRY TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM.  THEY WERE CLIMBING ALL OVER ONE ANOTHER AND FUSSING AND FIGHTING AND ALL THIS TIME THEY KEPT GETTING FARTHER OUT ON THIS LITTLE LIMB.  FINALLY THE LIMB BROKE AND ALL FOUR FELL TO THE GROUND.  I THOUGHT THIS IS JUST LIKE THE THREE STOOGES. ONLY THERE ARE FOUR OF THEM.  WELL I SAT THERE FOR OVER AN HOUR WATCHING THEM AND NEVER DID DO ANY HUNTING THAT EVENING.

I FINALLY GOT UP AND WALKED OFF.  THE POSSUMS NEVER PAID ME ANY MIND.  THEY WERE TO BUSY FUSSING WITH EACH OTHER AND EATING.  I WALKED UP ON THE RIDGE AND STARTED BACK TO CAMP.  THERE WERE A FEW PINE TREES SCATTERED AMONG THE OTHER TREES ON THE RIDGE.  IN OCTOBER THE WOODS ARE FULL OF COLOR.  THE PINE TREES ARE ALWAYS GREEN BUT THE HARD WOOD TREES ALL FULL OF DIFFERENT COLORS.  THE SWEET GUM TREES HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT COLORS.  THEIR LEAVES WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM YELLOW TO ORANGE TO RED.  THE WALNUT TREES WILL BE A DEEP RED AND THE OTHER TREES WILL HAVE THEIR OWN COLORS.  THE SUMAC HAD TURNED BRIGHT RED.  AS I WALKED ALONG I THOUGHT THIS IS JUST LIKE WALKING THROUGH A TECHNICOLOR MOVIE. I WAS HUMMING A LITTLE TUNE AND I STOPPED AND SAID, “NOW WHAT IS THAT SONG.”  ZIP-A-DE-DOO-DAA, ZIP-A-DE-AAA.  OH WELL, IT SOUNDS GOOD ANY WAY.

WHEN I GOT BACK TO CAMP I GOT THE SHOVEL AND DUG UP THE DUTCH OVEN AND TOOK THE LID OFF.  A PLEASANT ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE CONTENTS.  THE OTHERS WERE THROUGH CLEANING THEIR SQUIRRELS AND WERE READY TO EAT.  I SET THE DUTCH OVER ON THE TABLE AND EVERYONE HELPED THEM SELVES.  IT’S AMAZING HOW MUCH FOUR HUNGRY GUYS CAN EAT.  WE CLEANED UP THAT WHOLE STEW.  BY THE TIME WE CLEANED UP AFTER SUPPER AND PUT THE CAMP IN ORDER, IT WAS WELL AFTER DARK AND WE HAD A BIG FIRE GOING IN THE FIRE PIT.  I SIT DOWN ON THE GROUND AND LEANED BACK AGAINST ONE OF THE LOGS.  THE OTHERS WERE SITTING AROUND ENJOYING THE FIRE AND A FULL BELLY.  I SAID, “FELLOWS IT JUST DON'T GET ANY BETTER THEN THIS.”