Saturday, January 21, 2023

15,987. OLD HAT VIRUS

OLD HAT VIRUS
Those two cow-pokes were sitting on
a fence. See them see them over there?
Then they got and walked funny away.
I think they must ride horses all today:
That certain wobble and gait, wouldn't
you say?
-
The barn and the house, whatever those
horse stalls are called, they were over,
about three hundred feet away, and a dog
was lumbering around in the yard; some
large, thin-furred cur, like a guard-dog I
guess, except it didn't seem to mind, or
be guarding, anything at all.
-
It was a Saturday morning; auction-day
again at this place : they always have these
crazy Saturday auctions and I occasionally
go just to see what's up. Ther people and 
the items being bid on (no, they're not
the same). I's always an interesting crowd.
-
There were also some 10 or 12 chickens,
at curious angles, pecking at the ground 
or sometimes breaking into the crazy 
half-trot chicken gait whenever someone
extended a hand towards them, as if they
had feed to give. It's funny to watch.
-
Over at the side-yard lawn, there were four
cars and a truck for auction bids too. They
pretty much have everything here  - as people 
die and the estates go up or are bought by the
lot by the auctioneer with his own intent
to sell. Car hoods were up, men bending
down, and things were inspected and seen.
Once in a while someone would ask to
'hear' the engine, and some kid would come
over and start the car. Same with the truck.
-
The vehicles were a pretty good deal, by
the start-bid price, but they always go up
from there, so you never know. The closing
price could, if ever, wind up ten times that.
-
In the big barn, some crazy-mouthed auction
guy was rattling off in the strange auction 
voice the bids and the prices. I couldn't but 
half understand. There were lamps and cups
and bookcases and tables and chairs. And 
that's only for starters. They say 'you can't
take it with you', and this always proves 
that adage is true! Like I heard some old
timer say to his wife: 'It's just things, 
mama, it's just things.'

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