Invoking Fireside Memories

Firewood so sturdy

Firepit so deep

Cooking supper such a joy

When all I have to do is watch!

The day started with a smile and a trip

Down the Sasabe Road where once

We paid the rancher for his wood

Now the ranch is Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge.

It happened just like that, folks,

No one asked me.

Thinking of days gone by leads to thinking

And thinking leads to children, all grown now

No one asked me about that either.

Honey smiled as I wiped the tears from my eyes

He held my hand and fed wood to the fire.

We are lucky, us two.

She had been trying to convince her Honey that a walk in the morning was doable. The heat seemed to have taken another small vacation; it wasn't over for the year but it was a breather. Living in the desert you learn to know when the heat is coming and going; sort of like living in a cold climate where you know not to pack the long john's until May. Easter will bring snow once more. In the desert, you look forward to October but you know the heat isn't done with you yet, its just sitting back a spell. So you start to hope it is over; you open the windows and sit out front in the evening again. Best of all, you pick up your New Years Resolution once more! Walking! It isn't as bad as jogging, at least you don't get the runs!

But convincing Honey...that is another matter!

On this Friday he said, "How bout we take a ride down to Three Points instead? Maybe we can get enough mesquite in the back of the truck for a cookout or two? There's some undeveloped roads back off Sassabe that I've been thinking we might check out."

Well, gracious, she was always ready for a ride! Wait till she gets her boots on and wheres her gloves and straw hat? Honey just smiled, silly man, he thinks he got out of daily walks! Men so live in the present, does he not believe the sun will come up again tomorrow? Never mind, he will get more exercise this way, won't he, and that is the point after all!

West on Ajo, not too far, then south on Old Sasabe Road and memories from her Honey 'bout cutting mesquite on the Buenos Aires Ranch. He said most of the time there wasn't any problem; just go to the ranch house, pay the owner and cut all day. It was a lot cheaper than buying the wood and Honey had a big state bed truck (whatever that was) so he and whichever friend went with him had a lot of wood to burn for heat and cookouts!

Honey said once, though, he and his friend couldn't find anyone to pay for the wood, so the next time they tried to pay twice the amount. But the rancher just smiled and told the guys they were welcome to return anytime, that he was pleased to find two honest young men, even if their hair was too long! She always got a kick out of that. Once her friend had shown her a picture of Honey leaning on his Triumph, feet crossed, arms crossed, very James Dean-ish. Only problem was the blond hair down both sides of his body! When she said "Oooohhm gross, who is that?" Her friend bout died laughing and said "That's your old man!" Whew, some things are best gotten out of you system before you meet your soul mate is all she had to say about that!

Honey found an undeveloped road off to the left and down they went, bumping along the ruts and laughing like kids. Honey had eyes better than hers, he could see the mesquite trees off the sides. She knew she would have to get out and walk before finding any dead wood. Honey stopped and gave the usual admonishments, "Watch what is around you, Boo, watch for snakes, don't pick up anything (especially a rock, went unspoken) with your hands!" She nodded and smiled at him, wasn't he cute? After all these years you'd think he realized her outdoor skills were on par with his, after all, she grew up on the Cahaba River for goodness sakes! What is that? Oh what a beauty of a rock Give it to me! Geez! A scorpion! She dropped the rock in a hurry and quick put her gloves on, looking over her shoulder to see if Honey...

"You all right?" He asked. She answered, "Oh sure! Fine! I'm gonna go over here a ways!"

He shook his head and went back to chopping the mesquite with his ax. The woman never learned, she needed a keeper!

Chopping mesquite with an ax is fine if the limbs on the tree are already dry and ready to drop. Its really not too bad if the limbs are not thick. But cutting mesquite with an ax for your main source of money IS hard work. She and Honey went through a winter in Cochise County without full time work and they cut mesquiste on Mr Hargis' ranch in Hereford. Mr Hargis was a wonderful old soul and he was a good friend to them for many years. Mr Hargis always shrugged off their thanks, saying the wood had to be cleared and they were actually doing him a favor so go on and get out there! Baby Girl was just a toddler and wanted to help her Daddy so bad. Honey was so patient , much more so than she was and when her baby voice would sing out "Daddy, here, Daddy, I help!" He would take her little twig offerings and smile at her so it was 'nuff to break your heart. She would try to keep Baby Girl out of the way but Honey would smile and say, "let her go, she'll wear out soon enough."

Now they hold hands, watch the fire crackling and laugh over the ways things change. Where once the wife loved going out to the desert, gathering wood was way down on the list of to do once she got there! Now wood is towards the top of things to do out there although rocks are of course still number one and Baby Girl is off on her own, besides, the sun touches her and makes her go back inside!

Oh, how things change! And how things remain the same. She and Honey, still in love, even when there isn't full time work there is always full time love!