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Coffee With The Princess!
3 years ago
Coffee With The Princess!
The Grinch Cages!
**Giggles!**
Good morning, y'all! Merry Christmas! Peace and joy to all! ❤️
In recently years, I have grown to love the Christmas holidays, which in my mind start right before Thanksgiving and flow though to about February 1st or even to Valentine's Day, which is another favorite holiday of mine. Both center around love and fellowship for my fellow gals and guys out there, some of the grooviest people I have had the pleasure to know! Many blessing one and all. ❤️
I'm slowly getting back to telling people about my adventures in this wonderful life that is mine, but also mine to share. I'm going to call this one, "The Grinch Cages!" Years ago, back in those days of the late 1970s, I got to meet my Uncle Buck, the "Redneck Alley Oop!", his brother and my Uncle Charlie called him. Almost seven feet tall, which puts him on the biggest guy I have ever had the pleasure to know, and damned sure larger than life. If you have been a fan or at least checking out some of the Coffee Journals I often write, you know about Uncle Buck. There is the infamous boar hunt on the north end of St. Simons Island, Georgia and the drunken city bus punch-out that is perhaps the tallest of tales told! But, this one is about those cages that Uncle Buck kept in the back of his old pick-up truck and carried everywhere. So, sit down with your favorite drink and enjoy ... ❤️
The Uncles of the South were always dueling with the Great Uncle in the North. Uncles Buck and Charlie raised beagles since they were little kids for hunting as did my Great Uncle Charlie up in the North, Albany, New York. Pop was Great Uncle Charlie's nephew and pretty much helped raise him while he went to college for a while and before he went into the Navy. Pop always loved beagles and that was why we often had at least one of these lovable floppy eared dogs around the house. If you know anything about hunting, beagles are good dogs to catch rabbits and foxes, though like most creatures, some are better than others. Great Uncle Charlie's best were Atlas and Hercules, two of the most lovable beagles I knew. When I stayed with Aunt Margret and him, I got to feed and play with them often enough. I even went one day for to the Beagle Trials where I got to meet some really groovy people. A good many of them were retired and raising beagles or just there for the fun. There was all sorts of food and kids to hang out with. It made me think of Uncle Charlie's house on St. Simons Island, though Great Uncle Charlie did not have Uncle Buck walking across the yard in his bath robe and fuzzy bunny slippers. ❤️
So, you have as I mentioned before, and just now, Uncle Buck lived out in a small camper on Uncle Charlie's property, mostly because they were brothers. Uncle Buck often thought of himself like Rick Flare, the Nature Boy, but I'm not sure who was more flamboyant. Uncle Buck was a character and a half to say the least. Always nice to us kids and never using any of that "Bad Language!" that the ladies hated! "If you use those words, you have a smaller intellect and poorer respect for your fellow man," Gee, my grandmother used to say, usually after Major looked at the brothers and shook his head. "Dumbest pair of Stooges out there that God stretched skin over," Major grumbled, especially when he thought no one was listening.
Being small, I always went unnoticed. Except for Uncle Buck. ❤️
Back in 1976, they had the first beagle trials out on the north end of St. Simons Island around Thanksgiving. The dogs were being put out there to just get them acclimated with the various terrane before taking them up to North Georgia, somewhere above Atlanta if I remember right. Anyways, Uncle Buck had been talking to Great Uncle Charlie up north on the phone and basically there was a gentleman's bet. "Whose dogs could catch the most critters!" or something like this. With pride, Great Uncle Charlie had said that he and the boys had been resting their dogs up and were waiting for the best time to take them out and give them a run. "But if you Southern boys think you can beat us in a contest of the dogs, let's get the show started. I've got a couple of hundreds that need to be spent," the Godfather of Uncles, as I often tease him, announced. Now, Great Uncle Charlie was also a tall man too and it was said that both could stare at each other in the face and probably until one of the wives broke it up. Uncle Charlie was concerned after making the bet ... which always tickled me ... on how he was going to get $200 to cover the bet. Pop heard about this from Mom who had heard it from her mother and sister, my grandmother and Aunt Vesta. Now, I offered to loan them some money and Uncle Charlie down here looked at me and asked me how much I had. "I've got two hundred, sir," I said with pride. "No, you don't, honey," he scoffed. "You don't get an allowance and you aren't that cute!" Mom went after Uncle Charlie with the broom ... once for calling me a liar and two for saying I was not cute. But, Uncle Charlie bet me a twenty that I did not have the two hundred to which I went and got my metal Uncle Sam's bank and opened it up, showing him a plethora of coins, some of them really cool looking coins and probably some collectables, but I had two one hundred dollar bills at the bottom, weighted down by the cash. Uncle Charlie was floored and offered to pay me the owed bet, but I turn him down, saying that he still needed to get the two hundred for the bet. The ladies of the house laughed him and Uncle Buck off to go sit on the porch and drink. I felt terrible and started crying ... I was probably about seven or eight, a very empathic kid and Aunt Vest and Aunt Sara came out there and calmed me down with some words, even Uncle Vincent popped in with some Fantastic Four comics and read them to me to get me to calm down again. Uncle Vincent came down stairs and told the gang I was sleeping off my temper tantrum. ❤️
Both Uncles Charlie and Buck felt terrible about what had happened, but went to work and started doing extra side jobs to get the cash together. I was told that Pop offered to loan them the money, but Mom stepped in. Uncle Buck scooted Pop outside with Uncle Charlie and him to "discuss this!" Mom told me to keep an eye on them. ❤️
Over the next couple of weeks, Uncles Charlie and Buck got the money, even got my twenty for the bet and gave that to Mom who kept on saying, "Proper girls don't bet!" I looked at my Big Sister who shrugged. "Must be an old lady thing," my Big Sister said. ❤️
Nevertheless, the trials were set for the Black Friday after Thanksgiving in 1976, which would mark a few years of "The Civil Gentlemen's War!" It was the Proud North versus the Stubborn South in a war that the ladies involved thought was insanity. But it was fun from what I was told by my cousins from both sides of the United States! And, from what I remember, it was ugly too! Like a Rolling Stone's 3D portrait in HD clarity! With just a touch of Jimmy Hendricks and some acid too. My Big Sister, who had been sent up to her last boarding school back then, said that the trials up in Albany, New York were plenty fun and it was nice to see Pop's side of the family. Now, I got to see the side down here in Georgia before they went to North Georgia for a few more of the trials. It was a few weeks worth of work and lots of fun for a little kid like me! Mom said that the only thing she liked about this was it got me away from my comic books for a while, but I also got teased by my Aunts Vesta and Sara who caught me reading books like The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings three books, Treasure Island, and Through the Looking Glass. "For fun!" I had chirped! ❤️
In the end, the older ladies of both sides of the little war between the Uncles decided that neither one of these gentleman won because they shouldn't have been gambling money that could be put to better use, but also neither one was willing to accept that both gentlemen raised some good dogs. Now, you have to remember, this was back in the day when pictures were taken on photography paper and mailed through the "snail mail", which meant that it took a while for them to work this out. I think my Aunts just got mad that here it was almost Christmas and the war was still going on. So Aunt Margret of the North and Aunt Vesta of the South decided that the money would stay where it needed to stay and this foolishness would stop ...
Uh-huh. Y'All Believe that? ❤️
I was told later in the 1980s after both Uncles Charlies had passed that this little private war of their went on from 1976 through 1984 when both gentlemen stopped dealing with the digs because the men were getting too old for this. Now, I was told that neither uncle had met the other, but they are now up in Heaven now rocking in chairs next to each other and sipping iced tea.
So, you ask about "The Grinch Cages", right? Well, this would go backwards a touch to a Christmas I believe that was 1974 or possibly 1975 ... I met Uncle Buck for the first time since I was a bit older. He said that he remembered when I was a baby and how proud Mom and Pop were of me. "Y'all keep on having these cute kids, Stick and Legs," Uncle Buck called Pop and Mom. When asked, he just shrugged and said, "Hey they go together." Well, I was going in and out of the house on 9th Street of East Beach, Mom and Pop's place that we originally had on the corner of Ocean Road and 9th. Uncle Buck was sitting out on the edge of his truck, talking to some of the guys, uncles and cousins, about the beagles, Loki, Thor, and Balder, I think. Mom had made the comment that Uncle Buck's second wife had suggested the names for the beagles since she was smarter and knew about Norse Mythology, something that Uncle Buck never did. Now, while I thought that was mean, Uncle Buck patted my head and chastised me for badmouthing Mom. "Your Mom's super-smart, honey. Allow her the opinions she comes up with and just love her," he had said. Those words helped me get through some of the rough times with me understanding Mom. Always, Uncle Buck was making sure the dogs were feed and given water while out in the cages. I asked were they in trouble to which Uncle Buck asked, "Why would you say that, honey?" I just pointed to my Big Sister and said, "Her." Uncle Buck laughed. "No, they are just in there to keep them out of trouble and so that I can carry them around," he replied and then explained about the beagle trials. Now, I'd heard of them before and I might have been the one who got the war started by talking to Great Uncle Charlie, though I cannot be sure. But, later, when Christmases of 1974-1976, it was said that Uncle Buck often ferried the bad kids to the Grinch for slave labor! "Only the best for the Grinch!" my Uncle Vincent said! My Big Sister throughout much of my childhood often tormented me and this was part of her regular regime of torture. That and crabs! Eeeee! ❤️
Mm ... perhaps a long way to get to the punchline of the story, but it was worth the trip. ❤️
BE Happy!
Love and Kisses,
Loonia
The Grinch Cages!
**Giggles!**
Good morning, y'all! Merry Christmas! Peace and joy to all! ❤️
In recently years, I have grown to love the Christmas holidays, which in my mind start right before Thanksgiving and flow though to about February 1st or even to Valentine's Day, which is another favorite holiday of mine. Both center around love and fellowship for my fellow gals and guys out there, some of the grooviest people I have had the pleasure to know! Many blessing one and all. ❤️
I'm slowly getting back to telling people about my adventures in this wonderful life that is mine, but also mine to share. I'm going to call this one, "The Grinch Cages!" Years ago, back in those days of the late 1970s, I got to meet my Uncle Buck, the "Redneck Alley Oop!", his brother and my Uncle Charlie called him. Almost seven feet tall, which puts him on the biggest guy I have ever had the pleasure to know, and damned sure larger than life. If you have been a fan or at least checking out some of the Coffee Journals I often write, you know about Uncle Buck. There is the infamous boar hunt on the north end of St. Simons Island, Georgia and the drunken city bus punch-out that is perhaps the tallest of tales told! But, this one is about those cages that Uncle Buck kept in the back of his old pick-up truck and carried everywhere. So, sit down with your favorite drink and enjoy ... ❤️
The Uncles of the South were always dueling with the Great Uncle in the North. Uncles Buck and Charlie raised beagles since they were little kids for hunting as did my Great Uncle Charlie up in the North, Albany, New York. Pop was Great Uncle Charlie's nephew and pretty much helped raise him while he went to college for a while and before he went into the Navy. Pop always loved beagles and that was why we often had at least one of these lovable floppy eared dogs around the house. If you know anything about hunting, beagles are good dogs to catch rabbits and foxes, though like most creatures, some are better than others. Great Uncle Charlie's best were Atlas and Hercules, two of the most lovable beagles I knew. When I stayed with Aunt Margret and him, I got to feed and play with them often enough. I even went one day for to the Beagle Trials where I got to meet some really groovy people. A good many of them were retired and raising beagles or just there for the fun. There was all sorts of food and kids to hang out with. It made me think of Uncle Charlie's house on St. Simons Island, though Great Uncle Charlie did not have Uncle Buck walking across the yard in his bath robe and fuzzy bunny slippers. ❤️
So, you have as I mentioned before, and just now, Uncle Buck lived out in a small camper on Uncle Charlie's property, mostly because they were brothers. Uncle Buck often thought of himself like Rick Flare, the Nature Boy, but I'm not sure who was more flamboyant. Uncle Buck was a character and a half to say the least. Always nice to us kids and never using any of that "Bad Language!" that the ladies hated! "If you use those words, you have a smaller intellect and poorer respect for your fellow man," Gee, my grandmother used to say, usually after Major looked at the brothers and shook his head. "Dumbest pair of Stooges out there that God stretched skin over," Major grumbled, especially when he thought no one was listening.
Being small, I always went unnoticed. Except for Uncle Buck. ❤️
Back in 1976, they had the first beagle trials out on the north end of St. Simons Island around Thanksgiving. The dogs were being put out there to just get them acclimated with the various terrane before taking them up to North Georgia, somewhere above Atlanta if I remember right. Anyways, Uncle Buck had been talking to Great Uncle Charlie up north on the phone and basically there was a gentleman's bet. "Whose dogs could catch the most critters!" or something like this. With pride, Great Uncle Charlie had said that he and the boys had been resting their dogs up and were waiting for the best time to take them out and give them a run. "But if you Southern boys think you can beat us in a contest of the dogs, let's get the show started. I've got a couple of hundreds that need to be spent," the Godfather of Uncles, as I often tease him, announced. Now, Great Uncle Charlie was also a tall man too and it was said that both could stare at each other in the face and probably until one of the wives broke it up. Uncle Charlie was concerned after making the bet ... which always tickled me ... on how he was going to get $200 to cover the bet. Pop heard about this from Mom who had heard it from her mother and sister, my grandmother and Aunt Vesta. Now, I offered to loan them some money and Uncle Charlie down here looked at me and asked me how much I had. "I've got two hundred, sir," I said with pride. "No, you don't, honey," he scoffed. "You don't get an allowance and you aren't that cute!" Mom went after Uncle Charlie with the broom ... once for calling me a liar and two for saying I was not cute. But, Uncle Charlie bet me a twenty that I did not have the two hundred to which I went and got my metal Uncle Sam's bank and opened it up, showing him a plethora of coins, some of them really cool looking coins and probably some collectables, but I had two one hundred dollar bills at the bottom, weighted down by the cash. Uncle Charlie was floored and offered to pay me the owed bet, but I turn him down, saying that he still needed to get the two hundred for the bet. The ladies of the house laughed him and Uncle Buck off to go sit on the porch and drink. I felt terrible and started crying ... I was probably about seven or eight, a very empathic kid and Aunt Vest and Aunt Sara came out there and calmed me down with some words, even Uncle Vincent popped in with some Fantastic Four comics and read them to me to get me to calm down again. Uncle Vincent came down stairs and told the gang I was sleeping off my temper tantrum. ❤️
Both Uncles Charlie and Buck felt terrible about what had happened, but went to work and started doing extra side jobs to get the cash together. I was told that Pop offered to loan them the money, but Mom stepped in. Uncle Buck scooted Pop outside with Uncle Charlie and him to "discuss this!" Mom told me to keep an eye on them. ❤️
Over the next couple of weeks, Uncles Charlie and Buck got the money, even got my twenty for the bet and gave that to Mom who kept on saying, "Proper girls don't bet!" I looked at my Big Sister who shrugged. "Must be an old lady thing," my Big Sister said. ❤️
Nevertheless, the trials were set for the Black Friday after Thanksgiving in 1976, which would mark a few years of "The Civil Gentlemen's War!" It was the Proud North versus the Stubborn South in a war that the ladies involved thought was insanity. But it was fun from what I was told by my cousins from both sides of the United States! And, from what I remember, it was ugly too! Like a Rolling Stone's 3D portrait in HD clarity! With just a touch of Jimmy Hendricks and some acid too. My Big Sister, who had been sent up to her last boarding school back then, said that the trials up in Albany, New York were plenty fun and it was nice to see Pop's side of the family. Now, I got to see the side down here in Georgia before they went to North Georgia for a few more of the trials. It was a few weeks worth of work and lots of fun for a little kid like me! Mom said that the only thing she liked about this was it got me away from my comic books for a while, but I also got teased by my Aunts Vesta and Sara who caught me reading books like The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings three books, Treasure Island, and Through the Looking Glass. "For fun!" I had chirped! ❤️
In the end, the older ladies of both sides of the little war between the Uncles decided that neither one of these gentleman won because they shouldn't have been gambling money that could be put to better use, but also neither one was willing to accept that both gentlemen raised some good dogs. Now, you have to remember, this was back in the day when pictures were taken on photography paper and mailed through the "snail mail", which meant that it took a while for them to work this out. I think my Aunts just got mad that here it was almost Christmas and the war was still going on. So Aunt Margret of the North and Aunt Vesta of the South decided that the money would stay where it needed to stay and this foolishness would stop ...
Uh-huh. Y'All Believe that? ❤️
I was told later in the 1980s after both Uncles Charlies had passed that this little private war of their went on from 1976 through 1984 when both gentlemen stopped dealing with the digs because the men were getting too old for this. Now, I was told that neither uncle had met the other, but they are now up in Heaven now rocking in chairs next to each other and sipping iced tea.
So, you ask about "The Grinch Cages", right? Well, this would go backwards a touch to a Christmas I believe that was 1974 or possibly 1975 ... I met Uncle Buck for the first time since I was a bit older. He said that he remembered when I was a baby and how proud Mom and Pop were of me. "Y'all keep on having these cute kids, Stick and Legs," Uncle Buck called Pop and Mom. When asked, he just shrugged and said, "Hey they go together." Well, I was going in and out of the house on 9th Street of East Beach, Mom and Pop's place that we originally had on the corner of Ocean Road and 9th. Uncle Buck was sitting out on the edge of his truck, talking to some of the guys, uncles and cousins, about the beagles, Loki, Thor, and Balder, I think. Mom had made the comment that Uncle Buck's second wife had suggested the names for the beagles since she was smarter and knew about Norse Mythology, something that Uncle Buck never did. Now, while I thought that was mean, Uncle Buck patted my head and chastised me for badmouthing Mom. "Your Mom's super-smart, honey. Allow her the opinions she comes up with and just love her," he had said. Those words helped me get through some of the rough times with me understanding Mom. Always, Uncle Buck was making sure the dogs were feed and given water while out in the cages. I asked were they in trouble to which Uncle Buck asked, "Why would you say that, honey?" I just pointed to my Big Sister and said, "Her." Uncle Buck laughed. "No, they are just in there to keep them out of trouble and so that I can carry them around," he replied and then explained about the beagle trials. Now, I'd heard of them before and I might have been the one who got the war started by talking to Great Uncle Charlie, though I cannot be sure. But, later, when Christmases of 1974-1976, it was said that Uncle Buck often ferried the bad kids to the Grinch for slave labor! "Only the best for the Grinch!" my Uncle Vincent said! My Big Sister throughout much of my childhood often tormented me and this was part of her regular regime of torture. That and crabs! Eeeee! ❤️
Mm ... perhaps a long way to get to the punchline of the story, but it was worth the trip. ❤️
BE Happy!
Love and Kisses,
Loonia
