I have had some requests for the early Zeke Howard stories, so here is the first one again.

Hey, Blue! Where ye at old dog? Here, boy!

That’s a good dog. I’m glad to see you, too, old friend. If I had a tail, I reckon I’d be waggin’ mine, too.

I figgered we could go ‘sangin’ today. You wanna brang me my ginseng hoe? Good boy, you can fetch ‘bout anythang, cain’t ye? Hey, ‘member that time I told ye to brang me my shotgun? And you went in the house an commenced to draggin’ it out. Then it went off when ye had it ‘bout halfway down the steps an it blowed away the front tar on my pickup. That was a new mud-grip, too, but it shore was funny. Purt near scared ye to death, didn’t it? I’m sorry old boy, but it’s still funny to me.

You probably wonderin’ why I got the gun with me today, with us goin’ ‘sangin’ an all. Well, we might run up on a squirrel. You cain’t never tell. I woke up this mornin’ with a taste fer some squirrel gravy.

Well, lets git goin’. The ‘sang ain’t gonna come to us, neither will the squirrels.

We shore picked a good day fer it, didn’t we, Blue? It ain’t too hot an that breeze feels mighty good. I think October is ‘bout my favorite time of the year. ‘Specially fer goin’ up in the hills.

OK boy, we made it to the ridge. Lets stop an take us a breath. I guess I just ain’t got the wind I use to. Don’t laugh, I seed you was a-draggin’ yer butt, too. I figger in dog years, yer ‘bout as old as me.

Look out there, Blue. Ain’t that just plain purty? Them leaves a-changin’ on all them trees on them hills as fur as ye can see. I shore wouldn’t wanna live no wheres else in the world.

This is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, but I reckon you don’t really care what I talk about, do ye? I been thinkin’ a lot lately ‘bout how many useless folks they is in the world. And I come to the conclusion that the worst ones is got to be the celeberdees an the politicians, but politicians is the baddest eggs in the nest.

Yuh see, celeberdees do a lot of useless stuff, but its purty much harmless to ever buddy but they selfs. Innocent folks ain’t gittin’ hurt. But them politicians always half to be stirrin’ thangs up an other people’s younguns git kilt. Like my boy, Joe, did over there in Vietnam. He was only eighteen an he never even got to see his own boy. But them politicians sent him over there an he died, an fer what? I don’t blame them Viet Congs, I blame Johnson an Nixon an all the rest of that bunch.

I know ye don’t understand none of this, Blue. But since my Nancy is gone, your all I got left to talk to.

I shore do miss that woman. Did I ever tell ye we was married fifty-one years? She was a good listener just like you, Blue. I hope she was as happy as me. I thank she was, at least she never complained none.

You know the widder Johnson been after me ever since my Nancy passed. I get mighty lonesome sometimes, but it just wouldn’t be the same. Besides, that woman would be tryin’ to drag me to church with her. She’s one of them God-fearin’ women. My Nancy was, too, but she didn’t nag me about it.

When the cancer was takin’ her, I was shore glad she had somethin’ to hold on to though. At least she died peaceful like. She figgered she was steppin’ on into a better place.

What ye find there, boy? Well, look at that! That’s a big ole four-prong. I didn’t know ye was a ginseng dog. Move an let me git to it. Oh, you wanna dig it? Well, I guess that’s only fair, seein’ as how you found it.

Yeah, that’s a nice one. Let’s see what else we can find.

You know I was teachin’ Joe Jr to dig ‘sang before he left. It was just a shame, him thirty-seven years old an hadn’t spent no time in the woods. I don’t thank I ever told ye how come he was stayin’ with his grand-dad. He finely got divorced from that city woman of his. She kicked him out, I guess. But at least it got him here an outa that durn city. I hate that he don’t git to see them kids much though. You know their mama only let ‘em come here one time an the oldest is fifteen now, I reckon.

Them blame politicians is messin’ ‘round again an now Joe Jr is over there in Iraq. Yeah, he was in the National Guard an next thang ye know, he got shipped over there. That’s kinda funny when ye thank about it. I tried to git his daddy to join the Guard so he wouldn’t have to go overseas. Ever thing changes, I reckon.

Well Blue, I’m gonna give your ears a rest. Let’s concentrate on our ‘sangin’. Besides, we won’t run up on no squrrels if I keep on yappin’.