Ed and Hank
Ed and Hank
Part 2 of... Oh baby, baby it's a wild world...
Catch-up: When we last left Ed and Hank they had stopped at Capitol Reef National Park on their way to Vernal, Utah, to be there for the closing on Ed's pa's house before continuing with their camping trip and heading up to Yellowstone. (As usual, nothing much happened.) This catches up with them the day before the closing...
Disclaimer: Hank told their story to Annie Proulx. Jack and Ennis are all hers. Ed and Hank belong only to each other. Rating: G $$: Nope.
Part 1 is here: http://myeyesaintblue.livejournal.com/77229.html
Links to all previous posts are here:
http://myeyesaintblue.livejournal.com/10082.html
Part 2 of... Oh baby, baby it's a wild world...
"How 'bout we get a motel room in Vernal, Ed...? We can get ourselves cleaned up 'n get a good night's sleep before tha' closin'..."
"No way, Hank... I ain't spendin' one minute more in tha' town than I gotta."
"I know I'm gonna regret sayin' this..."
"Then don't say it."
"But ya know... ya didn't gotta spend even one more second in tha' town... We coulda done it all by computer 'n fax... Hell... I still don't get why ya wanted ta go..."
"Dammit, Hank... I told ya before... I jus' wanna make sure all the i's are dotted 'n t's are crossed... 'n whatnot..."
"Well you ain't exactly no expert on mortgages... So's it mus' be the 'whatnot'... whatever tha' migh' be..."
"Jus' drop it wouldya."
"Fine. I'll drop it."
"Good. So's... anyways... I figured we'd camp at tha' state park that's about fifty miles out..."
"You hate campin' at them kinda state parks."
"You never cut me a break on nothin', do ya...? 'N yeah. I do hate campin' at them kinda state parks... but yer right... we been washin' up outta a bucket fer long enough... 'n I figure they prob'bly got showers there."
"Then how 'bout we get a motel room in Roosevelt...? That's still a l'il ways from Vernal..."
"Nope."
"The state park it is then."
A few minutes later...
"I wanna see 'em."
"Huh...?"
"The folks buyin' the house... I wanna meet 'em... So's I can think of tha' place with them livin' in it... instead of... you know... the way it was when I was a kid... I know that's stupid, but..."
"It ain't stupid, Ed."
"Seems stupid."
"It ain't stupid."
"Yeah... well... still seems it."
"It. Ain't. Stupid."
"Fine. It ain't stupid."
"But ya wanna know what is stupid...? Stayin' in tha' state park instead a gettin' a motel room."
"Dumbass."
The next morning...
"Damn... They sure pack 'em in here... I'd hate ta see this place full up."
"Yeah... I couldn't hardly believe them were campsites at first... 'S a damn parkin' lot..."
"Literal-like. Lucky fer us there weren't hardly no one else here..."
"Yep. Now... How 'bout we head ta Vernal 'n get this closin' the hell over with...?"
"Sounds good ta me. I want the old Ed back..."
"Who you callin' old...?"
"Dumbass."
A little while later...
"Why the hell are ya pullin' over, Hank...?"
"I gotta get me a picture a tha' sign..."
"Dammit... We don't got time ta be stoppin' ev'ry ten feet..."
"Keep yer hat on, Ed... we still got plenty a time ta get there... 'N this here sign is way too good ta pass up..."
"'Man camps', huh...?"
"Yep. 'N ya know wha' they do in them man camps, dontcha...?"
"Somehow I think yer gonna tell me..."
"Plenty a drinkin'... 'n wrestlin'... 'n ridin'... 'n whoopin'... 'n..."
"Lemme guess... 'n shootin' off their guns..."
"Yep... 'N here we went all the way up tha' mountain ta tend a buncha dumbass sheep in order ta find each other... when we jus' coulda gone to a man camp..."
"Well... sheep 'n all... I wouldna traded tha' summer fer nothin'."
"Me neither Ed... 'N I gotta tell ya... I was real glad when ya decided ta go fer the long-term hook-up."
"Dumbass."
"Although it sure as hell took ya long enough..."
"You ain't gonna start in on that... Are ya...?"
"Nope."
"Good."
About an hour later...
"Dammit..."
"What's wrong, Ed...?"
"It jus' fuckin' figures..."
"What...?"
"Tha' real estate agent said there's some kinda snafu with the mortgage paperwork..."
"Can't they get it taken care of...?"
"Yeah... they think they can... But it's Friday... 'n they don't know if'n they can get it done ta day... 'n they don't work on the weekend... So's I gotta call 'em later Monday mornin' 'n see if'n the closin' can be Monday afternoon... 'N if'n it ain't gonna be Monday it'll be Tuesday afternoon... Tuesday... Four more fuckin' nights... Shit..."
"I ain't sure I can take four more nights a you bein' all het up over this..."
"Dammit... tha' state park's gonna be chock fulla folks now that it's the weekend... 'N we cain't head up inta the mountains 'round here... it's too early in the season 'n them roads are like as not ta be hubcap deep in mud... 'n that's if'n they ain't still snowed in... Hell... I guess we gotta get a motel room... Maybe back in Roosevelt... like ya said before..."
"But..."
"Shit... Wouldya lookit tha'... Where the hell do they get off chargin' them kinda prices fer a Motel 6...? 'N that's jus' fer one person...? Hell..."
"That is kinda steep fer one a them... But..."
"Prob'by ain't much cheaper in Roosevelt... Dammit... No way am I goin' back ta my pa's house 'n pitchin' the tent out back... like we did when we came ta clean tha' place out... Hell... I guess we gotta go back ta tha' god-awful state park... Shit..."
"'Course yer over-lookin' the best option..."
"'N wha' the hell migh' tha' be...?"
"Ya know tha' Dinosaur National Monument ain't too far east a town... 'N I always had a hankerin' ta go there... but I never brought it up on accounta how close it was ta where yer folks lived... 'N they gotta have a campground... All them national parks 'n monuments got campgrounds..."
"'It's a better idea than goin' back ta tha' state park anyways... Shit..."
"'N you can be my tour guide fer a change..."
"Me...? I ain't ever been there."
"Yer kiddin'...?"
"I ain't exactly in a kiddin' mood."
"But... it's so close... Hell... they got dinosaur statues all over town..."
"Ya know damn well my folks were religious nuts... 'N they thought them dinosaur bones were planted there by scientists 'n atheists... same thing in their minds..."
"But... whadda about school trips...? Ya musta gone on a school trip..."
"They wouldn't ever sign them permission slips... 'N then when I was in the fifth grade... middle a the year... they pulled me 'n Ruth outta school 'n started home schoolin' us... if'n that's whatcha'd call teachin' us nothin' but crazy religous crap..."
"How long we been together...? Lemme answer tha' fer ya... We been together fer a helluva long time... 'n you somehow never managed ta tell me you were home schooled fer a buncha years...?"
"Wha' the hell does tha' matter...? Besides... it ain't exactly somethin' I remember real fond-like."
"Damn... You never hardly got outta that house... didya...?"
"I got outside anyways... any chance I could... ta do chores... 'n sometimes when they jus' weren't lookin'... 'course I'd pay fer tha' later... but it was worth it... most times anyways... 'N Ruth... Ruth had it worse tha' way... she couldn' get outside near so's much as me..."
"But... didn't ya go back ta school once ya left home...? When you went ta live with Ruth 'n her husband...?"
"Yeah... they made me go... fer a while anyways... but I'd missed so much I didn't know wha' the hell was goin' on... So's I fin'lly jus' quit goin' altogether 'n got wha' jobs I could. Now wouldya jus' drop it already...?"
"Okay. I'll drop it. But I'd say it's about way past time ya saw yerself some dinosaur bones..."
"Whatever. I jus' wanna get the hell outta this town."
A little while later...
"This is real purty... Ain't it, Ed...?"
"I guess."
"Tha' mus' be the visitor center up there..."
"I guess."
"Damn... Who the hell woulda figured it'd be closed...?"
"That's no surprise... considerin' it's built on tha' volcanic ash stuff tha' turns ta goo when it rains... Buncha dumbasses shoulda knowed better..."
"Well they had ta build it on tha' stuff... 'cause that's what's next ta that hill where all them dinosaur bones are tha' they built it around..."
"Well they shoulda sunk them footin's deeper."
"Well they're gonna rebuild it... so's maybe they'll get it right this time..."
"Dammit, Hank... Don't cross tha'..."
"If they really wanted ta keep folks out dontcha think they'd try justa l'il harder...?"
"They prob'bly would try harder if'n most folks were like you..."
"Most folks are like me... that's why tha' fence is pushed down like tha'... C'mon, Ed... come over here 'n take a look... I can see the hill with all them exposed dinosaur bones purty clear-like..."
"That's all we need... ta get arrested fer trespassin'..."
"Ya know damn well we ain't gonna get arrested fer trespassin', dumbass... Besides... it's public land, ain't it...?"
"I wouldn' put it past 'em."
"Then we'll just get Bill ta send us bail money."
"It'd better get here before Tuesday."
A few minutes later...
"Look, Ed... they got another big ol' hill full a dinosaur bones righ' there..."
"So's... they jus' leave 'em lyin' around out here where anyone could take 'em...?"
"I don't think yer s'posed ta take 'em..."
"That's what I mean, dumbass."
"...'n it'd take a whole lotta work 'n a real long time ta dig one out... But if'n ya really want one I'll try 'n get one fer ya... 'Course then we prob'bly really would need tha' bail money..."
"Dumbass."
"So's, Ed...?"
"Yeah...?"
"D'ya notice anythin' weird about this place...?"
"It ain't no weirder than any other part a Utah..."
"The rocks I mean..."
"What about 'em...?"
"Look closer..."
"They're rocks. In case ya never noticed... this state's full of 'em..."
"But these ones... donthca think some of 'em kinda look like dinosaurs..."
"Maybe like a buncha lazy-ass dinosaurs lyin' down."
"Well it'd be righ' dumb fer 'em ta run around in the heat a the day."
"True 'nough."
Later...
"I'm hungry, Ed... How 'bout we head down there 'n eat us some lunch...? Maybe we can find some shade by the river..."
"I dunno... it looks purty crowded... Lookit how full tha' parkin' lot is..."
"That's river parkin' fer folks puttin' in or takin' out their rafts... That's why most folks come here... ta raft the Green River... so's a full parkin' lot don't necessarily mean there's a buncha folks down there..."
"Well... if'n it is over-run with folks we're goin' somewheres else."
"Okay, Ed..."
After lunch...
"This was real nice."
"It still is."
"Ya know... they got a fair number a petroglyphs in this here park... There's some not too far from here... 'n there's some out a road on the west side a the park... Ya wanna go take a look at 'em...?"
"If it's all the same ta you I'd rather jus' sit in the shade here 'n watch the river go by."
"C'mon, Ed... They're s'posed ta be purty impressive..."
"This big ol' river is purty impressive too."
"So's ya'd rather just sit on yer ass like them lazy-ass dinosaurs, huh...?"
"Yep. It's still the heat a the day after all."
"Well... maybe I'll go by myself..."
"You go right ahead."
"But ya know, Ed... time'll go a whole lot faster if'n ya do somethin' besides jus' sittin' here... 'N yer gonna regret not seein' 'em later... when ya fin'lly come outta this funk yer in..."
"I ain't in no funk."
"If'n ya weren't in a funk then ya'd wanna go see 'em."
"I ain't in no funk."
"Good ta hear. So let's go see us some petroglyphs..."
"Fine. Let's go see us some petrogplyphs."
"In order ta do tha' ya gotta get up outta yer chair 'n pick it up 'n walk thisaway..."
"Yeah... yeah... I'm comin'... I'm comin'..."
"I bet I can make ya say that with a l'il more enthusiasm later on..."
"I wouldn' bet against it."
"I wouldn' bet against it neither if'n I were you... 'Course tha' campground ain't exactly designed fer the kinda man-campin' I'd like ta be engagin' in..."
"It ain't as bad as some."
"Yer jus' sayin' that 'cause it's next ta tha' workin' ranch."
"Maybe. But it ain't as bad as tha' state park."
"Not much is... But they still got one campsite right on top a the other... when I'd like ta be on top a you... makin' ya make enough noise ta drown out the TV from them folks 'campin''... 'n I use the word loosely... next ta us..."
"Dumbass."
"Ya don't think I could make ya drown out that' TV, huh...?"
"I know ya could. But ya know... you picked tha' spot..."
"We picked the spot... 'N we picked it 'cause it was the nicest one left... 'N them folks next to us didn't put out tha' satellite dish 'n start blastin' tha' TV 'til after we got the tent set up... 'N then I offered ta move the tent to a diff'rent spot but you didn't want to..."
"That's 'cause I was hopin' there'd be somethin' good on tonight."
"Dumbass."
A little while later...
"Come back here, Hank... Tha' sign says the trail's closed..."
"First the visitor center... now this too...? Ferget tha'.... This ain't no real trail anyways... them petroglyphs are jus' right up there... 'n tha' rockfall looks easy enough ta climb over... Hell... in the time it took 'em ta make tha' sign 'n build tha' wall blockin' the trail they coulda had tha' rockfall cleared away..."
"Yeah, but maybe there's some petroglyphs on them rocks tha' fell... 'n they don't want no one steppin' on 'em 'til they can clear 'em outta there real careful-like..."
"Then we'll climb around them rocks 'n not step on 'em... But tha' rockfall looks like it came from way too far up fer there ta be petroglyphs on it..."
"Well maybe it's still closed 'cause they're afraid tha' rock ain't quite done fallin' yet..."
"It looks done fallin' ta me."
"Well you ain't no expert on rockfalls."
"C'mon, Ed... Ya know damn well we go plenty a places where rocks could fall on us anytime... 'N that ain't no reason not ta go up there..."
"Fine. But if'n we end up buried under a pile a rocks..."
"I'll call Bill 'n have him come dig us out."
"He'd better get here before Tuesday."
A couple of minutes later...
"Some a these definitely ain't much like the petroglyphs we usually see 'round Utah..."
"They're a whole lot bigger than most... that's fer sure... Some of 'em must be four or five feet tall... maybe taller..."
"'N they're fancier too..."
"You prob'bly woulda got along with tha' fella real good... with all them fancy shirts 'n belt buckles 'n boots a yers."
"I prob'ly woulda got along real good with this fella too..."
"Not if I had anythin' ta say about it."
"Wha'...? I meant on accounta how fancy he's dressed too..."
"Sure ya did."
"Lookit that one there, Ed... he looks like a alien in a spacesuit..."
"'S prob'bly s'posed ta be a insect a some kind, dumbass..."
"Maybe... But thinkin' he's a alien is a lot more fun."
"You would think tha'."
"'S a purty nice view from up here..."
"I guess."
"C'mon, Ed... Let's go down thataway a l'il further..."
"I'm comin'..."
"Not like ya will be later."
"Dumbass."
"Hey... lookit this wall, Ed..."
"Jeez... I ain't ever seen so many lizard petroglyphs in one spot..."
"Me neither. 'N lookit that one..."
"It's gotta be five feet acrost... maybe more..."
"'N this one here looks real life-like..."
"Don't bother him, Hank."
"I ain't botherin' him... I'm just takin' his picture.... So's I guess tha'd be life imitatin' art... 'n art imitatin' life too... "
"Or it'd be a lizard... 'n a picture of a lizard."
"That's what I said. But ya know, Ed... There's still plenty a daylight left... How 'bout we go check out them other petroglyphs on the other side a the park...?"
"Do I got a choice...?"
"Yep. I could drop ya off back at camp 'n you could watch TV with our neighbors while I go see some petroglyphs."
"Hows about we go check out them other petroglyphs on the other side a the park...?"
"Sounds good ta me."
A while later...
"There some are, Ed... up there..."
"Those are even bigger than them last ones..."
"'N just as fancy-lookin'..."
"I think there's even more here than that other spot..."
"Yeah... 'N there's some down thataway yet..."
"Here's some more fellas dressed up like insects..."
"You mean aliens."
"I don't think so... that one fella's got six appendages 'n two antennas... just like an insect"
"An alien could have six appendages 'n two antennas..."
"Dumbass."
"Well he could. 'N lookit this fella... he looks like he don't belong... He's got a big ol' mustache... I ain't ever seen no other petroglyphs with a fella with a mustache... 'n he's wearin' a big ol' fur hat..."
"He does kinda look like he came from somewheres else..."
"Well there's two other aliens above him... So's I bet they picked him up in Siberia or somewheres 'fore flyin' over here in their spaceship..."
"Yeah. That's the most logical explanation. Dumbass."
"So's... How 'bout we go see what else is down this road...?"
"Do I got a choice...?"
"Yep. You could stay here in the hot sun without a stick a shade nowheres around 'n I could pick ya up on my way back."
"How 'bout we go see what else is down this here road...?"
"Sounds good ta me."
A little while later...
"Looks like the road ends out thataway..."
"Yep."
"So's d'ya wanna go down there?"
"Nope."
And a little while after that...
"Hey... Lookit this campsite, Ed... It's got plenty a shade 'n a real nice view... 'n there's no one else camped here... 'n even if'n they were there's only a few sites 'n there's a real good amount a room in between 'em..."
"'S nice enough, I guess... Only there's plenty a river-raftin' traffic goin' righ' by it..."
"Yeah... But tha'd stop soon enough... So's... why don't we take it...?"
"'Cause we're already camped in the main campground, dumbass."
"Yeah, but that ain't near so's nice as this..."
"But we already paid fer tha' site."
"So what? It don't cost tha' much... 'N we can afford ta pay twice fer one lousy night..."
"But the tent's at the other site... 'N I ain't drivin' all the way back there 'n then all the way back here again..."
"We don't need ta... All we did was set up the tent 'n take off... ev'rythin' else is still in the truck... so's we can either sleep out under the stars... or if'n it gets too cold we can sleep in the back a the truck..."
"Ev'rthin' else is in the truck except fer the stove 'n pots 'n pans... I put them in the tent ta help hold it down against the wind..."
"Well... we don't gotta cook nothin' fer dinner... we can eat outta tha' cooler jus' fine..."
"I dunno, Hank... What if someone makes off with the tent...?"
"No one's gonna make off with that ol' tent. Or that ol' stove. Or them ol' pots 'n pans."
"But..."
"I can make ya make a whole lotta noise later 'n won't no one hear it..."
"Ya don't know tha' no one won't come along later 'n take one a them other sites..."
"I'll let ya sit in a chair by the river... 'n I won't disturb ya..."
"I dunno, Hank..."
"We got plenty a nice, cold beer in the cooler... I'll bring ya one..."
"This is kinda a nice spot... ain't it...?"
"Ya know, Ed... it'd be a whole lot easier if'n ya'd just agree from the beginnin'..."
"Where's the fun in tha'...?"
"Dumbass."
Later...
"How 'bout I put on some music, Ed...? There still ain't no one else around... so's we wouldn' be disturbin' no one..."
"Do I got a choice?"
"Yep. I could sing a capella... real loud-like..."
"How 'bout ya put some music on...?"
"Music it is... Lessee... I need some good man-campin' kinda music... 'N there's somethin' in Betty's cds I been savin' fer just such an occasion..."
"Remind me ta drive them cds back ta her the minute we get home."
"Here it is..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT_y5qri00o
"Wha' the hell is tha'...?"
"Sonny 'n Cher... 'A Cowboy's Work is Never Done'..."
"It ain't, huh...?"
"It sure ain't, cowboy... 'N I got a whole list a chores fer you ta do tonigh'..."
"Wait a minute... I thought you were gonna be the one workin' on me...?"
"More like we're gonna be workin' on each other..."
"Well... I guess I wouldn' mind puttin' in some over-time..."
"I'd be much obliged."
"C'mere, dumbass..."
The next morning...
"Damn... Tha' was some real fine man-campin' last night, Ed... if'n I do say so m'self...."
"Yep. It weren't half-bad."
"Half-bad...? Hell... it were full-on-good..."
"That's what I said."
"'Course my fav'rite part was shootin' off my gun..."
"There's a real surprise."
"Now lessee... we seen them dinosaur bones... 'N we seen a lotta rock art.. So's... Whaddya wanna do now...?"
"Not that it matters none... But I wanna keep sittin' in this here shade 'n watchin' the river go by."
"Maybe we could head inta town 'n see how long them river trips are... 'n if'n one a them outfitter's has got room fer two more...?"
"No way, Hank. I'm keepin' my feet on firm ground. Yer welcome ta go on yer own though."
"Nah. That's too long ta leave ya sittin' around in a funk on yer own."
"I ain't in no funk."
"Good ta hear... 'Cause I was lookin' through tha' park stuff 'n it mentioned a place called Echo Park... 'N it's..."
"Echo Park...?"
"Yeah."
"I wouldn't mind goin' there... I always wanted ta see it... I remember they wanted ta put a dam down there 'n flood it... back in the fifties tha' was... 'Course my folks were all for tha'..."
"Echo Park it is."
"Do they got campin' there...?"
"Yeah... They got campin'... 'Course I ain't sure if it's man-campin' or not..."
"Well it will be when we get there."
"You said it, Ed."
A while later...
"Pull-up, Hank..."
"Okay..."
"It's somewheres out there, huh...?"
"Yep."
"Shit."
"Wha'...?"
"They got this warnin' sign up..."
"Looks like we're back in a monster movie... Although off-hand I can't think a one involvin' swarms a crickets... I guess it'd be some kinda biblical monster movie..."
"Not that sign, dumbass... this sign..."
"It's Saturday... maybe they ain't workin'..."
"I sure as hell hope not... Tha'd be damned annoyin'..."
"Well... we made it this far... So's let's go 'n find out..."
A few minutes later...
"Fasten yer seat belt, Ed... It looks like it's gonna be a bumpy ride..."
"Bumpy...? Hell... It's smooth as can be..."
"So far..."
"Why the hell do they gotta work on this road anyways...?"
"We ain't been drivin' tha' long yet... Maybe it's further down..."
"There ain't a damn thing wrong with this road."
"Not so's far anyways..."
"They do anythin' ta this here road 'n they're jus' gonna ruin it..."
"Ya don't s'pose they're gonna widen it...?"
"Well tha'd sure as hell ruin it."
"It sure would."
"'N wha' was tha' crap about passenger cars not bein' advised...?"
"Ya know they sometimes exaggerate about stuff like tha' ta try 'n scare some folks off... 'N then other times they don't got no signs warnin' folks 'n they end up stuck in the middle a nowhere 'n starrin' in their very own disaster movie..."
"Hell... Ya don't even need no kinda high clearance..."
"Maybe they're already done with whatever they're gonna do 'n they didn't take down the sign...?"
"Nope... There was another sign tha' gave the dates... 'n it was fer this summer..."
"Well... we mus' be almost ta the end a the road... 'n I still don't see nothin'..."
"I guess they ain't started yet.... Damn... I bet they're gonna ruin it... Sooner or later they ruin ev'rythin'..."
"Well let's hope they don't... 'N let's enjoy it while it still is what it is..."
"Before it ain't what it was."
"Look, Ed... the river mus' be on the other side a them trees..."
"How 'bout we get a campsite first...? 'Fore we head down ta the river..."
"This one should do..."
"Yep."
"'S ideal fer man-campin'."
"Looks ta be anyways."
"We should stay here tomorrow night too..."
"No way, Hank. Bad as it is... I wanna be back in tha' main campground tomorrow night so's we're there fer Monday mornin'... 'cause it's a whole lot closer ta town 'n they got cell phone reception there..."
"Okay, Ed. So's... How 'bout we go take a look at the river...?"
"Fine with me."
"'S a real purty spot."
"It sure is. Woulda been a shame if'n they flooded it with tha' damn."
"It sure woulda been."
"Fer somethin' called the Green River it sure is awful brown..."
"'S prob'bly churnin' up a lot more stuff... wha' with all them rapids... 'n lotsa rain lately..."
"Yep."
"So's... d'ya wanna go fer a hike or somethin'...? There's s'posed ta be some nice ones down here..."
"Not tha' this'll do me much good ta say... But... if it's all the same ta you... which I know it ain't gonna be... I'd rather jus' sit here 'n watch the river go by."
"Okay, Ed... Let's jus' sit here 'n watch the river go by."
"That's it...? No badgerin' me 'til I agree ta do somethin'...?"
"Nope."
"This is real nice, ain't it...?"
"Yep."
"So's, Hank...?
"Yeah...?"
"Maybe tomorrow mornin' we could take one a them hikes down here..."
"Sounds good ta me, Ed."
Ed and Hank did go on a real nice hike Sunday morning, but Hank forgot to charge the camera batteries before going so there's no pictures... Nothing interestin' happened neither... So... we'll skip to...
Late Monday afternoon...
"Well... them folks buyin' the house seemed real nice..."
"They sure did, Ed."
"I'm real glad fer tha'."
"Me too, Ed."
"'N I'm sure glad they could do tha' closin' today... instead a havin' ta wait 'til tomorrow."
"Me too, Ed."
"Well... I guess that's tha'..."
"Yep."
"Yep. That's tha'."
"So's, Ed...?"
"Yeah...?"
"I gotta ask... one last time..."
"No ya don't."
"Yeah. I do. Yer pa... in tha' nursin' home... Are ya sure ya don't wanna...?"
"I'm sure."
"Ya prob'bly won't get no other chance ta..."
"Drop it, Hank. I'm makin' sure he's took care of while he's alive... 'n I'll pay ta bury him when he dies... but that's all I'm gonna do... 'N... like I said before... the only reason I'm doin' tha' much is so's Ruth don't gotta."
"Ya know I had ta ask..."
"Ya jus' cain't help yerself, huh...?"
"Nope."
"Okay then. Asked 'n answered. You gonna drop it now...?"
"Yep."
"Good."
"So's... how about we point this ol' truck towards Wyomin' then...?"
"Not jus' yet, Hank..."
"Wha'...? Why not...?"
"I know ya wanna see them other petroglyphs... Them ones tha' ranger you were talkin' to told ya about... them ones on private land..."
"'S okay, Ed... I know ya wanna get the hell outta here... 'N I can live withou' seein' 'em..."
"They ain't tha' far... 'n it won't take long ta stop..."
"You sure, Ed...?"
"Ya know I wouldn't be sayin' it if'n I weren't."
"True 'nough."
A little while later...
"There it is."
"Does tha' sign say it's closed, Hank...?"
"Nope. It says it's closed after dark."
"How much does it cost...?"
"Not much... They just ask fer a donation... There's prob'bly a place ta put it in tha' shed..."
"This place is downrigh' weird."
"Yeah... But least-wise they let the public in ta see 'em... They don't gotta..."
"I guess they're up thataway..."
A few minutes later...
"Lookit this, Ed..."
"Wha'...?"
"Looks like this here spot was a man-camp back then..."
"How d'ya figure...?"
"Them petroglyphs there..."
"What about 'em...?"
"'S clearly two men with a cooler full a beer in between 'em... 'N ev'ryone knows that's the international sign fer man-campin'..."
"It is, huh...?"
"Yep. 'N I'd wager man-campin' goes back as far as man does."
"'N I wouldn't bet against ya."
"Some a these are purty darn amazin'..."
"They sure are... 'N they're all over the place..."
"Ta see 'em all's gonna take a lot longer than we figured..."
"Some of 'em are even bigger than at them other spots in the park..."
"They sure are..."
"That one's gotta be six feet tall..."
"Maybe taller..."
"Maybe."
"'Course it ain't exactly a park-like settin'..."
"Nope. But didya notice, Hank... There ain't near the bullet holes in these tha' there were in them other ones..."
"Yer right, Ed... there ain't..."
"So's I guess they were better protected this way..."
"Jeez... Lookit them fellas, Ed... We sure as hell ain't ever seen nothin' like them before..."
"Damn."
"You can say that again."
"Ya know all them cliff-dwellin's in this here state... 'n in Colorado... 'n Arizona...?"
"Yeah..."
"Well... I think maybe we're lookin' at some a the fellas tha' caused them folks ta live so's high up 'n outta reach..."
"Could be... Or... they coulda been their version of them 'Village People'... Ya know... 'Macho macho man... I wanna be a macho man'..."
"Dumbass."
"Could be."
"Well so's far as I know them 'Village People' didn't carry severed heads around with 'em..."
"The ranger I talked to mentioned that... He said most folks think they're heads... but they ain't heads... they're baskets 'cause them folks were basket weavers..."
"So's... them fierce lookin' fellas were carryin' baskets around with 'em...?"
"Yep."
"Well they still look an awful lot like heads ta me."
"Yeah... I gotta admit... they do ta me, too..."
"Hey... wouldya lookit the size a the feet on this fella... They're almost as big as yers, Hank..."
"Well... Ya know wha' they say about a fella with big feet..."
"Yep. Big feet... big mouth."
"Among other things."
"Is tha' so...?"
"Yep. I'll show ya later."
"I'm lookin' forward to it."
"'N I bet I won't hear ya complainin' about my big mouth later neither..."
"True 'nough."
Later that night...
"It was a good idea comin' back ta this campin' spot, Ed... 'Course it kinda s'prised me thatcha wanted to... I woulda thought ya'd wanna put as many miles as possible 'tween you 'n Vernal..."
"Well... it was a real nice spot... 'n not too far away... 'n lookin' at them petroglyphs took longer than I thought it would... so's I figured stayin' here'd be better than drivin' on 'n tryin' ta find somethin' late... or endin' up stayin' at another god-awful state park... Hell... I'm jus' glad we got this place to ourselves again..."
"Me too... So's... How 'bout I put on some good ol' man-campin' music...?"
"How 'bout I put on some man-campin' music...?"
"But I was gonna put on 'I'm back in the saddle again'... Ya know... 'Whoopie-ty-eye-oh... rockin' to 'n fro... Ed's back in the saddle again'..."
"Well... Uh... I got somethin'... uh... somethin' a l'il diff'rent in mind..."
"Ya do, huh...? Lemme guess... We're gonna be man campin' with the 'Man in Black'..."
"I ain't puttin' on Johnny Cash."
"Well stop the world I wanna get off."
"Dumbass."
"Wha'...?"
"Lemme see if'n I can find it..."
"Ya know... we don't got no Village People cds... 'N neither does Betty... I already checked..."
"That ain't what I'm lookin' fer neither, dumbass."
"Can ya believe it...? Me... not ownin' a Village People cd... ya know tha' just ain't right... I'm gonna hafta remedy tha'... Remind me ta buy one when we get back home..."
"I'll do tha'."
"'Body, body... wanna feel my body...? Body, baby... such a thrill my body... Body, body... wanna touch my body...? Body, baby... it's too much my body'..."
"Well... yer definitely too much sometimes... that's fer damn sure..."
"'Body, body... Check it out, my body'..."
"I plan to. Here's the one I'm lookin' fer..."
"My body is waitin' with bated breath..."
"Dumbass."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3G9AjRj5Sw&feature=PlayList&p=0DF874F6C5DF6CB6&index=0&playnext=1
"Jeez, Ed..."
"'N... I gotta say somethin', Hank... I just... uh... I wanna say 'thanks'... fer puttin' up with me... these past couple a weeks... 'n comin' ta Vernal with me... 'n makin' me do stuff I didn't wanna do that it turns out I did wanna do... 'n... well... you know... ev'rythin' else too... from way back when up to 'n includin' ta day..."
"It's more like me who should be thankin' you, Ed..."
"Fer wha'...?"
"Well... like ya said... fer ev'rythin'... like managin' ta get out from under all them years with yer crazy folks... 'n fer lettin' loose 'n lettin' yerself be yerself on tha' mountain..."
"I think me lettin' loose was more yer doin'..."
"...'n fer havin' the guts ta fin'lly go fer tha' long term hook-up... Hell... if'n ya hadn't a done tha'... well... I don't even wanna think about it..."
"Yeah... Me neither."
"So let's not."
"Sounds good ta me."
"C'mere, Ed..."
Lay down beside me
I spent my life lookin' for you
Findin' my way wasn't easy to do
But I knew there was you all the while
and it's been worth every mile.
So lay down beside me, love me and hide me
kiss all the hurtin' of this world away
Hold me so close that I feel your heartbeat
and don't ever wander away.
Mornin's and evenin's all were the same
There was no music 'til I heard your name
But I knew when I saw you smile
now I can rest for a while.
So lay down beside me, love me and hide me
kiss all the hurtin' of this world away
Hold me so close that I feel your heartbeat
and don't ever wander away.
~~~~