BIG MAC AND OLD SPARKY

BIG MAC IS THE NICK OF THE McALESTER, OKLAHOMA STATE PRISON AND OLD SPARKY IS THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.  MY MOTHER GREW UP THERE AND TOLD ME WHEN THEY ELECTRICUTED SOMEONE, THE LIGHTS ALL OVER TOWN DIMMED.  MY MATERNAL GRAND PARENTS, FRED AND JENNY SWANSON LIVED THERE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES.  THEY RAISED FOUR CHILDREN, MAE, RUTH, RAY, AND MY MOTHER, EDITH.  EVERY SUMMER, WE MADE THE TRIP FROM GLENDALE TO MCALESTER AND ON TO TULSA WHERE MY PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER AND AUNT MILDRED LIVED.  MY DAD GOT TWO WEEKS AND WE MADE GOOD USE OF IT.  I AM FORTUNATE IN HAVING TRAVELLED THE MOTHER ROAD....US 66 WHEN IT WAS TWO LANE, WENT THROUGH EVERY TOWN AND MOM AND POP MOTELS WERE THE RULE.  FRED SWANSON HAD A SMALL DAIRY FARM AND MY MOTHER HELPED DELIVER THE MILK.  MY MOM TOLD OF TIMES WHEN THEY SLEPT IN BACK YARD AND DALLAS, ONE OF THE COWS, WAS MAKING FUNNY NOISES, SO MOM THREW A ROCK AT HER AND SHE SHUT UP.THE HOME WAS ORIGINALLY PUT TOGETHER BY JOINING SEVERAL HOUSES TOGETHER.  OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR THERE WAS A HUGE OAK AND I RECALL HEARING THE WINTER WIND SIGH THROUGH THE BARE LIMBS WHEN WE MADE AN EMERGENCY TRIP BACK DUE TO MAE'S DEATH,  MY MOM ONCE TOLD ME THAT HER BROTHER, RAY, NAILED A HORSESHOE ON THAT TREE WHEN HE WAS JUST A KID.  I VISITED MCA ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO AND FOUND THE OLD HOME.  A MAN WAS WORKING IN THE YARD, SO I STOPPED AND INTRODUCED MYSELF AND TOLD HIM MY STORY.  I MENTIONED THE HORSESHOE STORY AND ASKED IF HE HAD EVER SEEN A HORSE SHOE NAILED TO THE TREE.  HE TOLD ME HE HAD LIVED THERE FOR YEARS AND HAD NEVER SEEN A HORSE SHOE. THE OLD TREE WAS STILL THERE AND I ASKED IF I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK FOR IT.  HE SEEMED CURIOUS AND INVITED ME BACK.  WE LOOKED AND LOOKED FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN I LOOKED UP HIGH, AND THERE IT WAS. HE WAS AMAZED HE HAD NEVER SEEN IT. HE ASKED IF I WANTED IT AND I SURE DID. HE BROUGHT A LADDER AND I CLIMBED ABOUT TEN FEET UP AND PRIED IT OFF.  THAT SHOE HAD BEEN THERE FOR AT LEAST SEVENTY YEARS, I HAVE IT NOW AND IT IS NAILED TO OUR WALL OVER FRONT DOOR.ORIGINAL NAILS TO BOOT.  THE OLD BARN HAD LONG BEEN TORN DOWN, BUT I SURE REMEMBER THOSE CHILDHOOD VISITS LONG AGO.  ALTHOUGH THE DAIRY HAD BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT, YET, THERE WAS A FAINT ODOR OF MANURE AND HAY.  IT WAS LIKE A GREAT SHIP OF SOME KIND..SPIDER WEBS, SHAFTS OF LIGHT COMING IN THROUGH  THE CRACKS....A MOANING AS THE OLD DOOR CREEKED ON ITS RUSTY HINGES.  TINY DUST PARTICLES FLOATED AROUND AND WHEN THEY CAME INTO A LIGHT SHAFT, THEY EXPLODED WITH A MOMENTERY DOT OF LIGHT...AND THEN WENT OUT AS THEY WANDERED ON.  IN THOSE DAYS, POLK STREET WAS STILL DIRT.  AND WHEN THE MCALESTER ROCKETS PLAYED AT THE STADIUM JUST DOWN POLK, WATER TRUCKS MOVED UP AND DOWN POLK SPRAYING THE DIRT TO HOLD DOWN THE DUST, MOST ALWAYS A BAND OF LITTLE URCHINS WOULD BE DANCING AROUND IN THE SPRAY FROM THE TRUCK.  I SLEPT IN THE SMALL ROOM AT REAR OF HOUSE ANDE COULD LOOK OUT OVER THE LAWN AND SEE THE BARN IN THE MOONLIGHT....THE YARD TWINKLED WITH FIRE FLIES AND IT WAS PURE MAGIC.  SOMETIMES A DISTANT THUNDER STORM WOULD BE FLICKERING LIKE A JAPANESE LANTERN....AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY I MISS THE PAST ! GUESS WHAT......"I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS."  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY STORIES.  BOB