Time passes.........

[Spinster]

But Friends are not forgotten. Two years gone.

Some of you men will remember Charles Heath's little grain box wagon, last seen several years back at a living history at Manassas.

About a year after his death, and after several discussions amoungst friends, Beverly Heath handed the double tree over, and the wagon came south and into my hands.

It was originally from Kentucky, and its spent the last year there at the wheelwrights, slow work, yes, but Amish folks' horse drawn working farm machinery took precedence, and we weren't in any big hurry. Better correct and roadworthy than quick.

Last week, since I didn't own a proper trailer, and he was much more capable of the job anyway, Cornbread Key came and picked up that wagon, because Charles Heath was his friend too. He's taking it to his house for the next round of work and repairs before its fully road worthy again. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, Cornbread and Back Button Girl loaded it right up.





Hmmm. A well documented historically correct civilian farm wagon with an obnoxious paint job.




Somehow, that's a fitting memory of this friend. Thank you, Mrs Heath, for sharing with us........

[Rob Murray]

I still miss my friend.

ROB

[Spinster]

Every day Moostache. Real Friends are hard to come by.

Mighty Rocky Road,

[Bear Flagger]

I miss him every time I read a forum.

[Spinster]

You're doing a good job with your inheritance Grim.

[TB1861]

I can't believe it has been two years, I still have so many questions that he could have answered for me. He paid so much more attention to things than did I, I depended on him for the "who was who" and have been lost without him.

[Bear Flagger]

I just wish it got more posters, but it is one of the most used groups. Can Sorchy's Lost Keys of the Kisatchie get mentioned here?

[Spinster]

Grim,

What nobody acknowledges out loud is that the Kisatchie eats keys. I would not have gotten out of there myself, at Into the Piney Woods, with my load of hypothermic folks, if my second key had not been knotted into the botton of my dress pocket.

My primary key was on a string around my neck. The operative word there is WAS. I lost it the second time I turned the little pull wagon over in the bayou. I don't know how a key on a string gets lost thats been tucked into a firmly laced corset inside a firmly hooked bodice. Yeah I do. It happens when the wearer falls into a giant mud puddle with crawfish and stuff in it and takes off the dress, and trounces through the forest in her underpinnings, trying to get dry.

And then there is Banks Grand Retreat. Charles missed the army stepping off because of a set of lost keys. First news I get over in my cozy little civilian world is one of my men going on a water haul and coming back with a gimpy feller he found on the road, news of a lame horse to be moved, and the need to gather up all our water containers and take them.....elsewhere.

About 24 hours later, Charles wanders into the clearing, not so much lost as hoping he'd catch the army there, since they did not show at the first night's camp on the map. Instead, he was two days ahead of them.

He spent some quality time with us, and then wandered off on a battlefield tour of his own making. My men folk disappeared periodically to take pot shots at both armies from ridge lines.

Charles got the blame for that. It was more than a year before the true members of the "hostile third party" stepped forward.



"Oh, no, it's complicated. It's brain science and rocket surgery, bro. Oh, you just don't know. You want something more complicated try keys. Yes, keys. Keys. A set of ******' keys. Good God almighty let's talk about lost keys." Chawls Heef 1/7/04

[toptimlrd]

Wow, 2 years already............ Never had the privilidge of meeting but did have a few exchanges on line. He was always willing to help if asked.

[Drygoods]

Time does fly, I guess it does. I remember the posts and emails, and sometimes he'd just send me a note saying "Are you still doing missionary work?" meaning, was I still trying to convert folks into doing a deeper impression towards immersion. Yup.