My Brad Paisley Moment
Phil Taunton
Friday, May 9, 2008
Before Wifeus became addicted to golf, she and my youngest daughter, Tiffany, conned me into getting them a horse.
This was a pretty tough thing for me to do since I was bitten by a horse when I was a child, and they both knew I wasn’t very fond of such critters.
And though I don’t remember it happening, Dad always apologized for some of my actions as a teenager by saying I was mule-kicked.
But women have their ways, and they got a horse. I was flim-flammed to say the least. They loved this horse, aptly named Song of Wind, and devoted most of their spare time to just horsing around — 4-H rodeos, shodeos, pleasure riding and organized trail rides complete with a chuck wagon. They marveled at being around all things horsy.
The horse was gentle, jet-black, had big, kind, brown eyes and was definitely poetry in motion when she ran.
Through this stage in my marriage and seeing their devotion to the animal, I learned to tolerate horses. I even developed a taste for country western music, since the radio in my truck was always tuned to a country radio station and various country western tapes and CDs were strewn about the cab whenever they used the truck.
Country western songs tell a tale of life, love, nature, heartbreak, joy and growing up. Once Tiff fledged and left the nest, Wifeus’ new passion became golf. I haven’t been exactly left out in the cold since she goes hunting and fishing with me. I’m lucky in this respect.
We developed an understanding through the years. I golf in order to see her during the summer and she hunts and fishes in order to spend some quality time with me during peak seasons.
Truth be known, I really think she likes these activities.
I had a romantic evening with Wifeus just the other day while scouting wild turkey. At least I thought it was romantic. And it did involve golf, believe it or not; we had to hurry home to see her weekly installment of Big Break Ka’anapoli, a Golf Channel soap opera of sorts where the winner, or survivor, of various golfing challenges wins prizes and an opportunity to play on the professional tour.
The evening was something I think Brad Paisley, a popular country western singer, could hit upon. My first recollection of Brad Paisley is his popular song “I’m Going to Miss Her” when he warbled: “Well I love her, but I love to fish.”
His wife had forced him to pick and choose and he chose to be out on the waters.
“Looky there, I got another bite.”
How exciting! There’s something about fishing that does strange things to a fellow. I get goose bumps just thinking about the bobber twitching and going under.
And only Brad Paisley could make a song about ticks appealing to both men and women.
Now just how romantic is that?
While watching Big Break Ka’anapoli, a commercial came on showing a couple, their tan bodies clad in swimming attire, jogging hand in hand on a beach of soft sand in Hawaii. Wifeus has always wanted to go to Hawaii, and she commented on how nice it would be to go there just once in our life.
I asked, “Why does one need to go to Hawaii to find romance in a faraway land of breathtaking beauty when we live here?” I reminded her that just 30 minutes ago we were walking hand-in-hand back to the truck. Quail were whistling, turkeys were gobbling on the roost and coyotes were toasting a pretty Kansas sunset that was simply magnificent.
Aren’t the Flint Hills just beautiful this time of year?! The pasture full of cow patties we walked through was just a minor inconvenience. Wifeus never commented, only stared at me with a blank expression. In his latest song, “I’m still a guy,” Brad Paisley mentions some women might think they can change their outdoors man. In a weak moment, these men might walk a sissy dog and hold a purse in the mall. Some men might change, but remember, they are still guys.
I’m lucky. Wifeus is beginning to figure that out!
Feathered friend update
Gray catbirds, orioles and hummingbirds have made it to my yard during the past week.
The orioles, hummingbirds and house finches will readily come to nectar feeders filled with a combination of four parts water to one part sugar. Hang them in the shade to prevent mixture from fermenting prematurely.
Once it gets really hot, these feeders should be cleaned at least once a week, if not daily. Feeders made of plastic or glass can be easily cleaned by adding a couple of capfuls of chlorine bleach or a disinfectant to a bucket of hot, soapy water. Scrub away any residue, rinse and thoroughly dry before refilling.
Comments
Post a comment
We allow registered users to post comments on this Web site. Our goal with this feature is to encourage thoughtful discussions about the news stories. Using the comment feature to make random attacks on people is not acceptable. Emporiagazette.com neither endorses nor guarantees the accuracy of any user contribution. Responsibility for what is posted or contributed to this site is the sole responsibility of each user. To learn more about our posting policies please read our User Poster Agreement Policy.
(Requires free registration.)