?

?

Saturday, January 30, 2010

My Grandpa

Grandpa climbed on the Greyhound bus headed for Las Vegas with change jingl'n  in his pocket. It weren't the first time and weren't the last. He were a gambl'n man....blackjack. Every time he work out a system, he get on the bus and be gone for days on end....usually only a couple. In his valise (suitcase), he carried a loaded old timey Colt 45 cal. single action pistol and where ever Grandpa was at, that valise sat right next to him. Would he use it??? I suspect he probably would.

I asked him one time when I was growed up...bout 14 or 15, where he got it, but he never told me anything other than "remember Pancho Villa"??? That all he said. I asked him if he ever shot it. He says "one time". Seems there was an Indian in his corn field steal'n corn back in Columbus on "da ranch". He shot high just to scare the him. He said he never see a man so fast in his life. Never seen him again. Sure wish I had that old Colt 45. I got one just like it, but it's brand spank'n new and a .357...just hang'n on the wall "do'n nuttin".

Grandpa used to mix peanut butter and water together and drink it. When I asked him why he did that he says "it's medicine Billy". Holy Crap, what freak'n kind of medicine is peanut butter and water?

Grandpa came to live with me back in bout 67' or so. Under his bed he kept a big jar of peanut butter, a case of Coco Cola and that valise. Spent most his time in his room either sleep'n or sit'n on the edge of the bed look'n at stuff in that old valise....pictures and stuff. He guarded it with his life. That was all he had left.....memories and a few old pictures....and that old Colt 45.

11 comments:

  1. sounds like my great grandpa( moms side) POPs, he rode the rails during the depression and had himself a suit case and that was it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My Granddad was a railway mail clerk on the Santa Fe run from Fort Worth. I have his ole service pistol but it is in such bad shape it will never be a shooter again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whatever happened to his valise and its content?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Which one is your Grandpa? What a treat to read of times past! Thank you for sharing your memories.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And which of the youngsters is you?

    ReplyDelete
  6. MsB....in 1975 my Grandpa was living with my dad...a professed alcoholic. He placed him in a nursing home where he passed. The valise was never seen again.

    In the pic, my grandpa is the older feller...he was 75 at that time!!! That was taken back in 1958 and I'm the cute little feller on the left. I'm the only one still living.

    ReplyDelete
  7. OGT, what type of framing gun would you use at above 7,000 feet in altitude?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good find on the old picture, YOU, in that picture, look like one I have seen of a young Willie Nelson. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. "I'm the cute little feller on the left."

    LOL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sort of looks like a police lineup,

    now maam , are you sure it was the one on the far left?....


    LOL

    ReplyDelete