Kimball’s cell phone has made a complete believer out of me. As I headed to the office last Thursday, there was a Kennon Concrete truck scattered out on the shoulder of Hwy. 82 where it had rolled over while sitting perfectly still according to an eye witness, Steve Woody. The new driver had gotten lost and tried to turn around. When he realized he was about to get into trouble, he called for the owner, Lynn Smith.

Lynn had stopped in time, he thought, then the load shifted and the truck rolled over pinning Lynn’s foot.

Steve hurried to get Craig Johnson and they used his tractor to pry the door open.

I called Kimball to bring me a camera. She met me half way then followed me to the scene. My camera wouldn’t shoot (because of a bad memory card, Kimball later discovered) so Kimball used her cell phone to take the front page photo.

At church Sunday, Larry and Nora said the doctor said Lynn may be able to put weight on it in three months.

– Dreams do come true. I was about half asleep when I heard thunder Tuesday morning.

I dreamed that I saw rain hitting on the south deck of our house. When I went and looked, there it was just like I saw it.

When I walked into the office, I didn’t think my tennis shoes might be slippery. I stepped on the cast iron ramp between the office and the back room. My foot slipped. Not much. Just enough to really get my attention.

– Speaking of getting my attention: If you are in the downtown area before daylight, you may see a man walking his dog, his huge Rotweiller named Bear. In a few minutes, you may see the same man walking his huge Rotweiller, also named Bear but in a different language.

Larry Lewellin names all his pets Bear. He asked his son to help by looking it up in various languages. He walks one while the other waits at home. He even had a cat named Bear in some language.

For years, we have seen Larry and Bear passing our window. Sometimes he would peck on the window as a greeting.

I got acquainted with him because he apologized for scaring me out of a year’s growth. New diet plan. I was napping in the pickup one Wednesday morning windows down, waiting for Megan to come out with the first run of newspapers she, Gwen, Brittany and Nancy were stuffing with inserts.

Larry greeted me as he and Bear went by jarring me wide awake from sound asleep. The next week he apologized for the shock and we had a long conversation. He’s an avid reader of the Rock Wall, so if I get any of this wrong, he might have one of his Bears lick me.

– I saw Gene Lowe during the Picnic and we spoke. Little did I know… Monday I received his obituary. I had never thought about it but Gene was a year younger than Dad and four years younger than Mom. When I receive an obituary I think about that. Mom was born in 1920. Dad in 1923. Gene in 1924.

I also received an obituary on one of my classmates, Gary Eason. We had an Ag class together. He was always quiet in his strong-as-an-ox way. His mother was a first cousin to Dad.

You’d think I might want to fly Robert E. Lee’s battle flag, the stars and bars that many people call the Confederate Flag. The reason: Grandma Long’s maiden name was Lee. Grandma Boultinghouse’s maiden name was Davis.

When I was in Louisiana, my last name quickly drew attention sometimes because of the notorious governor, Huey Long. His son. Russell, was well known in the state and a powerful politician. I could honestly tell folks that I had an Uncle Russell. I really liked my Uncle Russell Ingram. No one could laugh as hard. KL