[Leica] STORY SERIES AS A TEST FOR THE NEXT BOOK? :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Hi Crew,
Well I have a half million.... well it seems like that. Stories written over 
the years that some day would become a book. Partly because anytime I was 
engaged in conversations of.... "Over the years what have you done?" People 
have encouraged me to start writing and collecting.

You have seen the odd one or two over the years. But I'm going to give it a 
shot of at least one or two stories a week, possibly more.

Then you the CREW can say yea or nay whether any good. interesting or file 
13 it! A sort of test drive read:

Here goes: 

 

Branding Action:

Before I knew what was happening, they had me on the ground. One relieved

me of my boots, others had stripped me of my jeans and I was held down like

a calf with bare buns to the breeze. I yelled and struggled for freedom,

but with those young fellas holding me down, I wasn't going anywhere.

 

It was the end of an assignment in Alberta and a group of cowboys had

decided I should have a souvenir. One of them arrived with a long needle

syringe used for calf inoculation, another with the branding iron. In my

mind, I knew they were kidding-I hoped they were kidding!

 

Even when they held the branding iron close enough to feel the heat, I

wasn't too concerned since I felt it was all in the name of "fun at the

ranch." But when they yelled for "Harry," the rancher who did the castration,

I nearly died. Old Harry, known as "The Cutter," came towards us. Smiling

and sharpening his knife on a wet stone, he prepared for his. . . next

patient?

 

Harry knelt down, "Hold him boys; it'll only take a second." I wasn't a

great singer in any event, and I thought old Harry wouldn't help a bit with

his planned action. Then he made a few choice un-complimentary remarks 

about my "under-pinning!s" Breaking everyone-except me-into howling laughter.

 

The "cutting affair" ended with Harry spraying me from my knees to my belly

button with a purple dyed antiseptic. The final note of embarrassment

occurred when they threw my boots and clothes around the corral as they let

me go, forcing me to run around bare-assed purple before the hollering and

whooping cowboys who hadn't been involved in the initiation. Of course, I

eventually managed to regain my clothes, cameras and composure to finish

shooting the real action of the day.

 

But, imagine my wife's reaction when I arrived home from the assignment and

tried to explain the purple coloring!



We'll make it two for openers:................................



Louis Riel:

 St. Boniface, Manitoba -- 

It appeared rain was imminent and I rushed to

unpack my equipment for the last location shot where Louis Riel, leader of

the Northwest Rebellion was buried.  His grave site and head stone were the

subject of the assignment.

 

I grabbed a camera and started shooting, only to run out of film after the

first couple of frames.  I yelled at my son to hurry-up and load another

camera, meaning of course to hurry before the rain started.

 

Much to my surprise he replied, "What's you're hurry, he's been there a

hundred years."



So let's see what happens. Thanks for your assistance.

cheers,

Dr. ted :-)