Free Root Jumper by Justine Felix Rutherford

call. I was almost to the top of the hill when I came to a large slip in the road. I debated with myself whether to back down the hill or go through the slip. I saw some dry dirt on the lower side. I believed I could go through all right. I gave my old car a down shift and drove on through.
    When I drove up and into the yard, a man and woman had been watching me come up the hill. The man said, “Sister, you did something I wouldn’t do. There hasn’t been anybody through that slip.” I said, “Oh, it wasn’t that bad. It was beginning to dry up.” We shook hands. That was my first meeting with Talbert Mount and his wife Sarah. It was beautiful on top of the hill, and they showed me around the farm.
    He said he was a blacksmith. I knew several of the neighbors who came to him for work they needed done. He began to show me some of his things he made from his blacksmith shop. He was an artist, but people just thought he repaired things. Besides making things from the shop, he made the cutter blade for the root jumper plow. He also repaired harness, made wagon wheels, and made horseshoes. I asked his son Harvey what he remembers most about his father. He said, “I think it was shoeing horses. He said that on Saturday his dad got up early, but people would already be lined up to get their horses shod. He said that his dad would shoe horses all day long continuing until seven or eight o’clock at night. Harvey said that his dad got twenty-five cents a hoof. If he had to repair a shoe, he would charge a little more.
    I considered this man another remarkable pioneer. I thanked these folks for an enjoyable visit and told them goodbye. I slid back through the slip and headed for home. I don’t think I made much money that day, but I made some good friends. By the way, the only dogs I saw that day were some old, lazy foxhounds that wouldn’t bite a biscuit!
     

 
    The Rock Lady
     
    “Man’s mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.”
    Oliver Wendell Holmes
     
    We had these friends, Calvin and Lou Ella Jeffers, who loved to hunt rocks. Any day that was warm and clear you would find them along the Ohio River or on the plowed fields along the Ohio River looking for rocks. Everyone gave them permission to look in their fields for rocks. Any rocks that were different, pretty, or maybe occasionally an arrow head would go into a three-pound Bliss coffee can with hand-made handles which they carried on most days.
    My husband Doyle and I would occasionally go with them. You could always count on an enjoyable day with them. We would meet them and go down the river bank together. We took our food and water with us. Sometimes we would have a sandwich and a jug of water, or we would find a special place, build a little fire or as hill folks would say a little “gnat smoke,” and cook hotdogs after they were cooked. We would sit on our large, comfortable rocks, not gossiping, but just talking about everything and eating our hotdogs.
    The days were so peaceful along the river. We enjoyed the beautiful river, the blue sky, and the driftwood that lined the river bank. I especially liked the driftwood. Doyle and I would get out all we could carry, clean it up, and decorate with it. Sometimes we would get out some of our rocks and admire our haul for the day. These were just marvelous days. If you had any worries or troubles, they were soon put aside. The outing cost nothing. It was just a great day with friends and rocks.
    Lou Ella’s husband Calvin developed Alzheimer’s disease, and Lou Ella took care of him for years. This was no easy task, but she lovingly cared for him until his death.
    After Calvin died, Lou Ella bought herself a computer, and she soon became efficient using it. She began to sell a few things on e-Bay. She said she needed to supplement her income. She looked at all those rocks she and Calvin had accumulated, and she wondered if she might sell a few on e-Bay. As she began to sell