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It might have been the weather, at least partly. For December, the
day had been almost balmy and warm. You know, sweaters instead of
heavy coats. No mittens in sight. There were Christmas lights on
the stores, and that little bunch of Girl Scouts was out raising
money in front of the Read Me Now bookstore. Jasper Blankenship was
inside going through the books to fortify his cabin's library for
winter. With a smile, he sat listening to the girls as they laughed
and waited for customers who weren't really coming along too
briskly.
"It's a shame there aren't more people out today for those
girls," said Sarah McKinley, behind the counter. Jasper nodded and
paid for his books, then walked out to the truck. He stopped and
thought for a while, then brought out his violin, rosined the bow
and walked over to the sidewalk next to the girls.
"You girls like fiddle music?" he asked.
"Sure do."
And Jasper began playing fiddle tunes.
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column]
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Carla Martinez was driving down the street, headed for the Soup
'R Market, when she saw the Girl Scouts dancing with each other to
Jasper's music. Before he'd had time to finish that tune, she'd
returned with her guitar and joined the fun. Jim Albertson, the
elementary school principal, showed up with a harmonica, and he
wasn't bad at it.
Dud got out his accordion and was able to at least do the bass
buttons as accompaniment.
By this time, it was getting dark in the street, and several
people turned headlights on the area in front of the bookstore.
Older people had joined the Girl Scouts dancing in the streets, and
Delbert Chin from the Chinese restaurant across the street sent one
of his girls out with a huge pot of coffee and paper cups.
The party was on.
It lasted until the cars' headlights began to wear down the
batteries, but during its brief lifetime, the street dance and
midwinter party cast a blessing on us all.
It must have been the weather.
[Slim Randles]
Brought to you by "Sun Dog Days," a
novel of real cowboys, available at
www.slimrandles.com.
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