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			 “Windy, my man,” said Doc, “how are you and the 
			widow getting along?” 
 “She’s been sorta creepitatin’ up on my blind side, Doc,” Windy 
			said.
 
 “Which side is that, Windy?”
 
 “Very humoristic, Dud. Ha. Ha.”
 
 We had all been watching, as closely as we could, the relationship 
			between Windy Wilson, bachelor, camp cook, cowboy, and teller of 
			tales … and Mamie Dilworth, aging hippie chick, starer at crystals, 
			vegetarian, widow.
 
 We all knew, those of us who lived vicariously alongside the 
			perimeter of their friendship, that if it could’ve been filmed, it’d 
			be on television longer than The Flying Nun.
 
			
			 
			
 “Doc,” said Windy, “ol’ Mame the Dame is a awful nice lady, sure 
			‘nuf. I have considerationed maybe takin’ our friendship to the next 
			level.”
 
 “What level is that?”
 
 “Steve, that would be puttin’ one of my patented power sneaks on ‘er 
			and holdin’ hands.”
 
 “Be careful you don’t rush these things, Windy. You’ve only known 
			each other a couple of years now.”
 
 “I’ll be careful, Doc, don’t you worry none. Why, we almost got to 
			that there hand-holdin’ when we capper-sized that stock tank boat of 
			mine in the crick. Had to pull ‘er out. Weren’t no grateful smooch, 
			howsomever.”
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            column] | 
            
			 “So why ramp it up now?”
 “Valentine’s Day, Steve! Comin’ up, ain’t it. Yessir, afore long 
			there’s gonna be young lovers squarin’ off and smoochin’ and darin’ 
			the world to stop ‘em from cuddlin.’ I really take to Valentine’s 
			Day.”
 
 “Buy her a card yet?”
 
 “Thinkin’ on it, Doc. But I gotta get jest the right kind. Can’t be 
			too moochie-smoochie or she’ll get the wrong idear. What I’m lookin’ 
			for is one that says, ‘Mame, I kinda like you and think you’se smart 
			and kind, And would you like to hold hands and talk about good 
			stuff? And no more a-them tofu tacos, thank you.”
 
 “That’s a tall order, Windy.”
 
 “Valentine’s only comes oncet a year, boys.”
 [Text from file received from 
			Slim Randles] 
			Brought to 
			you by A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right. Look it over at 
			www.lpdpress.com. Avuncular tips from a guy who made lots of 
			mistakes.   
			
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