A Guy and his Truck

A guy and his truck.

She is a 77 Ford F-150 with a Modified 400 Windsor, A Holly 2 barrel carb, duel cherry bomb mufflers and a pair of Hooker headers. This picture was taken prior to the left rear tire coming off of the truck at 70 mph on I-85. The wheels were beautiful aluminum with a wicked design. She loved to drink gas at 10 mpg. The engine was purchased from Richard Childress Racing and had 14k miles on it.
I once was sitting waiting on the red light at Hwy 109 and Liberty Dr. I was going south on 109 and a small Nissan truck that was all painted up and looked fast pulled up beside me and he gave me that laugh like I was sitting in an old clunker. I smiled at him and waved goodbye. He didn't care for the insult and rived up his toy. I sat quietly and when the light turned green I floored it. The front end of the truck lifted up and off I went. I lost sight of him as I approached the Dumpsters and pulled over at Ben Lee Road. I got out of the truck and waited for him to come by. It was sweet to leave that windup toy sitting at the light. He finally came around the curve and pulled over to take a look at my "Effie".
Yeah, I named her after my Dad's Mom. Sweet yet stubborn. I purchased Effie due to her being a Supercab and I moved the front seat back 5 inches so I could sit comfortably. I also put in a small steering wheel to help out. She was with me 10 good years and I sold her to a friend of mine in Denton who put it on his lot and two days later someone stole it. I am sure she is on a farm somewhere enjoying retirement and occasionally working the fields. She was a Hot Rod trapped in a truck body. Never underestimate the relationship between a guy and his truck. Ladies do not fret for he loves his truck differently than he does you and you need not feel as if you are in competition for his love. Yes, he will buy her gifts from time to time and he will talk to her the way he use to talk to you in high school. It's natural for a guy to be this way. He has to keep her shiny so that the other men will take notice as he slowly parades her through town. Until next time, hang a pine scented air freshener and shine those mags
Stan The Ramblin Man

Ode to the Nose

Living in a partial sterile environment can lead to what I call "Smell loss" , kind of like memory loss. Things that one would smell here would be from those little alcohol pads they wipe your arm with right before stabbing your arm with a needle. You also can smell the food as it comes off of the elevator. After a while I have been able to tell what's on the tray prior to lifting the lid. The Respiratory personnel come in and will wipe down the ventilators with a wipe that looks much like a baby wipe. The difference is that these wipes have a pungent metallic smell that seems to never go away.

Then like all other health facilities there are those unmentionable sells that need no description. The things I miss are those others take for granted. The smell of Pine sol after Mom cleaned the kitchen. The smell of a campfire with all that smoke in your face. The smell of good old North Carolina red clay dirt. The smell of my paternal grandfather's Aqua Velva. My maternal grandfather's Redman. My Uncle Bobby's Kent Menthol cigarettes I would smell as he would cut my hair while I was screaming bloody murder at the age of 2. I miss the smell of my Dad's Brylcream and his famous Chili.

The smell of the woods during a summer rain. The smell of chlorine in a swimming pool would smell good to me right now. I can remember the smell of the soap bars my grandmother would put in the clothes drawers and the heavenly breakfast she and my grandfather would make every morning. The smell of freshly picked ramps and how they smelled on the stove in our ranger cabin at Mount Mitchell State Park. I worked hard to get those wild onions as I climbed down a cliff with our senior park ranger named "Poppy". From what I remember the Ramp only grows at 3500 feet in elevation and higher. It was well worth the effort as our dull hamburgers lit up with flavor. I miss the enchanting smell from the Tasty Bakery when as a policeman in Thomasville. I would stop in every morning at 4 am while my friends were making the day's supply of cakes, pies and cookies. You didn't need to eat there to gain weight, all you had to do was inhale those smells.

I miss the smell of the Banana/Apples that lay on the ground rotting near my grandfathers home in Montezuma, NC. They drew the attention of yellow jackets also. The smell of the ocean and the Bogue Sound at Emerald Isle, NC. The wonderful smells of a fall fair with all the onions, peppers, sausages, hot dogs, fried twinkies and popcorn that filled the whole area. I also associate certain smells with special places such as Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill with the smell of the pines. The fresh cut grass at Forest Oaks Country Club the first morning of the GGO which is now the Wynndem Classic. The smell of canvas from 50 yr old Boyscout tents in the Scout Hut at Mills Home. The rich wood smell of a small country church. As you can see smells are like memories, you can get a whif of an old smell and remember the good old days. Until next time, stop and smell the Honey Suckle.
Stan The Ramblin Man

Sheltered

Hi Folks,
I just felt in my heart that it was time to write you a note about comfort. I know many of you that have physical ailments that you deal with minute by minute. Some of you have Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Migraines, Back Injuries, Bladder troubles, Kidney Stones and many more ailments that are always there. There are those that deal with chemical imbalances that can affect our moods, eating habits and all kinds of other little things that are just aggravating. I say all this to let you know that it's gonna be ok. After being bed bound now for five years I have learned to adjust to my situation and sometimes no matter how strong I think I am and positive I still have those days that I would rather skip.
I find myself awake now at 2:15 am and thought I would try to put myself to sleep by listening to some music. I put in a CD of Southern Gospel Music and one of my favorite songs came on which is "Sheltered in the Arms of God." I started listening to it and thought about the lyrics and how God does shelter us even through our tough times. "I'll have no fear cause Jesus walks beside me" Wow, no matter what the world tells us, we are not alone. He walks with us no matter what we go through, no matter how bad it is he is there. Every time we think that we can't handle anymore of a situation he comes through and lets us know that through him we can do anything.
He also gave us each other. He sends people our way that are in need of a friend and he sends them our way to be our friend when we are in need. We have ample opportunities to make a difference in someone's life if it's just to pick up the phone and say "Hi Friend" or go by and visit one who is not physically well enough to get out. If you feel like you are just not doing enough to help others then say a little prayer and ask God to keep you busy. I guarantee you will be blessed with plenty to do. He wants us to willingly search for those in need of a boost whether it be physical or spiritually. Once we start helping others we soon forget our ailments and problems as he takes care of our needs. Keep your eyes on him and he will shelter you in his arms.

In His Service
Stan Hoyle

Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday was starting to be like most other day of the week and then took a turn for the weird. My beautiful daughter Melissa works at a Walgreens Drug Store in High Point, NC. She is a cashier and loves her job. Melissa is a passionate person and takes things always to heart. Tuesday she was ringing up several items for a man and put it all in bags for him. While doing so, he asked her what the total was and when she told him he grabbed the bags and ran out the door.

In a normal situation she should have called the police and reported the theft. Well, Melissa is not your average cashier and leaped over the counter in persuit of the man. He got away and she immediately calls me on her cell phone and was madder than a hornet. The conversation went on like this....

Melissa- "Daddy, I just got $113 stolen from me"

Me--"Out of your pocketbook?"

Melissa-"No, from my counter, I almost had him, Daddy if I would of had my scissors I would have taught him to never steal from this Walgreens ever again."

Me--"Did you call the Police? And what do you mean You almost had him? You didn't chase him did you?"

Melissa- "No I called you cause you were a Policeman and would I get in trouble for hurting him if I caught him?"

Me--"Never, ever chase anyone! It's only $113 and it can be replaced but you can't."

Melissa- "If I catch him it's not gonna be me that will need replacing it will be him. This is my store and not his and he can't just come in and take stuff."

I told her to call her manager and then the Police. I hung up the phone and laughed to myself about the situation and knew it was his lucky day that she didn't have her scissors and that he got away. Well, a couple of hours later while working hard on a vigorous game of Solitaire, I get another phone call. This time I can hardly understand Melissa as she is crying and talking at the same time which no one can understand. I told her to calm down and tell me what's going on.

I understood a couple of words such as wreck, she left, my car is hurt and why. I finally got her to calm down and she told me she was driving home and a car stopped all of a sudden in the road and Melissa couldn't help but hit the car in the rear. A girl got out of the car and was yelling at Melissa and was asking her why she did that to her car and asked her if she knew she had children in her car. Melissa told her that she was the one that stopped all of a sudden and that she has a child too but he was at home. The girl then proceeded to drive off.

Melissa then called me again and told me her front was messed up and the headlight's bulb was hanging out and looked like an eyeball hanging out of it's socket. I told her to call 911 and she then called a co-worker who arrived a few minutes later. The two of them decided to try and drive it home. Melissa called me on her way home and said "Dad, I don't know how but the car is actually driving better than before the wreck. It also doesn't rattle anymore either. I think she may have fixed my car when I ran into her".

I laughed and thanked God she was safe and almost home. The moral of the story? I am not sure but now I understand those looks my parents use to give me and those famous Lee Hoyle quotes such as "What were you thinking?" and "Well, we can't tell your Mother, it would give her a heart attack." Dad was very protective of Mom but she is a tougher bird than he gave her credit for. Well, until next time, don't chase any shoplifters, and never run with scissors.

Stan The Ramblin Man

Mr. Blue Sky

This mornin I am really trying hard to remember who the person was that recently introduced me to www.hulu.com. It is a TV and Movie web site that plays clips or full length versions of popular shows and some movies. Reason I am looking for the person that mentioned the site is I want to strangle them. That's correct, you heard me right. It is 6:00 am and I am writing a Ramblin. Reason is cause I just got finished watchin Raising Arizona which is one of my favorite Cohen Brothers movies. I got my days and nights mixed up cause I watched "Of Mice and Men" the other night and the latest episode of the new NBC series "Life".

I think maybe this wireless thing is a curse cause I can now watch videos and yes I am an admitted YouTube junkie. I can't get enough of cats pouncing on dogs and humans or not so bright guys trying to jump off of a roof and onto a trampoline expecting things to go good. Now I will eat breakfast watch my favorite show "Fox and Friends News" and I will fall asleep. I usually will cover my head with my sheet due to all the light and this startles some folks that come by to visit. They think the worst but then they notice the vent hose going under the sheet and the machine is still on. My doctor one day came in and I woke to hearing him say, "We will make our incision here, scalpel please" and of course I poked my head out and said "Whoa Doc!" He laughed and I almost died.

Getting a phone call while I am groggy can be entertaining as well. Some folks like my Mom can tell when I am asleep when they call and they have fun with me by talking gibberish and later asking if I understood once I am awake. I want to say that the person responsible for my sleepless nights is my Pastor Michael Bowers at www.rfbc.com . It sounds like a site that he would like and now that I think about it I am pretty sure he is the culprit. I also have learned how to make a playlist of music and I have downloaded many of the old tunes I listened to as a teenager. Kids now just don't understand a playlist with "Mr Blue Sky", "Smoke on the Water" and "Minnie the Moocher" being on the same list. Technology has finally caught up with me and I will not let it consume me (hopefully). Until next time, if you come by and the sheet is over my head, don't be startled I am just catchin some zzzz's

Stan the Ramblin Man

Haints or Flyin Squirrels gone amuck

My maternal grandparents lived in Montezuma near Linville and my paternal lived in Estatoe, near Spruce Pine. I have sat at Wiseman's view and watched the Brown Mountain lights appear and have encountered a personal visit from my grandmother who passed in 1984 or a group of rogue flyin squirrels. Her name was Effie Murphy Hoyle of Brushy Creek Rd. in Estatoe at the foot of Woody Mountain. Her and my grandfather John Ernest Hoyle lived in a small 2 bedroom slat board home built in the 30's by Ernest, and his sons James and Cecil. They raised 7 children in the small home which was no larger than 800 square feet.
Effie was particular about her small flower garden just south of the home and forbid us kids to walk into it or even be around it. It was surrounded by huge chunks of feldspar taken from either the Hoot Owl Mine or the McKinney Mine where my grandfather worked as a driller. He was short but very strong and was called "The Little Giant" by coworkers. He could do the work of 4 men. They lived a simple, yet full filled life. We were very close as a family and when Effie suddenly died due to complications with Gang green of the intestine it was a shock to the family. At the hospital my grandfather was with the rest of the clan as the doctor told him that with life support she would live but only as a vegetable and that once they removed the life support then she would more than likely die. He did not want her to be in any more pain and along with the rest of us decided to discontinue the life support. I was a police officer in a small town near Thomasville and my grandfather told me to go make sure that they did everything properly.
I went into the room and saw her chest heaving upwards with the help of the machine and knew she was not comfortable. The nurse turned off the machine and she stopped breathing. She looked so peaceful. We buried her at Liberty Hill Baptist in Estatoe which is the family church. Before going to the cemetery I took a tiger lily from her flower garden and when she was lowered I tossed the flower with her in the grave. I felt as if it would be something that she would want.
A few months later I was married and took my new bride to stay one night with my grandfather. We stayed in the second bedroom which was next to my grandfather's room. There was one light bulb on the ceiling and had a string that run to the headboard. After getting settled in the bed I told my ex-wife Sherry to pull the string as to cut off the light. It was not more than 2 minutes later we heard the door to the room open up. Being in a hollar at the foot of the mountain the only light at night is that of the moon or stars. When the light was off then it was pitch black. I figured my grandfather was coming in to retrieve a pee pot from under the other bed in the room as they did not have indoor plumbing and plastic milk jugs were kept under the bed.
I heard footsteps come across the floor in what sounded to be hard soled shoes. The steps continued to the end of our bed and came up the side between me and the wall and stopped. I then thought maybe he was sleepwalking and I told Sherry to turn the light back on. She did and there was no one there and the door was closed. The unnerving thing was that the mirrored armwar (I know it ain't spelled right) at the foot of the bed had her favorite dresses and shoes in it and the mirrored door was wide open. It was closed and had been that way since her death. Needless to say, Sherry and I did not sleep the rest of the night and never stayed in the house again. Yes, the possibility of a nightly visit by the flying squirrel family was there also.

Stan the ramblin man

Haints or Flyin Squirrels gone amuck

My maternal grandparents lived in Montezuma near Linville and my paternal lived in Estatoe, near Spruce Pine. I have sat at Wiseman's view and watched the Brown Mountain lights

appear and have encountered a personal visit from my grandmother who passed in 1984 or a group of rogue flyin squirrels. Her name was Effie Murphy Hoyle of Brushy Creek Rd. in Estatoe at the foot of Woody Mountain. Her and my grandfather John Ernest Hoyle lived in a small 2 bedroom slat board home built in the 30's by Ernest, and his sons James and Cecil. They raised 7 children in the small home which was no larger than 800 square feet.

Effie was particular about her small flower garden just south of the home and forbid us kids to walk into it or even be around it. It was surrounded by huge chunks of feldspar taken from either the Hoot Owl Mine or the McKinney Mine where my grandfather worked as a driller. He was short but very strong and was called "The Little Giant" by coworkers. He could do the work of 4 men. They lived a simple, yet full filled life. We were very close as a family and when Effie suddenly died due to complications with Gang green of the intestine it was a shock to the family. At the hospital my grandfather was with the rest of the clan as the doctor told him that with life support she would live but only as a vegetable and that once they removed the life support then she would more than likely die. He did not want her to be in any more pain and along with the rest of us decided to discontinue the life support. I was a police officer in a small town near Thomasville and my grandfather told me to go make sure that they did everything properly.

I went into the room and saw her chest heaving upwards with the help of the machine and knew she was not comfortable. The nurse turned off the machine and she stopped breathing. She looked so peaceful. We buried her at Liberty Hill Baptist in Estatoe which is the family church. Before going to the cemetery I took a tiger lily from her flower garden and when she was lowered I tossed the flower with her in the grave. I felt as if it would be something that she would want.

A few months later I was married and took my new bride to stay one night with my grandfather. We stayed in the second bedroom which was next to my grandfather's room. There was one light bulb on the ceiling and had a string that run to the headboard. After getting settled in the bed I told my ex-wife Sherry to pull the string as to cut off the light. It was not more than 2 minutes later we heard the door to the room open up. Being in a hollar at the foot of the mountain the only light at night is that of the moon or stars. When the light was off then it was pitch black. I figured my grandfather was coming in to retrieve a pee pot from under the other bed in the room as they did not have indoor plumbing and plastic milk jugs were kept under the bed.

I heard footsteps come across the floor in what sounded to be hard soled shoes. The steps continued to the end of our bed and came up the side between me and the wall and stopped. I then thought maybe he was sleepwalking and I told Sherry to turn the light back on. She did and there was no one there and the door was closed. The unnerving thing was that the mirrored armwar (I know it ain't spelled right) at the foot of the bed had her favorite dresses and shoes in it and the mirrored door was wide open. It was closed and had been that way since her death. Needless to say, Sherry and I did not sleep the rest of the night and never stayed in the house again. Yes, the possibility of a nightly visit by the flying squirrel family was there also.

Stan the ramblin man

Four Anointed

L-R Charlie, John, Glenn, Cecil after singing at Aaron Baptist Church in Montezuma, NC.


I want to let you know about a fantastic Southern Gospel Quartet from Flint Hill Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. This group is called "Four Anointed" and is composed of four men of God that have been Anointed in the past to serve him. My younger brother John Hoyle and I have been blessed with singing voices passed down by our lovely Mother Imogene Hoyle. Our Father Lee Hoyle tried but found that singing was not one of his God given gifts. John sings Baritone and is joined by lead singer Cecil Clark, Tenor Glen Carter, and Bass Charlie Cabaniss. The sound and Dulcimer are taken care of by Bubba Anthony.
The quartet put out their first CD "Sheltered in the Arms of God" in 2005 after four years of singing and praising God. Some of the selections on this album are"The next time he comes", "Sweet hour of prayer" featuring Bubba Anthony on Dulcimer, "Walkin into Gloryland" which was written by Cecil Clark. Also one of the group's most requested songs "Alpha and Omega" is on the track. April 5th 2008 the group released it's second album "Washed by the blood". Selections on this album include "We shall see Heaven someday", "Gonna walk and Talk with Jesus", "His grace is sufficient for me". Having an extensive background as a singer and listener of Sothern Gospel I am really excited by both albums and this new one really shows the vocal talents of these men. If you would like to get a copy of either album or would like to see if they can sing at your church just call Charlie at 704-471-0304 or my brother John Hoyle at HoyleJ@sccsc.edu . Here are a couple of pictures.