I come from a large family of fine folks. My mother's side of the family is laced with many different characters. One such character is Cousin Larry. Now we are goin back in time a little while to when I was just a youngen. Our family would leave Charlotte on a Friday afternoon and travel to Montezuma in the High Country of the North Carolina mountains. Montezuma is located between Linville and Newland at the foot of Grandfather Mountain. Larry and I share a God given gift of Gab. We can talk the bark off a tree and tell you stories that sound unreal but are so true. I believe this tale tellin ability is a Sudderth trait much like my right pinky that won't completely lay flat. My mother and my Uncle Felton have the same pinky. When I was just a little feller I remember visitin my grandparents Lloyd and Belle Sudderth. Two of the finest people you'll ever know, God rest their soul. Their son Clyde and his wife Bernice lived next door. Larry was uncle Clyde and aunt Bernice's son and he is a few years older than me.
I would take the worn path between the two homes and of course stop to get water out of the old hand pump that was between the houses. I would go to see what Cousin Larry was doin. He would be watchin a movie with uncle Clyde or a football game and I would hang out with the guys while eatin on one of the many treats that aunt Bernice always had cooked up during the day.
Saturdays were usually a little slow to start cause as most kids back then, I was up early on a saturday mornin and was out helpin Pawpaw Lloyd feed his beagles or piling up rotten apples for him at the back of the yard. I would run down to aunt Kate's apartment visit with her as she sat on her porch havin her coffee and cigarette. I thought teenagers were lazy cause it would be late in the mornin before aunt Kate's daughter Pam would be finally waking up so I would go with Larry to Mrs. Price's store and would get me a Brownie chocolate drink and a bag of penny candy.
One fine day Larry was talkin to cousin Dwight. Now, cousin Dwight is my mom's sister Thelma's boy and he also is older than me. Dwight or as he is called now "Sparkie" cause he is an electrician, always looked like a cowboy to me. He has that moustache and looks like he rode in on a horse. I reckon it was the way he always dressed. That particular day they were talkin about weed and how people were smokin it. I wanted in on the action and told em I wanted some weed to smoke. Well, they knew a good opportunity when they saw one. They told me that we had plenty of weed we could smoke. We then went behind Pawpaw's house and we collected some Rabbit Tobbacco or as we call it Rabbit Bacca. They rolled it in some smokin paper and made me the pertiest cigarette you ever seen. Remember I was around 6 or 7 at this time and I huffed and puffed on that Rabbit Bacca till I turned gray. I then proceeded to cough my darn head off. I am not sure who was cryin the hardest between the two of them for laughin so hard. I felt like a Yankee at a Snipe Hunt. I just knew they were tellin the truth cause when Cousin Dick Parker (Aunt Kate's boy) told me to chew Rabbit Bacca it tasted horrible so it must of been for smokin! I reckon I art to thank them boys for playin a trick on me cause I ain't never wanted to smoke any weed since. I only have mentioned a few of my cousins that have been a big influence in my life.
The one that continues to amaze me with his humor and love of his family is Cuzzin Larry. He and I both have a part of our Grandfather's DNA that I see as a blessing. Some people you know are mechanics, doctors, bus drivers and all kinds of jobs that those folks are good at and that's all they ever do. Larry isn't one of those folks. He is a man of many talents. I remember as a teenager getting a chance to spend the night with Larry at the Linville Fire and Rescue Squad as it was his turn to be on call. I just thought that was the greatest thing. He has tried a little bit of everything such as Construction, Deputy Sheriff, Newspaper Delivery man, volunteer fireman/rescue, now weather and traffic reporter for downtown Montezuma as he has been sidelined by his ticker sputterin. For many years Larry has put together the physical structure for the Grandfather Mtn. Highland Games and run the security detail also. That's a huge job in itself and people from all over the world have admired his work in which he has help from his wife Diane, his son Levin, his daughter Mindy and a whole bunch of brother's, cousins and friends. Larry is one of those guys that will stand in the background but truth be told he is a hero to many. Until next time be wary of smokin anything that Larry and Sparkie roll for ya and drive slow through Montezuma so you don't cause any traffic problems.
Stan the Ramblin Man
I would take the worn path between the two homes and of course stop to get water out of the old hand pump that was between the houses. I would go to see what Cousin Larry was doin. He would be watchin a movie with uncle Clyde or a football game and I would hang out with the guys while eatin on one of the many treats that aunt Bernice always had cooked up during the day.
Saturdays were usually a little slow to start cause as most kids back then, I was up early on a saturday mornin and was out helpin Pawpaw Lloyd feed his beagles or piling up rotten apples for him at the back of the yard. I would run down to aunt Kate's apartment visit with her as she sat on her porch havin her coffee and cigarette. I thought teenagers were lazy cause it would be late in the mornin before aunt Kate's daughter Pam would be finally waking up so I would go with Larry to Mrs. Price's store and would get me a Brownie chocolate drink and a bag of penny candy.
One fine day Larry was talkin to cousin Dwight. Now, cousin Dwight is my mom's sister Thelma's boy and he also is older than me. Dwight or as he is called now "Sparkie" cause he is an electrician, always looked like a cowboy to me. He has that moustache and looks like he rode in on a horse. I reckon it was the way he always dressed. That particular day they were talkin about weed and how people were smokin it. I wanted in on the action and told em I wanted some weed to smoke. Well, they knew a good opportunity when they saw one. They told me that we had plenty of weed we could smoke. We then went behind Pawpaw's house and we collected some Rabbit Tobbacco or as we call it Rabbit Bacca. They rolled it in some smokin paper and made me the pertiest cigarette you ever seen. Remember I was around 6 or 7 at this time and I huffed and puffed on that Rabbit Bacca till I turned gray. I then proceeded to cough my darn head off. I am not sure who was cryin the hardest between the two of them for laughin so hard. I felt like a Yankee at a Snipe Hunt. I just knew they were tellin the truth cause when Cousin Dick Parker (Aunt Kate's boy) told me to chew Rabbit Bacca it tasted horrible so it must of been for smokin! I reckon I art to thank them boys for playin a trick on me cause I ain't never wanted to smoke any weed since. I only have mentioned a few of my cousins that have been a big influence in my life.
The one that continues to amaze me with his humor and love of his family is Cuzzin Larry. He and I both have a part of our Grandfather's DNA that I see as a blessing. Some people you know are mechanics, doctors, bus drivers and all kinds of jobs that those folks are good at and that's all they ever do. Larry isn't one of those folks. He is a man of many talents. I remember as a teenager getting a chance to spend the night with Larry at the Linville Fire and Rescue Squad as it was his turn to be on call. I just thought that was the greatest thing. He has tried a little bit of everything such as Construction, Deputy Sheriff, Newspaper Delivery man, volunteer fireman/rescue, now weather and traffic reporter for downtown Montezuma as he has been sidelined by his ticker sputterin. For many years Larry has put together the physical structure for the Grandfather Mtn. Highland Games and run the security detail also. That's a huge job in itself and people from all over the world have admired his work in which he has help from his wife Diane, his son Levin, his daughter Mindy and a whole bunch of brother's, cousins and friends. Larry is one of those guys that will stand in the background but truth be told he is a hero to many. Until next time be wary of smokin anything that Larry and Sparkie roll for ya and drive slow through Montezuma so you don't cause any traffic problems.
Stan the Ramblin Man
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