October 13, 1965
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Don’t you think it’s kind of sad when all I have to report on is a pot of burgoo? Even the word sounds weird. Burgoo. I like words and how sometimes they just seem to sound like they should. Like soft. Even the word sounds soft. Or violet. When that word runs across your tongue you just know it’s going to stand for something pretty. But burgoo. Just say that word. It can’t be good. I looked up what it meant in the dictionary. “A thick soup or stew, typically made for an outdoor meal.”
That’s what it is in Hollyhill. There’s this one family that has the recipe and they’ve passed it down from father to son. They build a fire outside and put this huge iron pot on a stand over it. Then they dump in all this meat and onions and potatoes and corn and tomatoes along with some secret spices and cook it all day long. They have big oar like paddles they use to stir it. Can’t let it stick to the bottom of the kettle. Then at the end of the day when the stuff looks like red goo (it ought to be called redgoo instead of burgoo), people start lining up at the kettles with sauce pans for the men to dip them some of that hot goo.
You have to bring your own pan and spoon. Everybody knows that. But once you have your dip, you still can’t tell what you’re eating. Except that it’s got stringy meet in the goo part. And ever once in a while you spot a grain of corn that didn’t cook up into mush.
Dad loves it. Says he used to think about eating burgoo again while he was at sea during the war. Wes says it’s not bad for roadkill stew. He just says that to make me go ewww. There’s no roadkill in it. At least, I don’t think there is. Beef mostly. Maybe some chicken. Could be it’s better to not think about what’s in it and just eat it if you’re hungry enough. And who knows? Maybe someday I’ll be hungry enough.
Have you ever eaten burgoo?
For sure, Bailey would if he got a chance. You can check out the next scene for Bailey and friends below.
BAILEY’S BUG by Jocie Brooke
(Continued from last week or you can read it all in the pages the Bailey’s Bug link up in the top line.
“Aye for a truth,”
Skelley said. “I’ve been in twenty-two of them meself, but me old master used
to promise we’d see them all sooner or later.” The old dog’s face drooped. “But
then he died, he did.”
Skelley said. “I’ve been in twenty-two of them meself, but me old master used
to promise we’d see them all sooner or later.” The old dog’s face drooped. “But
then he died, he did.”
Bailey put a paw over Skelley’s.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, he was old like
I be now, but I did wish him more life.” Skelley ran his nose along the painted
stick. “This ‘tis all I have left of him. I’ve kept it with me ever since the
circus left me behind. Without me master I just couldn’t get me heart into me
old tricks, and in a circus tent, every man and beast has to earn his way to
keep the ringmaster from giving him the boot.”
I be now, but I did wish him more life.” Skelley ran his nose along the painted
stick. “This ‘tis all I have left of him. I’ve kept it with me ever since the
circus left me behind. Without me master I just couldn’t get me heart into me
old tricks, and in a circus tent, every man and beast has to earn his way to
keep the ringmaster from giving him the boot.”
“My boy went to the
circus once and tried to teach me the tricks he saw a dog do there. You
remember, Lucinda?”
circus once and tried to teach me the tricks he saw a dog do there. You
remember, Lucinda?”
“Please. I’d rather not
think about that disaster.” Lucinda shuddered.
think about that disaster.” Lucinda shuddered.
“Our boy, Reid, talked
her into it,” Bailey said.
her into it,” Bailey said.
“What was the trick?” Skelley’s
ears perked up a little.
ears perked up a little.
“Lucinda stood on my
back while I went in a circle. That was what was supposed to happen anyway. We
made one circle but then I maybe went too fast and Lucinda fell kersplat.”
back while I went in a circle. That was what was supposed to happen anyway. We
made one circle but then I maybe went too fast and Lucinda fell kersplat.”
“I did no such thing.”
Lucinda lifted her nose toward the ceiling and huffed. “I landed on my feet, I’ll
have you know.”
Lucinda lifted her nose toward the ceiling and huffed. “I landed on my feet, I’ll
have you know.”
Bailey lowered his
voice. “She went up on in a tree and stayed there till dark.”
voice. “She went up on in a tree and stayed there till dark.”
“Not everybody’s meant for
the big top, for a truth,” Skelley said. “But that sounds something like the
very trick I used to do for me master. I’d balance on Asaph. That was our pony
and Josephine the cat would balance on my back. Old Asaph would trot in a circle,
and we’d hop through a hoop and land on his back again.”
the big top, for a truth,” Skelley said. “But that sounds something like the
very trick I used to do for me master. I’d balance on Asaph. That was our pony
and Josephine the cat would balance on my back. Old Asaph would trot in a circle,
and we’d hop through a hoop and land on his back again.”
“Wow. That sounds like
some trick.” Bailey looked at the old dog with new admiration.
some trick.” Bailey looked at the old dog with new admiration.
“Aye, it was grand. The
crowds would practically lift the tent top with their cheers.” Skelley looked
at the wall as if he was still hearing those cheers. Then he shook his head a
bit. “But it was your story I was hoping to hear. How is it ye plan to find
this boy of yours?”
crowds would practically lift the tent top with their cheers.” Skelley looked
at the wall as if he was still hearing those cheers. Then he shook his head a
bit. “But it was your story I was hoping to hear. How is it ye plan to find
this boy of yours?”
“He has a bug in his
ear,” Lucinda said. “If you can believe such a thing.”
ear,” Lucinda said. “If you can believe such a thing.”
“A bug?”
“Not a real bug.”
Bailey swiped at his ear with his paw. “But there’s something there. A kind of
hum that tells me which way to go to find Reid.”
Bailey swiped at his ear with his paw. “But there’s something there. A kind of
hum that tells me which way to go to find Reid.”
“I knew a pigeon that
could do that. They’d take him far from home and turn him loose and every time
he flew straight back,” Skelley said.
could do that. They’d take him far from home and turn him loose and every time
he flew straight back,” Skelley said.
“Bailey’s not a pigeon
and he’s never been over a mile from home.” Lucinda swatted at a cobweb
drifting down toward her. “We will never find Reid. We should have stayed put
and let Reid find us.”
and he’s never been over a mile from home.” Lucinda swatted at a cobweb
drifting down toward her. “We will never find Reid. We should have stayed put
and let Reid find us.”
“Could be that ‘twould
have been the sensible thing to do, Miss Lucinda. But I’m betting the lad here
will find your boy.”
have been the sensible thing to do, Miss Lucinda. But I’m betting the lad here
will find your boy.”
Lucinda snarled and
went back to grooming her legs. Skelley looked at Bailey. “Which way would this
bug or whatever be sending you now?”
went back to grooming her legs. Skelley looked at Bailey. “Which way would this
bug or whatever be sending you now?”
Bailey stood up and
cocked his ears, but the hum was drowned out by a terrible rumbling noise. He
started trembling, but it wasn’t just him. The whole house was shaking.
cocked his ears, but the hum was drowned out by a terrible rumbling noise. He
started trembling, but it wasn’t just him. The whole house was shaking.
“Tis only the bulldozer.”
Skelley yelled in Bailey’s ear. “It seems the whole street is condemned but we’re
safe enough in here.”
Skelley yelled in Bailey’s ear. “It seems the whole street is condemned but we’re
safe enough in here.”
“Condemned? What does
that mean?” Bailey asked.
that mean?” Bailey asked.
“Not for certain, but
no people ever come around to bother me here.”
no people ever come around to bother me here.”
Bailey could barely
hear him. The roar was getting louder by the second.
hear him. The roar was getting louder by the second.
Lucinda pushed her nose
against the window and peered through the dusty pane. She shrieked and leaped
down as the window shattered and sprayed glass down around them. A trickle of
blood appeared on Skelley’s head. Then the big metal dozer blade bit through
the wall.
against the window and peered through the dusty pane. She shrieked and leaped
down as the window shattered and sprayed glass down around them. A trickle of
blood appeared on Skelley’s head. Then the big metal dozer blade bit through
the wall.
“Run,” Skelley shouted
when the dozer pulled its blade back. “Before it comes back.”
when the dozer pulled its blade back. “Before it comes back.”
The old dog slipped out
the hole first and held the plank up for Lucinda. Bailey followed her out, but the
nasty leash jerked at his neck and held him back. Bailey grabbed it and yanked until
his teeth hurt. It gave up and trailed Bailey out just as the dozer blade
banged into the house again.
the hole first and held the plank up for Lucinda. Bailey followed her out, but the
nasty leash jerked at his neck and held him back. Bailey grabbed it and yanked until
his teeth hurt. It gave up and trailed Bailey out just as the dozer blade
banged into the house again.
They were racing to
safety when Skelley yelled, “Me master’s baton.”
safety when Skelley yelled, “Me master’s baton.”
Bailey grabbed at the
old dog’s tail to keep him from turning back, but he missed. Skelley ran back
toward the house while pieces of roof raining down on them. He disappeared through
the hole into the house.
old dog’s tail to keep him from turning back, but he missed. Skelley ran back
toward the house while pieces of roof raining down on them. He disappeared through
the hole into the house.
(to be continued next Monday)