ekkehardt

After the last story, I continued on my way (I was going this direction looking at some trucks for sale/trade)

 I was heading down Interstate 91

**Vermonter joke: what are the first two great budget mistakes the state has ever made?
   1) 91 north of St Johnsbury
   2) 91 south of St Johnsbury **

ANYways, as I was driving, I caught up to a cattle-trailer. After following it for a while I noticed the back door moving, a lot. I eased back a bit in case something was happening. It was.

 Suddenly, the door dropped open and a very startled bull-calf fell out (it was a quick end for it, at least) I slowed, swerved and pulled over. As I was backing up, seeing as there was no way I was going to catch the truck, I figured I'd make sure...and not waste enough meat to share with _lots_ of people at the event. About that time, I heard a pack of bikes pulling over, too. As I got out, I saw that there were about twenty H-A's, and their chase van behind me (next to the _very_ dead calf) One of them recognized me and we started talking.

 It's been about twenty years, so neither of us was sure at first. One of the guys standing there was looking at the car, then me, then back to the car. Then he raised an eyebrow. Still simmering from the previous encounter, I just pointed out that "it was my GF's car...but then again, there's better things to worry about in this world than who's doing who, right?" At that he laughed, and _agreed_.

**When the HA's start not worrying about it, that may be a true "sea-change" **

 Then I noticed that they'd managed to field dress and load "my" calf, in their van. I told them I wanted a share. The guy that did the butchering dipped a rag in some of the blood and handed it to me, pointing out that since I wasn't a "patch", and didn't do any work that was my share.Then he grinned and offered a handshake. Fair enough, it _was_ true after all. We shook, and wished each other a safe trip. At least it wasn't wasted, and they had ice.

I'm usually a bit reserved about what probably looks like "trolling for ego-boost," but I've been asked to write some of my stories about bad reactions to the rainbow sticker on the car...

**I don't think this'll ever have the impact that the whole "It Gets Better" campaign did, but maybe someone who's being persecuted for _no good reason_ will feel better that some of us "straights" are doing something about it.**

 (I'll throw a good story in here, too, once in a while, because...well. There are some signs of change.)

 While heading down to Midsummer's in Stonemarche, I was going through one of the ratty neighborhoods in a nearby town. After I drove past a bunch of (6th grade/Jr high, I guess) kids, a bottle bounced off the roof of the car.
Not exactly being the type to run away from this sort of thing, I locked up the binders right in the middle of the road, made a stab at the hazards and jumped out.

 I managed to catch the little shit (the one who was finishing his followthrough when I looked back) by the back of his shirt. (note: don't try to run _through_ your bicycle) He started yelling and calling me a faggot, queer, perv... (as they say around here sometimes, "everything but a white man") Obviously, it wasn't long before "Dad" poked his head out the door. I don't have kids, but If heard squealing brakes, and _my_ kid screaming, I would have simply teleported to the sidewalk from inside the house, armed.

 Soon, _he_ starts calling me names, too. I explained that I'd grabbed the kid to bring him to the door to talk about him throwing bottles at cars. "Dad" didn't seem to care about his kid throwing bottles.
I asked him why?
"That sticker on your car."
Well, I have a rock, here. That your car?
Yeah, why?
I figure since all I did was drive my _girlfriend's_ car past your kid, and got a bottle thrown at me, I'm justified in throwing this rock through your back window for being a narrow-minded, ignorant fuck-head, that doesn't even try to teach his kid any sort of decency. Sounds fair to me...

 He reached behind his back for something on his belt, so I basically shoved his kid at him, and left my hand at my side (the one with the "Little Knife," 1" long blade, usually sharp enough to split a piece of paper front-from-back) and waited for him to charge, in one of my "bring it" stances.

 Right then, "Mom" comes to the door to ask "just what the fck is going on?" I explained again. Got an entirely different reaction. She told the kid to **get-inside-right-the-fck-now-you-little-bastard!** Then pretty much said the same thing to "Dad," turned to me and gave a (weak, quick) apology then stormed into the house.

 Maybe I wasn't the most noble white knight for the cause, with the "girlfriend's car" comment (it is, btw...) Maybe I should have stood my ground with _no_ clue as to what that rainbow had to do with me, either way.

 But however I did it, I did it.
To quote Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax: "I can't be havin' with this."

Today I went and picked up the first load of white oak for "The Bigger Boat". All I've got to move it with is Merganser's trailer, so I stacked wood on until the springs sat in the same place as when 'Ganser is on it. This is abut 1/3 of the pile I bought...tomorrow, again, twice if I can manage it.

 Don't worry, I'll be getting a camera and post pics of progress...if I figure out how. Same goes for some general drawings of "Heron"