To My Grandpa Capps~

The smell of new tomato plants and tobacco.  Tractor grease and machine oil.  Little Debbies and fresh pork sausage.  A dog.  Dirt.  A cold coke from Ms Jo Couch's store in the hot summertime.  Learning to drive an old pickup, barefooted , down a dirt road, with the wind blowing through the windows of the truck.  Overalls and shucking corn.  Riding in the back of the truck in the camper to Raymond's Thriftway.  Ice cream in the little paper tub, to be eaten with the wooden spoon.  Planting watermelons.  Eating cantaloupes.  Picking up parts at Sweeden's tractor place.  Buying wire at Ace Hardware. Just sitting in the shade, watching the cars go by.  Taking a nap in the camper bus when I was tired.  Picking peaches.  Eating a peach right off the tree, warm juice running down my chin.  Driving the tractor.  Wisdom being passed down to me.  "Row your own boat, and let everyone else row theirs."  "Stay away from Mary Jane, and liquor."  "Don't take anything that doesn't belong to you."  "Let that baby eat a little dirt.  That's what is wrong with everybody these days. Not enough dirt."  "Make sure you and Jesus are always on good terms."  He wasn't college educated, or a millionaire, or anything the world would call important.  But ,  he taught me more about life, and living , than any book, or self-help seminar.  He's been gone almost 11 years now, and I miss him just as much today, as I did then.  I love you Poppaw!