HOLY SHIT!  IT'S BEYONCE!!

That's how it started. Daughter Amy and I were on our first trip together to North Carolina. We had driven top down with Amos Lee on the radio through the Cullasaja Gorge and were coming into the town of Cashiers on Hwy 64. when she spied several metal chickens in front of a shop on the side of the road. "HOLY SHIT!  IT'S BEYONCE!! "What the hell are you talking about?"  "You know. Beyonce. The Bloggess. You know!" By the time we finished lunch she had read me the Beyonce story from the Bloggess.

http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/

and told me she had a friend who was ailing and what a good cheer-up gift a metal chicken would be. "You know, knock knock motherfucker and all. C'mon lets do it!" It seemed so appropriate.

So we bought a 4 foot tall metal chicken. It would just fit in a VW 

Bug trunk. Laying down sideways. Barely. So Beyonce was with us for the rest of the trip.

And when we headed home to Florida and the trunk was full, we wrapped her in a sheet so she woundn't cut the back seat..."That Chicken Will Cut You" you know. Strapped in . Off we went "in a haze of heifer dust" as my wife would say. Two Raggs and a large metal chicken. I can't make this shit up.

And what do we see in Dillard Ga. but a 

12 ft GIANT METAL CHICKEN

So Beyonce makes it to Florida, nobody gets cut, and she goes to her new forever home.

 

End of story, right?  Maybe not. I went back to NC alone later that year in my little truck and wanted to get a metal chicken for Amy and another for my wife while I was there, you know, for the whimsy, so I stopped at the place that had the 12 foot

chicken in Dillard. Well they had 50 at least. Probably more. All sizes and styles. "Does someone local make these?" thinking maybe I can help the local economy. "Nah, they go down to Mexico and buy 'em by the truckload." Well shit. I'll go back to Cashiers. I think Beyonce had been a domestic metal chicken.

A few days later I drive back to Cashiers. Plenty of metal chickens still there too. "Does someone local make these?"  "Nope. Mexico" Really. Here too. You cant buy domestic metal chickens? Really. Shit.

So I pick out 2 Mexican metal chickens, thinking enough looking, lets just do it. There are no American Chickens to be found.

And Adios, to Florida we go.

And of course Sandi drew them

And now Amy and Sandi both have metal chickens at the front doors!

This last summer Amy and I went back up for 10 days. Saw more metal chickens along the road. Buenos dias Motherfuckers!

In April The Bloggess' book "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" was published. Congratulations Jenny. And what a hit! Amy found the last copy in town and we took it to Karen at www.riverwoodpottery.com
She had listened to our Beyonce story the year before.



And this year we didn't buy any more metal chickens.

But thanks to The Bloggess and her blog, I found Michele at www.OldDogNewTits.com who has a link there and for some reason entered a photo in The Jud and Bill photo contest.

and won!!

And started reading her blog further and never knew if I'd laugh or cry ( a lot of both ).

And through ODNT I found Mel at http://accordingtomags.blogspot.com/

Thier's are 3 of the best blogs, Jenny's, Michele's, and Mel's. You ladies are special.

I kept telling Amy about their blogs and convinced her to do an entry for the final episode of the Jud and Bill series. I mean she was the little girl in the picture after all. C'mon kid, you can do it. She loves positive phrasing...

http://olddognewtits.com/2012/06/14/check-your-email-dude-brotherly-love-ep-10/ 

She likes to write but would hardly ever do so. But she did.

http://olddognewtits.com/2012/06/25/wake-up-odnt-you-forgot-about-the-jud-bill-contest/

And she won.

http://olddognewtits.com/2012/07/06/and-the-winner-of-the-jud-bill-episode-11-contest-is/

and what a prize it was.

http://olddognewtits.com/2012/07/12/the-jud-bill-prize-package-she-is-finally-revealed/

And Amy has starting to write more.

http://bettyrants.blogspot.com/

She thinks she is a little cheesy sometimes, but now we know why.

Sandi had started blogging in 2011 and was having fun with it. And now Amy was too. It had to happen sometime, so now I'm blogging a little too.

Michele and Mel have been so kind and encouraging. There are no words to say thanks enough. THANKS! And thanks to others we have been introduced to as well:

Kari at

http://kbar3.blogspot.com/

El Guapo at

http://guapola.wordpress.com/

Becky at

http://thejoyofjoe.blogspot.com/

and Sandi, the love of my life at

http://sandipaints.blogspot.com/

I have so enjoyed reading about your families and kids. It brings back so many memories of the feelings you have when they are growing up. And now that we're Grandparents it even makes it sweeter. Thank You.

And Jenn went to a book reading in Seattle and got to meet Jenny the Bloggess!

Remember I am blaming her for all of this. The book tour was really hard on her. But she made and makes so many people hopeful and happy. We all thank you Jenny.

Now how can I get her to read this?