Americana Revival-------A Prophetic Allegory

                                                           Intoduction

  Once upon a time....hidden, but thriving in its own sleepy manner, deep in the foothills of the ancient mountain range, there nestled a tiny village known as Possum Trot. Generations before, the little town seemed to have simply "happened"...when pioneering family groups trekked through the Low Gap and across the Highlands and up into the heads of surrounding hollows...in order to carve out homesteads with maximum protection from hostiles native to the land. Possum Trot sat on the banks of a narrow river later named "Southfork"...an off shoot of a mighty river which originated somewhere in the mountains and meandered westerly through the highlands and down into distant territories. The Southfork waters moved slowly through the forested valleys...off the beaten path, away from the main stream... and provided the settlers with the isolation they desired and had sought.  

 And here, nestled in the cleavage of the hill country, in the shadow of the mighty peaks, evolved a unique culture...free from the inluence of sophistication, untouched by the trappings of materialism...a simple people whose character and values were woven by Faith in The Ultimate Goodness, living  close to the rugged land and in Unfailing Gratitude for the Bountiful Natural Habitat they called "Home".

                                                     Chapter One__Silent Night

 Whenever Goat Lady found herself with too much on her mind, she liked to take a cup of coffee and go out and find solace in that special quiet little corner of the barn.  Lucy (her enormous white German Shepherd) and Brandy( her docile St. Bernard) were with her this particular Sunday evening.  And of course Red Horse was next to her in his stable.  "This is the situation, My Friends" she began to explain to her animal family members. "Prophet Bro Freddie is coming to Possum Trot this week...with a BRAND NEW used tent.  And he has asked if he can set up on our Little Dog Shelter Farm!!  He wants to hold a Tent Revival Campmeeting RIGHT HERE and it will last at least four days...beginning Thursday night...and he expects many folks...maybe HUNDREDS... to be coming from near and far!!"  Goat Lady sighed deeply and sipped on her now luke warm coffee.  "Perhaps I have bitten off more than I can chew this time" she quietly spoke while looking into Lucy's understanding eyes. "For I did not have the heart to tell Prophet Bro Freddie 'No!', and I said 'Yes!' to his request!!" Actually Goat Lady was happy to host Prophet Bro Freddie's meetings. "Campmeetings are FUN!" she said smiling. However, she had truthfully never been to one... and was concerned about all the excitement there might be for her animals, and they would be out of their normal routine.  Just then Red Horse moved very close to Goat Lady, and she felt him gently nuzzle her neck.  "Oh My!!" she exclaimed with JOY!  "Here I go again, worrying about my BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL FRIENDS!  They will, no doubt, handle all the activity and excitement far better than I will!"  Goat Lady hugged Lucy and Brandy and Red Horse, finished her now cold coffee, and got herself going to milk the cow.  "It is ALL taken care of!!   Things will be FINE!!"  Goat Lady laughed aloud and felt much better, indeed, as that Sunday evening came to a contented and PEACEFUL close. 

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 Prophet Bro Freddie expected MANY to attend his meetings; but in no way did Goat Lady expect what was shaping up to be THIS tremendous a turn out!!  It had rained all week, and the Prophet and his wife Miranda and their adorable chubby little daughter, Katydid, stayed with Goat Lady in her cozy cabin.  Not until the last few hours before Thursday night's opening meeting did the storm clouds begin dispersing, allowing helpful local fellers to set up chairs and benches and hang signs and spread saw dust. And already folks were pouring out of the hollers in caravans of all sorts of vehicles, as well as on foot. They were merging unto the county road and streaming like a swollen creek toward Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm!! "Land Sakes!" Goat Lady thought to herself...not willing to indicate to Bro Freddie she could possibly entertain any semblence of doubt or consternation. "I wonder if the cow pasture will allow enough room for parking...not to mention the many camping tents which will be erected!!"  Then Goat Lady remembered that it is ALL taken care of and that things will be FINE!  And off she scurried to check on the well being of her animal friends...discovering they were ALL doing just FINE...of course!!   So...with a deep sigh, she found herself a place to sit down...and grinned broadly...at her own self. The mountain people had heard about the special event being held on Goat Lady's Dog Shelter Farm and sure enough did not want to miss any of the goings-on.  Afterall, the local Walt's Mart Parking Lot was the one and only social hub in Possum Trot; and it would be so nice to enjoy this exciting event for meeting friends and neighbors and having a JOY-ful Time with Music and Dancing...and maybe a little shoutin' as well!!  And so, even as the musicians were gathering to tune their instruments and Sister Adelaide was leading the choir in practice, the mountain folks from near and far continued their anticipated journey down from the hills and hollers toward Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm...where Prophet Bro Freddie was ready to bring a Great Message to make them ALL FEEL REAL GOOD!!!!!!!!!

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The darning was finished for the day; and that night, Mama had inspected each and every sock...to make sure there were no lumps in the carefully woven patches.  Lumps in the toes of his socks gave Daddy blisters and made his feet hurt while he was hard at work.  Excellent darning skills were required, and the Sisters and their Friend always tried their best and were learning to do a PERFECT job on each sock.  Mama approved of their work with pride, and with big HUGS, sent them off to open the package Auntie Millie had sent them.  Mildred lived in the Big City where she worked as a cashier at Annie's Boutique. She was determined that her neices and their friends back home in Possum Trot Holler would have the prettiest, most colorful and the LARGEST variety of Babushkas in the entire holler...and even in the entire Possum Trot School!!  She wanted them ALL to be able to wear a different Babushka each day ...if they wished. So every time Auntie Millie had saved up enough pin money, she chose as many Beautiful Babushkas as she could and sent them off to her Possum Trot Neices and their Girlfriends!!   Recently  Mildred had received a letter from her neices.  The girls were so excited over a Special Event which would take place at Possum Trot the following week.  The First Annual Possum Trot Holy Ghost Campmeeting was going to be held on Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm!  And Prophet Bro Freddie was going to set up his BRAND NEW used tent and hold the meetings for at least four days!  So Mildred wanted to be sure the girls' New Babushkas arrived in plenty of time for that Special Occasion!   Mildred also began considering the possibility she could travel to Possum Trot herself...for the Sunday meeting...and SURPRISE her neices. She knew it would make them ALL FEEL SO GOOD to have their beloved Auntie Millie with them for such a Special 'Event. 

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Not too many cars, trucks, and wagons got stuck in the soggy cow pasture, and there were plenty of willing hands to help pull them free if need be. But there was no need, because nobody wanted to leave.  There was not enough room for all the tents to be set up in the field either; but the adjoining woods became a wonderful place for the massive overflow of families planning to camp that night....along with those who planned no such thing.   Something Mysterious had happened in Prophet Bro Freddie's tent during that Thursday night meeting. A hush had come over Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm...even with so many folks crammed into the tent...standing alongside the walls and crouched on the saw dust covered ground between rows of benches and chairs. Even with so many people crowded around the outside of the tent...a Total Silence fell.  And Goat Lady's Animals made not a sound..as though they did not exist.  ALL was still. And in the bright glow of the coal oil lamps and the golden light filtering through the canvas and into the barnyard...everything seemed to become but shadows as the people were entranced and mystified by the Strange but WONDEROUS Presence which seemed to have fallen upon them.   It was after the  music and singing ended.  It was after the elevated voice of Prophet Bro Freddie could no longer be heard...and after all the shouts of agreement and the ringing "Halleliahs" and clapping of hands had ceased.  A warm breeze had drifted down from the hills over Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm and ruffled the sides of the tent and stirred the tree tops gently and brought along with it that Mysterious Hush which enveloped Everything and Everyone...both inside and outside Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used tent. The coal oil lamps flickered briely, the little flames being touched by the draft.     The Silence lingered as those who were able finally began to file away from the tent and move quietly and slowly across Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm and up the slope toward the cow pasture.  Others remained in small groups, huddled together, seemingly in awe of the unexplainable and unexpected occurence. Not a word was spoken, for the people were speechless.  And when eyes began to meet, they were full of Unanswered Questions and a Strangely Comforting Bewilderment...bordering on a Silent Euphoria.   Here and there, scattered across Goat Lady's property and throughout the woods, small campires were crackling...providing the only audible sound that night.  Small children were silently tucked into makeshift beds, some in tents and others in vehicles of all sorts.  Goat Lady's cozy little cabin was open for others who found places on her floor before the fireplace...or in any other place they could find. The barn was filled with people who remained in a silent trance-like state...some by themselves in deep contemplation and others in warm embraces with loved ones and friends. There were no strangers to be found among the masses of folks that mysteriously Silent Night. 

                                         Chapter Two--In Awe and Anticipation

Sunrise is especially beautiul after days of seemingly endless rain.  And so it was on the morning after Prophet Bro Freddie's First Meeting.  The women folk awoke early and had the campfires going strong as coffee pots emitted that familiar enticing aroma into the cool moist mountain air. Many of the men folk had gathered and chopped wood for the fires, while others had gathered down on Goat Lady's porch and were "chewing the fat" ,so to speak, while sipping from enamelware mugs the steaming brew.  Children crawled from their warm nests of handmade quilts and pillows to find each other; and, after wiping the sleep from their eyes, began romping together while exploring all the nicks and crannies of Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm. Sister Adelaide and some of the other women were preparing an enormous batch of fresh buttermilk biscuits and making a kettle full of savory sausage gravy...all on Goat Lady's old wood cook stove. And Goat Lady herself had already gathered her Animal Family and taken off on their regular morning walk through the hills.      It seemed as though nothing unusual had happened the night before...and all morning not a word was spoken about The Mysterious Goings-on they had ALL experienced.  Perhaps it did not seem real, but rather some sort of dream to the folks.  Perhaps what happened had not really sunk in, and there was nothing anyone COULD say about it.  But the fact remained that hundreds of Mountain Folks who had the previous night attended a Tent Meeting, fully intending to make their way home afterwards... were somehow compelled to remain together...even though most were completely unprepared for an overnight stay.     The Mountain People knew how to make do in times of short supply.  Those who had provisions contributed everything they had to the supervision of Sister Adelaide and her crew.  Pots and pans and skillets began to fill with a bubbling, steaming country breakfast.  Goat Lady's big cast iron kettle was set up outdoors as men built a fire beneath it.  The enormous heavy kettle was filled with water from the dug well and several meaty soup bones from a neighbor's smoke house were tossed into it. Folks who had come prepared for their own family's overnight stay contributed every sort of fresh vegetable they had raised in their gardens as well as an abundance of offerings from their root cellars. And when all was said and done by those who could, hundreds of folks would be well satisfied by the big pot of nutritious soup which would simmer all day. In the meantime, Sister Adelaide saw to it plenty of loaves of homemade bread would emerge from Goat Lady's oven...just in time that NOBODY would go without. And ALL would be prepared for Prophet Bro Freddie's Second Meeting...that very evening...on Friday night...at Sunset.

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 Beautiful Sister Cathy, a Possum Trot native, had been afflicted.  She was confined to a wheelchair.  Still, the lovely songwriter could sing and play the guitar her Grandfather had left her years ago. And when Cathy's husband guided her wheelchair into the circle of musicians...beside her big brother Willy who played the twelve string and was gifted with a wonderful voice and musical talent himself, the musicians could not wait to pick up their instruments and begin making music together!  And so, after seeing that all the instruments were precisely in tune...including Sister Cathy's and Willy's, the air began to come alive with the sweet melodies and harmonies and lyrics so characteristic of the Mountain Life!   Children awakened from their naps and Mamas gathered them to Goat Lady's porch.  Other women put aside their ladles and such, and, wiping their hands on their long aprons, came to the porch to clap their hands together to the rythm of the HAPPY Mountain Music!   Before long nearly every soul was assembled in the yard between Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used tent and Goat Lady's small cozy cabin.  And when the first person began to kick up his heels, so did many others follow in his steps!!  Dust flew and skirts twirled and boots stomped and hands clapped and arms raised with a shouting release of JOY!!  And the Music Played on...and on...and on...and the dancing continued and the sing-a-long did not cease even as the sun began to sink beneath the ridge...and there was no time left for the Big Meal before the designated time for Prophet Bro Freddie's Second Meeting to begin. And it mattered to no one...because no one felt hungry for food anymore...and the Great Supper would wait for them.   Prophet Bro Freddie emerged from the edge of the woods after spending the day alone in the hills; and as he entered his BRAND NEW used tent without speaking a word to anyone, nor giving anyone eye contact...the great crowd of JOYFUL folks swarmed in behind him, occupying every square inch of space. The overflow crammed themselves together outside the tent as close to it as possible.  And the Second Meeting began with a mass of empty stomachs but with hearts full of JOYFUL ANTICIPATION!!

                                    Chapter Three--The Humor of it ALL

There was a trigger to what happened.  No one knew what or who set it of.  Was it a muffled giggle overheard?  Was it a whispered comment which made someone try to smother a natural response to chuckle?  Was it something Prophet Bro Freddie said from the platform which aroused and initiated the laughter among the people??  Regardless of what started it, Prophet Bro Freddie was not able to preach a word that night.  He was doubled over...laughing...and could not stop.   The sound of laughter is contagious!  And as a Mighty Tsunami, a wave of gut-wrenching laughter rolled over the people from the front of the BRAND NEW used tent to the back...and out...overwhelming the overflow crowd on Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm.  People were slipping off their chairs and found themselves prostrate in the saw dust...laughing uncontrollably.  A long homemade bench tipped over...spilling its occupants to the ground...placing them side-by-side...on their behinds...laughing together. People were actually blinded by tears of laughter!  Others crumpled to the ground in submission to weakened knees the unrestrained laughter brought about. Small children, tickled pink by the uproarious laughter, began running and skipping around the tent...down the aisles and between the chairs and over benches...cheering with squealing giggles of JOY!! Catching a glimpse, through tear-filled eyes, of the childrens' rejoicing, adults began to follow them in their childlike antics.  And before long, the entire congregation, both inside and outside the tent, were dancing and laughing and carrying on without measure...without inhibition...laughing and crying...and both strengthened and weakened by the CELEBRATION...a CELEBRATION of they knew not what....and LAUGHING without a clue to what was SO FUNNY!!  No one cared.  It didn't matter.  Laughing was FUN!  LAUGHING made them ALL FEEL SO GOOD!!!  And they could not stop!!

Sweet Sister Cathy., strapped into her wheelchair near the front of the tent...where the other musicians had been.. the guitar her Grandfather had left her many years ago still on her lap...smiled through her hot tears.  She watched people running and dancing deleriously, and leaping for JOY while others remained on the saw dust covered ground...helpless and weakened, doubled over by unceasingly ecstatic laughter.  Slowly Cathy relinquished her hold on the neck of her guitar.  She gently put the instrument beside her on the ground and propped it up against Prophet Bro Freddie's homemade lecturn.  Cathy's nimble fingers played with the buckles of the straps which held her firmly seated...until they loosened...and the leather straps fell away.

Coal oil lamps sent a wide beam of golden light pouring through the tied back tent flaps which formed the main entry to Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used tent. And that golden brilliance became ONE with the white illumination of the veiled Full Moon overhead....and formed a Surreal Glow which bathed the air and ground it encompassed.  Millions of tiny airborn sawdust particles, raised by the shuffling and stomping and dancing feet, gave the lighting an almost tangible appearance. And it was out from this Warm Glow the figure emerged. At first it was softly sillohetted as a blurry fuzzy-edged apparition . But as it moved slowly from the confines of the tent and out through the entryway, the figure became that of a woman...a woman wearing a denim skirt and a red flannel shirt.  Then there became visible a hat and leather boots....with BEAUTIFUL glossy waist length hair hanging down her back. And it was not until the revelers saw the Exsquisite Face with the Native Features that they realized...              THIS IS SISTER CATHY...WALKING...and a HUSH rolled over the land.

                                                 Chapter Four--Energized for GOOD

Saturday morning brought an awesome sunrise over Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm.  Peachy Pink and Yellow and Lavender danced above with brilliant Sun Rays darting through openings in the whispy cloud formations.  The creek beside Goat Lady's cozy cabin held its own while seemingly competing with the sky in its reflections of the twinkling gemstone-like array of colors.    Hundreds of Mountain Folk rose from their deep sleep in tents, vehicles, the barn, the cozy cabin and beneath the open sky. They were invigorated and excited and ready to accomplish much on this Third Day of Prophet Bro Freddie's First Annual Possum Trot Campmeeting. They all knew for certain what had happened the night before.  They remembered the uncontollable laughter and how it went on for hours!  They knew as a fact that Sister Cathy WALKED on her own. Not a soul among them could refrain from talking about it!!  And above ALL, they wanted to share the news with others and made plans to do just that!!    Most of the folks hit the road that morning...in vehicles and on foot...going to send telegrams from the nearest General Stores and to get the message out to friends and family who had not been present.  Others planned longer trips to more distant territories in the region to share in person what had happened and to encourage others to come as soon as possible to Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm just outside Possum Trot!! Still others went for supplies...food and blankets and quilts, and anything else they thought might be useful. Some of the women remained behind to care for the children of those who had left.  Some of the men remained on the farm to build more benches, to build up the supplies of firewood, to clear more of the woods for more tents...and many other helpful projects.  Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm had become a hub of bustling activity and comings and goings and HAPPY hustling and scurrying. Everywhere Goat Lady looked, there were  people doing whatever they could find for their hands to do. And her cast iron kettle of homemade soup served the people well that day.  Rather than a Big Feast, hungry workers could dip the ladel and grab some nutritious soup and bread whenever they needed...or wanted. No meal preparation at all was required on the Third Day of Prophet Bro Freddie's Campmeeting!         "It has ALL been taken care of!  And things are Fine!" Goat Lady quietly observed with a somewhat amazed expression on her face. She was watching from the barn where she was tending to her Beloved Animal Family.

 Most everone had returned by the time the sun was coursing toward the western ridge.  But they did not return alone.  Droves of motorized vehicles of every sort, horse drawn wagons of every description, and huge numbers of people on foot swelled the ranks of Newcomers!  The numbers of Mountain Folk were reaching MANY hundreds!  And still they appeared over the ridges from every direction...headed for Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm.   "The tent is TOO SMALL!" proclaimed Sister Cathy's husband! "What shall we do with such a huge crowd tonight?  There is simply NOT enough room inside or out for all these people!"   Sister Cathy's husband was a very practical fellow.  And he certainly was right about the BRAND NEW used tent!  Prophet Bro Freddie could not be consulted, because he had not returned from his day of solitude in the hills.  So some of the men decided to take it upon themselves...with Sister Cathy's husband supervising...and carefully remove some of the walls of the tent without weakening the supports.  And they did just that.  When Prophet Bro Freddie appeared from the woods, he found a newly designed open canopy-style tent under which to hold the Saturday Night Meeting...beginning SOON...at Sunset.  How grateful he was when he observed the multitudes of people heading his way!! ........And Prophet Bro Freddie was ENERGIZED

                                                        Chapter Five--Junior Back

 Junior Back had been seriously sight impaired since birth.  In those days and in out-of-the-way places like Possum Trot, there were no Special Schools or Special Education classes for children with Special Needs.  So Junior did not finish grammar school.  He could not see the chalk board.  Instead, Junior learned other ways to become self-sufficient and productive and to contribute...using his hearing and other senses.  Spending much time alone in the forested hills, he became familiar with the sounds and behaviors of wild creatures and the smell of the air and the taste of the mountain breezes.  He became an accurate predictor of weather among the Possum Trot folks.  He also learned to do mechanical work with his brother Smiley Back... and carpentry work by feel and by listening carefully to discussions of the other men as they went about their work.  He became a dependable handyman among his neighbors....working in self-taught innovative ways with his hands and Serving anyone at any time...day or night. There was no task he was not able to handle well. But most of all, Junior developed a Special Insight about people and their needs...and a Special Deeper Wisdom... which sighted folks marvelled at and came to admire and even cherish. Junior was a Quiet Overseer of his Neighbors...accutely observant even with impaired vision.  Junior Back was a valuable asset to and a Trusted Friend to ALL the mountain folks of Possum Trot Holler. Junior Back was Special, indeed.

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The sun was now sinking below the western ridge; but it was barely visible save for the eerily purple and green-ish aura hovering above it.  Junior Back was near the gate to the cow pasteur...helping guide a seemingly endless entourage of incoming motorized vehicles of all sorts and horse drawn wagons and buggies of every description into the  ever diminishing spaces left for parking.  It was about time for Prophet Bro Freddie's Third Meeting to begin when Junior noticed an all too familiar sickeningly sweet odor in the air.   With high ridges surrounding Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm, storm clouds could not be seen approaching and were only visible when they were nearly overhead.  But Junior could hear the distant rumbling of thunder which others could not.  And Junior caught the scent of the oncoming storms as the gentle mountain breeze strenghtened ever so slightly.    Junior summoned the assistance of the nearest men available... to take over his job of directing vehicles and headed down the slope, deftly feeling his way down the rock-laden decline, toward the BRAND NEW used canopy-style tent and Prophet Bro Freddie.   Junior Back found the Prophet standing silently...a solitary figure dressed in charcoal gray...with eyes aglaze, behind the rough handhewn lecturn.  "The people need to be sheltered immediately" Junior Back announced with an authoritative yet low-keyed intensity. "Bad weather is on its way....coming from the Southwest....soon."  Gazing staight ahead, without making eye contact with Junior Back, and with a  Serene Smile on his face, Prophet Bro Freddie quietly responded "Take care of it, My Good Friend."

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 At least a thousand people from near and far were crowded into the areas of Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm.  And even MORE were arriving during the short time before Prophet Bro Freddie's Third Meeting was supposed to begin. Junior Back was sincerely stunned by the Prophet's Simple Command. And then Junior Back remembered the creek beside Goat Lady's cozy cabin.  He remembered the Southfork River nearby.  Junior Back envisioned the multitude of mountain folk...infants, young children, elderly.  Junior Back remembered SISTER CATHY.  Junior Back, nearly blind as he may have been, received a Special Vision.  And in a flash...like a lightning bolt...Junior Back began to ACT!!

  Some of the boys from Possum Trot Holler had been called into miltary service in years gone by...and had been carried to far away places to fight for a cause they did not even understand.  Those who returned told tales of horror...of overwhelming fear...and how they survived by letting their training take over. Such dangerous times required clear thinking and common sense...attributes Good Basic Training provides.  They had no choice but to rely upon it.  Junior Back had intently listened to them...intrigued and fascinated... and he formed visions of the battles....with his rich and well-developed imagination. It was as though he had been there himself.

Junior Back immediately sought out Sister Cathy's Husband who was standing not far from a tie down which secured the western edge of the canopy...where the main entry to Prophet Bro Freddies BRAND NEW used tent had been.  With a few simple words, Junior painted a clear picture of what had to be done to protect the mountain people...and Sister Cathy's Husband immediately understood.  ....The two men TOGETHER went into ACTION!! 

 Goat Lady was summoned and was informed of the oncoming storms...a fact to which she herself had been sensitve.  Goat Lady, like Junior Back, had the luxury of much time to spend alone observing her Natural Surroundings and the Signs of Mood Swings characteristic of the  hill country weather. Goat Lady ran to the barn and gathered ALL of her Animal Family from their stables and other confines.  And she lead them ALL to the center of the area between Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used canopy-style tent and her cozy little cabin.

Sister Adelaide was summoned. Sister Adelaide loved music.  As choir director for Prophet Bro Freddie's Campmeeting, she was also dedicated to ensuring ALL of the mountain folks had an opportunity to make their own kind of music...if they so desired.  She frequently invited groups of children to her cabin near Possum Trot Holler.  There the young ones learned to make their own songs and sing and dance.  Sister Adelaide's home was a FUN place for children of ALL ages to gather in the evening...when chores were done...and on week-ends...when there was no school.    Recently, Sister Adelaide had started a Rythm Band for boys in the holler.  She gathered all sorts of things from her kitchen...things which could be used to make rythmic sounds.  She taught the boys they could have lots of Musical FUN with a little imagination and a few simple objects. In fact, today... Saturday...on the Third Day of Prophet Bro Freddie's Campmeeting...Sister Adelaide had brought several boxes of her Homemade Instruments so the boys might have a chance to Play for the People during the Prophet's Service.   Sister Adelaide  hurried to her carriage...back up in the cow pasteur...and had a couple boys help her carry the boxes to the center of the area between Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used canopy-style tent and the cozy little cabin. There she joined Junior Back, Sister Cathy's Husband and Goat Lady with ALL of her Animal family. >>And ALL TOGETHER they began taking ACTION!!

                                                           Chapter Six--Marching Orders

All the extra supplies the mountain folk had gathered that day had been placed in the barn at Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm.  By late afternoon, every available space in the barn was filled.  There were blankets and quilts and home canned items along with fresh garden vegetables and all sorts of good things from root cellars  Sister Cathy's Husband supervised the filling of two muledrawn wagons to retrieve ALL the supplies, and another to load up the cast iron kettle, pots and pans and skillets and cooking utensils from Goat Lady's kitchen, and all the firewood which had been neatly stacked by the men who had stayed behind on the farm that day. Several two-man-crosscut saws as well as axes and hatchets, mallets, hammers and nails, rope and other items from the tool shed were included in the load. Then Sister Cathy's Husband saw to it that the canvas walls removed earlier from Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used tent were carefully unfolded and securely placed as protective tarps over each of the three wagons.  And ALL  three wagons, pulled by surefooted mules and accompanied by twelve able-bodied men led by Sister Cathy's Husband, rolled out of Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm, up the slope, turned east onto the county road and disappeard around the first bend. A few of the thousand folks took notice the wagon activity going on; but the people, for the most part, were oblivious to anything other than excited chatter with each other about  the First Two Nights of Prophet Bro Freddie's Campmeeting...the Silent Prescence, the Uncontollable Laughter...and about SISTER CATHY....who WALKED! 

  In the meantime, Sister Adelaide had been gathering the boys who comprised her Boys' Rythm Band....along with other boys and girls.  ALL of them were provided with Sister Adelaide's Homemade Instruments.  "You are going to Play for the People tonight" she announced with a ringing voice.  The children gleefully began shaking the canning jars of dry hard Pinto beans.  They tested the sound of wooden spoons on the bottom of metal pots and pans and the clash of cooker lids slamming together as makeshift cymbals.  It was not long before Sister Adelaide brought the young musicians to catch the same beat...and a growing audience surrounded the Homemade Band of Youngsters and their Teacher Sister Adelaide.     Junior Back could feel the mountain breezes picking up.  He caught that peculiar scent in the air while listening to the not-so-distant and more frequent rumbling of thunder. "Time to head on out!" he thought to himself..."before the Mountain People begin dancing!" Then he turned to Goat Lady and her assembled Animal family...and signaled Sister Adelaide who was watching him over her shoulder while "conducting" the Boys Rythm Band.       ..............Junior Back gave them MARCHING ORDERS

                                               Chapter Seven--Back to the Beginning

Goat Lady was perched on a rock, Lucy at her side...not far above the sprawling camp. She could see Junior Back...sight impaired as he was...OVERSEEING the thousand mountain people...from the Highest Place on the opposite ridge. Goat Lady's Animals were running FREE.  They were ALL just FINE. The three tarp-covered  wagons had rolled as far as possible Saturday night.  Then the twelve able-bodied men, led by Sister Cathy's Husband , had carried ALL the supplies by hand...and by using the surefooted mules as pack animals. ALL provisions were placed in a cave in a very safe place...High in the Head of Southfork Holler.   Southfork Holler , several miles east of the Village of Possum Trot, was especially rugged.  It was a huge long ravine...with sloping walls full of rock cliffs and an abundance of deep caves. Both Goat Lady and her Animal Family and Junior Back knew it well.There was a Special Echo Effect up in Southfork Holler which the Natives believed was the Magic Song of Great Spirit. It had been a Ceremonial Place for the Natives of the region...generations ago...before the Ancestors of the Mountain People had come through the Low Gap across the Highlands and up into the hollers where they carved out their first homesteads. The Head of Southfork Holler was a PERFECT PLACE for sheltering anyone...even the thousand mountain people who had gathered on Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm to be a part of Prophet Bro Freddie's First Annual Possum Trot Campmeeting.

The storms had rolled in...one after another...all night long...viciously...with torrents of rain...driven by ferocious winds which whipped and lashed at anything in the way. Fiery lightning crashed from the purple black clouds and smashed to the ground...exploding!           But ALL the mountain people were safe and secure and Full of JOY...hidden in the belly of caves up at Southfork Holler. Small campfires crackled in the center of the larger caves...and deep within the rock cliffs...as families and friends CELEBRATED being TOGETHER..and their escape from what might have been devastation.

It was Sunday morning.  Only a tiny patch of sky could be seen through the misty treetops in the narrow head of Southfork Holler...and the Beautiful Sunrise and the Glorious Rainbow were blocked from the view of the mountain people harbored there. But seven men...scouts sent out by Junior Back...DID see the Sun as it rose over the eastern ridge...over what had been Goat Lady's Little Dog Shelter Farm and Prophet Bro Freddie's BRAND NEW used canopy-style tent. And they witnessed, first hand, the Most Beautiful Rainbow they had ever seen!  Seven Hardy Mountain Men, trying their best to be discreet, wiped moisture from their eyes...and glimmering tears from their weatherbeaten cheeks. 

                                                       Chapter Eight--The Echo

 Sister Cathy slowly moved to the mouth of the large cave where she had spent the night with Possum Trot friends and relatives.  From there she could see men and women distributing all sorts of  food, dry firewood, and other supplies to the many small groups of people hold up in scattered  caves and beneath rock cliffs on both sides of Southfork Holler.  Everyone would be well provided for as long as they might need to stay there.  For they ALL knew  the storms would have had their way with the homes and barns and other buildings in the communities down below.  And there was, no doubt, considerable flooding. Sister Cathy's heart swelled as she thought of how a thousand people had been moved so efficiently...in a wonderful March...a Parade...led by animals and youngsters...without fear or panic.  She thought of how every provision was coincidentally made in advance...for keeping a thousand people safe and dry and fed... in rugged Southfork  Holler.    And SisterCathy...warm TEARS of GRATITUDE  flowing down her Exquisite Face with the Native Features... remembered she could WALK on her own.  .... And...SISTER CATHY began to SING!

 FAITH in THE ULTIMATE GOOD ran INVINCIBLE in the blood  of the earliest settlers of the Highland Hollers. Without it, they could not have survived; yet WITH it, they had persevered ALL the many challenges they had faced over the centuries.  It was no different now.  And as Sister Cathy's pure ringing voice ECHOED up and down and throughout Southfork Holler, it carried Magic...a MAGICAL QUALITY which  galvanized the mountain people...and they became ONE in Spirit.  Nearly a thousand voices were raised as ONE VOICE...breaking forth into melody and harmonies...as ALL the people were caught up in singing along with Beautiful Sister Cathy...a Traditional Chorus of Thanksgiving they ALL knew so well.     How does one describe the Song of Angels?  How does one put into words the sound  of Choruses reverberating in the Halls of Heavenly Places?  This storyteller will not try.  But certainly the largest cathedrals Man has built...with the finest acoustics Man has designed...could never come close to rivaling the Soulful Beauty filling the hill country that morning...enhanced and amplified by the Natural Southfork Holler ECHO EFFECT which the Natives had so revered.  And the singing continued long after the Seven Men returned with their report...that nothing was left in the wake of the storms, flood waters from the Southfork River and its tributarious covered the bottomlands, and Prophet Bro Freddie was nowhere to be found.

                                             Chapter Nine--Town Hill

The highest elevation in the region of Possum Trot Village was Town Hill.  Half way up Town Hill, alongside one of the many switchbacks of Town Hill Road, was the Joe Campbell Family's saw mill.  The family had cleared the top of the hill many years ago, and used the trees to provide lumber to build  nearly every cabin and barn in the vicinity of Possum Trot. Then the land at the top of the hill had been put to use as a grazing field. Junior back knew of a path which ran along a ridge adjacent to Southfork Holler...one which led directly to the Campbell saw mill...and to the twisting turning Town Hill Road. Junior Back envisioned taking the mountain people to the Highest Place he could before they had to return to the bottomlands and begin the arduous task of rebuilding.  Juinor Back also knew Prophet Bro Freddie's Campmeeting was to last at least four nights...and tonight...Sunday at sunset ...was the final scheduled meeting. He summoned Sister Cathy's Husband who set out with other men to search the forests for all the pine knots they could find.

  Goat Lady remained behind in Southfork Holler that evening...as most the thousand mountain people followed Junior Back along the ridge path and on up to the the top of Town Hill.  She wanted to stay with her Beloved Animals...all of which were running Free and loose...and HAPPY!!  "I know it's ALL taken care of and things will be FINE" she spoke softly to Lucy who was at her side outside the rock cliff they had come to call "Home". "But our Little Dog Shelter Farm is gone and how will we be able to care for our Animal Family?" Goat Lady could not know the Beautiful Plan Junior Back had churning in his mind. Nor could she know the Meeting on Town Hill would actually be a Town Meeting....meant to bring the people together...with a Common Purpose...and to Inspire Unity and Raise Hope for an even Better Tomorrow for ALL

Goat Lady had drifted off into a shallow sleep...her head resting comfortably on Lucy's broad shoulders as the enormous white shepherd reclined beside her...eyes alert and ears reaching for the sky. It was the sound of singing voices again. Goat Lady was awakened and saw the glow of a thousand pine knot torches reflecting  above on the trees which grew beside the path along the ridge. The Town Meeting had come to a conclusion, and the mountain people were returning to their Southfork Holler shelters.

                                    Chapter Ten--The Ultimate Goodness

 During the weeks and months after the storms, as the flood waters receeded and the bottomlands dried, teams of men as well as eventually womenfolk, made their way down from Southforlk Holler each day and set to work on one homestead after another in and around Possum Trot Village. Small basic cabins were built...cabins which could be added on to later... and small barns were constructed wherever needed. Goat Lady's BRAND NEW cozy little cabin and a BRAND NEW barn were placed up the slope, away from the creek, in the former cow pastuer. She would have a porch added to her small home later on.  But Goat Lady did not go home, nor did she take her Animal Family to their new barn until ALL the Possum Trot Families were able to leave the Shelter of Southfork Holler.  There were plenty of ways she could be of service to them while they remained in caves and beneath rock cliffs; and her Animals were HAPPY and Safe running FREE in the holler and surrounding forests.   While remaining in Southfork Holler, people had a wonderful opportunity to draw closer to one another.  Families became more solidified and Friendships more intimate.  New relationships were formed and Everybody came to know and TRUST Everbody else.  A Sense of Unity flourished and ALL the people of Possum Trot became One Big Happy Family. As Junior Back and Sister Cathy's Husband served the folks day and night, everyone began following their example; and they ALL learned  to place the needs of others above their own.  Everyone contributed what they had...whether a skill or talent or other ability...or whether material things such as extra food or a blanket or a special tool. Sister Adelaide set up a primitive schoolroom in a larger cave and spent part of each day keeping children busy with schoolwork...followed by FUN times making music together. Responsibility for daily chores...such as laundry and cooking and child care...were shared by the women in the Southfork Holler Shelter.   Nobody cared who got credit, as concern for the well-being and Comfort of the Entire Group became the focus of each individual. Each evening...after supper...as the sun was setting, the mountain people assembled in family groups at the openings of their caves and rock cliffs.  Sister Cathy would begin singing one of the familiar mountain songs everyone knew. Then ALL the people followed her lead; and the day was ended with the Heavenly Sounds of Angels Singing echoing throughout Southfork Holler and the surrounding hill country.   Down below, the men built a nice little cabin on a plot of land provided by Mildred's brother...the Daddy of her young neices. It was for Prophet Bro Freddie's wife Miranda and their adorable chubby little daughter, Katydid.  Katydid had become Best Friends with Aunti Millie's Neices; and Mildred always made sure Katydid received  BRAND NEW Babushkas in packages sent from the city.  And if Prophet Bro Freddie should ever happen to be seen again, he would have a home in Possum Trot forever.   In due time, the last Possum Trot Family left Southfork Holler and moved into their BRAND NEW little cabin.  Goat Lady led her Beloved Animal Family back down to the County Road and west to her Little Dog Shelter Farm.  There in the BRAND NEW barn, the Animals found fresh hay which Junior Back had delivered for their Homecoming.  Goat Lady spent several hours hugging her Animals and getting them settled in before  nightfall.  Then as the sun was setting over the west ridge, Goat Lady, with Lucy beside her, entered her BRAND NEW cozy little cabin for the first time. It was a simple one room cabin; but there in the center was a Beautiful  large handmade table with almost every kitchen utensil
Goat Lady had supplied to the Campmeeting Events.  Protruding from her blue enamelware coffee cup was a note.  When she unfolded the tattered paper, she found a large smiley face scribbled on it and the familiar scrawled signature of a seriously sight-impaired fellow who could not finish grammar school...."From Your Good Friend, Junior Back."   "It is ALL taken care of.  And Things are FINE" Goat Lady whispered softly with a contented smile on her tired face. Then she settled herself on a thick featherbed someone had placed on the floor...in front of where the fireplace was marked out and would eventually be built.  Lucy scooted in close beside her. 

                                                       Only the Beginning