Newbrassky

[Silver Creek Slim]

Eventually, the coffee wears off and Slim runs outta steam. He falls on the ground in a heap. Luckily he misses the sand burr patches, the fresh cow pies, and the ant hills. But, unluckily (is that a word?) the branding iron hits him in the back of the head, knocking him into Lala Land where he dreams for locusts, crickets, and angry fairy Godmothers. 

[Delmonico]

What Slim fergot about and probally don't even know about is the dreaded Opuntia fargilis, which in missin' the sandburrs he has fallen in ta.   Also know as the Brittle Catus and names best not mentioned, the arms of this nasty plant break off and the thorns are really sharp.  (This is one reason yuppies wearin' Birkenstock sandels are not often seen back packin' cross the sandhills.)

Delmonico has decided not to wait fer the Fairy Godmother ta punish Slim, but instead he has went to his office and got his copy of "Nebraska Wild Flowers" by Robert C. Lommasson and published by UNs own Bison Press.   Delmonico can now really put the hurt on Slim, Delmonico don't need no stinkin' Google.

Sadly the copy the insect books are at Delmonico's mother's house.  If Slim brands any more Yaller Lab dogs or any other Lab dogs Delmonico will fetch that book and really "BUG"Slim.     

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

The frumpy fairy godmother appears with a glittering of sawdust.
"Thought I'd stop by because I am looking to get a..."
Her voice chops off when she sees the yellow dog, and her normally green/hazel eyes narrow down into yellow slits.

"Slim, now you've gone and done it. Beware the fiddleback spider." With a wave of a hand, the pup's brand is healed, but he'll forever be marked with the crawling Ess.

That done, and hopefully with sufficient paranoia placed on Slim, she looks back to Delmonico. "I've been collecting some cast iron. Not sure if I have a dutch oven or not. Don't they have the three little legs on the bottom part and the funny (non-dome) top?"

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim awakes from his nightmares with a throbbing head and needles sticking out of him.

[Silver Creek Slim]

"The fiddleback spider!" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Silver Creek Slim]

"Fiddleback" spider, Loxosceles rufescens, also known in the United States as the "Brown Recluse" spider.
We have these nasty critters in WI. A friend of mine was bit by one and got very ill. 

[Delmonico]

Slim ya fergot the Brittle Cactus.  Fairy Godmother: the true, real camp type dutch ovens have 3 legs and flanged lid, but all cast iron cook ware is good.  (Whisper, I gotta go soon got bread in oven, but I think Slim is in trouble now I got the plant we're gonna sick on him next.  It's right here in the book.)

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Aye, Slim's in trouble, now. Is there another thread or forum we should pop to so we can talk about dutch oven cooking? I don't yet have one, but think I know where I can get one this weekend.

[Delmonico]

Post questions in the Hist. Society,we've been usin' that for a cookin' column also.  Am at work right now but will be home later.  Might have time later tonight if not busy.  Or send me a PM.  I've got some stuff posted in http://www.brimstonepistoleros.com/bpforum/viewforum.php?f=21&sid=1b4f07ba7f6b22c33b9196353ffbade8, if that will help.

[Delmonico]

After Delmonico helps the Fairy Godmother with some links ta help with dutchovens.  (Is this a blue fairy godmother if so where's Kurt Vonnegen.)  Supper is just fried steak, and biscuits and gravy with pie.  The yaller dog gets Slim's piece.  Knowin' he has done bad, Slim crawls inta his soogun fer the last night at the ranch before the three day weekend.  The yaller dog brings Delmoico his book, open at page 15. 

So Delmonico and the yaller dog decide that Slim's soogun is in a patch of Comandra umbellata, a common parisite on the prairie.  Now it is a parisite only ta other plant feedin' on there roots.  So it really won't hurt Slim like an over size Venus Fly Trap would, but they don't grow here, oversize or not.  No this plant is unimpressive, no showy folage, the flowers are plain, but Slim will have nightmares all weekend when he finds out what has happened, cause this plant has the ugliest name of any in the book.  Slim has rolled his soogun out in a patch of a plant with the very discustin' name of Bastard toad-flax.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Bastard toad-flax

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim wakes from his nightmares still sore from the needles and knob on his head. He crawls from his soogun and goes over to the fire where Delmonico is sitting. "None of your "special" coffee for me this morning. I don't want to have another day like yesterday.  "

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

The frumpy fairy godmother, having finished her "breakfast of champions" (with a nod to Kurt Vonnegut) is scritching the yellow dog.

"Look out, Slim! There's a spider on your neck!"

[Silver Creek Slim]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Slim jumps to his feet, runs to the river, and jumps in.

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

AnnieLee grins down to the yellow dog. "There wasn't really a spider on him, you know." The dog grins back at her.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim climbs out of the river and walks to the fire to dry off. "I need this 3 day weekend to settle me nerves."

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

"Settle your nerves too much and you'll have twenty kids instead of nineteen, or whatever the current count is."

[Silver Creek Slim]

Every week I get another one. I am up to 19. Will have 20 by Monday. 

[Delmonico]

Delmonico, grins, Yes, a three day weekend fer Slim, perhaps this would be a good weekend ta have a chat with an old shootin' buddy that knows a bit of such things as spiders and snakes.

He has several PHD's, one which is not used for fence posts is in Biology!

When he finds out what Slim did ta a yaller Lab dog!

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

"Uhhh.... Slim?" Wasn't there serveral months in there where you didn't go home? Weren't you off making furniture or something? So... errr.. well... where did those kids come from?"