” What kanda tham frame ya lookin at on needin these stone ?” asked Leonard, and so I said I was likely at the mercy of his schedule but sooner is better than later. Giving me the Appalachia Mountain Man steeley eyed squint Leonard says…..
” Well…Ah gotstsa load em on the truck ya know?” my response of course was
“After that 20 minutes is up….then what?”……causing Leonard to lean forward to come eye to eye so he could inform me that……
” Ah lived in these mountains before there was a dollar to be made….an no one come here.” Inner city or country…the game is played the same and so offered ……
” Well, now that someone has come here…..and there is a dollar to be made….how ya feel about making it ?”
An hour and a half later I was at the job on top of that mountain when I could hear Leonards 1970s Chevy dump lumbering up that dirt road down in the ravine until it came to a stop 1000 ft below to loudly grind into a low gear for the final assault on a some what vertical last stretch .
” There’s yer rock” he said and, I thanked him much as I handed him a check knowing that the thought it might bounce was not even considered by him as he had lived his life in a place where a mans word was worthy of trust
I could never spend my whole life here….but I’m very proud such places still exist in America
