GARY PANTER BLOG

We would tie orange and black stuffed fake fur cat-tail spirit sticks to the back of our Mustangs, Roadrunners, Cameros, Corvettes, GTOs, Barracudas,Ford Galaxie 500s, Malibus,  Plymouth Furies, Belvederes, El Caminos, Fiat Spyder coups, Falcons, John Deere tractors, etc and peel donuts in the Piggly Wiggly or Brookshires parking lot, then smoke the cheater slicks all the way to the Quicky mart to buy the new issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland.

Then, we might caravan out to Century Lake to look for the ghost of poor lost Johnny Heron. “MOW!” the football team will bark as they burst through a billowing Wildcat painting done by the cheerleaders in blue and gold tempera paint on giant butcher paper. Right after the spectacular Blue Blazes drill team exit the field in their tipped cowboy hats, mini-skirts and white go go boots, there is a commotion in the stands–beloved  Abe Dial is taken away in an ambulance with an ulcerated stomach–been secretly sipping whisky in the band bleachers. The tubas and drums thrum support. Brows furrowed, Mr W takes his glasses off, looks at his clipboard and puts his glasses back on. The red flashing light dims out of the stadium. We know Abe will be back and we will win the game and have a rainbow snowcone by that giant pile of gravel between the railroad tracks and the girl’s softball field. Maybe later we will watch a cloud of a million bugs swirl in the yellow street light as the mosquito sprayer goes by the duck pond.