The Red Flannel Rag

Most of the hard work of butchering is over. The men stand around the kettles talking about the upcoming hunting season. Left to right: Skip Crawford, John Shifflett, Jennings Shifflett, Bob Crawford, Jim Morris, Preacher Isaac Risser.

Once the men finished their hog-killing work and had bragged to each other

about how many hogs they processed in a shorter time than last year, their minds

wandered to the upcoming deer-hunting season that always began on the Monday after

butchering. They brought out their high-powered rifles and set up targets to practice

and align their sights. They also brought out a bottle of whiskey to pass around the

circle. They would take turns peppering the targets with bullets, sipping at the bottle,

and telling hunting stories from the year before.

Toward the end of the day, they thought their sights were aligned and they knew

the bottle was empty. The chill in the evening air drove them into the cellar where they

continued their hunting stories around the cider barrel. I remember the hunting stories

getting taller and taller as the evening wore on. Few men left the butchering in a sober

condition, but they seemed happy.

181