21 Cyclists, two hillbillies, and a deer on an ear...

   I'm bored sitting here waiting on the corporate inspector to show up, so here's a little story to amuse both me and you. This happened several years back.

   My uncle, Allen and I were coming back from Little Rock where we had been serving at the soup kitchen. We had found a baby deer on the side of the road that had apparantly been grazed by a car. She seemed to be okay internally but she couldn't walk. (turned out she had a slight break in her leg) Anyway, she was a sweet little thing and was content to ride between us in the seat. About halfway home we passed a large group of cyclists. Allen, being Allen, had to stop and talk to them. We were driving an old beat-up Dodge truck, and both of us looked like we lived at the homeless shelter rather than volunteered there. Allen, who is president and CEO of a very successful company and a self-made millionaire, was wearing a faded out, stained up pair of overalls and a camo cap that wasn't even fastened in the back. I looked much the same. So, hesitantly, very hesitantly, the cyclists stopped.
   We began talking to them like they were old friends...asking how they were doin',  where they were goin', where they'd come from...you know, just shootin' the bull. Turns out, they were from Illinois and they rode across the country on a fairly regular basis. Well, shortly into the conversation, Baby(that's the name we gave her) started nursing on Allen's earlobe. He didn't even try to top her, he just continued talking like it was perfectly normal to have a baby deer suck on your ear. The looks on the faces of these folks was pure...these people are from another planet type stuff. Even before the deer started nursing we were from another planet because of our accents. There were a lot of, "pardon?s" and "I'm sorry...what did you say?s"...ha. You can't hear an accent when someone types...but if you ever heard me speak, you'd understand.
   Anyway, it was shyly at first, but soon they all had their phones out recording this phenomenon. And for the next 5 minutes this baby deer went to town on Allen's ear and he rambles on without missing a beat. He even invited them all to come and stay the night at his place, as they were heading that direction anyway. They respectfully, but firmly, refused the offer...haha...The same thought was probably pulsing through every head..."Deliverance"...you know, the movie? Ahhh...so funny. I can't blame them. They didn't know they were being invited to stay at the home of a multi-millionaire...on a 60 acre spread with 5 fully furnished cabins..two overlooking the river, complete with a 100ft. waterslide, a paintball course, and 40 acres of woods with walking and biking trails....and peace and quiet. Sometimes I wonder if there is a video out there somewhere ----21 cyclists, two hillbillies, and a deer on an ear.