Take a whiff of Sista Smiff and you'll come back for more, that's fo sho!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Pardon Me Sir...Did You See What Happened?

Patrick saying "Don't Look Ethel" to me today got me thinking about something funny. I think it's funny, anyway.

Mr. Smiff is from a little town in North Carolina called Reidsville. It's about 30 miles out of Greensboro, a hop, skip and a jump from the Virginia line. It's a sweet little town, somewhat Mayberryish, full of really good, hard working people. Lots of those good, hard working people are of the church going lot. Most of them work at one of the nearby hosiery mills, Miller Beer or one of the ciggarette factories. Father In Law Smiff retired from P. Lorillard and now spends his time playing music in his old-time string band.

Reidsville boasts a great little barbecue joint, that's been there forever, called Short Sugars. Upon arrival when they go back "home", one of the first things the In Law Smiffs do is head to Short Shugahs to get their barbecue and Chili/Cheese Dog fix.

Probably the most excitement that's ever hit Reidsville is the time, way back in the 70's that they had Santa Claus parachute in to the parking lot of Pennrose Mall (everything in Reidsville has the "Penn" name attached to it. I'm guessing the Penns were a rich bunch). While Santy Claus was aiming for the parking lot, he missed and hit the bank and broke his leg. No doubt that traumatized lots of little children who are still recovering from that.

You catch the drift...Reidsville is a fairly quiet, little southern town. This is why I was so shocked to discover not long ago, that there is a nudist camp there. A nudist camp with nekkid people running all over the place.

In Reidsville, of all places. The Bar S Ranch is the place to be, if you live in the Piedmont area and wish to disrobe and participate in various leisure activities. Why, in just a couple weeks, they are hosting their annual 5K cross country race. Who knew there was such a thing as nude running? Where do they put their race numbers???

This ain't the first time there's been people running around Reidsville nekkid. Back in the 70's, a 16 year old Mr. Smiff, Cousin Danny (now a mortician), Cousin Bobby and Cousin Alan O'Bryant (now of the Nashville Bluegrass Band) with Brother In Law Smiff driving the get away car...they decided they were going to get in on the streaking craze.

They didn't just streak the Hardees,with shouts of "Don't Look, Ethel!" by the patrons...no, they went into one of the nicer restaurants in town, proud as they could be of their anatomies, moving on to the Holiday Inn, where they waited...and waited on Cousin Bobby as he made his way through the lobby. They thought for sure he'd been caught when here he came hollering "The security guard's after me!"

The final streakin' stop was the home of Bill Monroe's older brother, Charlie. He was pretty elderly at this point and knowing he wouldn't appreciate such foolishness, Cousin Danny got up on the porch, dancing around in all his glory. They noticed the blinds being peeked through and then they heard the howl of hound dogs. Charlie had sicked (sp?) his dogs on the juvenile delinquents...as he should've.

Life in a small town....

12 comments:

Tony Arnold said...

I am glad to read someone who knows the difference between nekkid and naked. Hats off to Lewis Grizzard, may he rest in peace.

Man that Ray Steven's song brings back such funny memories. I loved that song. Every kid in Nashville knew the phrase "Don't look Ethel."

Ethel!...Ethel!...Come back heh Ethel!

Tony

Michelle O'Neil said...

I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the 5k visual? Boobies and schmekies flappin?
Then again, maybe I'll just try to erase that image from my mind completley. Thanks.

Sharon Collie said...

They have pictures on their website. One word...ewwww.

Schmeckies...love that.

ceeelcee said...

Who's related to Alan? "My Native Home" got me from Crossville to Tracy City today!

I was an old dreadful Snakes fan before the NBB. And my first pitcher of beer I ever bought was at an NBB show at the Station Inn. Thanks for not carding, JT.

Anonymous said...

Not that I've ever used this....

Sharon Collie said...

Alan is Mr. Smiff's cousin. Alan's grandfather and Mr. Smiff's grandmother were brother and sister. They moved to Nashville together and Alan wrote "Those Memories of You" at the former Smiff Duplex on Dickerson Rd. in Goodlettsville in the 70's.

NBB was always my favorite bluegrass band til those ol' Grascals came along. That's a great album...that and To Be His Child.

I've got Mike Compton linked up over there>>>>>>

Sharon Collie said...

Barbara....you SURE you haven't used that? They don't have nekkid races down in Tejas?

Anonymous said...

They might have 'em here....but I'm not one of them! Even with a sunburn and lots of heat and humidity, I still ran fully clothed this morning.

BTW, downloaded all the music from your hubs' group on iTunes. Having spent a little town in the metropolis of Dawson Springs, Kentucky, it was right up my alley.

Sharon Collie said...

I was a runner for about 5 minutes last year. Not nekkid running though, much to everyone's relief.

The Dawta and I were discussing getting back out there today and I might've considered it more if it weren't so stinkin' hot and I didn't feel like I needed an inhaler. I feel asthma-y and it's kindly spooking me.

grandefille said...

Okay, Sista, I just read this post and about fell over. A Smiff? From Reidsville? Does the Mista have a cousin in Rockinghame County who's also a musician and whose wife is a ventriloquist? Because if so, we're like ... well, not kin, but the world just gets smaller every durn day, I tellyawhut.

Feel free to e-me if you want. I didn't wanna drop names. Especially with comments involving boobies and schmeckies.

Hee.

grandefille said...

P.S. -- I know how to spell "Rockingham," by the way. It's my fingers that don't.

And thank you VERY much for the kind note.

:0)

Sharon Collie said...

It's highly possible. Oh boy...we gotta get names on this.

The Older Mr. Smiff has a dummy he uses when he plays nursing homes. It looks like the dummy in "Magic."

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