Once again the special friends that Mudcat has produced over these past 7 years continues to amaze me. So many of you have also almost adopted our sons as well and they have received some wonderful things from many of you. Aunty Sinsull seems determined to be sure they have things that will drive me nuts but that's another story. Let's just tell this one right now..............This story originates with this posting of mine from a few months ago:

Tris had a great summer. He has always loved trucks and machinery and will spend hours on end watching them work. Several years ago the Village administration sent us a letter asking us to keep Tristan from following the garbage truck!!!! This past summer though.........

For the past few years I have allowed him to watch when work is being done somewhere as long as I know and the owners and workers okay it. I have had to track him down on numerous occasions and apoplogize to someone. But they have always said the same thing....that Tris stayed out of the way and they loved having him around. He does kinda' have that effect on people. In any case Karen and I have worried to death about him but the "call of the machinery" from a lawn mower to a cement truck to a backhoe has been far too strong. We are so grateful to have decided to live in this little village............

Early in the summer I went out looking for him as he'd been gone awhile and found he and his trusty bike sitting together and watching the street and water depatment guys use the backhoe to replace some lines. I talked to Rick and Byron and they both said he was "no problem" and always stayed out of the way. A few days later he came home with a bright orange new safety vest. It was immediately his most cherished possesion. There are about 8 guys in the street and water gang and they decided that if Tris was going to be around, he could help! So off he'd go each day "to work." They let him sweep and all sorts of things....even gave him a bit of lap time in the backhoe. I went out one day and found them and thanked them all, especially Rick and Byron, for doing this. Again, they said no problem and began telling me stories of things he'd said and done.

About a week later the railroad crew came to town and spent a week working on the crossing with our street guys. Sure enough, Tris comes home with safety goggles and a real hard hat from Norfolk Southern!!! I think Byron then fixed him up with some old gloves as well. You had to see it!! Here was this little boy all rigged out and hanging out with the big guys!!! If we were away, as soon as we came home he would put on his vest, helmet, glasses, and gloves and head out in search of the crew. Other days he'd simply get up and "go to work."

At the local gossip shop I'd talk to some of the Street and Water gang and they were really getting a kick out of having him around and indeed as I listened I knew they were telling the truth. An ex-mayor said to Rick, "Hell Rick, I think he's ready to take your job!".......and Rick laughed and agreed. It was wonderful to hear how much these men really did enjoy Tris....and watched out for him as well.   Some would think we are awful parents.....maybe we wre. But the day I drove past them all sitting on the curb drinking cokes, Tris right in the middle and "dressed to the nines" in the proper attire, I felt more secure about Tristan's ability to make his way in the world.

So on Saturday afternoon, Tris comes to his Mom with something about a big box and she sent him to me. Before he came to me, he had retrieved a fair sized box from the porch and came up anxiously telling me all about how he saw the delivery truck and that I should open this new and exciting piece of the unknown. When I saw the return addy I was pretty excited too as it was from Dave Swan... Mudcatter, Fire Captain, and high dive artiste extraordinaire......not to mention his musical abilities and the fact he shares his life with an even more talented person, the beautiful PJ.

El Swanno has got this thing taped up all to hell and begone and it takes a few minutes to safely open the box. I pulled out two sweatshirts for Karen and myself and a T-shirt for Michael, all from Dave's unit, the Piedmont Fire Department. Great stuff, but it seems they were mainly packing material for the main object within. I removed a letter from Dave to Tris and in it Dave told Tris that he had heard of his work with the various crews around town and that should he decide to hang out with our Fire Department, he should have the proper stuff..............and I pulled out a fire helmet from the box. Not a toy mind you, no...this is the real thing, goggles and all, that has seen some heat. And while Tristan just beams and radiates happiness, his old man is almost in tears. The shield on the front says Piedmont and Captain and as I sat there watching Tris who is discovering the weight of the real thing, I think how lucky I am to have friends like this.

We adjusted things around and it fit pretty well and made the weight a lot easier to balance. Tris got his coat and headed out into the 28 degree weather to canvass the neighborhood so all could see his latest headgear. Several times I looked out a window and saw him here and there and with the coat he had on of about the right length and color, he did indeed look like a little firefighter! Saturday night found him asleep on the couch, fire helmet by his side.

Thank you my friend..................

Spaw