 |
 |
Thanks, Pat, Max, Doug. Jim is my father. 'Portable', Max, was meant to convey that he carried all his tools upon his person and his person moved with them. No returning to the tool shed or car to pick up stuff. Maybe it is not quite the word I seek. The fete, Doug, was full of toffs or at least white collar fathers, who wouldn't have known a hammer from a pencil sharpener. Bill > On 19 Feb 2015, at 4:42 am, Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Yes, neatly told, Bill. I was at first not sure if you needed all the description of the fete, but then the conclusion worked… > > Doug >> On Feb 18, 2015, at 8:11 AM, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> One of your best, for me, Bill. >> >> Unfolds and concludes nicely nicely. >> >> ‘portable’ refers to what he carries? the toolbar? >> >> (I thought Jim was your neighbor but at the end he’s family.) >> >> Max >> >> >>> On Feb 17, 2015, at 13:00, Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> With four hammer blows >>> the three inch nail is flush. >>> That's counting the set-up tap. >>> >>> When the power goes off now >>> on a building site, carpenters >>> knock off for the day. >>> >>> In Jim's time, you just >>> got on with it. Power >>> was for the Sparkies. >>> >>> Stripped to the waist, >>> cracked leather tool bag >>> aproning his slight paunch, >>> >>> Jim put in steady days >>> on Bendigo housing blocks, >>> armed with his smooth, >>> >>> wooden-handled hammer, >>> nail punch, black-handled >>> builder's square rammed >>> >>> in his belt, flick-hinged >>> carpenter's rule and stubby, >>> flat, red pencil. A portable >>> >>> one-man constructor. >>> Even as I homeworked >>> over a desk as a teenager, >>> >>> on weekends, I knew >>> his presence, nails jangling >>> in that tool bag, interspersed >>> >>> with regular hammer blows, >>> some backyard project >>> always on the go. >>> >>> The fete on a Saturday >>> at the local grammar school, >>> saw well-heeled mothers, >>> >>> cardiganed fathers haggling >>> for bargains. Away from >>> trimmed doilies and napkins, >>> >>> a makeshift side-show >>> offered a pound note >>> to anyone who could drive >>> >>> a nail into thick board >>> in five or fewer blows. >>> I had to insist. >>> >>> Jim bought Choc Wedges >>> for the family, all five of us. >>> Proud, was I, as punch. >>> >>> bw >>> 17.2.15 > > Douglas Barbour > [log in to unmask] > > Recent publications: (With Sheila E Murphy) Continuations & Continuation 2 (UofAPress). > Recording Dates (Rubicon Press). > > that we are only > as we find out we are > > Charles Olson >