ODE TO WEELSTANG, MUD-T AND THE 2005 NTBA NATS

[WebMistress]

It’s hard to believe that the two thousand five NTBA Nats have come and gone,
Seems that we waited forever for it to happen, the wait was so, so long.
But, the wait was well worth it as this year’s meet did come to be,
For those that attended it was the greatest Nats ever, that was easy to see!
Before any more words roll out of this ‘ole’ tired and road worn mind,
I want to throw out some different words, like the most high praising kind.
I may fall short but, the first kudos must go to the one and only UB,
For without him, nothing would have taken place cause he was the key!
UB, I hope to convince you about how great you really did,
This was the greatest Nats ever, from the membership, that’s the bid.
From the schedule, to Law Enforcement, to town folks, almost with no end,
From event to event, things kept getting better, on that we could depend!
So, thanks, Oh thanks, and I know that’s not saying near enough,
We’re hoping to be there next year, anywhere else would be rough.
And off in the back ground is another fellow that we did not always see,
He had a lot to do with the success of the Nats also, that guy’s name is BC.
He hosted our board on his Spirit site when we had none of our own,
Thanks BC for bringing us to your beautiful town named Mountain Home!
This was a good year to break our record concerning T’s at our meet,
And at some of our cruises, I think most of them were on the street.
With the ‘Dam Cruise’ maybe being the most popular of all,
But, then again, there were so many, that might be a tough call!
And then, there was the storm that caught some Bucketheads by surprise,
As they were returning from a cruise, south of town I surmise.
But, two of these Bucketheads had the most interesting return of all,
And one would be better to term their experience as a ‘close call’!
Driving his T was Bill Darr from New Mexico, known as Weelstang on our board,
Riding ‘shotgun’ was Wesley, a new member who was certainly not bored.
Their story begins while they traversed through the blinding rain of said storm
When they passed through flowing water on the road the story began to form.
As the tires broke loose, they started to churn but, without any violent blows,
Then it became ‘Round and Round She Goes, Where She Stops, Nobody Knows’!
Backwards over the edge they went, Bill cut the power, the engine stopped barking,
Then he steered the T around forward and began to do some serious ‘power parking’!!
At a thirty degree angle, through tall grass and saplings they slid,
Bill was trying real hard to keep his T off its’ lid!
Missing the BIG trees while sliding, the T came to rest,
I’d say that was some drivin’ that would be called ‘The Best’!!
The blinding rain was still falling as they checked about each others welfare,
They exited Bill’s T and started climbing for the road with great care.
That’s when they found out that reaching the road was gonna be hard to do,
In that blinding rain, it was a matter of three steps upward and slide back two.
But, reach the road, they did and were greeted by a most friendly face,
It was 23Tzer who was behind them when they headed for their resting place!
Just then lightning struck a road sign only an eighth mile away,
They quickly decided that where they were was not the best place to stay!
So, across the road they ran where an open furniture van had taken refuge,
Under one of the two pole barns with roofs to protect from the deluge.
Then Dennis Bynum drove up to help, he was in his white T,
He was beckoned to the pole barn so, more dry he might be.
It was likewise for T-Odd and Fifty One Cards who also stopped,
It wasn’t long before, into the barn, T-Odds car popped!

Bill had been lookin’ at the other barn thinking it would be a better place to stay,
No sooner had he formed the thought than that particular roof ‘went away’!!
Now Bill, being a scholar and most amenable, as we all know him to be,
Recalculated his thought to stay under this barn with a roof he could see.
The weather finally subsided so, it was back over to the roads’ other side,
And to reach Bill’s T everyone began their ‘grass slippery’ slide.
It was a lot easier Bill and Wesley on their way down,
It would be a lot harder goin’ up, makin’ ya want to frown.
They started accessing the damage, for a wrecker was on the way,
And an Arkansas Trooper had arrived but, up on the road he did stay.
He said that the grass was full of chiggers and ‘seed ticks’ which were hard to see,
And for the guys down in it, most likely, a ‘scratchy’ night was to be.p> While everyone was checking Bill’s T, Wesley walked around the left side,
As he started to put his foot down, he noticed something in the grass, as if to hide.
When he realized it was a snake it got his attention real fast,
He took a pic and was up on the road and not much time passed.
When the Trooper saw the pic he said, “That’s a copperhead snake”!
Then he yelled to the others, “Kill that poisonous thing, he ain’t no fake”!!
So, one of the wrecker guys took care of that little job,
There wasn’t enough of the snakes head left to form a small knob
The Trooper had said the he had called the best wrecker driver to retrieve Bill’s T,
And after watching him work, the Trooper’s statement was as true as could be.
Once back up top, there was some mud lodged between the tie rod, frame and radiator,
And the left headlight was a little askew attesting the ability of the ‘Rain Aviator’!
It was time for Bill to try and start her up and after a couple of tries, she roared to life,
He asked the wrecker driver to follow him to the Baxter, guarding against further strife.
While Bill was driving, Wesley was deciding, he became a new NTBA member,
So, if you see a post by Mud-T, it’s also by Wesley, on that you can remember.
Before we left, Al retrieved the snake on a stick,
Some took pics of it but, it wasn’t movin’ a lick!
Sure glad it didn’t get a chance to bite,
That would have produced quite a bit of fright!!
The next morning during breakfast at the Baxter Inn,
I was sitting at the table with Bill as the day began to begin,
When I asked if that little incident was a pretty harrowing run,
Bill replied, as only Bill can, “Actually, it was kinda fun”!!!!
“You must stand in good with the Lord”, I said, “For it could have been worse”!
I think Wes and Bill have received that info and know it by ‘song and verse’!!
And everyone is relieved that both Bucketheads are fine and good to go,
Let us be thankful for their return, cause it was a close call, that we know.
That this was the greatest Nats ever, I think most that attended will agree,
I can only hope that next years Nats, again in Mountain Home will be!
And to all you Bucketheads that came over to my tent an said your name,
Thanks for putting a face with a name with a handle and car, to know your fame.
So, the ‘Big Wait’ begins all over again in anticipation of next years’ event,
Awaiting the location announcement, there’s no telling how much anxiety will be spent!
And if Mountain Home is posted officially for all Bucketheads to see,
That’s where our NTBA family is gonna want to be!!

Herman T. Quackenbush July 27, 2005

aka T-Pilot with Pups
aka John Eplen