I realized that I haven't really been giving a
colorful picture lately of life in Mayberry. I
thought maybe a few posts on stories of life
here would give a better perspective. First,
I offer you a story of my friend Sharon. She
and her family moved here from a city in LA some
20 years ago or so.

Sharon has always been a friendly soul and she
has many friends in the community. One particular
friend hales from a town even smaller than Mayberry.
She(the friend) is as hillbilly as you can get. I
can't remember her name (the friend) because I've
never met her, only heard about her from Sharon.
So for the sake of the story I'll call her Miss Billy.

Sharon wanted to raise chickens and she has now for
about 20 years. Towards the beginning of her fowl
career she was hatching out an incubator full of eggs.
(We've done this several times and it is great fun
and a LOT of work.)

As so often happens, this particular batch of eggs had
several chicks who ended up being splay legged. When a
chick has splayed legs they just get worse and worse
and end up hardly being able to walk.

Sharon was devastated. She loved her little fluff balls.
She needed advice. She called Miss Billy. Miss Billy had
been raised around chicks and she was a true blue country
girl, not a transplant as Sharon was. Surely she would
have some words of wisdom.

The conversation went something like this.

"Oh, Miss Billy I have such a problem," said Sharon.

"Tell me all," replies Miss Billy.

"It's my chicks. Some of them aren't doing so well."

"Go on."

With a sob in her voice, Sharon elaborates, "Some of them
are splay legged. What can I do to help them? Please
tell me what to do!."

Miss Billy has the answer. "What to do? Why pitch them
outside in the bushes, that's the only thing to be done
with a splay legged chick."

It was a rude awakening for Sharon. Miss Billy probably
does not know to this day how much she hurt the sensibilities
of my poor friend Sharon.