It’s Trotter Time

May 2010

Ol’ Blue

A young country boy from Georgia goes off to college at  Georgia Southern. Halfway through the semester, he has foolishly squandered all his money.  He calls home. “Dad,” he says, “You won’t believe what modern education is developing! They actually have a program here in Statesboro that will teach our dog, Ol’ Blue how to talk!”

“That’s amazing,” his dad says. “How do we get Ol’ Blue in that program?”

“Just send him down here with $1,000,” the young cowboy says.  “I’ll get him in the course.”

So his father sends the dog and $1,000. About two-thirds of the way through the semester, the money again runs out. The boy calls home.

“So how’s Ol’ Blue doing son?” his father asks.  “Awesome, Dad, he’s talking up a storm,” the young man says, “but you just won’t believe this – they’ve had such good results they have started to teach the animals how to read!”

“Read!?” says his father, “No kidding! How do we get Blue into that program?”

“Just send $2,500, I’ll get him in the class.”  The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog can neither talk, nor read… so he shoots the dog.

When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father is all excited. “Where’s Ol’ Blue? I just can’t wait to see him read something and talk!”

“Dad,” the boy says, “I have some grim news. Yesterday morning, just before we left to drive home, Ol’ Blue was in the living room, kicked back in the recliner, reading the Wall Street Journal, like he usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, ‘So, is your daddy still messing’ around with that young lady who lives lives in town?”
The father exclaimed, “I hope you shot that S.O.B. before he talks to your Mother!”

“I sure did, Dad!”

“That’s my boy!”

The kid went on to be a successful lawyer in Savannah, and then when he retired went into politics out on Tybee.

This story always reminds me of my time living on our farm in Eastover, S.C. and hunting and fishing with three older gentlemen:  Bright Stevenson, Ducky Nelson and the game warden in our county, Billy Tolar. We would all go fishing or hunting every Thursday afternoon and cook that evening whatever we brought back. The dinner was the social event of the week for friends living miles around.

One particular Thursday we had planned to go squirrel hunting. Ducky Nelson had informed us that he had been given a new champion squirrel dog to try out named Lucky.  Ducky said that he had given the man $50.00 to try him out and if he was as good as the owner said, Ducky could purchase him for $300.00.

With great anticipation of being able to hunt with a prized hunting champion as Lucky, we couldn’t wait. We all gathered at our starting point and where waiting around for Ducky to arrive with Lucky and sure enough he pulls up in his pickup truck gets out and walks up to us. We didn’t see a dog and I asked where Lucky was.  Well,  Ducky reached in his pocket and pulled out the smallest Chihuahua you have ever seen. Not only was this dog about the size of a squirrel itself, but it had one eye, a leg missing, was about fifteen years old and had bruises, scratches and knots all over him. It was the ugliest animal I had ever seen. Well after a great deal of laughing and kidding with Ducky about the dog, Ducky let him loose.  Sure enough that dog took off a howling and barking into the woods. We never saw or heard that dog again. I think the man had Lucky trained to run home as soon as he was set loose.

Lucky, I believe, was worth a hell of a lot more this way.

Dicky

Dicky Trotter is a professional marketing consultant who owns Trotter Promotions.
Contact him at 912-665-4488. Visit him on the web at: trotterpromotions.com, or email him at dickyt1954@yahoo.com.

It’s Trotter Time

Spring

Spring – my favorite time of year. (Of course, I say that about the Fall, too – what’s up with that?) I guess it’s true what they say the older you get, the more you are just grateful to see the next day happen. My take on spring is it was invented for a purpose. It’s the time of year for new growth, anticipation for us here in the south that summer is almost here and as a male I always feel like I have a little “getty up” in my step if you know what I mean, lol.

Out here on Tybee you can tell we are experiencing our two weeks of spring because the sand nats have arrived, you begin not to see a soul you know shopping at the IGA, and of course for the male population, Spring Break and the bikinis have arrived.

Recently, another thing has hit me in this time of renewal – gratitude. Gratitude has not come easy for me. It’s something that I have had to practice for some considerable amount of time before I could feel it. A friend suggested that when I felt down, in a bad mood or just generally crappy, to sit down and write a list of things I was grateful for. He said that if I would do that and read over them, my attitude would change. Well, I started doing that and sure enough it worked, and I have been doing it ever since he shared that with me.

Spring as well as Fall are now two seasons that now make me just feel naturally grateful. One thing I know all the business owners feel grateful for is all the money they will be receiving for the next 6 months. When I start getting mad because there are vacationers everywhere like a faucet being turned on all of a sudden, I think it’s because of them I get to live out here on this wonderful Island – the other six months of “Tybee Time” is actually sponsored by them, lol. The fact that it’s all about my attitude, and I get to choose my state of mind each day, blew my mind, but every morning now I’ve been practicing doing things that create a positive, happy attitude and usually my daily attitude has stayed grateful and positive. If it doesn’t, I’ve also learned that you can stop and start the day over, which is also pretty cool.

This Spring day my gratitude list has included things like chocolate and ham for Easter, good friends and family, living on Tybee Island, my two cats Bubba and Tater who seem to love me regardless of what mood Im in, going down to the back river landing and sticking my toes in the water and enjoying our wonderful weather. So I suggest y’all try some of this stuff and see what happens. Here are 10 things that I read every morning and I try to do on a daily basis: Give something away. Do a kindness. Give thanks always. Work with vim and vigor. Visit the elderly and learn from their experience. Look at the face of a baby and marvel. Laugh often – its life’s lubricant. Pray to know God’s way. Plan as though you will live forever. Live as though this is your last day on earth.

Stay grateful,…  Dicky

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Farming is coming to Tybee!

I grew up with my family owning a farm. Most of my life we lived in the big city, but we always had a farm between Columbia and Sumter, S.C. In the beginning we utilized the land for horses because my father thought it a good thing to raise his children showing horses. He believed it would keep us all out of trouble. From the time I was age 5 until about 14, my whole family was into showing horses. My mother showed fine harness, my sister gaited horses. Now,  myself, I was the outcast, only showing Quarter Horses.

Every weekend we were at some small town in S.C., N.C., Georgia or Florida at horse shows. Of course, at a horse show is where I first took a drink of liquor, learned how to play poker, smoked my first cigarette, kissed a girl and lost my virginity. I was in heaven, lol – don’t think his theory worked, but I thought it grand. When we got out of the horse business we turned the 1000 acres into a real working agricultural arm, one Clemson students would be proud of.

We had a huge garden about an acre that every person got to share in the produce that worked or lived on the farm. Both my brother and I got the opportunity to be gentleman farmers and tried our hand at growing corn, soy beans and wheat.  My brother being older tried first, he failed miserably at it. Then 6 years later it was my turn.

Growing up on the farm as a teenager I had done my share of bailing hay for the horses, I have fond memories of the hay loft above the barn (and it ain’t about bailing hay, lol). For some reason I took to farming like a duck to water. Under the direction of the farm manager Bunky, I learned how to cultivate beans, spray herbicides, plow endless acres of dirt, chew tobacco and drive a combine gathering corn and soy beans.

Most importantly, I learned all about the outdoors and an appreciation for it. Matter of fact it didn’t take long for me to drop the work part of farming and I got the privilege of staying in the woods, rivers and swamps every day for the next 10 years. These years I refer to as my retirement years. Eastover reminds me of Tybee in many ways. Good people, small town feeling, kind of Mayberryish – everybody knows your business and loves to talk about it and it was slow – slow in a good way, a way that makes you appreciate the slowness of it all. It’s a quality of life I truly love.

So now, I’m slowly getting to the point of this article namely Tybee is getting ready to have a community garden – a place where you can get your hands dirty, slow down even more, and get back to nature – sow your seeds and reap the awards. It’s an idea that was carried by resident Libby Bundy Bacon and with the help of local volunteers is now happening. The plot is located at the Tybee YMCA between two of the buildings. It will be a dual “Community Garden.” Part of it will be a large communal plot where everyone can participate in one garden, but it will also have individual plots for those who want to plant and work their own.

All gardeners will need to complete an application, there’s a $50 charge, and we’ll have our first official work day on March 13th prior to the Irish Heritage Parade. For more information be sure to contact Karen Kelly at karenontybee@aol.com, or call 912-786- 9719.

Hope to see ya in the field.

Dicky

TROTTER PROMOTIONS “If a tree falls in the forest, we make sure you hear about it!”
Call: 912-665-4488, or visit: http://www.trotterpromotions.com

It’s Trotter Time

On Love…

À l’amour, the French have a way of making it sound romantic, to love. I often ponder the word love. Kinkel kept asking me what I was going to write about and I have written on four different topics, but tossed them all away. It’s the month of February so I thought I would discuss my understanding of the word love. At this moment in my life love means a few different feelings than before. There is that love that we have for another mate.

You would think at 55, after three wives and umpteen girlfriends that I would be an expert on the subject – far from it. I finally admitted about 5 years ago that I was ignorant about relationships and that I needed to take a sabbatical. It’s not that I am not good at the swooning part, certainly I am a huge romantic, could sweep um off their feet in the day. It’s just for 50 years I only believed it to be about the lust and attraction stage and that was it (typical male). Today I understand now more of the stage that I believe to be the most important in a relationship. Its the stage of mutual respect and admiration two people develop for each other.

Now there is the love we have for a child, family, pets or something we have created. I guess even the love I have for Tybee could fall in this category. This is a love for me that is hard to put into words. It’s a undying feeling. A more of a unconditional love for me. The Native Americans have a saying, Uma ta wona slee…….lol, gotcha. Cant believe you think I know Indian, lol. Seriously, they do say that a child is a gift from Wonka Tonka (their power) to the people. A miracle and I feel the same way about my children, they are a gift.

Then there is the love that we have for another human being. This is the one I am really working on lately and I am finding out that I believe this one may be the key. My father used to tell me growing up that love was the opposite of fear. Back then I did not understand what the hell he was talking about.  Now I am slowly beginning to understand. It wasn’t until recently when I started practicing the action of love for other people did it begin sink in. I see that when I got angry or jealous with someone it was usually over me not getting what I wanted – I was fearful of losing something. Now when I show love (because I do believe love is an action) to people I am not fearful anymore and I have a faith that I am always going to get what I need.

I have found when I can change my attitude every person, place and thing changes. I have a totally different change in attitude and outlook on life today and I am so grateful for that.

There is a list of ten suggested things I read every morning to remind me of what makes me happy and I will share them with you – Give something away; do a kindness; give thanks always; work with vim and vigor; pray to know God’s way; visit the elderly and learn from their experience; look at the face of a baby and marvel; laugh often – its life’s lubricant; plan as though you will live forever – you will, but live as though today is your last day on earth.

My advise is – I guess you’d say, “what’s working for me, today” is – tell the people you care about that you love them, show the people you don’t like some love, and dance naked in the rain every chance you get.

Dicky Trotter……. Love Guru, lol

“If a tree falls in the woods, Dicky will make sure you hear about it.”

By the way – Something organic, tasty and unique is coming to Tybee….. Sugar Peas!

Dicky Trotter is a professional marketing consultant who owns Trotter Promotions.
Contact him at 912-665-4488. Visit him on the web at: trotterpromotions.com, or email
him at dickyt1954@yahoo.com.

It’s Trotter Time

“Each person has an equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different. To realize whatever unique potential of body, mind and spirit he or she possesses. Celebrate that fact!”

“I cook therefore I am.” I saw this on a bumper sticker once and fell in love with the quote. I have been cooking since I was a teenager and loved watching my Grandmother cook our family Christmas tradition brunch, Quail smothered in gravy.  Now some in the South say cooking is women’s work and men don’t know how to nor have the knack to cook well, but I disagree. I am about as big of a bubba as you will want to meet, a sophisticated bubba I admit, but bubba or bubber still the same. It’s kind of like saying men don’t eat quiche. Well hell, I do, and I don’t know many men that don’t.

I grew up hunting and fishing, and was taught that you never took anything from nature unless you intended to use it, so we ate a lot of wild game and fish. During my twenties and thirties which I jokingly call my retirement years, I would go hunting every Thursday afternoon with three old men. To tell the truth I hunted and fished almost every day, but Thursdays where special. They taught me everything I know and appreciate about nature and the out-of-doors.

These three old maids, as I referred to them, also taught me about the camaraderie of being with men, a lot about humor and how to be a sportsman. Every Thursday night we would cook and invite everyone around our farm for ten miles to come enjoy and take part in our bounty. This was my first experience in learning how to cook. Two of these men where excellent cooks. Bright Stevenson who owned three restaurants taught me a sort of gourmet style, while Billy Tolar the local game warden, taught me more of the traditional cooking-on-the-bank-of-the-creek style. The third one, Ducky, who owned the hardware store always did his part in cleaning the game and he taught me how to eat everything. From those years I wrote and published a cookbook called the “Art of Wildlife Cooking” that I marketed when I used to own the Southeastern Wildlife Expo. It was full of wild game, seafood and southern recipes. It also told many funny stories about my experiences with those three great friends.

In my thirties I got a wild hair and believed I needed to open a restaurant. By the way, Tybee has a number of good ones, but my father advised me from his experience to never do this type of venture. Well, I never took most of my father’s warnings very seriously, so I decided to work for a friend that owned a catering company first. I worked there for over a year, long enough to know I never wanted to work that hard in my life again. However I had the opportunity to work under a great C.I.A. chef who taught me what I called “sophisticated cookin.” Here is where I graduated to a whole other level, learning the five main sauces, European style cooking and cutting up veggies into little animals and flowers. Whoopie!

I never opened the restaurant and I know my father is smiling from up there glad at I listened to him one time, but I still cook as a hobby and love to have friends over – we have a dinner club that meets every month  – I trade recipes and cook with my chef buddies. Tybee’s a good place to explore this hobby with such great fresh seafood, local produce and friends to enjoy it with. Can’t think of any better way to share a bit of myself, and Tybee, but to give you a recipe.

Dicky’s Tomato Pie:
Great with anything, especially Shrimp and Grits

INGREDIENTS:
- 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 Tomatoes,  (real mater sandwich tomatoes)
- 1 prebaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust
- 1 cup grated Kraft Four Cheeses
- 1 cup grated Kraft Sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 table spoons of fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise; salt and pepper to taste

Directions: (Preheat oven to 350 degrees)
Bake your pie crust. Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes or longer, if you don’t the pie will fall apart. Layer the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.  Put a piece of fresh basil on top of each tomato slice.  Combine the grated Sharp Cheddar and four cheeses and mayonnaise together. Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese on top. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned. To serve: cut into slices and serve warm.

There are many variations to this recipe. You can crumble bacon on top of the tomato slices, add onion, or cooked squash. Go wild and try something with your own taste buds.

J, Dicky

Dicky Trotter is a professional marketing consultant who owns Trotter Promotions. Contact him at 912-665-4488. Visit him on the web at: trotterpromotions.com, or email him at dickyt1954@yahoo.com.