Barrel Molasses and Shotgun Shells

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

BARREL MOLASSES AND SHOTGUN SHELLS

Joe F. Stierheim

     Many years ago I made regular trips to northern Pennsylvania. Along my route was a small store that had a sign along the highway that advertised: “Barrel Molasses and Shotgun Shells.” That sign always fascinated me. The store appeared to be a “Mom and Pop” sort of place, catering to members of the local populace and stocking what was needed and wanted by them. I have not traveled that section of what was then a two-lane road for quite some time. I am pretty sure that the country there has changed, the highway no longer a two-lane road and no longer lined by farmland, villages, and the occasional business. The store with its unique sign is probably no longer there, long ago having been replaced or at least forced out of business by a supermarket or other chain retail establishment. The local people, I am sure, buy their shotgun shells at

Regrets

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

REGRETS

Bill

The Beanery Writers Group welcomes Bill as a new active member. This is his first posting.

I have known the gain,
The pain of love;
I’ve no right to complain,
I chased it away, far too many,
oh so many times.

Love and I have been quite intimate,
though at the time I did

Moving to the (Laurel Ridge) Mountains

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

MOVING TO THE (LAUREL RIDGE) MOUNTAINS

Mustang Sally

     We did that a year ago. Moved to the mountains.  So here we are.   We drive into the driveway and sit for a moment, overwhelmed by the beauty of the sunlight filtering through the hemlocks and the roar of Pike Run as it tumbles down the mountain.  We have learned to say Don-e-GAL is where you get off the turnpike. We can now refer to LAY-trobe as the home of