Writing practice - a la Natalie Goldberg - harnesses stream of consciousness and when in practice, I'm letting my brain travel where it will, finding the words and then moving them through the mechanics of handwriting onto the notebook page. It's then I remember some random snippets from a long-ago childhood. And such it is with "Snuffy" Smith and the Shirey family and the Golly's Folly sign.
It's at the top of mind this month because Mrs. Shirey (I simply cannot bring myself to call her by her first name - Edith or even Edie) is soon to be celebrating her 100th birthday and the family is planning a card shower as part of the celebration. It's the Shireys' oldest son, Thomas Tucker Shirey, who went all through school with me and just a few years ago sat on my back porch and reminisced about all things childhood - as we tend to do when celebrating the 55 years since high school graduation.
Tommy Shirey could spin a good story, a story good enough to keep his classmates entertained and enthralled. Even the teachers were tolerant of his storytelling. Tommy's stories were long and sometimes convoluted and often involved tales of his little brother, Herbie, and someone called Snuffy Smith.
But it all became somewhat more clear to me when this sign appeared on the back porch of our family camp. To this eight-year-old, it was bright and cheerful hanging over the flagstone porch, painted by "Snuffy" Smith.
From an article in The Potter Enterprise, September 1958
Bill Smith ("Snuffy), Freedom, Pa., paid a call to Golly Saturday afternoon. He was accompanied by his brother, Jack, and Bob Butcher, Conway, Pa. The trio was guided by "Buzz" Shirey.
What a quartet that made!
"Snuffy" is an Enterprise reader and a Golly fan. And what do you know –
He brought to Golly a sign to be erected at Folly in the Nine Mile. It is a work of art!
Now he has Golly away out in deep water. How is Golly going to even scores? The answer to that one is going to cause this old timer to do some thinking – and doing.
Golly tried in his feeble way to express to "Snuffy" his thanks. Since the donor had never even seen Folly, we took a run over to get a quick look at the little woods abode, a glance at the tiny lake and a snort from the gushing spring of pure cold water, regretful that time was so limited. "Snuffy" pointed to the exact spot where the splendid sign should be erected and that is where it will be.
Wonder what better we could do than broil a thick juicy steak over charcoal and serve plenty of good coffee brewed in an old tin can, to "Snuffy!" –
And his brother, his friend and even to "Buzz" Shirey.
From 1959 -
"Snuffy" Smith of Freedom, Pa., accompanied by our own Buzz Shirey - they were boyhood friends – invaded the Nine Mile wilds Friday to extend a greeting.
"Snuffy" is an artist in the making of signs, and late last summer he brought a unique sign to be erected at Golly's Folly. We were so choice of it that we waited until this summer to erect it. That saved a long hard winter's toll of rain, sleet, snow and ice. He may have been checking up to learn if it was erected in the proper place and was plumb, level and square – or words to that effect.
However, we like to think he came to extend a friendly greeting, and right welcome were both callers.
The hired girl served coffee and Golly served sparkling spring water without sulphur flavor, and as a trio, we smoked the pipe of peace on the cottage porch.
That's the story of the Golly's Folly sign as I know it. Here's a printed piece of paper I unearthed from among my mother's things. That's my grandfather on the back porch, watching over the antics of two boys at the pond. I assume they're my cousins, Bill Fish III and Fred for it was likely a photo taken by Uncle Bill Fish but look closely to observe the sign in its "proper place."
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