[Vfw-times] Adventures In Chattahoochee Hollar - On Eagle's Wings - PART 1 (5/?)

[Heartsh0t at aol.com]

Quickly, Cloudchaser righted his plane, and brought it in for a landing 
beside the
barn.   Pastor Frye, Mr. Parker, and the Foxley’s went out to greet him, along
with countless of adoring fans.  After shaking hands with some of the 
audience,
Cloud joined the Foxley’s for a picnic lunch underneath a shady oak tree.  

After lunch was eaten and the leftovers were packed away,  Mr. Foxley took out
his fiddle and Johnny took out his guitar.   Both men started playing a few 
gospel
and patriotic songs.    Before long, the men were joined by Jabe Parker with 
his
banjo.  Mr. Don Chavis, the beaver who pulled Travis out of the Chattahoochee
showed up with his fiddle as well as Mr. Gary Smith with his.  Note that Mr. 
Gary
Smith is Wadell and Strogie’s father.   After a while, folks begin to crowd 
around
the shady oak tree and started listening to the music.   Songs such as 'Americ
a,
The Beautiful' and 'Onward Christian Soldiers'  were played as well as 'Amazin
g
Grace', and 'Under His Wings'.  Then, with a sly grin on their faces, the men 
broke
into hillbilly favorites such as 'Cripple Creek', 'Boil The Cabbages', 'Old 
Joe Clark',
and 'Orange Blossom Special'.   Cloudchaser looked to Stephanie, who was
clapping her hands, and asked her to dance with him.   Full of jubilation, the
vixen immediately accepted the red wolf’s offer.   Other folks joined right 
on into
the hootenanny, and danced to the country reels.   

When the last song finished, Cloud asked Stephanie, “Does your father have an
extra fiddle?”

“Do you know how to play?”

The wolf nodded his head. 

“My little brother has one, it’s a small one, but I don’t know if he brought 
it.   He
has just started taking lessons from Daddy.  Let’s go see!” Stephanie 
exclaimed. 

After searching the back of the truck, the vixen pulled out the small fiddle, 
and
gave it to Cloud.   Stephanie went and stood by her mother, while Cloud went 
up
to Mr. Foxley and the other musicians.   Mr. Foxley and the other men looked 
at
Cloud.

“Follow me,” Cloud said.  “Let’s see if you know this tune!”

Cloudchaser started the first chords of 'Millionaire’s Hoedown'.   The men 
quickly
caught on, and all played in unison.

“That’s my favorite song!” Stephanie told her mother.   Mrs. Foxley looked 
at her
daughter, who was still a few inches shorter than her.   The two vixens 
lovingly
touched foreheads. 

“Let’s dance!” Mrs. Foxley told her daughter.   Both vixens held up the 
bottom of
their dresses and danced the hillbilly hoedown.   The dance was a unique dance
that only the two shared.   No one else in the small town knew this dance. 
Mother and daughter danced into a breathless hoedown, until the song ended
and both vixens laughed and drew applause from the other folks in the hollar. 
 
Completely out of breath, Stephanie sat underneath the oak tree to watch the
men play more of the merry country songs.   Cloudchaser approached her and
sat down beside the exhausted vixen.    

“That was some dance you did with your mother!” 

“H-huh?   That was some show you put on out there,” the vixen said, trying to
catch her breath.   “I didn’t know you could play the fiddle too!   I bet 
there’s
nothing you can’t do!”   The vixen gave him a warm smile.

Cloudchaser blushed and looked out towards his plane and checked his
pocketwatch.  “Come on!”

“Huh?  Where are we going?” Stephanie asked wearily.

Cloud stood up and held out his hand.   “I’ve got to get my plane ready for 
the
next show.”   

“Okay!”  Stephanie took his hand, and he pulled her up.   The two walked 
silently
together towards the little golden biplane.    Cloud walked towards the barn 
and
fetched his toolbox.   The wolf then checked his oil and fuel levels and went 
back
around the back of the barn and retrieved two gas cans.   Taking out a chamois
cloth from his toolbox, he strained the gasoline as he was pouring it into 
the tank
of his plane.   Stephanie watched in complete awe.

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?  Use this cloth?   It’s to filter any water that might be mixed in 
with the
gas.   I don’t want to get any water into my tank.”

“Oh!” Stephanie said, then added, “Do you know how to repair your own plane?”

“Yep, we pretty much have to be our own mechanic.    Sometimes when things
break down, I have to find something to fix it with and jury-rig it to get it 
going
again.   That’s why most of the time when I’m traveling, I’ll try to find a 
garage to
land nearby.”    Cloudchaser inspected his engine.   “Could you look into 
that
toolbox and hand me that wrench?”  Stephanie looked down at the toolbox and
grabbed the tool.  

“This one?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

Stephanie handed the tool to Cloud and sat on the grass.   She listened to him
tinkering with the engine.  

“So where are you going next?”

“Atlanta...if I leave here early Monday morning, I should make it around
lunchtime.   Okay, hand me that screwdriver.”

Stephanie looked into the toolbox and retrieved the tool.    Stephanie gave 
it to
Cloud, who was busy looking in the engine.   She sat in the grass beside the
toolbox once more.  

“Okay, I think that will do it,” Cloudchaser said, rubbing his hands.  “Let 
me see
that old blue shirt in that toolbox.”  Stephanie handed him the article of 
clothing
and he wiped his greasy hands on it.   “There’s one thing I’ve been meaning 
to
ask you Steph.”

Stephanie looked at the red wolf, whose face was serious, full of concern.  

“Yes?”

“Are you a born-again Christian?”

“Yes, I got saved when I was ten years old.   All of my family are 
Christians. 
Travis came a little over a month ago.”

“That’s great.   I just wanted to be sure.   It’s part of my job, I guess.”

“No, it shows that you are a true Christian, someone who truly cares,” 
Stephanie
corrected him.   “Thank you.”

“Well, let me check the wings and the landing gear," the wolf said, wiping 
his brow.    "I always check my plane out before taking off.”  Cloudchaser 
took his wrench and screwdriver and walked around the plane.   Stephanie rose 
and walked around with Cloudchaser as he was inspecting his plane.   After 
about ten minutes, the red wolf seemed satisfied.   The vixen stood admiring 
the plane as the rufine pilot went back
inside the barn.  This time, the man came out with a short rope ladder.  

“What’s that for?” Stephanie asked, cocking her head to one side.

“It’s a trapeze.   It’s for the next act.”

“You don’t mean....”

Cloudchaser was already lying on his back in the grass, attaching the small
ladder to the landing gear.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this at least a dozen times!   Besides, the crowds 
love it.”

“B-but who’s going to fly your plane?”

“No one,” Cloudchaser looked at her and smiled.

Surprised at Cloud’s answer, Stephanie turned and looked back over to where
her family was.   

“Haven’t you ever seen an air show before?”

Stephanie shook her head.   “I’ve lived in the hollar all my life, and 
you’re the
first stunt pilot we’ve had.   I’ve seen photographs, though.”

“Well, relax.   You’ll enjoy the show.”

“But, aren’t you afraid you’re going to get killed doing that?”

Cloudchaser finished hooking both sides of the trapeze to the landing gear. 
“I can’t say that I haven’t had premonitions of getting killed in a plane 
crash.  
I’ve had plenty of them.   But, flying is my life.   So is my missionary 
work.”

Stephanie looked down to the ground.   She didn’t want to discourage him from
his work, but she was afraid for his safety.  Cloudchaser took her hands.

“Stephanie, I’m not going to kid myself and say that nothing is ever going to
happen, but as a child of God, I have to put my faith and trust in the Lord.  
 Only
God holds the future in His hands.  

“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in 
thy
righteousness.”  Psalm 31:1

“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me,
and guide me.”  Psalm 31:3

I have committed these verses as my life’s verses, Stephanie.  I live by 
them. 
Remember the words of Simon Peter to our Lord in John 6:68...

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the
words of eternal life.”

Stephanie already knew these verses by heart.   She had committed them to her
remembrance a few weeks ago during Bible study.   “I know,” she replied.

“Smile for me.   Be happy for me.  I’m trying to win people to Jesus, and I’m
hoping that by performing these acts, I can draw them into church, and finally
into the saving knowledge of our Lord. “   Cloudchaser took the vixen’s hands
once more.  “Even if I did have an accident and was physically unable to fly
anymore, I know without a doubt Jesus loves me.  Only my faith in Him keeps
me going.”

Stephanie gave Cloud a warm smile.

“Good,” Cloudchaser said, checking his pocketwatch.  “Now, I’ve got a show 
to
do!   Go back to your family and enjoy yourself!   If I see you in the 
stands, I’ll
wave at you!”

Stephanie said her goodbye and walked towards her family.