Remembering our day of deep-fried hog nuts and beer at Titzy's farm and pondering Nard and death

 

When I was a young man at Iowa State, we all went off to Titzy's family farm in Northwest Iowa. Titzy, John Nitz, had invited us there for hog-cutting weekend. Jocko (Jim Mraz) at left and me (I think you can recognize me with the long hair in the front center part of the picture... and I went by the name "Champo") had the duty of taking the cuttings and soaking them in salt water and frying. The rest were farm boys and they helped John's dad and the vet with the process. I can't remember the names of the guy on the right and the one right behind my head. It would be 50 years ago, after all. Titzy is in the barn, wearing the stocking cap. Leonard "Nard" Sandholm is the guy with the bushy blond hair in the doorway. I wrote him a note today, and his daughter responded with a note to let me know that Nard is dying in the next days or week at the most. He's got stage 4 liver cancer and is unconscious, under heavy medication, as they prepare to let him go. The last time I saw Leonard, we spent a half-day at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. He was passing through Nashville on his way to a farmer's convention in Florida. I love these fellows, especially Nard, Titzy and Jocko and Tom Carpenter (our fifth starter on the Rolling Squad, he wasn't there for this picture... or maybe he took it. By the way, other guys tried to join the Rolling Squad, but they lacked the stamina it took to keep up). Carpy (Tom) was the first guy I called when I got this horrible news. I have many tales to tell involving me, Jocko, Titzy, Nard and Carpy (Tom). We lived hard and loved each other like brothers. Still do, though time has separated us. I'll never forget any of them and I'll surely cry some more when I find out Leonard has gone. Course, he probably wouldn't want tears. He'd probably want me to break out a beer and tell tales of our adventures. Some aren't fit to share, but we had fun. Man, did we have fun. Leonard: I love you. Goodbye.. You have been a valued part of my life, which was made richer by you being my friend. Maybe I'll see you in the next world. ... (Oh, and by the way, the "oysters" were washed down by Wiedemann's beer that cost us 69 cents a six-pack, a step down from our usual 89 cents Falstaff or Stroh's. I think Nard would appreciate me adding that note, plus adding that the "oysters" tasted better going down than they did coming back up.)