Sunday, April 01, 2012

The sly interplay between the old fox, Red Ivy, and Beth Szabo, the Forest Management Team Supervisor, part of the 1999 ad campaign for the Ford F-150 Supercrew. Larry Broadway is the fixer. He can fix any machine you put in front of him. He's not always the best company but he's awfully handy to have around. Mack FairCloth is the driver, him and Rick Rozar take turns. Of course when they're driving "with that full back seat, your knees aren't touching your chin." Bobby Boutwell and Rick play poker on the weekend but the rest of the crew don't always get an invite.

What kinds of words get passed between Rick and Larry in back seat, Red barking orders while Beth hunches over a map. What do they talk about? Bobby's thinking about buying a new motorcycle and Mack mostly keeps to himself. So much can go unsaid on your way to work, but when you've got somebody like Red to stir the drink, ribbing Rick about his losing habits, or sparring with Mack about the best way to get over West River Ridge, the silence doesn't last long.

"Fuck Larry Broadway. Fuck Red Ivy. Fuck Mack FairCloth. Fuck our fucking names" Bobby muttered.

"What's that?" yelled Red over the wind, sitting on Bobby's left. Ears like a field mouse.

"Nothing." said Bobby, picking his head up and going back to what he was doing.

"You're going to want to take the left fork up ahead." Beth said from the back, knees not touching her chin, "We can pass around the base and come up the other side. It's a little less intense."

"Alright," said Mack, "I understand." He gives it a little more gas and the truck bounds out of sight down the left fork. In the empty forest, an owl turns it's head and hoots directly into the wall, and every wood pecker, grub, chipmunk and elk within three hundred yards looked up, and then went back to what they were doing.