It was a fine October day around Needmore and  many of the friends of Silas and Sadie Crabtree had gathered around the Needmore sawmill shed for a very special event.  It seemed that Uncle Silas and Aunt Sadie had reached their golden wedding anniversary. 
Uncle Silas wasn't sure what that meant until Sadie explained that  it had been fifty years since they got married.  Uncle Silas had forgotten that the date was Oct. 25 again this year, but then he had forgotten it every single time for forty nine straight years. 
He had planned to start picking corn that day, but Sadie had brought those plans to a screeching halt, no corn would be picked on that Saturday.   
It seemed that their eight children, all grown now, had planned a special anniversary celebration. They had first thought about having it in the church yard, but the more they thought about things the more practical it seemed to have it down at the sawmill shed.  The shed wasn't very romantic, but there were some big advantages. 
The shed was well located less than a hundred yards from their home, and it was in the dry if it rained and in the shade if the sun was hot.   All the children were in their thirties and forties now and all of them had children of their own, the Crabtree clan had grown quite large.  There were four boys, Sam, Steve, Shannon, and Luke.
Everyone wondered where Luke fit in since the girls were  Susie, Sissie, Sally, and Sarah.  Aunt Sadie said she had read a book when she was younger where Luke was the hero and she just liked that name.  Good a reason as any I suppose, better than some reasons..  grin.
 Silas had gone down to the sawmill and spread a lot of fresh sawdust all around under the shed and it actually looked pretty good and smelled OK also.  Not a bad place at all for a celebration.  A section of woven wire fence was stretched from one end of the shed to the other for food to sit on and rough benches had been quickly nailed together, there was an abundance of rough lumber stacked all around the shed.  All in all, things didn't look half bad...  for a sawmill shed that is.     
All four of the girls and all four of the daughters-in-law had worked together to get everything in order for the big shebang. Invitations had been sent out and it had been announced at church.   All the neighbor women had pitched in to help with the food and however they could.  It was a beautiful October Saturday and  people started drifting in early in the morning.
There must have been a hundred adults and a lot more kids than that. There was also a whole passel of dogs scattered around the sawmill log piles, and  bushes growing  around the area.  Sam's dog blackie was among the pack. 
Blackie  had sauntered off up to the spring where Aunt sadie kept her milk so it would be cool.  One of the grand kids had  taken a gallon of buttermilk down and put it in the spring the day before.  It was a big mouthed  jug and the lid had not been tightened  enough and Blackie spotted the possibility of getting  into the buttermilk  as soon as he  arrived at the spring.  It took him some time but somehow he got that loose lid off and stuck his head down in the jug as far as he could and started helping himself. His lucky day, he figured. 
In the meantime the other dogs had worked themselves up under the slab pile by crawling through open spots.  They had spotted something under there and had set up quite a commotion of howling, yelping and barking.  Blackie heard it all and decided it might be worth leaving his milk jug to get involved in whatever was taking place.   Blackie got to the slab pile just in time to be the first dog in line when the old yellow tomcat made a wild dash out of the slab pile and headed  toward the shed.   Blackie was in hot pursuit bawling every time his feet hit the ground and was quickly followed by twelve or fifteen other hounds, shepherds, and various kinds of mongrels, everyone of them wide open and barking their heads off.
The food was already on the wire and the adults had gathered around while preacher Jones was asking the blessing. Right up under the “table” and over the ladies feet  old tom ran from one end of the shed to the other.  Blackie was right behind with the whole pack in hot pursuit. 
Now the problem really began when daughter Susie noticed all the white stuff that looked like foam and slobber on old Blackies, nose and muzzle.  “Mad dog,”  she screamed at the top of her voice.   “Old Blackie’s gone mad.”  Nothing  caused a commotion quicker back in Needmore days than  a mad dog warning. 
Old Tom, Blackie, nor any of the other dogs had any idea what the  screaming and running was all about as the men tried to grab up slabs to protect the women and children with.  Right up toward the house the chase continued with  Tom climbing the big maple tree in the front yard and fifteen dogs treed under neath the maple.    
The mystery was not solved until someone noticed Blackie leaving the tree and heading quickly back toward the spring and the buttermilk jug.   And, everyone agreed later that it was one of the best celebrations ever enjoyed around Needmore.  And a good time was had by all.  Especially old Blackie.
This reminds me of something. Laura and I will celebrate our golden anniversary in October and our family is having a little something for us on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 6, 2013 from 1-3 p.m. in the afternoon.  It will also mark my 50th year of preaching.  No food.  Sorry, maybe a little punch and cake.  ALL are invited to drop by and see us that afternoon.  Please don't bring a gift when you come. Your presence will be gift enough to make us happy.  
We wanted to use a sawmill shed but none were available, so we will make do in the fellowship hall of Prosperity Baptist Church.   It is on Highway 96 between Auburntown and Forks of the Pike.
If you don't mind, please leave your dogs at home. You just never can tell what might happen...smile. Y’all come.