What Did Folks Down South Get Up to This Week?

All sorts of interesting and remarkable items this week:


Descendants of famed Siamese twins celebrate family ties:  Wilkesboro

A family reunion of the descendants of Chang and Eng, the famous conjoined twins that were a feature of the PT Barnum Circus in the 19th century.  Anyone growing up reading the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid will remember these guys....

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/descendants-of-famed-siamese-twins-celebrate-family-ties/article_c7600e68-153e-11e4-b177-001a4bcf6878.html

Warden considers ending inmate's solitary confinement after 28 straight years- Angola, La.

Twenty-eight years in solitary at Angola State Prison?  Apparently they are considering putting him back into the prison population because they need the cell.

http://theadvocate.com/home/9807246-125/warden-considers-ending-angola-inmates

Minor league general manager gets public prostate exam during 7th inning- Myrtle Beach

7th inning stretch?....only in Myrtle Beach.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/minor-league-gm-gets-public-prostate-exam-during-7/ngnWM/

Naked thieves take burgers from SW Fla. eatery-  Bonita Springs

60 hamburgers stolen along with some peppers...reckon they would have taken more but they didn't have a way to carry it.

http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/07/24/naked-hamburger-thieves/13133467/

PETA objects after Myrtle Beach chimps catch screening of "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"- Myrtle Beach

I'm against this as well.  All we need is to give these chimps the inspiration to evolve and move us humans to live in the wilderness while they assume their role as our malevolent overlords.  On the other hand, how much fun would it have been to catch one of the chimp's hands in your popcorn so you could say, "take your filthy paws off of my popcorn, you damn dirty ape"....

http://www.myhorrynews.com/news/crime/article_0e6f778c-1371-11e4-b573-0017a43b2370.html

Driftwood home destroyed by fire- Austin

Will folks ever learn the proper choice of building materials from the experience of the three little pigs?

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/agencies-fighting-house-fire-in-driftwood/ngm54/

Georgia Wal-Mart evacuated after child starts fire trying to open toy- Albany, Ga.

Lighters....start fires, light cigarettes, open toys...is there anything they can't do?

http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/jul/10/ga-walmart-evacuated-after-child-starts-fire-tryin/

State pays $75,000 for rights to "Sweet Home Alabama"- Montgomery

You'd think Skynyrd would cut them a little bit more of a break on the price...

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/state_pays_75000_for_rights_to.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Hunt Brothers pizza dominates rural Tennessee- Smyrna

I've always seen the signs on worn out old gas stations for this pizza but I always thought it was just a legend...

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/07/22/hunt-brothers-pizza-dominates-rural-tennessee/13008189/

Alabama 8th-graders rank 50th in math- Montgomery

This changes everything....I had always heard the four most popular words in Alabama education was "Thank God for Mississippi".  I guess now in Mississippi its "Thank God for Alabama".

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/see_how_alabama_public_schools.html#incart_most-comments

Shark shot 4 times one of two disqualified at Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo- Dauphin Island

I reckon the old boys just got mixed up and thought is was a deep sea hunting rodeo.  Luckily, they didn't get mixed up with the Rodeo part of the tournament's name, so no horses drowned.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/07/shooting_sharks_its_legal_but.html#incart_2box

World's tallest horse dies at Texas Ranch- San Antonio

His heart was quote, "kind, humble and pure and it showed in his unique and wonderful disposition."  That's better than most folks obituaries.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Tallest-Horse-passes-away-at-Texas-ranch-5625535.php

Greer Island's Goat Man- Dallas

A seven foot tall half-man, half-goat that roams the shorelines of Lake Worth.

http://res.dallasnews.com/interactives/goatman/

Woman carrying bottle filled with urine arrested on drug charge- Roebuck, S.C.

I had to read this a couple of times.  Women gets arrested for carrying bottle full of urine because they believe she is going to distill the meth out of it.  Amazing....I wonder if you can do that for beer?

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20140724/ARTICLES/140729801/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Woman-carrying-pill-bottle-filled-with-her-urine-arrested-on-drug-charge

Sweet Savory South- Duke's Mayonnaise

In the South, if you want to get folks talking about food, the go-to subject always seems to be BBQ.  Each region has its own hallmark taste from mutton in Kentucky, to brisket in Texas and pork in the Carolinas.  While these discussions are always lively, at the end of the day they are really about a dish we rarely eat on a daily basis.  Now, I love BBQ but I don't eat it every day for lunch or dinner.  BBQ is an iconic feature of our cuisine, however there is another food that elicits conversations with much of the same passion as BBQ and that is mayonnaise.

The place of mayonnaise in the southern diet can't be overlooked.  From sandwiches to potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, North Alabama BBQ sauce and countless other recipes, mayonnaise is both an ingredient and a condiment whose quality and taste can make or break a dish.

Now, first of all let's set the record straight.  This is not about "salad dressing" or Miracle Whip.  These products may look similar to mayonnaise but they are as close as Iced Tea is to gasoline.  They may have the same general color but they smell different and they sure taste different.  I personally have yet to meet someone who does not express a preference for mayonnaise or salad dressing.  The tastes are just too different to be interchangeable.

In my opinion, the best mayonnaise is Duke's which is a product of C.F. Sauer (Richmond, Va.) and is still manufactured in Greenville, S.C..  There is a big difference in the taste of Duke's when compared to other mayonnaise.  You have to try it to understand.  There are hints of vinegar that provide a taste that you don't find in other recipes.   Like most companies with a great product, Sauer's has expanded the product line to include cholesterol free, fat free and other versions but these don't share the same iconic status as the Original.

Thankfully,  Duke's is relatively easy to find.  However if you are out of town whipping up a batch of  deviled eggs for a football tailgate and need a jar, the website has a store finder that can point you in the right direction.

http://www.dukesmayo.com

My all-time favorite Duke's recipe, is very simple....spread on two pieces of white bread and add several slices of warm, ripe tomato just out of the garden.  You may want to eat this over the sink.

To add even more of a reason to try Duke's, they even a NASCAR sponsor for a short time:

Take the Time to Smell Summer

It's July and while the living is hot, humid and easy, many of us in the South shift into what I call "thermos" mode.  We do everything in our power to insulate ourselves from the heat until the temperature drops in the fall and we can safely open our windows again to more temperate breezes.

While I hail the invention of air conditioning as one of the main reasons our part of the country is now tolerable to live and work in year round, it also has disconnected many of us from using our sense of smell to get the feel of the of the world around us.  I will admit that I don't open the windows of my house during sultry days just to get a whiff of what may be blooming in the yard....the cool air is just too precious.  However, what I will do is drive with my truck windows down.  You would be surprised the sense memories that come flooding back when you pass through an area where distinct summer smells reside.  If you need proof, just look at dogs that folks are giving a ride to.  They stick their noses out of the window for a reason...they know how to appreciate a good summer smell.  To encourage you to get out of "Thermos" mode and experience the outdoors more in this hot weather, here are my personal top 10 smells of a Southern Summer:

10-  Coconut Oil based Suntan lotions.  Nothing jolts you back to hanging out at the pool or beach more than the smell of coconut oil.  I know you aren't supposed to use suntan oil anymore, but a woman can dab on this scent and make all the men around her feel 16 years old again....scratch that...that's probably not such a good idea after all.

9- Chlorine.  I am not a fan of this smell normally but nothing says summer like blurred vision and stinging eyes from staying in the pool too long.

8- River Mud.  A bit of stagnant water smell with the scent of earthy muck baked in.  Makes you remember fishing from the bank for catfish or getting ready to put the tube in to float the river.

7-  Nettles or what I call the smell of Green.  Getting down in the shaded woods where there isn't any breeze stirring to cut the humidity, the thick green smell of the nettles means summer is at its deepest and most humid.

6-  Just cut cantaloupe.  It just smells cool, pungent and right. The stronger the better.  There is a reason they are called muskmelons.

5- The air just as a storm rolls in and just afterwards, when the rain stops.  If you pay attention to the weather, you will know what I mean.

4- Charcoal.  No propane grill can match it.  Something about having to light it, then waiting for it to be ready to cook.  Smelling that smoke with just enough time for a cocktail or two before putting food on is the original slow food movement.

3- Old Bay Seasoning.  Blue crabs or shrimp steaming....there is no mistaking it.

2- A leather baseball glove.  Especially one that is at least 20 years old and has been oiled.  The smell reminds you that there are worse things you can do than playing catch in the front yard  in the evening as the twilight creeps in.

1-Honeysuckle.  Some consider it a burdensome plant but when my time comes, bury me with honeysuckle vining around my headstone so I can be near that sweet scent always.  Sometimes it pays to play it safe, so give me honeysuckle so if the Lord isn't ready for me at least where I lay it will smell like heaven.

Southern Celluloid- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is an touching film about John Singer, a deaf-mute that moves to a small Georgia town and the relationships he builds with the town's characters.  Played by Alan Arkin, Singer moves through the entire film without spoken dialog. While to some viewers this could be challenging to follow through an entire film, Arkin capably carries the story and eventually breaks your heart in the end.  Released in 1968, themes of race relations and civil rights are woven well into the plot as well as struggles with class and wealth that predominate in the small town in which it's set.

What drives the film are the relationships that John Singer struggles to cultivate with those around him.  Obviously lonely and isolated in the new town,  he is completely cut off from others due to their inability to understand his handicap.  Though he works as an engraver in a local jewelry store, his personal relationships tend to revolve around three other characters:  Mick, played by Sondra Locke, the teenage daughter of the poor family from whom he rents his room; Blount, a drifter played by Stacy Keach;  and Dr. Copeland, an African-American physician, played by Percy Rodrigues that struggles relating to his family.

In all three of these relationships, Singer struggles to help each with their personal struggles.  Throughout the film, you see how each person benefits from their knowing Singer because he cares for and understands them, even though he can't speak and can only read lips.  As the film progresses, you understand the loneliness that pervades Singer's life.  He has built these friendships but in the end none of them can grasp what he feels and personally needs.

I'm not going to pull any punches here...I think this is an excellent film both in the acting of Alan Arkin as how well it relates to the social issues that were pervasive in the South during the time of its filming and release.  However, it isn't a movie you walk away from feeling uplifted.  It is a drama and while I have recommend it to many, I provide the caveat that I consider this a "one viewing a year" movie.  If you find this on Netflix or can catch it on Turner Classic Movies, it is well worth watching.     

The Darker the Blueberry the Sweeter the Cobbler

Some foods, particularly desserts, are only meant to be made during certain seasons of the year.  While there is nothing stopping you from baking a King Cake in October, a Pumpkin Pie in April or Gingerbread Men in July, personal and family tradition seem to set an understood schedule when dishes should be, rather than could be made.  For me, cobblers are only to be made during the summer months when fruit is local and fresh.

Each summer, I wait expectantly for the local farms that offer pick your own berries to open for the season.  My family is fortunate to have three local farms close by that specialize in strawberries in May, blueberries in June/July and blackberries in July/August.  This past Saturday, I made the annual pilgrimage to the blueberry farm.  The field were full of families on outings just like when my wife and I would bring our boys when they were young.  The pattern I noticed with the current families matched our own experience: kids ate berries off the bushes until they were full, picked a couple, knocked over buckets of picked berries and then ran around with Mom chasing them while Dad quickly picked as many as possible before having to retreat back to the car.

A side benefit of berry picking is you can learn a great deal from just listening to the other pickers' conversations.  For example, I learned from the ladies picking beside me that they were planning on using their blueberries for a special dessert they were bringing to a friend's party.  This event was referred to as a "Reveal" Party where folks were invited to learn what the sex of a new baby is after the ultrasound.  Now, this isn't a baby shower.  They were adamant that event would come later. Who knew such a thing existed?  Well...now I do because I learned while picking.  One never knows where wisdom will be imparted.

This year, I picked alone and almost found it to be a zen-like experience.  With my phone streaming WWOZ from New Orleans in my breast pocket, I picked for about 90 minutes and finished up with 9 lbs. of berries.  The damage was less than $21 (about a third of the cost of local supermarket retail) and the family is now set for a good while.  I freeze about 2/3 of them and the rest we eat fresh.

Now, there seems to be as many ways to make cobbler as there are varieties of BBQ sauce but my favorite way is simple, basic and for my benefit...easy to remember.  It goes like this:

When the Tailgate Drops Cup, Cup, Cup, Pinch, Pinch, Stick, Mix,  Bake, Eat, Nap Cobbler

Mix in a bowl:

- Cup of Flour
- Cup of Sugar
- Cup of Milk
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Baking Powder
- Melted Stick of Butter

Pour into baking dish and fold in blueberries.

Cook at about 375 until brown on top.

Serve with Ice Cream (best but not essential)

Take Nap

I'll be traveling to the blackberry farm next weekend.  Thankfully due to the miracle of plant genetics, these blackberries are thornless and I no longer need to look like I just walked away from getting clawed by a mess of cats like I used to when I would pick blackberries by the railroad tracks.  Who says folks in the South are resistant to change?

What Did Folks Down South Get Up To Last Week?

The Weekly Roundup:


Red Rears Result From Bull Run- Pensacola

This has it all..a running of the bulls where roller derby queens dress as devils and smack the runners with wiffle ball bats on their hind parts as they run through the streets.  Read it to believe...

http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/community/2014/07/19/red-rears-result-bull-run/12880207/


Wanted: More "Funky" Public Gathering Places Wanted- Charlotte

Charlotte may have the banks but it doesn't have the funkiness.  Maybe Richmond, Austin and New Orleans need to watch out for a hostile takeover.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/18/5052389/wanted-more-funky-public-gathering.html#.U8vfz150UzW

Vintage Clothes to-go- Huntsville

If it works to sell food out the side of a panel truck why not old bowling shirts?

http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/vintage_clothing_to-go_woman_w.html#incart_more_business

Lots of Cool Stuff to see at the 31st Annual World Deer Expo- Birmingham

1000+ booths featuring deer hunting and hunting related items...that's right over 1000

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/07/lots_of_cool_stuff_to_see_at_t.html

Kangaroo Express Offering Free Hot Dogs to Military Personnel- Spartanburg

Haven't our fighting men and women sacrificed enough?

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20140715/ARTICLES/140719764/1086?Title=Kangaroo-Express-to-offer-free-hot-dogs-to-military-personnel-loyal-customers

PETA challenges new Possum Drop law- Raleigh

In the North Carolina mountains, they drop a possum to ring in the New Year and for some odd reason PETA has a problem with that.

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/local/2014/07/17/peta-challenges-new-possum-drop-law/12806363/

Owner of offbeat Elvis museum found dead- Holly Springs

Lord, why didn't I get to see this when I had a chance.  Graceland too....

http://blog.nola.com/nola_river/2014/07/owner_of_offbeat_elvis_museum.html#incart_river

Chick-Fil-A may beat McDonald's in U.S. sales- Atlanta

Wouldn't surprise me a bit.  Regardless of your politics, there is no other fast food or really any restaurant that does a better job hiring, training and managing its employees for the customer experience.

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/biz-beat/2014/jul/16/analyst-chick-fil-may-beat-mcdonalds-us-sales/?icmp=ajc_internallink_textlink_homepage

Autopsy shows Crisco died of heart Disease- Charlotte

Story has nothing to do with cooking fats, but I couldn't help but include with that headline

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/15/5045749/autopsy-shows-crisco-died-from.html#.U8vkNF50UzW

Porcupine attacks on rise in Central Texas- Austin

If they start working together with skunks, possums and raccoons..no trashcan will be safe

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Porcupine-attacks-infesting-Central-Texas-5623637.php

KKK drumming up support for August rally in High Point- Winston-Salem

Sorry guys....but to say there will be thousands of supporters rallying needs clarification....there will be thousands of counter demonstrators but you guys will number about 10.  It's time to hang it up.

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/report-kkk-drumming-up-support-for-august-rally-in-high/article_5651a360-2703-500d-9594-8e49de0d0f2b.html

Threatened chicken delays Texas spaceflight plan- Midland

Again, more for the headline than an odd story.  I can just picture a chicken refusing to leave her nest on the launchpad.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/Endangered-chicken-delays-Texas-spaceflight-plan-5609951.php#texasendangered

Cobb inmate released, re-arrested for allegedly stealing jail shirt- Atlanta

Sounds like he and his jail shirt will be together a good bit longer.  Must be a really great shirt.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/cobb-inmate-released-re-arrested-for-allegedly-ste/ngfZL/

12 Foot Alligator walks out of Hilton Head Surf

This is what nightmares of made of.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/15/5045263/12-foot-alligator-walks-out-of.html#.U8vnRl50UzU


Until next week, ya'll come back now....

Sweet Savory South- Blenheim Ginger Ale

Once at the Virginia State Fair, I bought a hot dog that was topped with pulled pork BBQ and slaw.  After I paid, the vendor predicted, "you will remember two days in your life, the day you got married and the day you ate this hot dog".  Thankfully, I remember more than just those two days but he was right as far as that meal leaving a mark on my memory.  It seems life's unexpected experiences leave memories that are often as vivid as the day you lived them.  One of the best examples I have of this is the day I had my first Blenheim Ginger Ale.

It was about 18 years ago, and my wife and I had just moved into a new neighborhood.  When I visited the local bakery for the first time, I noticed in their drink cooler a brand of ginger ale that I had never seen before.  After I paid and uncapped it, I began the walk home and took the first long pull off the bottle.  Now those that know Blenheim will understand the error that I committed with that first taste.  The flavor was so intense that I actually had a coughing fit and the soda sought its escape via my nose.   I soon learned that Blenheim Ginger Ale is a sipping soda, not one to be slugged down like your typical national brands.

The Blenheim story traces back to the 1800's and is now currently being bottled on the grounds of the South of the Border complex in South Carolina.  Comparing Blenheim to other ginger ales simply isn't fair, nor useful.  It's kind of like comparing good moonshine liquor to 80 proof economy bourbon.  When you take your first taste you experience what I call the "Blenheim Burn".  The natural ginger content is so high that it not only gives your mouth a jolt but it also opens your sinus passages.   However once you begin to drink it,  no other ginger ale or soda can compare.  You just have to try it to understand.

Blenheim comes in three varieties and only in six pack bottles:

- Old #3 HOT with the Red Cap
- #5 Not as HOT with the Gold Cap
- #9 Diet with the White Cap

There are a few personal tips about Blenheim that I would like to share.

- Personally, my preference is #3 HOT but if you have never tried it before I would recommend the #5 Not as Hot to start.
- Don't serve Blenheim to people that do not know they are being served something that has a flavor with so much heat.  Most folks don't expect a soda to have a burn to it as you drink it.
-Don't serve it to children.  One of my boys got into a bottle of it when he was about 5 years old and didn't react well at all.
- Don't be surprised if you see flecks in the bottle before you open it.  That's the natural flavorings that will sometimes settle to the bottom of the bottle.
- This isn't a big corporate brand, so there will be some variation in packaging.  Often, bottles in the same six pack will be filled to slightly different levels before capping.

Now, how do you buy it?  Well it isn't the easiest brand to find.  In Virginia, there are only about 10 stores in the entire state that stock it.  The further south you go, the more available it becomes but it can still be a bit of a hunt.   The best way to track down a retailer is through the Blenheim website store locator.  Check it out:

www.blenheimgingerale.com

What is the best way to enjoy Blenheim?  This is my personal favorite:

OLD #3 HOT with Wild Turkey 101 and Virginia Peanuts

There is a tag line that a beer company uses that implores people to enjoy their product responsibly.  I would suggest you do the same with Blenheim.  In my opinion, it is the best ginger ale on the market...bar none.  However, like most good things you just can't rush your enjoyment of it.  As the summer starts its downward slope, find yourself a retailer where you can try Blenheim.  I can almost guarantee you will remember that first taste just as I remember mine.

Let Us Now Praise Famous Rivers

During our recent trip through the deep South, my son and I noted that virtually every major city we visited had a river as its centerpiece.  Some of these waters were wide, muddy and with a barely perceptible flow, like the Mississippi at Memphis and New Orleans.  Others had been diverted by the hands of man and their course hemmed in and controlled by concrete, like the San Antonio.  Still others flowed along banks with high bluffs and bordering mountains but appeared as tame as a lake like the Tennessee River at Chattanooga.  However, none of these rivers we crossed during our 3300+ mile journey were like my home river, the James.

Boasting class III and IV rapids that flow through the city, the James provides the canvas upon which the history of our country was recorded.  Standing on the geologic fall line, the city provides the visual divide as the river shifts from flowing through the rocky piedmont to the wide coastal plain and eventually the bay and ocean.

For adventurers, fortune seekers and settlers, the rivers of the new world provided the first pathways for exploration into the interior of the unknown country.  Even today, that same feeling of mystery can be experienced as you consider the ability of water to swallow the tracks of a paddle and or wake of a motor and leave an undisturbed surface that appears as unchanged and new as it may have looked hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

This afternoon, I was treated to a boat ride on the river below the city and along its fall line.  It was in this wide, flat water that explorers founded settlements, settlers traded goods and made treaties, slavers unloaded and auctioned captured Africans and a President arrived victorious in his quest to reunite a nation.

In this quiet water, life abounds.... much of it blue.  Blue catfish, their size almost startling, swim silently along the bottom serving their role as apex predators of the deep.  Blue herons fish among the riffles bordering the small pockets of water hemmed in by the smooth river rock.  Even blue crabs, when drought causes the salinity to rise and water levels to drop, migrate their way west from the bay finding themselves among the crevices of sandstone and granite.

People also naturally migrate to rivers.  There is an deep seated, instinctual need to return to the resource that our ancestors based their survival upon.  However,  it is also a drowning river.  Every year, lives are lost either through drowning or suicide and unlike on land, evidence and explanations for these losses are erased quickly by the river's unending current.

Man can harness its flow for his own needs for a time, but eventually the river will continue to move in its natural, instinctive way.  It finds the ancient banks that it has cut into the landscape for millennia and follows them home to the sea.

Tailgate Culture...A Poem

On occasion, When the Tailgate Drops will share southern cultural treasures that we feel raise the level of discourse and civility in this cold, cruel world.

This week....we offer a poem for your reflection.

Ode to a New Potato

Tater, dear tater, oblong or round

Dusty and dirty, just dug from the ground

Sittin' in a bucket, waiting on a home

I grab a handful, some snaps and ham bone

You simmer in the pot for a good long while

Scooped out on a plate, I look and I smile

Some folks may prefer a russet or yam 

But I'll take you little tater, with pot likker and ham

Southern Celluloid

In my opinion, Hollywood productions featuring the South as a backdrop or story line are mostly uneven in their representation of the region and its people.  For every To Kill a Mockingbird there is a Deliverance.  For every Last Picture Show there's a Shag-The Movie.  This isn't to say that Deliverance doesn't have its moments but the fact that "Squeal like a pig" has entered the American lexicon is enough to keep Deliverance  out of my top tier of favorite movies.

When The Tailgate Drops loves us some southern movies and each week we will share our favorites and personal recommendations that we feel are both entertaining and reveal a side of our region that prove to be unique to our history and culture.

The Holy Trinity of 1970's Burt Reynolds:

WHITE LIGHTNING (1973)

THE LONGEST YARD (1974)

GATOR  (1976)

If you went to the movies in the 70's, there was really only one star that balanced ability to be a sex symbol to the ladies as well as a good old boy that was admired by the men.  A former fullback at Florida State, Burt Reynolds was able to make his southern characters believable because he just seemed like someone that you would see driving down the street, albeit in a souped up Chevelle or Nova.

My favorite 1970's Burt Reynolds movies (and due to his later work my favorite of his movies in general) are White Lightning, The Longest Yard and Gator.  All three of these feature stories set in the Deep South, primarily Georgia and Florida.  Two of these, White Lightning and Gator are based on the character, Gator McKlusky, a swamp dwelling moonshine runner whose adventures include taking down the corrupt sheriff and a crime boss of a small Georgia town.

A hallmark of Reynolds is his desire to remember and take care of his acting buddies.  Several of the actors in these movies also are featured in many of his other films throughout his career.  In White Lightning, you'll find Ned Beatty (Deliverance, W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings, Stroker Ace) as the corrupt sheriff and in Gator, the lead villain is Jerry Reed (Smokey and the Bandit films, W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings).  These films have it all...corrupt local officials, hippie killings, moonshine running, bootlegging, speedboat chases through swamps, shaky puddin', and high horsepower American made muscle cars.  As a kid, the one part I wasn't clear on until I was much older was the use of the term "Shaky Pudding" in White Lightning.  Its worth watching it just to hear that portion of the dialog.

The Longest Yard was remade a few years ago by Adam Sandler.  No idea why he decided to soil this classic story with his version.  Thank god he didn't decide to try and take on Cool Hand Luke.  In The Longest Yard, Reynolds plays a former pro football quarterback who ends up in a Florida prison.  Reviled at first by the other inmates because he was disgraced when caught point shaving during his NFL career, the movie follows his character as he forms a convict football team that plays a team composed of the prison's guards.  It's a great movie and has super casting with many former pro football players featured including Ray Nitschke as well as country music star, George Jones and a particularly maniacal Eddie Albert (Mr. Douglas from Green Acres) as the prison warden.

Everybody in these movies sweat a lot and Reynolds uses this fact to his advantage by going shirtless in many scenes (See the movie posters above).  Since this films appear all be set during depth of the southern summer, my advice is to turn off the home AC, open the windows, get a six pack and enjoy these great pieces of southern celluloid history.

Elvis in the Sky With a Fools Gold Loaf

Nothing riles people up more than to have a personal shrine or holy site altered or desecrated.  One just needs to look in the newspaper to see almost daily reports of houses of worship or revered symbols being destroyed.  One example that recently hit close to home is the report that Graceland would be removing Elvis' two personal airplanes from its campus.  The airplanes: the Lisa Marie, described as a flying limousine with a bedroom and gold plated bathroom fixtures and the Hound Dog II, a smaller jet also used by the King are both on display and require a separate ticket purchase to tour them.  Neither of the planes are currently owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises but are privately owned and displayed under a revenue sharing agreement.  Plans have been mentioned to build a new hotel on or near the site but the time frame for the planes removal hasn't been stated.

As I said before, when you begin to alter what many feel is a shrine, people will get riled up and no one gets more worked up like an Elvis fan.  Things apparently have gotten so heated with the complaints from fans that Priscilla Presley herself has taken to her Facebook page to ask everyone to "please calm down".  I have to admit I didn't personally shell out the additional ticket price to go through the planes.  Frankly, I didn't think my constitution could hold up enough to view both Graceland and his planes on the same day.

Personally, m favorite story about Elvis had to do with his jet.  I had heard it years ago, but only recently did the online search to verify the details.  It is classic late life Elvis.

The Legend of Elvis and the Fool's Gold Loaf

In 1976, Elvis was entertaining friends at Graceland when the conversation turned to food.  His guests, who were from Colorado, mentioned to The King a particular sandwich that was available at only one restaurant in Denver that he should try sometime.  When his guests described the sandwich, Elvis immediately decided he wanted one right then and there.  He then ordered his jet, the Lisa Marie, to be prepared for an immediate flight to Denver.  After the two hour flight, the plane was met by the owners of the Denver restaurant that offered the sandwich and reportedly 22 of the sandwiches were delivered to the Lisa Marie.  Elvis and his friends then commenced to eat the sandwiches and then flew back to Memphis without ever leaving the plane in Colorado.  I have read where the sandwiches cost $50 each in 1976 and the whole trip that evening to Denver cost Elvis about $16,000 in total, but who knows where those figures came from.  While having 22 sandwiches delivered to a plane flown on a whim across the country is a good story, the real "meat" of the legend is what the sandwiches actually were.

Here is the recipe for the Fool's Gold Loaf:

- One loaf of French Bread sliced lengthwise
- Two tablespoons melted Margarine
- One jar of smooth Peanut Butter
- One jar of Jelly (Elvis supposedly preferred Blueberry)
- One pound of cooked bacon

Take the sliced loaf and bath it on all sides with melted margarine
Bake the bread till golden brown on all sides
Spread one jar of peanut butter on one slice of bread
Spread one jar of jelly on other slice of bread
Place cooked bacon on sandwich, place slices together and serve.
(Some sources claim that the sandwich was then deep fried, but I don't think even the King would do that)

Photo from Elvisblog.com  (I'm not about to try and make one of these at home for a photo)

Now, here is the kicker.  The legend claims that about seven people flew to Denver that night including the pilot and co-pilot.  So...that's 22 sandwiches for 7 diners.  I don't know how many Elvis enjoyed personally, but I am sure he held his own in the eating melee that must have ensued.  Some folks say this is just a legend and that Elvis was a Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich man through and through.  To me, The King deserves a sandwich fit for a king and the Fool's Gold Loaf at an estimated 8000 calories each has Elvis written all over it.

He was dead just over a year after his Fool's Gold Adventure.

If I Read it on the Internet....It has to be true...

Each Sunday, When the Tailgate Drops will share the most interesting and entertaining news coming out of the Southern United States....

Athens, Georgia:  Rodeo Bull Goring

What's worse?  Getting gored by a bull or being "helped" by your loaded buddies?

http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-23/intoxicated-man-gored-bull-athens-arena

Athens, Georgia:  OCD burglar breaks in and cleans up

Well....if you have to lose a pair of headphones to a thief...you may as well get the litter box cleaned and kitchen floor mopped.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/25996902/police-athens-burglar-breaks-in-cleans-up

Rock Hill, South Carolina:  Theft of 2 pair underwear and fleeting in an Ice Cream Truck

Can you blame her?  Who wants to sell rocket pops and dreamsicles when going commando?

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20140712/NEWS03/307120014/Inmate-tries-smuggle-contraband-under-stomach

Shreveport, Louisiana:  Inmate tries to smuggle contraband under stomach

Well....if you have it....might as well flaunt it use it to hide your sock full of synthetic dope

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20140712/NEWS03/307120014/Inmate-tries-smuggle-contraband-under-stomach

Alabama:   Alabamians commit crimes to pay their court costs

Friends and neighbors...if you have to steal to pay the fine for stealing...then you are probably doing it wrong.

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/07/study_finds_alabamians_commit.html

Savannah, Georgia:  Neighbors against local church playground

I'm going to give my Savannah neighbors the benefit of the doubt, but to complain about the noise of children "squealing" when using a playground....you need to do some sphincter relaxation exercises before its too late.

http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2014-07-11/playground-spat-pits-neighbors-against-local-church#.U8MeH150Xu2

Beaufort, South Carolina:  Tomato Fight

Well I reckon if your tomatoes aren't from Hanover, you may as well just throw them at each other rather than try to eat them.

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140711/PC0301/140719898/1017/beaufort-hosts-tomato-fight-this-weekend

Memphis, Tennessee:  6 State BBQ Tour in One Day

Folks decide to drive through 6 states and eat BBQ in one day.  Nice try but who in the name of the Almighty goes out of their way to drive to Illinois and Missouri for BBQ?  Nice try fellas.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2014/jul/11/buddies-take-road-tour-to-eat-barbecue-in-6-in-1/

Memphis, Tennessee:  Weapons, Cookies and Butter

As our conspiracy theorist neighbors would say..."First, they came for the assault weapons,  then they came for the cookies....then...and only then...they came for our butter".  Who knew that dairy fats would be the next line of battle for individual liberties of all Americans....

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2014/jul/11/military-weapons-cookies-and-butter-in-bust/

Cherokee, North Carolina:  Elvis World Record Attempt

What can you say?  Indian casino....Smoky Mountains....Free Elvis Costume for the first 1400 visitors...World Records...everything you need for a holiday in the South

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/carol-motsinger/2014/07/10/elvis-world-record-festivities/12486963/

Charlotte, North Carolina:  Coyotes in the Queen City

As a former employee of Bank of America, it does not surprise me that these scavengers have found a home among their kind:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/10/5036884/charlotte-residents-howl-about.html#.U8MZ9150Xu2

Savannah, Georgia:     St. Patrick's Day Antics Caused by Locals

Last time I was in Savannah was just before the St. Patrick's Day Holiday.  Now I know I made the right decision to retreat to Hilton Head for the weekend.  Not to say Savannah isn't a great town....in fact it is jewel of the South.  Sometimes its just best to leave the folks at home to enjoy the festivities amongst themselves:

http://savannahnow.com/news/2014-07-10/locals-get-blame-savannahs-st-patricks-day-mess#.U8MZT150Xu2


Until next Sunday....

Sweet Savory South- Palmetto Cheese

On Saturdays, When the Tailgate Drops will offer a regular feature called "Sweet Savory South".  Each week, I'll share my favorite southern foods and beverages that I personally recommend to my family and friends. To be featured, the item must be manufactured in the south and somewhat readily available either thorough regular retail outlets or via Internet ordering.

This week's feature:

Palmetto Cheese, "The Pimento Cheese with Soul!" (Jalapeno Edition)

Coming out of Pawley's Island, South Carolina, Palmetto Cheese brand Pimento Cheese is a product that I stumbled upon about a year or so ago at my local Price Club (known as Costco to most).  Pimento cheese recipes have as many variations as BBQ sauce and I have certainly tried my share.  Some brands are essentially coarse shredded cheese with some pimentos but little mayonnaise binder...others try to mix it up by using different types of cheese besides cheddar to try and stand out.

Frankly, Palmetto Cheese (specifically the "with Jalapenos" variety) is spreadable and is exceptionally addictive.  I buy a container about once a month during our normal visit to Costo and virtually every time I get a comment from someone else reaching into the refrigerated case that they are glad someone else is as addicted to it as they are.  According to their website, their distribution is through many of the major national grocery chains although I have never seen it at my neighborhood Kroger.  That actually is a good thing.  Having to make a special trip to Costco keeps me from running through more than one container a month.

Their website address is surprisingly:   www.pimentocheese.com

Look for it in your neck of the woods.  It is the Real Deal.

Dread of a Salesman

In the history of human civilization, I doubt if there is a request that is more ignored than No Soliciting.  Regardless of how this message is presented, it has no bearing on a person determined to attempt a sale.  Perhaps the issue is more with the wording, after all solicitation isn't a phrase that naturally rolls off the tongue in daily speech.  The Merriam Webster dictionary defines solicit as "to ask for something from a person, company, etc.".   So, to be clear...when someone rings my doorbell and asks for a signature on a petition, a request to purchase a home alarm system or to save my everlasting soul, in my personal definition...this is all solicitation.  So what should be the wording be to warn a potential door ringer that their interruption of my peaceful home life isn't desired?  It can't be "no salesmen" because that would allow the petition signers and watchtower distributors to filter through.  It has to be simple enough to be read by a young child so there won't be any pleading to purchase wrapping paper, cooking dough or other useless school fundraising goods. It also has to be non-threatening enough to ensure people you actually want to come and visit you aren't frightened away.

A doormat like this may be a bit too "uni-bombery" for our subdivision but it would probably be most effective for the witnesses of jehovah...

Available on Amazon, of course

This is along the same lines but has the benefit of being a bit more succinct for the magazine sellers....

I remember when I was in college outside of a small rural town in Virginia,  I was leaving the local liquor store when I noticed a couple of handmade signs mounted on the overhanging roof that you could only see if you were standing on the sidewalk in front of the store looking out to the parking lot.  The message on the sign was "No Loafing".  The signs seemed to work because no one was lounging about the sidewalk at that moment.  When I looked back at the front of the store from the parking lot, I noticed that "No Loitering" signs were facing out from the store.  It got me thinking that perhaps those folks that are susceptible to the sirens call of standing outside of a liquor store and watching the world go by either aren't familiar with the term loitering or perhaps "No Loafing" just has a greater feel of authority.  Recently, I noticed that the No Loafing message was more prevalent than I imagined.  During a visit to Graceland,  I was impressed that Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, posted this sign outside of the building he used as an office to process The King's vast fan mail.  If it was good enough for the father of the King, perhaps loafing should be used across the board rather than loitering.

Actually, my views on door to door solicitors are starting to evolve.  My oldest son is currently serving as an intern for a US Senate candidate and in this role he has to ring a whole bunch of doorbells.  Thinking about how he is reacted to by homeowners has caused me to rethink how I typically welcome these folks at my door.  I need to understand that they are only doing their job and honestly want to improve my outlook, education and quality of life by what they have to offer.  I should welcome their intrusions so that I can be made a better man and they achieve the success they so desperately desire.

Nope, not a chance.

Farm Stand and Deliver

Extra Credit when spelled correctly

One evening when I was in high school and having dinner at the kitchen table with my parents, my mother had prepared what was then a rarity....a meal with no main meat course.  Instead, she served a variety of vegetables that we had just brought home from a visit to my Grandmother's home in the country.  As he ate, my father said he would seriously consider becoming a vegetarian if he could eat like this year-round.  Typically, talking about becoming a vegetarian would be met with smiles and jokes but looking at the array of bowls full of of corn, squash, tomatoes, snap beans and new potatoes, I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

While you could argue that anyone could eat a vegetable based diet all year with the modern transportation of produce enjoyed these days, there really is a "golden window" of truly enjoying local summer vegetables for only about 90 days.  In my area of Virginia, that typically runs from about mid-June to mid-September.  Its during this time that the Farm Stand makes its anticipated annual appearance.

Today, the method that farmers use to sell their crops to the public has morphed from simple roadside stands to landmark conglomerations with dozens of tables selling everything from radishes to crafts.  While you certainly can buy a tomato at one of these events, they aren't my personal preference to buy produce.

After careful thought and study, I'd like to offer my take on the six ways of buying summer vegetables:

6.  The "Historic" Market:  This is a farmer's market where no farmer has stepped foot for at least twenty years.  Historically, there has been a farmer's market here for over a century.  True, produce can be purchased but its from individuals who have bought it from local produce wholesalers for resale.  One clue is if you see oranges or other citrus being sold, then most likely this is an "Historic" Market.  I haven't run into many Virginia orange groves, so I can only imagine where they get their tomatoes from...probably Mexico or a Dutch Hothouse.  The only thing more historic than the market is the age of the produce.  Take a pass on this type.

5. The Roadside Farmer's Market:  These are large farm stands that sell almost every type of produce you can think of.  During the "golden window" much of what they have for sale will have been purchased locally from commercial farms for resale.  These stands are especially great during the tail end of the growing season when you can buy cheap crates of tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. for canning or pickling.  However many of them open in April or May, well before the peak local growing season so you are buying the same produce that is in the local supermarket.  I reserve my visits to these from mid-July to the close of the season.

4. The Hipster Farmer's Market:  This is a relatively new entry in the world of Farm Stands.  With the "back to the land" trend that has nurtured the recent urban chicken and "goats as lawnmowers" obsessions, more and more young urbanites are looking for ways to express their inner farmer.  One of these ways is to organize a local market that is regularly scheduled and held in a parking lot or sidewalk.  While I think this is a great idea, I always notice that the ratio of good produce to craft merchandise is a bit off.  Here's my tip....if there is homemade soap, lotion, candles, goat cheese or anything that has to do with alpacas for sale then vegetables just aren't the priority.

3. The Roadside Farm Stand:  Folks that live in the country will typically keep a decent garden to carry them through the summer and supply canning for the fall and winter.  Regardless of how much a person plans on canning, there will always be a surplus that can be turned into a bit of ready cash.  These folks will then set up a tent or even a scrap lumber shelter to sell what they have in surplus from their garden.  Tip:  these stands can look pretty ramshackle, but its always worth a stop.

2. The "Tailgate" Stand:  When you have the chance to buy produce from the tailgate of a farmer's pickup truck, you aren't going to get much fresher.  These pickup truck produce stands are great to get what is freshest and just out of the garden.  The big drawbacks are typically lack of selection (they usually are selling only one or two items, melons tend to be a favorite) and continuity (you tend to run across them by chance).  These are always worth a stop, especially later in the season when watermelons and cantalopes are plentiful and cheap.  Extra points if the truck has a "Farm Use" plate.


1. The "Honor" Stand:  This is by far my favorite way to buy fresh produce.  These can be difficult to find and sometimes take a little searching but it is worth it.  An "Honor" Stand is where a gardener or farmer puts a table, flat trailer or other small structure in front of their home near the road.  On the table, they display what they picked that morning from the garden along with the price, a scale and a box to drop money in to pay for the goods.  I enjoy these types of stands because they tend to serve two purposes:  first to share their garden with the neighbors and folks who just happen to pass by as well as offering trust that a customer will do what is right.  The best ones are run by the children or grandchildren of the farmer to earn spending money.

Extra Credit when there is a sign to apologize for having to put a lock on the Honor Box

15 feet from garden to market

While it is always best to personally keep a small garden or at least a tomato plant or two, sometimes you just need to go and take full advantage of what the season has to offer.  Who knows, you just may become a vegetarian for the summer.  Could be worse....(to clarify: smoked meat used in cooking the vegetables is expected and counts as a vegetable as well, kind of like Macaroni and Cheese is considered a vegetable choice in many southern restaurants)

Serpents in the Garden

Snakes have always played a featured role in the lore and culture of the South.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that virtually all venomous snake species found in the United States have habitats in parts or whole swaths of the South.  Maybe the role of the serpent in the Bible and how it was taught in Sunday School classes throughout the Bible Belt caused many folks to look upon all snakes as a danger, a symbol of temptation and an emblem of original sin.  Regardless of the various means that the snake has made its way into our collective culture, respect must be paid to this ancient creature.  Personally, my favorite serpent story in the Bible was when Aaron tossed his staff to the floor and it turned into a snake.  What made it even more exciting to a young boy was when Pharaoh's magicians did the same and Aaron's snake ate theirs all up. Add to that a plague of frogs and water turned to blood and a young boy would almost beg to come to class next Sunday just to see what new would befall old Pharaoh.

Reading the local paper yesterday, there was a large article about the proliferation of non-venomous water snakes throughout the James River.  These snakes, while completely harmless to people, can be intimidating when you realize that you are sharing a swimming hole with a four foot long specimen that pops up just a few feet from where you are treading water.  The article also shared that these encounters often resulted in an unplanned release of untreated waste water into the river by the swimmer and the snake having a future life-span measured in minutes.  The article continues with an overview of how to tell the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes as well as the need to respect and allow them to live in peace in their river home.  I completely support this line of thought, however I will admit my first reaction to anytime I see a snake is to immediately lose control of my reflexes and jump further than a man of my size typically can aspire to.

My personal relationship with snakes has moderated somewhat over the years.  Where I used to see them as a pest or vermin, now I see an active player in the ecosystem of my yard.  My yard is a little bit of wilderness in a subdivision (much to my neighbor's chagrin) and as a result each year I run across several garter snakes that make their home among the undergrowth and rocks that surround the small frog pond I installed years ago.  The biggest issue I personally have with these snakes is that I know they are eating the frogs in my pond, so trying to maintain a balance has been difficult.  I have noticed that we haven't had any mice in the house since the snakes have shown up, so I reckon it's a fair trade off.

These days, snakes tend to pop up in the news in a couple of ways:  the takeover of the Everglades by non-native pythons and the occasional death of a clergyman in a snakehandling congregation.  While the pythons appear to have found their ideal habitat and are taking over south central Florida, the population of snakehandling clergy and their congregations continues to decrease.  Just this past February, the Pastor of a snakehandling congregation in Kentucky died from a bite.  To its adherents, handling serpents is a direct connection to their interpretation of Mark 16: 17-18 which states: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not harm them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover".   Based on this passage, during services you'll see venomous snakes handled, strychnine ingested, unknown tongues spoken and even flames from kerosene lamps passed over unaffected skin.  The culture and beliefs of snakehandling are so rich that the subject deserves its own future post, but for now I would recommend two books to anyone that is interested in learning more:  Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington and The Serpent Handlers by Fred W. Brown.  Both are excellent in their depiction of the beliefs and practices of this typically Appalachian centered faith.

Unlike in generations past, venomous snakebites are rarely fatal with proper medical attention.  We don't need to necessarily embrace them, but we should respect the snakes place in creation.  Most times, we tend to come into their habitat rather than the opposite and unless endangered, we really shouldn't insert ourselves into the role of serpent slayer.  I know this is more easily said that done, especially when taken by surprise by one.....but we can always hope.

Vacation Traditions Come Home

If you look at your life, especially for those of us that live in Virginia, you'll find the hallmarks of tradition running through just about every aspect of it.  To some southerners, tradition almost becomes a way of life rather than a part of it.  In my family, our traditions are numerous and wide-ranging.  Whether it has been practiced for generations like eating oyster stew on Christmas morning or something recent like making a trip each July to pick pounds of blueberries to cook and freeze, traditions are the thread that ties together families and provide a link to those who have come before us.   As important as they are, what do you do when the basis of a tradition has the potential to become watered down enough where it may become less special?

Each year, one of the major traditions of my family is going to the Outer Banks for a week long beach vacation.  We have been doing this for almost twenty years and can't imagine missing this linkage to how our children have grown over the years and the experiences and memories have grown richer with time.  In this major tradition, there are also sub-traditions.  These are smaller but no less important.   Two of these sub-traditions are:  stopping to eat at a Sonic Drive-In in North Carolina on the drive to the beach and visiting a local Duck Donuts shop on the morning we are driving home after checking out.  Both have been part of our beach trip for years and we look forward to keeping these simple experiences as part of our vacation for years to come.

In my local paper yesterday, it was reported that Sonic was building a new drive-in restaurant and Duck Donuts would be expanding into Richmond as well.  When I read the news it made me wonder, would making each more available locally make it less special to visit when we go back to the beach?

After careful thought, I decided to leave well enough alone and allow both Sonic and Duck Donuts to remain a part of my vacation tradition rather than make them just another choice for fast food or donuts at home.  It may sound odd to some, but certain things are meant to be experienced in the atmosphere that we find our happiest memories are made.

Anyway for me, the best part of the annual visit to Sonic is letting the Dude order off the menu and get his personal vacation cheeseburger.  While I have no doubt that it would be his choice to forgo tradition and welcome local visits to Sonic on a regular basis, we'll keep it to once a year.  After all, along with his cheeseburger comes the annual vacation tradition of "The Swimming of the Dude".  But that will need to be another story for another time.  Now that is resolved, the world may start to spin on its axis once again.

What happens when a tailgate drops?

This blog is designed to be an expression of my appreciation and love for life in the South in general and my native state of Virginia in particular.  I hope to express in my words and images some of what makes the South a unique culture unto itself.

The name, "When the Tailgate Drops" is inspired by a quote I heard on one of the most memorable days of my life.  When I entered college as a freshman, my parents helped me settle into my dorm room on move in day and soon left to return to Richmond.  My roommate, who I knew from high school, was moving in as well and his parents, or rather his mother was helping him make his half of the spartan room more comfortable.  His father sat silently to the side and looked every bit a combination of a Civil War general and biblical prophet with a long white beard and face that had experienced its share of sun and an outdoor life.   My roommate was an only child and his mother appeared to want to linger, not looking forward to the drive back home.  As the afternoon waned, his parents began the process of saying their goodbyes and leaving us to the business of making both the dorm room our own as well as needing to get dressed in our ties and blazers to attend the formal ceremony where incoming freshman signed the honor code.

After my roommate said goodbye to his mother, his father began to follow her out the door silently.  Just as he began to walk out the door, he turned to both of us and said all the words I heard from him for that entire day.  He looked us both square in the eyes and said, "boys....when the tailgate drops, the bullshit stops....its time for both of you to get down to business" and then he turned and walked out the door.  Having someone that looked and spoke like he did, I took his words to heart but didn't understand their meaning.  When I asked my roommate, he explained that his father was a lifelong hunter and he kept a kennel of dogs that were trained specifically for hunting.  These weren't considered pets but were tools highly prized for their tracking abilities.

To get to the forest or field where the dogs would be released to find the scent of deer or raccoon, they would be transported in cages in the rear of his pickup.  As the hunters would gather preparing to hunt, there would be always be joking and laughing as the men would welcome each other and renew friendships.  However when the time came to start the hunt, the men would immediately become deadly serious as they dropped their truck tailgates and released their dogs to pick up the scent of the game.   So when the tailgate drops, the bullshit stops.

Now, all definitions and stories for that matter often have alternate meanings and endings and this is no exception.  When speaking of tailgating at football games, it is fair to say that when the tailgate drops, the bullshit starts.  But as they say, that is another story entirely.