Oh no, the Solar Farm is coming

Oh no, the Solar Farm is coming.
dn English

“Did you hear they are going to build that Solar Farm in Hatchie Bottom off 40.”
Big John said.

Now Big John has lived in Hatchie Bottom all his 62 years. He grew up hunting, fishing and trapping in the bottom land all his life. His family had farmed the Somerville land and when old Mrs.McCool ,the last of the Somerville’s, died she left Big John family 20 acres outside the Refuge on the Hatchie River. Big John never married he made his living off the land. He loved living on his land with his dogs.
Now he would go to “the Hut” for a beer on Saturday night or go to one of the camps to cook fish for some of the city folks that owned cabins on the Hatchie.
Sometimes he would get a little drunk so he would park his truck in the bottoms and sleep listening to the sounds of the bottom. When he woke up he would be sober enough to drive home.
The thought of the Solar Farm was tearing him up he just could not understand. He had lights and plumbing at his cabin so he was not against progress . He just thought the government was up to no good there had to be a conspiracy against the people of the bottoms.
Now he talked to Mr Wayne and he had tried to explain it was a good thing and that Big John’s life would not change. Then he talked to Steve the nature man and he told him different.
Would there be a change in the size of the Catfish because the sunlight would reflect off and hit the Hatchie River warming it making the fish grow..What about the other animals the big black cats and the raccoon dogs. Nobody talked about these creatures.
Big John worried and worried. Then the day came they started the construction day and night. He could see the lights at night at the site it was really distributing the wildlife. Years passed the site was finished and even enlarged. Then the rains and flooding came he just knew it was the panels and all that other stuff going on that was causing Global warming..
Then one day he ran into the head ranger,Barrow, Big John could tell he was upset.
“Big John we got a problem.” Said Barrow
“What is it ? Big John asked
Barrow open his coke shaking his head and started his sad tale.
He explained the strange occurrences he had come across from the larger fish that were being caught, the big snakes, and the alligators they were finding in the South West counties along the Hatchie and even around the
Mississippi River at Tiptonville. In Shelby Co around Shelby Forest animals that were not from around the area were appearing.
Big John listened shaking his head.
“Well Barrow I know it is hard on you but I got to add some to your list.
You know over off 76 in the old sand dunes there have been more big black cats and a few bears have been seen. I just knew those panels would cause problems. The other nights when I was coming home from the Powell’s party
I was parked on that side road in the bottoms . The sounds I heard were not normal. What are we going to do Barrow.”
Barrow shook his head “ I am going to retire, I got 30 years in let the young ones
handle this mess.”
With that Barrow shook Big John hand and ask if he could come visit
“ of course” Big John said
Big John reach over and hugged Barrow. The two men had been friends since grade school that would never change.
As Barrow drove off Big John knew things were changing but he was safe on his little plot of land.

We will revisit Big John and see how his life is proceeding with all the new goings on in his Hatchie Bottom and around his Hatchie River.