A high percentage of people who attended a funeral and wrote about it mentioned the weather. For the record, it was drizzly and overcast at Fort Jackson National Military Cemetery when Jim McLaurin took his mortal bow. I saw no hidden meaning.

The poet laureate of the working man, Tom T. Hall, wrote a song called “The Ballad of Forty Dollars”:

Well, ain’t it pretty when the bugler plays the military Taps / I think when you’s in the war they always had to play a song like that.

Jimmy Mac was an Air Force veteran. He likely served someplace other than in (on?) Okinawa, but that’s the part he told me about on late nights in shabby motel rooms. He was intensely proud of his Scottish heritage and would have enjoyed the bagpipes. Me? I can play “Taps” on guitar. I use it and the intro to “Folsom Prison Blues” when I haven’t got an electronic tuner handy.

My friend loved the blues. I imagined him asking the bagpiper if he could play “Stormy Monday.”

I’m pretty sure he couldn’t.

The Air Force honor guard folded up a flag for Inez. I thought the same thing I always think when I see a flag folded: That’s the way you make a thump football. I wonder if any kid under 30 knows what that is. I never heard of Nintendo Thump Football.

Four of us met to tell Jimmy Mac stories at a Longhorn Steak House before the ceremonies. It was Mike Hembree, Jeff Owens, Al Pearce and I. Stories about him are still funny even if you know them.

There was that time at Lulu’s Bait Shop … remember the pool party Winston put on in Anniston? … Jimmy Mac and I spent a day driving across Death Valley in a rental car. We could’ve both gone to sleep, and the car wouldn’t have run off the road for 20 miles.

Jimmy Mac used to tell a story about encountering a boyhood friend in a bar back home. His name was “Toodie Boy,” and he asked Jimmy Mac to do him a favor and kill him. Jimmy Mac said, “Toodie Boy, if I was to kill you, they’d throw me under the jail.” “I just need killing,” Toodie Boy said. “I done got too sorry to live.”

I never felt any sadness. Jimmy Mac made it most of the way to 78. I reckon he made the same mistake Willie Nelson did. If he’d have known he was going to live so long, he’d have taken better care of himself.

Few people take enough.

I just commenced to ruminating on the way home.

Then, of course, after a taking off of the coat and tie, and an attempt at redirection, it was off to the local ballyard again.

It wound up rather funereal there.

Connor Hitchcock was the culprit as the Woodruff pitcher singled in two runs in the top of the seventh, giving the Wolverines a 4-3victory over Clinton in a tense Region 4-3A game.

The Red Devils broke on top with two runs in the bottom of the first inning – and led 3-1 entering the sixth – but Clinton (5-5, 1-1) managed only two hits all night long, a double by Luke Young and a single by Zane McLendon.

Zach Kehn pitched the first three innings for the Wolverines and Hitchcock handled the other four. Between them, they had three strikeouts. Clinton starter Carson Glenn fanned eight by himself. Kehn and Hitchcock kept the Red Devils guessing, and they sound like they could do your taxes.

Hitchcock was the winner. McLendon took the loss. Glenn threw 95 pitches and gave up three hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks to go with the K’s.

Woodruff (5-8, 3-1), which had a whole four singles itself, mounted its comeback beginning with the leadoff walk. The count was 2-0 when McLendon replaced Glenn on the mound. A sacrifice bunt moved Cooper to second. Kayden Barnaby walked. McLendon struck out Kelley.

Hitchcock drove in the game-winners on a 2-1 count, then Whit Harmon struck out to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom half of the seventh, Bryce Young reached on Woodruff’s fourth error of the game. McLendon flied out deep to center. The game ended when Harrison Moore grounded into a fielder’s choice.

In Greer, Laurens got blemished, too. Greer ended the Raiders’ nine-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory that evens the Region 2-4A series at a game apiece.

The Yellow Jackets scored a run in the first and another in the fourth. Laurens (13-3, 4-1) outhit Greer, 6-4, but couldn’t push a run across.

Luke Godfrey went the distance for the Jackets, never walking a batter, striking out a spare four but giving up only one hit for extra bases, Hunter Nabors’ double.

Asher Goss took a tough loss. He too pitched a complete game and struck out 13 Greer batters. He walked five and threw 112 pitches.

Greer’s Hayden Pakkala drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Carlysle Jones produced the second with a double.

Greer (9-3, 4-1) returns to Ed Prescott Field on Friday night.

Thornwell, the charter school that seldom plays close games, fell on the dark side in Due West, where Dixie won, 21-0.

Since March began, the Saints have won 11-1, lost 12-1, lost 10-0, lost 16-0, won 18-3 lost 19-0, won 20-2 and lost 21-0. That’s 49-6 on the upside and 77-1 on the down.

The Green Hornets only batted twice and rapped 11 singles, four of them two bases at a time. Three scored three runs apiece. Two drove in three each.

Thornwell (4-8) collected three walks – Parker Workman, Zach Crowe and K.J. Thompson   — but no hits. Four Saints took turns trying to stop the Dixie bats. Each gave up at least a run. Three gave up at least four. One gave up 12. All were earned.

Will work for food, but contributions would be better. Besides, I had a steak before Jimmy Mac’s funeral. I’d forgotten how good they are.

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