Shiners

I fear I may have turned the corner into some really unsavory territory-- certain shows on cable TV.  Specifically that would be a show called Moonshiners.  Lord love me...I simply could not turn it off.  It's based in North Carolina and for the first few minutes, I couldn't understand a word that came out of those hillbillies mouths.  Never mind they didn't all have a lot of teeth-- I'm thinking years of producing and drinking your own shine might take out a tooth or two--and your brain.  But these guys were the real deal since they sold theirs on the shine black market and their living depended on a good shine income.

One of the shiners was actually the Fire Chief in a certain area.  That's him on the left and his assistant, Tickle, who later went rogue out on his own.  Wow...to see the lengths people will go to to make a living is unreal.  One shiner was so far behind in his orders, he was going to take the barley he had and make scotch whiskey, and put his wife and son in charge of that still.  That's when I lost it.  Getting caught can send you to the big house and for any man to expect his wife and /or son to participate is just wrong.

OK...back to the fascinating part.  The narrator said that some old shiners can tell the proof of their moonshine by filling a jar a little less than half full, capping it and shaking it for three seconds and looking at the size of the bubbles that float to the top.  He said the really good shiners can tell the actual proof or within a whisker, and are as accurate as modern measuring.  Watching them worry about their product, getting caught, the weather destroying their stills, was just something I could not imagine.  Not to mention the Fire Chief hiding all his booty in a field of tobacco.  I may have to watch next week just to see if he gets caught.