Garrett Duke

Bo 29 Luke 27 Jesse 28 Cooter 16

Shaking his head in disappointment and sadness, Bo walks away from the field to tiredly walk over to the mail box that stands across the street from the dirt driveway. Opening the metal lid, Bo leans against the post, feeling the aches and pains spread through his tired body before he yanks out a thick pile of envelopes and fliers. He scans through the envelopes only for more grief and sadness to hit him to see the bills that is advertised on the cover. Bills demanding money they don’t have. Turning to the first flier, Bo’s dark mode subsides a bit as his baby blue eyes that is dulled by his dark mode lands upon the large bold letters that spread across the top half of the flier. In bright purple bold letters, it reads: LULU HOGG’S FIRST ANNUAL CAR SHOW! Below in typed letters it gives the time and date and how to register for it. Below the lettering is Hogg’s familiar white Cadillac along with a red Mustang that is parked next to it. Under the cars it gives information upon the events which includes prize money for the car that is voted to be in the best condition and shape, the best taken care of. “The General could win hands down,†Bo hears himself state as he looks over the flier and up at his beloved car as he feels a small hint of hope threaten to rise within him. Hope that he knows will be squashed out as it has been countless times in the past few months. If they were to enter The General, they’d have to fix him up and have him up in working order. The General would have to be perfect as he always is. Except now that Bo had broken him during a race that led into being chased by the county sheriff. And once more, he reminds himself that they don’t have the money to fix him up. If they had money, it would go into the mortgage that is due in a couple of days. Or food. Not The General.

A heavy wave washes over they youngest Duke's tired and tense body as he glances up to take in the work that he had done today. Only for frustration and disappointment to heavily drown within him. Frustration and disappointment at seeing how little he had gotten done compared to how much work lies ahead for him to do. Work that will have to wait for tomorrow now that the sun slowly fades in the evenning sky. Bo Duke was always the one to be optimistic and hopeful. Always the one to look for the bright side of things, of life. Always the one to find something positive or nice about something or someone. Of course there has been times in his young life that he had been disappointed and deeply hurt as events in his past has slid away from his optimistic thinking and turned into bad. Or as the people he tried to trust, tried to think positive of, tore through his trust and used him. But not always. And if life was to be worth living, in Bo's eyes, things had to stay positive and hopeful. Otherwise, why get out of bed each morning if you are only going to expect something bad or sad to happen? But, this afternoon, as Bo stands shirtless in the afternoon sun, looking over the field he had just been working in, he feels all of his optimistic views and hopes deflate within him. Deflate into the reality of the harsh world that surrounds him. For two years now, Hazzard has been plagued with a harsh and brutal drought that seems to grow worse and worse by the day. And now that summer has finally evolved around them, the drought is bound to get worse as the sun gains more heat with each passing day. More heat, less rain. Looking up at the sky, Bo silently attempts to think back upon the last time they had seen rain fall from the sky only to come up empty. He knows it has rained. It has rained here and there a little at a time in the past couple of years. But never enough to really help the fields thrive, the land thrive. Each night, the farmers of Hazzard pray for rain before going to bed. Though prayer has yet to be answered, everyone's faith seems strong enough to accept that it will rain when it is suppose to rain. That they will survive it one way or another. After all, without faith and hope, they are left with nothing to hold onto. Nothing to hope for. Nothing to look forward to. Without the faith that has been handed down to them, they had nothing. Despite the faith Bo had been taught, the lessons he has been taught, looking over the field, Bo once again wonders if the farm is worth it. With so much work done and left to be done on the farm, Bo knows as well as any other farmer in Hazzard, that there will be nothing given back in return for their work. With the drought, most of the crops will dry up and die. Leaving little to sell. What is sold, won't be bought at the price it is worth. Leaving them with no money in return. But to give up on the land, to give up working the fields, you'd be giving up on the farm. On the farm they all had been raised and taught on. The farm and the work that comes with the farm, is the only life that Bo knows. The only life he can accept. Though looking at the fields and feeling the pain steadily grow through his numb body, for the first time since he can remember, the thought of quitting it all seems to be the best option for him. The only option. Feeling the sweat drip down his hot body, he entertains the thought of packing up and leaving the farm, of moving into town or into Atlanta. Of a life without farm animals to take care of, fences to post, crops to dig and to take care. A life of luxury and ease, in his mind. A way of life that seems so foreign to Bo that it doesn't seem acceptable or possible. As if that way of life was lived on an entire different planet. After all, all Bo knew, was the farm. The farm that he now yearns to leave and to quit once and for all. Despite knowing, deep down, to give up on the farm, would to be give up on himself. To quit on himself. Farming is who he is. Yet, he knows, even if he could, he couldn't just up and walk away. Couldn't quit the farm. Couldn't escape from it. To do that, would hurt his uncle more than the drought has hurt his uncle. And after all his uncle has done and went through for him, Bo couldn't do anything that would hurt him. He would work the farm, til the land, take care of what needs taken care of on the farm no matter what pain and the lack of outcome, for his uncle. Farm and family is what matters most to his uncle and Bo would do what it takes to be done in order to keep them both up and running for his uncle. For his uncle who acts so bold and brave, who attempts to hide his worry and fear that the drought has placed upon him. Yet Bo knows that the drought has hit his uncle hard with harsh sadness and worry that he tries to hide from his family. Bo hears himself sigh aloud in his own worry. Each day is a day of struggle. A struggle to survive. After all, if the land is thriving, so is the family. But with the drought, leaves each farmer and their family struggling to survive. Struggling to make ends meet. Every month the Dukes have to fight and search for a way to pay for the mortgage on time, every week struggle to get money for food and drink, every cold and sickness that has gone by the past couple of years has went without a doctor visit. Times were hard for everyone in Hazzard and it hurts Bo to think that there is little to nothing he can do to help the families in Hazzard out. That he can't even help his own family out. Luke had offered to get a part time job as Daisy had. But Jesse was quick to deny him. Saying that he needed both boys at the farm, not at a job. Sure they could do the job when it got dark, but Jesse was quick to say the boys needed their sleep. Needed some time to themselves, to do what they wanted to do. One way or another, Jesse declared, they would make it work. Looking at the land and the brown speckled throughout the green, thinking of their empty cupboards at the house, Bo wonders how they will. Swallowing hard, Bo turns away from the large field to grab his sweat drenched blue t-shirt off of the fence post and his eyes fall upon The General that lies parked in front of the farm house across the street. Only to send his heart tightening deep within him as he is reminded of his small disagreement he had with Luke yesterday. He had argued his side and stuck stubbornly with The General when Luke was so willing to just give up on their beloved car. Yet, deep down, Bo knows Luke is right. Knew it at the time as well. But he couldn’t admit to it aloud or to himself for that matter. The General felt like a member to their family just as much as Luke and Jesse did and now they were being forced to allow The General to sit parked sick and broken in front of the farm. To sit there to scream for the whole world to hear just how poor they are, just how bad things are for them. After all, everyone knows how important The General is to them. For The General to stay parked and broken only means they don’t have the money to fix him up as they once did. If only he could get The General fixed up, for the engine to powerfully roar awake, Bo knows he could register him into any race within Georgia and take home the winning money. Money that they could use on the farm. But they’d need the money to fix him up though. And as Jesse had reminded him yesterday when he brought the idea up over their spoonful of beans, that The General would still have to have money to fix him up after each race. Money to sign up for the race. Money for gas. Money they don’t have. So, The General lies parked sick and broken in front of the porch where Bo had last parked him at only for sadness and guilt to tear within him. Sadness and guilt for doing that to The General. After how many times the car had brought them away from the law, saved them from the bad guys and this is how he is to repay their faithful car. Deep down he feels like he has now betrayed The General, that he is abandoning the car that has saved him and Luke out of countless situations. But what else could he do? The General is broken and sick and needs new parts and more professional help, as Luke had bluntly told him yesterday, and in order to get him the help he needs, they’d need money. Money they don’t have.

Well Sonoma is tomorrow...am hoping to catch it. Am hoping for a good and exciting race. And of course hoping that Gordon can get that elusive win that he has yet to get. Though I am sure all of you are hoping your driver will get the win. For your sake, I hope they do. It would be interesting to know or to find out just how different they have to make their car for road races since they turn both left and right and all that. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are both known for being good at road races and has earned the most points at this track. You have drivers like Boris Said who is part time Sprint drivers who specialize in road coarses (he even has his own following...they call themselves the "Said Heads" and come wearing brown afro wigs. LOL) And then you have the Australian Marcos Ambrose who is a good road racer...think that may have been what he raced before coming into NASCAR a couple of years ago. I am hoping his luck will turn around to have a great finish tomorrow. Ambrose has had a heck of a time this year getting a good finish, it's one thing after another for him. I like Ambrose...he is always so positive and always has a smile on his face no matter what. Then you have Kasey Kahne (also has a good run of bad luck this year) who won last year's race at Sonoma. But if you go by history, he normally finishes in the back of the pack in Sonoma. Like in the thirties and twenties. Except last year where he won. He holds the pole for tomorrow's race with Jimmie Johnson (who has yet to win a road coarse) starting second. I have said for the past couple of years that if they want the chase to be more challenging for Johnson and more even for everyone else, they should put a road coarse in the chase (the last ten races of the season). The tracks in there now, are tracks that Johnson is statistically really good at. At least for the most part. Throw a road coarse in there and Bristol (of which he also hasn't won at) into the chase, it may make it a little more challenging to JJ. Don't get me wrong, I like JJ...he's my second favorite driver after all. It probably wouldn't matter one way or another if they had a road coarse or Bristol in there it would shake it all up a bit. So to speak. Carl Edwards won the Nationwide Series race today. Well there is a little tid bit of information for y'all...

Luke Duke

Congrats Bo James! That's awesome news!

I think they said it will be at 3:15 or so EST...don't know how long it will last. Hope you'll be able to catch the highlights if not the end of the race. I'm sure you'll be able to get caught up on it from the TV or the internet...or I'll be glad to fill you up if I get to watch it. You know I enjoy talking about the races! LOL Hope work is well for you, Roger...that's a bummer you have to do it on a Sunday!

Bo 30 Luke 27 Jesse 27 Cooter 16

General Lee Girl...I thought you may like it that your boy Hamlin won. Can't say I was too happy about it, but at least someone was. LOL. Glad he won for ya. Roger - I don't believe I have watched that special feature...I'll have to find the time or make the time to do so. That would be interesting to hear and to see. Interesting to hear they like sliding in the dirt over concrete, wonder what the current drivers feel about that. Know a lot of them have dirt track history and what not. I am looking forward to Sonoma this weekend...just read an article on NASCAR.com on how Gordon and Stewart has gained the most points at this track and how Gordon has led the most laps here. Am hoping that he will lead the most laps come Sunday as well. Know you like Johnson, Roger, but I am really hoping Gordon can slide on by him. I like Johnson as well, but am getting tired of getting beat by him year in and year out. It's about time Gordon gets a win and another championship...you know the year his daughter, Ella was born, Gordon won six races. His wife is about to have a son in August here...he needs to start his winning streak going again. LOL. (Then again, Johnson's wife is going to have a baby in July as well...) Hope you all get to watch the race this Sunday...road races aren't as fast as the normal races so they don't tend to be as exciting or what not, but I like them just because they are different and the fact Gordon is good at 'em helps as well.

I would have to agree...I think it would be best if Kristy did go see a doctor to get help for her bleeding. It isn't what she will want to hear, by the sound of it, but she may only do more damage to her and the baby if she doesn't get the proper help. I will definately keep Kristy in my prayers. Please continue to keep us posted. . .

Welcome to Hazzardnet!

Bo 29 Luke 29 Jesse 28 Cooter 14

Bo 29 Luke 29 Jesse 29 Cooter 13

Denny Hamlin won today's race at Michigan...to make it two in a row. Think this is his fifth win of the season - he's won five out of the last ten races. He's looking to be the man to beat this year. Perhaps it is just me, but it always seems there is one driver that is the hottest over everyone else, winning more and all that. Like Carl Edwards in '08 when he won eight or nine races and then went winless last year and so far this year. One year their hot, the next year nothing seems to come their way. Can't recall Hamlin's year last year, but don't remember him winning this much last year or hearing all that much about him. Now he's on a winning streak, it seems. I guess it's kinda like Jerry Reed's song...when you're hot, you're hot, when you're not, you're not. LOL. The race as a whole was a pretty good race, I thought. Not a whole lot really happened that sticks out to me. Think they only had four cautions and only two were for accidents. One happened between teammates ...Scott Speed and Casey Mears (who is driving for Brian Vickers) and it sounds like Speed was pretty upset at Mears afterwards. I don't recall another year where so many team mates are getting upset at each other or wrecking each other on the field as they are this year. Here is the top ten of the race: 1. Denny Hamlin 2. Kasey Kahne 3. Kurt Busch 4. Jeff Gordon 5. Tony Stewart 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (was a great finish by him! Am excited to see he got a top ten this week. Hopefully he is going in the right direction and will continue with how he drove today!) 8. Jeff Burton 9. Greg Biffle 10. Joey Lagono Here is the unofficial top twelve standings after the race: 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Kyle Busch (-22 points) 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Kurt Busch 5. Matt Kennseth 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Jeff Gordon 8. Jeff Burton 9. Greg Biffle 10. Carl Edwards 11. Tony Stewart 12. Mark Martin Hope you all got to catch at least part of the race. It all went pretty quick this week with so few cautions and all that. At least, I thought it did. Next week they go to California for Sonoma...which is a road race! I am excited for it...they only have two road races on thier schedule so it is something different. They get to turn left and right! They don't really get to go all that fast there and it is difficult to pass people which I guess makes it a challenge. Jeff Gordon is pretty good at road races while Jimmie Johnson has yet to win one. They have a few road racers that will probably join them...most popular being Boris Said. It'll be fun to watch. . .

Luke 29 Bo 29 Jesse 29 Cooter 13 Looks like we have a three way tie now...poor ol' Cooter is the one left out.

Denver - I will keep you and your friend and her family in my prayers as you all go through this difficult time.

Bo 30 Luke 28 Jesse 28 Cooter 14

Do you mean the chase, Roger? The chase is the last ten races of the season where the top twelve in driver points will be racing for the championship. This can be confusing...there will be 43 drivers out there racing as is the case in any regular season race. Just the top twelve in points will be able to race for the championship. The remainder 31 cars will race for either to be 35th or better in driver points as to not have to qualify with each race the following season in order to race (in other words, they are in the top 35 in points come the end of the year, they automatically qualified to be in the race. Anyone 35th or worse in points has to qualilfy to get into the race.) The rest outside of the top twelve will race to see who can be 13th to get a million dollars. Also, come chase time, NASCAR resets the points...and each win a driver gets during the season, will add ten points for each race won. For example, right now Jimmie Johnson has three wins so he will have thirty extra points...Denny Hamlin has four wins, so right now he will have forty points. (Confusing, ain't it?) I personally miss the old point system, but then again, Gordon has been robbed of at least two championships (if not three) by this "new" point system that started in 2004. Right now, Dale Jr is 16th in points and without any wins. They say that they can tell who will be in or out after the first five or so races...though don't know how they can do that. Anyway, Dale Jr, in my opinion, is in need of some serious help and serious good luck if he wants to make it into the top twelve this year. Sadly. His season started out alright in the first couple of races, but he has seemed to fall back to how things went last year for him. A good run of bad luck if you ask me. If it's not one thing for him, then it is another. He's driving for Hendrick which means he has the best machines and engines working for him...I really hope that things will turn around for him real soon. I think I would celebrate just as big as I do when Gordon wins, if Jr won. (That is if he didn't steal the win from Gordon...HA HA) Well Roger, I hope that helped you a bit. Hope it wasn't too confusing and made some sense. Hope I didn't make anyone in Junior Nation upset...just my opinion as of where he is in points right now and where he's been finishing up at the end of the races, that he needs a bigt share of good luck to make it into the chase. . .

Onto Michigan this Sunday. I like Michigan...then again, it is also known as Gordon's favorite track. Hopefully he'll be able to turn his bad luck from last week into good luck this Sunday. Kasey Kahne has had a good run of bad luck all season long so hopefully his luck will turn as well...as well as Jr. Am looking forward to the Daytona race in July...I think it is the third...Saturday night race (though could be wrong and it be on the fourth which is Sunday) Anyway, Dale Jr will not be sporting his normal Amp Energy Drink 88 car. He will be driving Wrangler 3 car - his dad's old car (well am sure it is a new car made to look like Dale Sr.'s car) but it will be interesting to see it. Sure it will bring back old memories for him as well as Dale Sr's fans as well.

Buzz_17 thank-you for posting this and reminding me about it! I almost forgot...I did read about it a while ago, but haven't thought of it for awhile. That is a couple of hours from me so I am really hoping to get to go! It's not very often that the Duke stars make their way to little ol' Iowa, so hopefully I'll be make it.

Bo 29 Luke 27 Jesse 28 Cooter 16

Good question Roger...I looked it up. Looks like his first full year in the cup series was in 2006 and he ended up 17th in points that year. Raced a race in 2005 and finished 22nd in that race after starting 25th. Clint is a pretty good driver. I am happy to see him in the top twelve in points. My opinion of course...

Bo 29 Luke 27 Jesse 28 Cooter 16

Here are the points from after yesterday's race: 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Kyle Busch (-19 points behind Harvick) 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Matt Kenseth 5. Kurt Busch 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Jeff Gordon 8. Jeff Burton 9. Carl Edwards 10. Greg Biffle 11. Mark Martin 12. Clint Bowyer There is the top twelve in points...