To Err is...Embarrassing

"Are you sure this is the right lot? I'm can't imagine using this space for the Mayor's reelection rally. I mean, look at these weeds," Captain Trent gestured to the waist high tumble weeds covering the rocky ground. "How are we supposed to get this cleaned up before Saturday?"

"I'll check the message again, Sir, but I think this is the place." The driver pulled out his phone and scrolled through his emails. "Here it is. Uh...yep. This is it; at the end of Elbert Road, on the right-hand side. I'm with you, though, this looks a little rough."

"Well, let's get started," Captain Trent slid from the truck and waved to the firemen in the truck behind him. "Alright, gentlemen. Grab your gloves and equipment and let's get to work. Start hacking down the tumble weeds and we'll drag the brush and fallen branches to the center of this field for burning this afternoon. We've got about three hours before the planning committee shows up, so let's be finished when they get here. If they want a space in the middle of this wilderness for gunnysack races and croquet, I intend to give it to them. Got it?" Turning back to the driver of his truck, he barked, "Carson, I want you to pull the engine up next to the water truck. We'll want the hoses on hand when we burn this brush. It's so dry, it'll go up like a tinder box."

"Yes, Sir."

In a matter of hours, the field was cleared. Captain Trent stood facing the blaze, grimacing in the intense heat. He hollered to one of his men, indicating a portion of scorched earth that needed to be hosed. The phone in his shirt pocket vibrated.

"Hello? What's that? No, Sir, we're just finishing up. We've been at it all morning, Mr. Mayor. Here. On Elbert Road." The captain felt his face burning and it had nothing to do with the bonfire in front of him. "Yes, Sir. Right away, Sir." Shoving his phone back into his pocket, he spun on his heel and came face to face with Carson.

"Uh, Sir?" Carson gulped. "This is Mr. Granger. He's the farmer that owns this land, Sir."

"Well now, I sure appreciate ya clearing this here field for me, don'tcha know? I didn't know how I was gonna get it ready to plant and, lo and behold, you all showed up. I'm down right elated, I am." The old farmer, rested one gnarled hand on the split-rail fence and grinned, revealing an astonishing lack of teeth.

"Sir? It would appear that I, uh, read that address wrong," Carson cleared his throat. "It was actually..."

"Albert Road, Carson. A-L-B-E-R-T."

"Yes, Sir. Uh, to err is human..."

"Carson," the Captain interrupted, "When we get back to the station, you are to report to Officer Paxton in the Forensic Pathology Department. She mentioned recently that she had several hundred boxes of reports to be filed. Congratulations, you just volunteered."

Linking up this week with Writings and Ruminations. 500ish words inspired by the picture above and using the following 5 words: gunnysack, pathology, croquet (the game), elate and human.