miles

There have been many miles, states and people since I last posted. Sorry. However, about to hit a period of solitude (maybe?) and play catch-up. Meanwhile this picture shows why I haven't been posting since I got to BI.

apples and oranges

 It was great to get to Jan's rustic palace and see the improvements she has made to the place. Like, can you even believe these rugs she painted on her porch? She has them all over--as doormats and throw rugs. And, yes, that's Lucy—the Brown Dog,  my father called her when he forgot her name. She is the oldest but has ceded her primacy to the large male. Jan calls him Augustus; I call him Thor. These amazing apples, which look like they came from the Garden of NoEdum, will be pie. Sorry I missed them!

birthday weekend

 The Junk Food Extravaganza was held in honor of Camilla's birthday on Friday, kicking off a weekend of water play. Chris jumped off the rock at Blue Spring, Hannah made bubbles at the slab, Camilla and Isaac blasted everyone with the squirt guns Dianne and Frank thoughtfully gifted them with, and the turtle headed for the water at every opportunity.

buildings

 There must be a catalogue where you can buy your fiberglass steeple, because there are identical ones all over around here. Just buy one, pop it on your house and call yourself a preacher. That and schisms could account for the more than 300 churches in a town of 9000 souls. This building I call the Chapel of Love.
    You can just see the Goose in the background.

 Can you see the beware of dog sign? There is no dog. This is Randy and Virginia's rent house next door to the Goose. There is no dog, but there are likely raccoons and skunks.

 I liked this guy's perfectly manicured lawn and cherry car in contrast to what looks like a deserted mobile home. He did not know what I was doing when I stopped in front, and came out the door. Without a gun. I explained that I liked the way the red car looked, and he was satisfied. I asked if he wanted me to send a picture. He said no.

This place is not for rent. In fact, nothing is for rent there any more. It is for sale.

apologies

 I apologize for not writing in more frequently and also for the extremely unflattering pix of my new/old neighbors. What I want to show in these pictures is their river cabin (or shack, as some term it) just across the road from me in T'ville. It's basically one, big L-shaped room. And being as it's on the river bank, it, too, was wiped out by the flood. It's been totally redone.
   But it is the first time that I've ever had friends living here in T'ville, and it's so fun to have people wandering over to borrow a grater or have a cocktail. When we got together before, one of us always lived a half hour away. Because while Bill, an artist, had owned the place forever—and indeed convinced me to buy here—he never lived here while I was in residence. He only came out to mow the lawn or by special invitation. But he sold the farm (better than buying it!) and moved to Arizona with Carla, and now T'ville is their foothold in the Ozarks. Welcome home!

grand gulf

 This is the Grand Gulp,  I mean, Gulf. The good picture, above, is by Frank Martin. It is supposed to have geological significance, but I don't know what. It is deep enough that it did cause me to gulp when I was standing by the edge, so I edged away. Apparently where that mud puddle at the bottom is, there is a cave with a lake that you used to be able to go in by boat. Doesn't look that appealing right now, thanks to recent heavy rains. Some geologists did an experiment with dye, and apparently water from half the state away emerged here in the gulp.

the beautiful land

Through the windshield, as I go the last mile to Thomasville. As my time here draws shorter—about two week left—I am more drawn to the landscape. Probably affects me more because of growing up in this land—or, as one friend here says, "this country." I kept thinking he was talking about the U.S., but he was not.

schooldaze

 

This is apparently a thing now. And yes, today is the first day of school. Guess which one is going to be teacher's pet and which one will be trouble? Or maybe both will be teacher's pets. Or maybe both will be trouble. It's a new school year, and more shall be revealed, as my friend Katie says.