View of Elm Street and Main

 From the other side of Elm and Main

                                                    View from Gillespie onto Pecan Street
                                 

                                                           Disaster on Court Street

                                                                Another View

                                             Looks like this tree belonged to Martha Ferguson

                                                   Mary Lou Lott's Old House on Palestine

                                                                     Another View

                                                  Disaster on Gillespie  (near Norwood Circle)

Tropical Storm Isaac blew into town and did its damage.  The worst of the storm passed over us around 3:30 AM this morning, and boy, was the wind howling.  

Lawns

No one mows their own lawn in Raymond - except Martha Ferguson and me.  The lawn business is so lucrative here that someone can make up to 50K a year, just mowing lawns.  I’ve seen countless trailers go by the house with mowers on them.  I don’t even have to look out the window to know they’re passing by.  There are two bumps in the road, in front of the house and each trailer rattles extensively as it passes by.  And the sophistication of the mowers is amazing.  There are lawn mowers that can turn on a dime, and whiz by so fast that you wonder how the driver can hang onto his hat.  Did you know that there are mowers that the driver stands on, and drives like a team of horses?

I lived in California for many years, up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, among the Redwoods.  There are no lawns there, and no one owns a lawn mower.  When I returned to Mississippi, I found myself overwhelmed with the acres and acres of extensive lawns. The Raymond Garden Club even gives out awards each month for the best ones.  I came to the realization that if I was to live here, I also had to have a lawn.  But I wasn’t going to pay someone $40.00, every other week to maintain it.  So my husband, who is a very thoughtful man, bought me my very own gas powered push mower.

This morning, I decided that I just had to mow the lawn before the approaching hurricane came in.  I was expecting company, and I wanted to be sure that the outside of my house was groomed.  Never mind that we were expecting 50 mile an hour winds, and torrential rain.  Heck, company’s comin’.  I had managed to make my way around to the front of the house, and was trying to hurry while in the sun, and then, slowing down in the shade.  Mr. Sun is harsh in the south.  The lawn mower was sputtering, and I was praying that it would run long enough for me to complete the job.  I’m sure I looked like a crazy woman, red faced, and sweating.  Then I heard this voice rise above the engine, saying, “pardon me Ma’am.”  I looked across the street at this nice young man, who was standing by his service truck at the school.  He asked me if I had ever cleaned the air filter on my mower.  I looked at him, smiling, and said absolutely not!  He said it was painful to listen to the engine, and asked if he could clean the filter.  I considered it briefly, and said sure.  One of the perks of being an old lady, is that people want to help you – especially if you’re doing something that isn’t age appropriate.  Never mind that I walk everyday and go to the gym.  Most women my age have already succumbed to osteoporosis, and wouldn’t dream of picking something up that weighed more than 10 pounds. After all, we are all supposed to be southern ladies.

But this nice young man, cleaned the air filter, and when I pulled the cord on the mower, it ignited with a clear, steady hum.  I smiled and thanked him, encouraged that I would be able to finish the lawn in time – just in time for the hurricane to arrive.

Birds in Flight

It took about five years to collect the tree and all the birds, but I finally got to assemble my design.  It's located over the fireplace mantle in one of our rooms.  Each time I gaze up at it, it takes me away, up into the air somewhere.  It reminds me of those flying dreams I had as a child.

Red Glass

Red has always been my favorite color, throughout most of my life. Somewhere in my early 30’s, I began to collect red glass, and with the passing years, I’ve amassed quite a collection. Since I’ve lived many places, most of it was always stored in boxes and never seen. After all these years of schlepping it around, I finally found the right time and place. Now, when I walk through the house, there it is in all its glory. It never fails to cheer me up. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner! Here’s a photo of one of the windows.

                                                                    Beauty Berry

                                                                   Evening Primrose

                                                                       Papyrus

                                                           Shady Side of the House

                                                       Another Angle of the Shady Side

                                                     Sunny Side of the House (summer)

                                                    Sunny Side of the House (spring)

Scenes from the Yard

The above photos show my successful ventures in the yard.  I won't mention the beautiful Wild Clematis vine that I killed by accident, as well as the one raised bed in the backyard where I can' seem to grow anything but Oregano.  I had great hopes for an herb garden.  Ah well, there's always next year. 

                                                            On the Road to Learned

                                                                      How Green

                                                                       Downtown

                                                                       Side Street

                                                    Gibbes Store (my neighbor on the porch)

                                                             Side View of Store

                                                                Inside the Store

                                                               Across the Street

                                                        Learned Methodist Church

Learned, Mississippi
Population:  94.  That’s up from 50 in the year 2000. 

Deep in the back roads of nowhere Mississippi, lies a small, beautiful town called Learned (ler-ned). It’s a place I’d like to live. Downtown Learned consists of a general store, Methodist church, and two other old time buildings that are no longer in use. And yes, the store does have a gas pump.  But aside from that, not much has changed in 100 years. The general store is called "H. D. Gibbes & Sons. It opened in 1892. It is built of heart pine, just like my house. Everything that was there in 1892, is still there – even the Gibbs family. The patina on the top shelves of the store is just amazing. They also have a small restaurant inside, and from time to time, my neighbor and I stop by for a plate lunch, just to enjoy the atmosphere. It’s like stepping back in time, when there weren't so many people. Today we had field peas with snap beans, okra, macaroni and cheese, and ham.  I ate every bite.  Oh yes, and corn bread.  The real kind, without all that sugar. After lunch, I took pictures. Each time I visit Learned, I am glad I came.  It’s a beautiful place that I’ll visit again when it calls me. 

Men of Raymond

James Lewis (the town barber), gave me many old photos of Raymond.  Among them were the above men, who are long gone, taking their stories with them.  But it is interesting to speculate how they might have lived their lives.  One thing stands out very clearly, however.  None of these men are fat.  Not even Booster Watts, who apparently was a cook at the cafe.