Kelly's Watermelon, Pumpkin, and Gourd Farm

Jesse Kelley and his wife Louise run a melon farm. They has watermelons and other melons in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. They also grow a bunch of different kinds of gourds too. I don't know why they grow them ugly things but they do. Now the watermelons is always good, just as sweet, don't ya know?
And the pumpkins make good halloween jack-o-lanterns. But the thing what's real fun about Kelly's is that him and Louise raise real big watermelons and pumpkins. Jesse tells me he has the right kind of seeds (he's saved them up over the years.) He read that mixing peanut hulls with cow manure makes the melons grow big. Jesse went 'em one better; he mixed the peanut hulls in the cows food so the manure come out with the booster already in it. Then he knowed from what he read he needed shade for proper growth, so he got Slim Woodbury, the undertaker, to sell him a tattered funeral tent to put over his giant melons. And they do grow big.
Sometimes when peoples is looking at the big'ens lying there under that tent they takes their hats off, I reckon out of respect to Jesse and his growing skill. Or maybe it's just habit from attending so many funerals.

Tomorrow:
Harley Creek Echo Cave

Jethro's Corn Maze

Jethro McGill come up with the idea of making a maze in his cornfield and charging for it. That way he could just sit at the exit and collect the money and play hoedown music on his fiddle. I heard they has corn mazes in other places but Jethro's is the only one I been to. Peoples enjoy it and you can hear them just alaughing as they poke around trying to find their way out. Now a bad thing happened a few year ago. This family from Slidell in Louisiana had heard about the maze and come up to see it. There were so many of them they come in two cars. Well, while they was wandering around in the corn it commenced to rain and it didn't just rain it come a frog strangler. The family and all the other peoples come out of there like nobody's business and jumped in their two cars and took off. Jethro run to his house too. And they forgot they grandma. She were almost ninety year old and had a quivery voice anyway but with all the rain and thunder ain't nobody heard her meager yells. It were hours before the family realized she warn't with them. It were after they was already home. One of the cars come back for her and it were already dark and had turned off cold. Don't worry she were all right after she got home and taken a hot bath and had some of her sister's chicken soup what they claim can cure anything short of cancer. But that warn't the problem. Her family come back and wanted to sue Jethro. They claim she won't stop talking about how they deserted her. All day, ever day. Willie's boy, the big New Orleans lawyer, taken the case, but the judge threw it out.
Claimed he if he had to listen to his mother-in-law they could darn well put up with theirs.
Tomorrow:
Kelly's Watermelon, Pumpkin, and Gourd Farm

Tall Light of Highhill

The third wonder of Southwest Mississippi I'm gonna talk about is the Tall Light of Highhill. Highhill ain't exactly what you'd call a town. It ain't even a village. I reckon it's best described as a hole in the road. But they got a wonder there in their radio tower. It's by far the tallest thing around here. I heard tell if it were laid down on the ground it would be like a couple of football fields long or something like that. On the top of the tower they got this light. It's supposed to be red, but Jaybird Atcheson climbed up there a year or so ago and put in a blue bulb and now it puts out a purple glow. A few years after my second wife died, she were the one hit by a streetcar in New Orleans, I started going out with womens again. I used that Tall Light to help me decide whether to keep dating 'em. Almost always when we passed close by the tower they would ask me what that tower were for? And I told them it were built to put that light on top so airplanes wouldn't run into it. The ones what said, "Oh, I see," was the ones I kept on dating. You see my first two wives was real smart womens and I loved them both, but for the time being I just warn't up to keeping up with smart women. Don't you know?

Hollis' book of the day:
All the King's Men  by Robert Penn Warren - Put your fate in the hands of a politician, sit back and do nothing for yourself, and see how that turns out.

The Hanging Garden of Brassfield

The Hanging Garden of Brassfield come about in a strange way and over a bunch of years. Way back yonder the town of Brassfield used this old oak tree to hang murderers, horse thieves, and other such criminals. One of the peoples what got hung were found out to be not-guilty when the real culprick got caught red-handed and confessed. But it were too late. So they tried to make up for it by creating a garden where the oak tree was and not hanging nobody else there. Didn't help the one what got hung for what he didn't do though. Now the hanging part of the name got to mean something else when kudzu were introduced to Mississippi. It come from Japan and were supposed to stop erosion. Well it just went ever where and somebody made the mistake of planting some in Brassfield. It took over the garden and now it is a sight to be seen.
Tomorrow:
The Tall Light of Highhill.

How This Works by Hollis

It was I who prompted Uncle Harvey Lee to give me material for this blog. He has a reputation for storytelling and people in and around Harper are often seen in groups of four or more prodding him for another tale. I go to school five days a week and work a part-time job on Saturday and two or three evenings each week. It is easier for me to meet with Uncle Harvey Lee two or three days each week and gather the material for posting. As you can see I try to divide the stories evenly, not making any one day too long. I have promised my uncle to write everything as close to his words as possible. This is not an easy task and occasionally this difficulty may show in my work.

It is my wish that everyone will enjoy reading about Harper and Uncle Harvey Lee's life here. Your comments are appreciated. Please be frank. I will not show anything to my uncle that could cause him concern. If you enjoy reading about our town please tell your friends. Uncle Harvey Lee can't believe the response and asks me every time I see him for the numbers.

Stuff Around Here

Peoples is always asking me what there is to see around here. The answer is: A lot. I like to refer to the top spots as the Seven Wonders of Southwest Mississippi. Today I'm gonna tell you about the Leaning Silo of Butter. It's over yonder in Butter, Mississippi on a farm owned by a fellow named MacDoodle. Seems like the dirt on one side was a little too loose and the building started to sink after a year or two. They tell me they has a leaning building over in It-ley across the ocean and thousands of peoples come ever year to see it. Well if y'all want to see a leaning building and don't want to mess with flying to Atlanta (you most always have to do that) and catch another plane or two to It-ley, you can just come here and I'll give you directions. It's real easy to get there. You just head straight down Harper Lake Street and hang a left where the Old Salem Baptist Church used to be.

Tomorrow: The Hanging Garden of Brassfield

Hollis' book of the day:
South of Broad by Pat Conroy - Toad, Movie Stars, Aids, Mountain Boys, Suicide, Integration, Storm, Murder, Molestation, Catholicism, and good friends in Charleston

Hollis' Night Off

Hollis is off to Jackson to go somewheres with that girl from Atlanta what goes to Millsaps. His sister Diana are typing out what I has to say today. Wilkie and Betty Faye is flying back tonight. They is coming in to New Orleans where they left their car. I reckon they'll drive home in the dark. It ain't a bad trip anymore since they got at least four lanes all the way. I ain't said a lot about Dorothy since her mama died. She's doing okay. Her mama were real old and all, but it were still hard on Dorothy. She ain't missed but two days opening the cafe. Willie is tied up mending the fence what runs on the back side of his property so I just been sitting out in front of the bus station whittling. Today I made a mountain lion. Turned out pretty good. Now I'm at my cabin just looking out at the lake. It's a hot day but the little breeze coming off the lake is cool. Ever thing is good.

Airplane Graveyard

Wilkie and Betty Faye went to the airplane graveyard right close to a Air Force base right close to Tucson.
I forget the name but it's two words and one of 'em is Davis. When Wilkie told me about it I figured they was all buried in the sand. But they warn't. They was all arranged on the ground and went for miles he thought. Anyway they looked real pretty just sitting there. It's hard to believe there was that many planes all flying at one time or another. Or that many peoples what knew how to fly 'em. Wilkie says they gonna stay only one more day. Then they coming home to Harper.

A Mountain

Wilkie told me he seen A Mountain. I told him I had saw a whole bunch of mountains, but he claimed this mountain were named A Mountain and also Sentinel Peak. I reckon they couldn't make up their mind or they had a tie vote in a counsel meeting. Like when Ole Miss warn't put on the Gulf Coast 'cause of just one vote. I reckon that ain't like the mountain thing at all, but you get what I mean. Now this A Mountain is called that because the University of Arizona kids paint a big "A" on it ever year. I can tell Wilkie and Betty Faye is having a good time, but they is having a hard time getting used to the climate. Y'all probably know it's real dry out there. I mean like if somebody hung a washing on a clothesline, by the time they got to the end they could start gathering up. That's what they call low humility. It didn't work out too good for Wilkie when he went in swimming and turned plumb purple (or I guess I could say plum purple) 'cause he dried off so fast. A woman by the pool wanted to call a ambulance for him but his color (if you want to call white a color) come back before she could find her cell phone. It were in her purse you know.

Hollis' book of the day:
Night by Elie Wiesel - He stayed with his father as long as he could.

Mount Lemmon

Wilkie, my cousin what's in Tucson, Arizona, told me over the telephone he seen this big mountain off aways from where he was at. He decided he would walk down to the foot of it 'cause it looked so close. Well he walked and walked and after more'n a mile he warn't one bit closer than when he started out. Warn't nothing to do but hop in the car and head out for it. He got Betty Faye up from a nap and they found a map in their stuff and was on their way. He said it were a lot more far than he figured, but they went all the way to the top where they found this little village. It were recently rebuilt 'cause it were burnt up by a fire a while back. He said it were just as cool up there. He told me the place were named Mount Lemon and can you guess what I thought? I figured it were shaped like the top half of a lemon (which ever side that is) or it were a yellow color or something. I asked Hollis about it. Now if Hollis don't know something he knows where to find it. In about half a minute he told me it were named after Sara Lemmon what went looking for flowers and plants by climbing with her husband up to the top. It were a long time ago but it still has her name.

Hollis' book of the day:
The Client by John Grisham - protecting little brother and bringing down a crime family.

Where the Movies Was Made

Wilkie and Betty Faye is in Tucson, Arizona like I told you yesterday. I talked to them and they said they was going to see all the sights. One of the places were the same place what were used to make a lot of the old cowboy movies. Cowboy picture shows is my favorite. Wilkie said they spent a whole afternoon there looking at all the sights. They is interested in looking at the small details where most peoples just want to see the large details. Wilkie were particularly keen on the wagon wheels and how they hooked on to the axels. He said they were done different than in our local blacksmith shop. He reckons that's why the wagon wheels in the movies seem to turn backward or just stop turning sometimes while the wagon is going right on ahead. They going to the top of Mount Lemon tomorrow.

Special note to our German viewers: Germany is now third in number of views from a country other than the US. Only Canada and Australia have had more views. Thanks from Uncle Harvey Lee.


Hollis quote of the day:

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened." - Winston S. Churchill 

What Wilkie's Up To

Y'all probably remember me telling y'all about my cousin Wilkie Whitmire and when he were in the hospital in New Orleans. I ain't said too much about him and his wife Betty Faye lately, but that ain't because I forgot 'em. They is still some of my favorite peoples. Lately they has been staying out in Arizona with their youngest daughter, Maylene, and her husband, Delano. Delano were named after our president

Frankie Roosevelt. The place in Arizona where they are staying in called Tucson. You may have seen it from cowboy picture shows. Delano went out there because he had asthma and all kinds of plant allergies. From what I hear notw peoples has transplanted almost ever kind of plant and flower that will grow there. And since it don't rain too much the allergy stuff just floats around in the air for months. That's what I hear, but I ain't too sure.

Hollis' quote of the day:

"Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live." - Gustave Flaubert

What Wilkie's Up To

Y'all probably remember me telling y'all about my cousin Wilkie Whitmire and when he were in the hospital in New Orleans. I ain't said too much about him and his wife Betty Faye lately, but that ain't because I forgot 'em. They is still some of my favorite peoples. Lately they has been staying out in Arizona with their youngest daughter, Maylene, and her husband, Delano. Delano were named after our president

Frankie Roosevelt. The place in Arizona where they are staying in called Tucson. You may have seen it from cowboy picture shows. Delano went out there because he had asthma and all kinds of plant allergies. From what I hear notw peoples has transplanted almost ever kind of plant and flower that will grow there. And since it don't rain too much the allergy stuff just floats around in the air for months. That's what I hear, but I ain't too sure.

Hollis' quote of the day:

"Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live." - Gustave Flaubert

Country Boy

When I were 9 or 10, I had a aunt by marriage what come from out in the country. And she had a younger brother what were about 5 year older than me. My aunt used to take me with her when she drove out to see her family. I loved to see how they lived way out there. In Harper we always had a garden and chickens and such, but they had cows and horses and goats. We got some of our food from our own yard but they got almost ever thing from their farm. My aunt's brother were named Danny and we all called him Danny Boy. Danny Boy had his own horse and he had him trained to do all kinds of tricks. He would let me ride him but some of his tricks were a little dangerous and he wouldn't let me do 'em. One that I always wanted to do was where he had trained the horse to come running by the side of a shed when he whistled a certain way. Then Danny Boy would jump off the roof of the shed and land right in the saddle. I never seem him miss. I reckon if he had let me try I might have broke my neck. Thank you Danny Boy, where ever you is.

Hollis' book of the day:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other. (Old man relives his life.)
































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Rising Water

The floods in Mississippi is all the talk of ever body you run into. And for good reason. Peoples is suffering like nobody's business. We is all been praying for these peoples and we has been gathering up clothes and stuff to send to them. A lot of us has give to the Red Cross.
I wanted to tell a little story about rising water what didn't hurt nobody and were over in less than a minute.
Me and a couple of my buddies was fishing a few years ago. We caught a few fishes, dressed 'em, and fried 'em up good. After we ate, we was was sitting around the campfire telling stories and such. All three of us happened to be looking at the river when all of a sudden it rose up almost a foot; I mean straight up. And then it went straight back down. Huh? We walked over to the river bank and couldn't see no sign of water on the sides. I told that story to a bunch of folks over the years and hardly nobody believed me. It's true though.

Hollis' book of the day:
Light in August by William Faulkner - Read and find out how Joe Christmas got his name.

Dorothy's Mama

Dorothy's mama died today. She were a old lady way over ninety year old. And she didn't know nothing anymore. But that still don't make it a good thing that she passed. I heard a fellow say one time how he didn't like it when he heard somebody say, "He met a untimely death." This fellow said he figured they warn't no timely death. I reckon he warn't thinking about Oslama Been Laddin. I figure if his death warn't timely it were because it shoulda happened long ago.
Now I ain't gonna get into all the things about the wake and funeral. This ain't that kinda blog. For the next few day I gave Hollis some ideas to throw at you. I'm gonna be busy.

Hollis' favorite quote of the day:
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." - William Shakespeare

Power's Off

Y'all know how much I hate to leave Harper, but my trip to the Gulf Coast for a wedding warn't nothing but good. And today I had to go to the next county to pick up something for Dorothy at CheapMart. And you know what? There warn't no power on. In the past I seen power being out because of lightning, or a tree blowed down by a strong wind, or even when a drunk hit a light pole. But this power being out warn't caused by none of them things. It were caused by a curious little squirrel what were looking into a electric box (I reckon for something to eat.) He were fried. And a whole bunch of peoples was left in the dark. Ever thing is back to normal except for the poor little squirrel. He done picked up his last nut.

Hollis' book of the day:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - Some war wounds are worse than others.

Back in Harper

We just got home from the wedding. We left Florida this morning but we had to stop along the way to visit my cousin Mattie Sue in Wiggins. Mattie Sue runs a sausage factory. You know what they say about it ain't too good to watch sausage being made. That's true. I seen it when I were just a boy so it ain't too bad for me, but new comers and peoples with weak stomachs sometimes loose their dinner when they sees it. Mattie Sue don't usually smell too good 'cause of all sausage, but that's only on weekdays. She cleans up real good on Sundays. We stopped in Hattiesburg to eat at Mama's Barb-B-Q. I asked the woman waiting on us how many ribs we got on a rib plate (they's big ribs.) And she said, "Three or four, all depending on how Mama's hand falls." The ribs there is good. We always stop by if we anywhere close.

Staying a Extra Day

Hollis rented the house for a extra day so that give us a chance to get some good Gulf Coast seafood. But first I want to tell y'all about this late breakfast they throwed for the out of town guests. They had doughnuts (all kinds,) them little egg pies that they call something like keeshes, fruits, muffins, and what they calls beagles (used to not like 'em but I does now.) They was mixing champlain with orange juice and had coffee. Tonight we're having seafood. Gotta' run.

Jitterbug

The weather turned out real good for the wedding on the beach. It were a beautiful ceremony and afterward we all went back to a area what had a tent set up. They served crab cakes, conch fritters, and boiled shrimps. And that were just to warm us up. We had a real good supper, the kind what you walk through a line and pick out what you want. They offered salad, roasted vegetables, roast beef, chicken, and grouper. I had some of each. Then after the bride and groom danced they let ever body get on the dance floor. They wanted me to dance and I told them I couldn't do nothing but jitterbug. And you know what they knowed some old songs and I reckon there warn't no way out for me. So I danced. With several womens (not at the same time.) Ever body what warn't dancing crowded around and clapped and yelled out, "Go, Harvey Lee, go." It were something else.

Hollis' quote of the day:

"Tradition is a guide and not a jailer."

-       W. Somerset Maugham

Wet Party

Me and Hollis is off to a party tonight. I heard it were to be helt outsides but it's raining like nobody's business. Hollis were wondering what they is gonna do, but I reckon they got sense enough to get insides when it's raining outsides. We went to a little fling ding last night and Hollis made sure I got introduced to ever body. He's real good at stuff like that. Peoples got to asking me about my stories, but I warn't gonna tell none. I figure it's the bride's weekend. I told them to look on my blog and if they warn't satisfied with what I was telling on that day, they could look over on the right and click on one of the 255 other days what I posted on. Hollis told me all about that.

Hollis' favorite quote of the day:

A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words." - Phillips Brooks

Florida Wedding

Me and Hollis is in Florida for a wedding. It's for Laura Jean, my sister's great granddaughter, who is marrying a man from Boston, Massachusetts. He's a yankee, but seems like a nice fellow. He never were taught to say words right, like he don't say r's when he's supposed to (car to him is caa) and he says them where they ain't (Cuba is cuber and Africa is Africer.) And I'm the one who he thinks talks funny. I told him Jimmy Carter were the first president without a accent. He said, "Huh?" So I figured it warn't worth the effort. Anyway we is here and all excited about the wedding. It's gonna be on the beach. I reckon if I can do my churching on the shore of Harper Lake, they can get married proper with the waves of the Gulf of Mexico slapping on the beach. The wedding is tomorrow.

Hollis favorite quote of the day:

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." - Charles W. Eliot

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Lebanese Family

When I were going to the Catholic Church I come up against this Lebanese family and ever since we been friends. That's when I learnt peoples from those countries over there warn't all Jewish or Muslim; some of them was Catholics. The other night my friends whose last name I never learnt to pronounce (they is just Mona and Stephen to me) asked me and Dorothy to come over for supper. Dorothy always is glad to go because she learns new dishes to serve in her cafe. And I like most ever kind of food from all around the world. I don't know what you call these dishes but they is all good. Another thing about my Lebanese friends is how funny they is. I got it in my head that all the peoples from Lebanon was funny (I mean funny  haha, not funny strange) but Hollis says that would be stereo typing. I don't reckon I care about that I still ain't never met a person with a Lebanon background that warn't real funny.

Hollis' book of the day:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Atticus Finch is a hero to most of the world.

Railroad Town

If you walked down to the end of Main Street, you could see the railroad shops. It stretched out about as far as you could see. Now it's all tore down and looks like it were bombed by the Nazis. Back in the 30's and 40's a whole bunch of peoples worked there. I even worked in the storeroom one summer just helping out.

I learned a lot. One of the things I learnt were I didn't want to work for the railroad. Guess it didn't matter since it's all gone now. The mens what worked there was all good sports and joked around all the time with one another. The womens all thought they was crazy. Things ain't changed much I don't reckon.

Hollis' book of the Day:
Redeeming the Wounded by B.Bruce Cook - Pursuing the rights of victims of crime.

Main Street

Like I was telling you a lot of us spent most of Saturdays on Main Street in McComb. Us young'ns toured all three dime stores (rarely buying anything) and made our way to a drug store on Main Street what had real good hot dogs and orange drinks. They made a special sauce what I'd like to find out the recipe for. I think it were cheese and chili all mixed together. Then of course we went to the picture show. I told y'all a lot about that last week. My mama never got out of the car that I know of. She just enjoyed looking at the peoples. And my daddy always brought home hunting and fishing stories. People are all the time telling me they would give anything if Main Street warn't all changed up. They have a mall on the other side of town now, but it just ain't the same.

Hollis' book of the day:
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - Catching the fish is only the first part; you got to get it  home too.

Popcorn

It seems like we always had to have popcorn when we was at the picture show and that made us thirsty so we had to have a Coke too. This cost a total of ten cents if we just got a bag of popcorn. A box were ten cents by itself. We had a boy what walked around during the movies with bags and boxes to sell. He never had much trouble making change cause almost nobody had a dollar bill. We all respected this boy cause he had spending money made from his work. Later on he were on the high school football team and got a scholarship to college somewhere out west, Montana I think. I reckon he seen so many cowboy picture shows he wanted to go where they was at.

Hollis' book of the day:
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - Hepatitis leads to affair with older woman leads to discovery of a hideous crime which took place during Nazi control of Germany.

Durango Kid

Another cowboy I liked to see in the Saturday picture show were the Durango Kid. He were played by a guy named Charles Starrett. Later on in life I found out a few things about Charles what was unusual to say the least. He wore a black mask when he were dressed up as Durango so nobody would know who he were. They say that mask started out as a piece of Rita Hayworth's gown what were laying around the studio when they come up with the idea. And like Roy Rogers (who come from Ohio)
Charles warn't from the wild west. He were from Massachusetts and was going to Dartmouth College when they was making a movie there. Somebody spotted Charles who were a nice looking fellow and gave him a test for the movies. And he didn't start out playing a cowboy, but once he did it kinda stuck and from then on that's all he played. I sure am glad because I probably never would have seen any of his other movies. Do anybody remember his horse's name? I'll tell you tomorrow.

Hollis' book of the day:
Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner - Empty graves, quick sand, and lynch mobs in Yoknapatawpha County

Saturdays When I Were a Boy

I were a boy back in the 30's and early 40's. My daddy warn't much for letting me sleep too late even when school were out for the weekend. If I warn't up by 6:30, he would come in and pull all the covers off of me and yell for me to get going. There were always a job for me to do on Saturday morning because we was all living in the big house then and it had a big yard to mow in the summer and lot of leaves most of the year round. When I done my work enough to make my daddy happy he would give me twenty cents for the movie theater (10c) and a drink (5c) and popcorn (5c.) Him and mama went in to town in McComb and he would park the car on Main Street and get out and walk around and talk to the mens who was doing the same thing. Mama and most of the womens would just sit in the car and watch the peoples go by. I would walk down to the Palace Theater for the cowboy double feature. With all the extras it would last all afternoon. Most of the time I had to leave before I seen it all so I wouldn't be late for my ride back home to Harper. I warn't ever late but one time. Daddy gave me what for and I warn't ever going to lose track of time after that. My favorite cowboy growing up were Gene Autry, but Roy Rogers sorta took his place. I liked Trigger better than Champion.

Hollis' book of the day:
True Grit by Charles Portis

September 2010 Posts

For new readers and those who may have missed them, Hollis has worked out a way to present these older posts. Start from the bottom for earliest and click on any topic of interest.

Hope this works.

             Harvey Lee’s September 2010 Posts

(read from bottom up)

                The Tent Revival Preacher

            How This Works by Hollis

            My First Year with Trixie

            Meeting Trixie

            Looking Back on Bethel and Mary Kate

            Note from Hollis

            Me and the Catholics

            Mary Kate

            Rethinking Sobriety

            Drinking and Stuff

            Korea and What it Done to Me

            Doreen

            Quick Note from Hollis

            Jack

            Bill

            Jimbo's Hardware

            More About Harper

            Note from Hollis

            Me and Bethel

            Bethel

            Monday in Harper

            Weekend in Harper

            How Harper Got Its Name

            A Little about Harper

            Today in Harper

What Happens When the Braves Play the Cardinals

Now, ever now and then we come up against a problem. Sometimes ever year the Braves and the Cardinals play one another. Like I said we pulls for both of 'em, but when they is facing each other we has to make some plan on how we gonna vote. We all use different rules; like if one team has a chance to win their division and the other don't we pull for the one what's got a chance or if one team in a game is way ahead of the other we pull for the one what's way behind. But one thing I figured out is no matter what's going on by the beginning of the ninth inning we all knows who we is for.

Hollis' book of the day:
A Room With a View by E. M. Forster - Old folks don't always give young folks the right advice especially about marriage when the old person has never tried it.

Atlanta Braves

Ever thing were all right until the 60's when the Braves moved from Milwaukee. Ever body here up till then pulled for the Cardinals. But real slow like peoples begin to listen in on the Atlanta team 'cause after all they was playing in the South. We got real familiar with names like Knucksie, Murph, Hammering Hank. Then come along Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. And Chipper, Justice, and Pendleton. How could we help switching over to the Braves. They won their division for a bunch of years in a row and the World Series once. Go Braves.

Tomorrow: What Happens When the Braves Play the Cardinals

Hollis' book of the day:
A Passage to India by E.M.Forster - "Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Moore" Who died and made her queen?

St. Louis Cardinals

When I were growing up all I used to hear mens talking about were the St. Louis Cardinals. We used to listen to them on the radio (KMOX, I think) and peoples was always talking about the Gas House Gang and players with names like: Dizzy, Dazzy, Pepper, Ripper and such. I never got to go to St. Louis to see a game, but my uncles was always finding a way to catch the Illinois Central up for a weekend of baseball.
Dizzy Dean were from Arkansas, but he settled down in Lucedale, Mississippi where he got invested in pickles and charcoal bricketts. He used to come to McComb to catch the train. I reckon he were afraid of flying.

Tomorrow: Atlanta Braves

Hollis' book of the day:
A Painted House by John Grisham - A boy growing up poor in Arkansas discovers he isn't poor at all.

The Lady and the Harp

I come up with this memory the other day: There were a lady back in the depression who lived in Harper and word got around she played the harp. The womens in the Culture Club of Harper wouldn't have been satisfied until they got her to come and harp for their Wednesday afternoon meeting. They come up with a bunch of classical numbers for her to play and one of them was from the opera Carmen. I'm sure y'all have heard it even if you don't know it by name. Well this woman, a Mrs. Dumas, accepted their invite and showed up with just her purse. They asked if she needed help with her instrument and she said, "No. She could handle it." When it come time for her to play she stood before the group and told them she didn't know a just plain Carmen song but she could play Coming Round the Mountain where
upon she pulled out a french harp and commenced to play.

She warn't asked back.


Hollis book of the day:
Howard's End by E.M. Forster - If the Kindle was around back then Leonard Bast's life would have been saved.