Air Warden

During the war my grandpa, mama's daddy, were what we called a air raid warden. He went out at night and made sure peoples had their lights out when they called for a blackout. I don't reckon them Nazis had Harper, Mississippi on their target list, but that didn't matter to grandpa. He taken his job real serious and wrote a whole bunch of citations for local folks. Made 'em mad too, but he didn't care. Sometime he would let me go with him and help him look out for any lights I could spot. One night we seen a light in a upstair window and it come up quick and went out fast. It were a man names Horace Havers lighting up a cigarette. Grandpa yelled up at him and told him he were writing him up and would leave the ticket on his front door. Havers come running down his stairs (we could hear him from outsides) and swinged open his door and was standing right in front of grandpa breathing right into his face. Grandpa didn't back up one bit. But Havers did. When he seen my grandpa meant business he decided he had better rethink his anger.
He just stood there with his cigarette in his mouth puffing away like nobody's business. Grandpa taken the cigarette from Haver's mouth and stomped out the fire with his boot. He told Haver's he ought not to be smoking them things anyway, air raid or not.

Who Stayed Home

When I look back on it there warn't to many menfolks what stayed home from the war. And the ones what did worked important jobs for the war effort. I only knowed one woman what went off to the service and that were Merlene Jones. She could type real good, I reckon over 200 works a minute from what they said.
So she come in real handy for the army. But I'm mostly taking about them what stayed home and that were boys (too young to be sent off,) mens (too old,) and mens what was hurt in some way. I heard one man couldn't go 'cause he had flat feet. I ain't too sure about that though. Those what stayed home all worked in some job to keep the country going and come home at night and worked until dark in what we called victory gardens. Like I said we already had a garden and it were bigger than most peoples' victory gardens.
My mama took a job down at the garment mill. They switched over from making mens' shirts to making uniforms and even had a section what made gauze for dressing war wounds. That's where my mama worked.

Keeping the Home Fires Lit

While daddy were away (we found out later he were in Europe) me and Mama kept the home fires burning. They had what they called rationing what meant you couldn't just go to the store and buy things like sugar, canned food, and coffee. You had to have a ration book with little tickets in it for buying those kind of things. When you run out of tickets, you had to do without what ever that ticket were for. Lucky for us we was used to not buying a lot from the grocery store. We always had a garden and grandpa run a sugar cane mill (with a mule walking round and round making the works in the middle grind up the cane and give us good syrup.) We had bees for honey and plenty of fruit trees on the place. The only thing we run out of sometimes was gasoline. So we stayed home a lot more and walked places what was no more than three or four miles off.
Tomorrow: Who Stayed Home

My Daddy Goes to War

I had to run down to the depot to leave a check for a couple of bricks in the sidewalk with a couple of my uncles' names on 'em. They got a old engine, one of 'em what used coal, sitting on show right out side the station. It got me thinking about the day so long ago when my daddy climbed on a troop train and headed off to World War II. I warn't more than ten year old, but I remember it good. He warn't wearing no uniform yet 'cause he had to check in at a base somewheres we couldn't know about. Lots a peoples was there 'cause they had husbands and daddies heading off too. Me and mama was there to say goodbye but grandma and grandpa stayed at home and kept my little brother. I remember daddy laughing and mama smiling too like he were just going to New Orleans for the day or something. I learned later they was just being brave for me. And it worked too cause I don't think I cried or nothing. Yeah, I remember how happy they seemed because that were the last time I remember either one of them that happy.
Tomorrow: Keeping the Home Fires Lit

Home in Harper Again

This is post number 302; thinking about stopping at 365 and devoting my time to fishing.

We pulled into Harper about 5 o'clock this afternoon. I had a wonderful time in Atlanta but I have to tell you it's good to be back home. This year I been to England, Florida, Colorado, and Atlanta (a couple of times.) I ain't gonna even count trips to New Orleans and Jackson cause I do that for shopping purposes all the time. Now I don't reckon I care if I don't wander around no more for a while. Me and Willie gotta catch up on our fishing and I got some work to do around the big house regarding a fence and a few dead tree limbs what's getting a little dangerous. Need to relax with my whittling and Aunt Gladys McIntyre wants me to make her a little metal monkey to hang on a low lying limb on that pin oak in her front yard. And above all I got to figure on how to get Dorothy to move into the big house and keep it up for me. That's gonna be the toughest job I got ahead of me.

Mississippi in the Park

Today we went to Mississippi in the Park. It were about as good as good can get. Fifteen different Mississippi colleges had little tents set up so you could stop by and get fans, pens, and buttons for their school. I stopped by all of 'em and met at least one somebody from each college. They was all friendly like you'd expect somebody from Mississippi to be. Then I went through the line and got a real good catfish dinner. At the end of the line they had sweet tea, cokes, cookies, and delicious caramel cake. It were all good. I seen some peoples I already knowed and met some new ones. Hollis, who y'all know wants to be a writer, met a fellow what writes scientific fiction. They talked for a long time. I met a guy from Harper I hadn't seen in years. He growed up about 3 blocks from where I growed up. His granddaddy were a engineer on the railroad. We had a lot to talk about. I met the head of the Ole Miss in Georgia bunch and y'all know what, he were a general in the army. He and all of 'em had ever thing set up and running just right. All in all it were a great day. I forgot to mention they had three bands playing, not all at once, but one by one and they was all real good. Next year plan ahead and come.

Friday Night in Atlanta

l was kinda counting on going to see a Braves' game seeing as how I am in Atlanta, but they is out of town. In Sandy Ago. So to kinda make up for it my cousin taken me to a fancy restaurant where you pay for ever thing separate; like you pay for your steak ($32.00), your baked potato (5.00), salad (6.50), vegetable medley (5.00), unsweet tea (3.50); they didn't charge for the sugar I put in it, much to my surprise. My cousin's wife insisted we have dessert and coffee (12.50.) Those peoples drinking beer, wine, or booze must have had to take out a second mortgage to eat there. It were named La Petite Violoneux (the little fiddler.) And they did have this little man walking all through out the restaurant playing his fiddle. He must've been no more than 5'2" tall. He played some opera songs what I knew what withal my daddy playing opera music while I were growing up. It were good but I just as soon gone to the Waffle House for a omelet. Really missed them Braves though.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out 

Travel to Atlanta

Me and Hollis and that girl headed out early this morning (6 AM.) We got to Birmingham and stopped by a relative of my cousin's and had a treat. She runs a dessert place called YOLO (you only live once) desserts. It were good. Real good. We found a picture of what we had and Hollis put it on below. We got to Atlanta at what Hollis said were a good time for traffic. Couldn't prove it by me. Like I told y'all we are going to Mississippi in the Park on Saturday. Hollis and his girl are going someplace tonight so I am going to go out with my cousin and his wife to a restaurant. Hope it's as good as the dessert place in Birmingham.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out

Overhead Bridge

When I were just a boy I got me a job mowing lawns on Saturdays. It were hard because in the summer grass growed real fast and needed to be cut at least twice a week. So once a week cutting were tough. I used a push mower and it would get clogged up especially when the grass were wet which were a lot of the time. Even if it warn't raining the dew were bad until late in the morning. The man I mowed for most of the time were named Mr. Hough (sounds like Huff.) He were hard to please and would check my work real careful before he paid me. When I got through I walked across the bridge what run over the railroad tracks to Gillis Drug Store where I got me a milk shake and a ham and cheese sandwich. When I would get to the drug store I were real hot and sweaty. They had a powerful air conditioning machine and when I walked in out of the hot the cold air almost knocked me over. But it were good after a few seconds. After I filled up on the milk shake and sandwich. I went to the movies. So much for my mowing money.
Tomorrow me and Hollis and his girlfriend leave for Atlanta.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out

Going to Atlanta

I just got back from Colorado and now I'm getting ready to go to Atlanta for Mississippi in the Park. Hollis is driving his girlfriend home. She lives in what they call Vinings what is a part of the city. Me and him is going to drop by the park, listen to the music, eat catfish, and visit with the peoples from Mississippi. We leave on Thursday and come back Sunday. I'll be staying with my cousin again. If any of y'all want to know how to spot me: I'll be the good looking man in overalls with a pink carnation. Just kidding. Hope some of y'all will come by. I'd love to talk with you. This picture is what it looked like last year.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out

Back from the Mountain Wedding

We flew into New Orleans and drove back to Harper today. It were 55 degrees and raining bullfrogs when we left Denver and were 96 degrees in Harper. Warn't raining bullfrogs but I were sweating 'em. All in all it were a wonderful trip. The peoples was just as nice, the bride and young girls was beautiful, and the scenery were just perfect. And the weather were cool. In fact we heard on the Denver TV that Keystone where we was had 3 inches of snow last night. Huh?
All I can say is I'm glad to be home.

Hollis' book of the day:
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - Now, then, and back again: here, there, and everywhere.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out

Mountain Wedding

The bride were from North Carolina, the groom from Seattle, so it just made good sense to have the wedding in Colorado (half-way in between.) I were gonna send some pictures your way, but Diana had a few problems with her camera. Pictures to follow. They had a out of door setup what gave the most beautiful view you could imagine. Looking at the mountains in the background gave me the sharpest urge to stand up and shout: "Shane, come back, Shane." If you ain't seen the movie Shane  with Alan Ladd you won't know what I'm talking about. But if you has seen it you will remember the little boy shouting out them words as Shane meanders up into the mountains on his trust horse. Anyway I reckon that ain't got nothing to do with the wedding, but I'm just saying.... The bride were beautiful and the groom were handsome enough. After the services we went inside to a wonderful supper. Dorothy said she were gonna make some of then dishes when we get back home. She will too. Dorothy are good at stuff like that.

Reminder: Mississippi in the Park - Chastain Park - Atlanta - Saturday, June 25 - 10:30AM to 3:30PM

                  www.mssocietyofga.org    Check it out

Mountain Living

(Click on pictures for a closer look at what we seeing.)

Out here in the West a lot of things is different and a lot of things ain't. One thing what surprised me a lot was what they had for breakfast at the place what we ate at. Grits. I has heard tell that you couldn't get grits when you warn't in the South. That ain't right. What is right, you can't get grits what is fit to eat. Fixing grits are a art and can't be taken up overnight. You gotta be taught by your mama or somebody like that. Now after I've said that I ain't gonna say no more bad stuff 'cause every thing else is good. They still got snow on the mountains and it's just as cool as you'd want it to be. They got this thing out here called altitudinal sickness what comes on you if you go up too high too fast. A lot of folks spend a night or two in Denver to get their body ready for the high altitude. We didn't and both is a little short of breath. They say it only lasts a few days. We are leaving tomorrow. Getting ready of Dorothy's great niece's wedding what takes place outsides in a hour or two. Supposed to be 61 degrees. All in all it's been a great trip.

Colorado Wedding Trip

I reckon I told y'all Dorothy wanted me to go with her to a wedding in Colorado. It's way up in the mountains. We got here this afternoon after driving to New Orleans, flying to Denver, getting a car and driving up into the Rocky Mountains. We had to go through a tunnel (named after President Eisenhower)
and through Dillon and into Keystone. It is right now 42 degrees. Back home it's in the nineties. I were so tired when we got her I fell asleep. Now we is getting ready for a big bar-b-q some of the grooms folks is giving. The bride is one of Dorothy's great nieces. Lucky for me, Diana, Hollis's sister, are with us so she can type this out. Hope to have better pictures tomorrow. It's too cold to stay out long today so I just run out in front of the place we staying and snapped this one.

The Pigs of Harper

We got pigs in Harper as well as cows. But the pigs ain't for nothing except eating. Now a days ain't too many peoples killing their own hogs, but some still do. Usually they kills their pigs one day a year (a day cold enough to keep the meat from spoiling and not cold enough to freeze it.) A funny story about that comes to my mind. Several year ago when air conditions were new in cars, old man Jesse James Brown were walking into Harper from out in the country when a stranger in a new car stopped and offered him a ride. Jesse ain't never been in a air conditioned car and mistook it for a sharp change in the weather. He asked the man to let him out 'cause he needed to go home and kill hogs.

Hog killing are a all day thing, but when you finishes up you got enough ham, pork chops, ham steaks, bacon, and some parts you probably don't want to hear about to last all winter long.

The Cows of Harper

I reckon y'all figured since Harper are a little country kinda town we'd have a few cow hanging around. You'd be right. I think we got more peoples than cows inside the town limits but I ain't too sure. Almost ever body's got at least one cow. Some for milk, I reckon most for milk, but some seem to be just staying around sorta like a pet or something. Now cows ain't too easy to keep. They can leave a lot of manure around. That's why Jubel Wasserman come up with the idea of a clean ups service he named Jubel's Manure Roundup. He come around about twice a week and don't charge too much since he sells all his collections to farmers out in the county. It's a kinda smelly business but the money don't smell no different than no other. We got a lot of real enterprising people in Harper. Jubel's just one of 'em.

Leaky Roof

My cousin Wilkie Whitmire had a leaky roof last winter and were too busy to get around to fixing it until last month. Him and his wife has been real sick with sinus and what he calls brain fog (not thinking straight.) My cousin in Atlanta works with this doctor what treats mold allergy. He told me how to get him some mold plates to see what were going on in his house. It warn't a pretty sight (I mean the plates we put out, cause you couldn't see nothing just by looking at the room.) The picture below shows what his bedroom looked like on the plate. We is working on a way to fix his house now. Gonna get it fogged with some citrus spray or something.

Dorothy wants me to go with her to a wedding in Colorado. My goodness. Won't people leave me to my lake and my fishing. I reckon I'll go though.

Was My Wives Editors

Like I said last night, Hollis are in Atlanta meeting with a editor for some of his writing. This got me to thinking about what I would've turned out to be if it warn't for my wives. I reckon they was sorta like editors. Bethel, my first wife were a good editor, but she done it without saying too much. She would just kinda shake her head or take me by the arm and lead me away from some mess I were getting myself into. Mary Kate, wife number two, were a little more talkative. She would tell me what I were doing wrong. A lot. She were the Catholic wife and had been brought up kinda straight and narrow if you know what I'm talking about. She taught me a lot. Maybe that's why I stayed single so long after she got hit by that streetcar in New Orleans. Now, Trixie, wife number three, didn't do much editing. She would just laugh at me if I screwed up. I figure that may be a kind of editing too 'cause it made me not want to do any more what I done to make her laugh.
Hadn't heard from Hollis today. Reckon he'll call tomorrow. That boy really does look out for me.

Editor for Hollis

Diana, Hollis' sister, are sitting in for him tonight. Hollis is on his way to Atlanta to look up this woman what is called a editor. You see, Hollis is wrote a bunch of stories and is working on a book and his teacher wants him to meet with this woman she knows what edits. Hollis says a good editor will let you say what you want to say but try to make sure it comes out right. I reckon like it don't make nobody much mad at what you say or how you say it. I told him I reckon that man in the congress what's been on the news so much lately would've saved his self a bunch of trouble if he had got him a editor. Hollis said it warn't the same thing. What he done couldn't be edited and just needed to be plain deleted.
Hollis sent this picture back as he were going through Birmingham.

Tomorrow: Was My Wives Editors?

Last Day at Bud's Barber Shop

Today Bud, the barber, messed up his last head of hair. Bud used to be a excellent barber until he got all shaky and had troubles holding up the clippers. When we was little our mamas made us go to see Bud ever Saturday. We had to be ready for Sunday School and Church, don't you know. Today peoples don't go to the barber but about once a month. I cuts my own hair. I use what I call the feel method. Sitting on the porch of my cabin, I takes some special scissors I got and cuts away until it feels right. Been doing that for years and nobody's said nothing about it. Probably it looks better than what they been getting done to their hair at Buds. If I had the time I could teach peoples how to use the feel technique and save them a lot of  money. Of course they'd have to get their news somewhere else and they shouldn't take that "news" for information nohow. Bud's gonna go live at The Shady Acres retirement home in the next county. I reckon I'll drop in on him ever so often.

Lurlene Mayo and the Pickpocket

I reckon y'all figured out the punch line to the old maid joke, but just in case: When the third old maid heard the commode singing The Star Spangled Banner she forgot and stood up.

Year ago we had a little bus what run around Harper and taken peoples where they wanted to go. Most peoples what rode the bus was too old or too poor to own a car and it come in handy for them, I reckon.
Lurlene Mayo at the time of this story were between eighty and ninety year old. She were frail and real shaky like. This day she caught the bus and rode it to the bank where she cashed her government check. Then she went right back out and waited for the bus to return her back home. Little did she know but this young fellow were watching her and figured he had him some easy money coming his way. When she got out, close to where she lived, it were in a spot with no houses on that block, just woods. The man got off with her and grabbed her and she started yelling but it were so weak nobody could hear her. She had put the money in a little tobacco pouch what was pinned to her underwear. The bad guy seen where she put it cause he were in the bank with her when she done it. It warn't no big job for him to take the money and run into the woods. But two little boys seen what he done and went running for the law. And they warn't too far off. The sheriff and his deputy. They went down into the woods where the boys pointed and in a little bit here they come, each one holding onto the man's arms. He were all beat up looking. Nobody asked but the deputy said, "He fell." Then the sheriff handed Lurlene Mayo her money. She counted it and said, "Sheriff, I have to be honest. You gave me $424.50 and I only got $248.64 from the bank." And the sheriff said, "Well, Ms. Mayo, I reckon the difference is for your trouble."

The Three Old Maids and the Singing Commode

Once upon a time there was three old maids and they bought a singing commode. When they sat on it it would sing them a song, but they couldn't pick what song it sung. The first old maid went into the bathroom and stayed about ten minutes. What did it sing the other two asked? It were delightful. It sung Home on the Range. The second old maid went in and stayed about fifteen minutes. When she come out she announced that the commode sung Home Sweet Home for her. But when the third old maid went in she stayed about thirty minutes. The other two got worried and peaked through the keyhole. They saw that the third old maid were just mopping away. When she come out they asked what took her so long. She replied in a huff, "The dang thing sung The Star Spangled Banner."

Like I said you may have to think a minute on the punch line. For any who don't catch on I'll tell you tomorrow.

Panda Picture Show

Me and Dorothy went on sort of a date. She wanted to see this panda movie what were showing in Brookhaven, a town up the way. They has the closest picture show to us. Now, Dorothy are crazy about pandas. She had her computer tuned in to the little baby panda what were in the Atlanta Zoo. They had a camera on it 24/7 and when her computer went to rest that's what showed up on the screen. This movie were about pandas but warn't what Dorothy were expecting. I like westerns and I probably ain't going back until True Grit are showing. Dorothy looked real cute last night. She's been feeling better since her mama passed on. I know them is hard sayings, but it are true. Dorothy had to spend almost all her time (when the cafe were closed) tending to that old lady; even if she were in a nursing home. Anyway Dorothy is a lot better off and has started laughing at some of my jokes again. Even some of the ones she's heard before. I don't tell no dirty jokes, but I do like to tell some with a little dust on 'em. Like last night I told about the three old maids and the singing commode. It's one you has to think a little on the punch line. Maybe I'll tell it tomorrow.

Isolated Showers

Peoples round here been praying for rain. Just think about it. Less than 60 miles west they are praying for the flood waters to go away. And we dry as a bone. Well today it did rain. Some. We need a lots more, but we is happy for what we did get. Reminds me of old Scoot Nixon, a farmer out in the country from here. Scoot were what we called a poor dirt farmer. As far as I know his shadow never crossed a school room door. But he knowed how to raise cotton, so he made a good enough living just doing that. Now back when television were new and peoples had to erect a television aerial way up in the air just to get a snowy signal, Scoot were visiting his daughter and seen TV for the first time. Back then they had this weather man we all called Woody who stayed on the air for almost a century. The day after he seen the miracle of television like I said for the first time, Scoot come rushing over to my house all perplexalated. "Harvey Lee,"he said. "Mr. Woody said last night we was going to have isolated showers today." "Yeah," I said. "I seen it too." "And this is June ain't it" he continued. "Yeah, it's sure enough June," I said. "Well don't isolated showers mean it's gonna sleet." We have isolated showers called for tomorrow. I wish there were a little sleet mixed up in it.

All You Can Do Is Wait

Wampole Wiggins, Attorney at Law, tells me all I can do now is wait. He got together papers for Trixie to sign. They say if she will not contact me she will receive a one time payment of $200,000. Don't worry I got enough money to last me for the rest of my life. Oil. I reckon I'll just have to count on Trixie making the money last for a long time cause I know when she runs out of money she'll call me. I just gotta be strong and not give her no more ever again. Wampole says she will probably hurry things through since she must really need the money. He has ordered me not to give her any kind of advance or nothing like that. I'm getting kinda antsy. I need to get this stone off my neck.

Coinkydink

I were sitting in my fishing cabin trying to figure out what to tell Trixie when I called her and then a coinkydink happened. I don't know if peoples still calls it a coinkydink when you thinking about somebody and right then they calls you, but that's what we used to call it. Trixie called from Texas and didn't beat around the bush; she come right out and asked me if she could move back in with me. I knew she were broke or she wouldn't have called. So I jumped right on it and told her I was working with a lawyer to get a divorce ASAP. You ain't never heard such wailing in your life. But I calmed her right down by asking her what it would take to make her happy. She said to move back and I said I were talking money; like how much it would take to get her off my back once and for all. It didn't take her too long to tell me she would settle for $200,000. I told her I would do it but she could never call me no more. She said okay but she didn't understand how I could let her go. Ever body loves a Texas girl she said. I said I promised to love her as long as she stayed in Texas.

Divorce

They was playing that Tammy Wynett song DIVORCE on the jukebox at Dorothy's Cafe this morning. They ain't changed the records in years if they ever did. But listening to that music and looking at Dorothy, it come to my mind that I might ought to get divorced from Trixie. She run off with that tent preacher at least ten years ago. She says she don't want no divorce but she ain't coming back to live with me neither. I wouldn't let her is she wanted to. So after I finished my eggs, grits, bacon, and hot cakes and drinked about five cups of coffee, I got in my truck and headed to Wampole Wiggins office. He are a lawyer. The kind what writes wills and gets people divorced. I told him what I wanted and he said it warn't no problem. The fee were $250.00 to get the ball rolling and more later. I reckon I don't care what it costs if I can get rid of Trixie once and for all. Now I got to call her and listen to her weep and wail about how sorry she are and how she's so ashamed she done me wrong. I has heard all this before.

Tomorrow:
A Talk With Trixie

My Offer for Dorothy

My Fishing Cabin  

Since her mama passed away, Dorothy have been living in her home all by herself. As y'all know if you been following all my ramblings, me and Dorothy is real good friends. We go places together and I eat most all my meals at Dorothy's Cafe. And she helps me keep the big house up by getting some of her cafe peoples to come over and clean and wash clothes and such. I told Dorothy she could come and live in the big house and run it from there. There wouldn't be no rent or nothing. And I would stay at my cabin where I spend a lot of time anyway. But Dorothy said it wouldn't be seemly for her to live in a man's house what she warn't married to. I tried to tell her I wouldn't be there, but it warn't no use. I ain't prepared to ask her to marry me and I ain't sure she would say yes to that anyway. As y'all know I been married three times; buried two of 'em and the third run off with a tent preacher. So you can see I ain't got no business marrying anybody else. Beside I don't think I am officially divorced from Trixie, the third wife. If I was to ask somebody else it would be Dorothy. She would be my only choice.

The Seventh Wonder (ain't no place though)

The first six wonders we talked about was:
1. The Leaning Silo of Butter
2. The Hanging Garden of Brassfield
3. The Tall Light of Highhill
4. Jethro's Corn Maze
5. Kelly's Watermelon, Pumpkin, and Gourd Farm
6. Harley Creek Echo Cave
Today I am bringing you the seventh wonder, but it ain't no place. It's a person. Her name are Ella Pat Sorberough and she are a human computer. Back a few years ago there warn't no computers to speak of. I think they had big computers in real big colleges, but no private peoples had none. Even before that Ella Pat were a great source of information and she done it all on 3 x 5 cards. She had figured out this filing system for quick look up and could answer almost any question you gave her in just a few seconds. You could go to see her in person or you could call her on the phone. A lot of folks were a little afraid of her and would always call her. They just couldn't figure out how she knew so much and figured she must have witch like powers. Warn't so though. She were just as normal as ever body else here in Harper, just real organized. Now if you asked her something she didn't know she would find it out and make a card for it.
I ask her a lot of opera questions. I reckon I'm the only one around her what does that, but she have always had the answer. So the seventh wonder of Southwest Mississippi are: Ella Pat Soberough, the human computer.

Harley Creek Echo Cave

I reckon I ought not to put Harley Creek Cave on my list of the Seven Wonders of Southwest Mississippi.
For a couple of reasons: not many peoples here has ever seen it and ain't nobody probably gonna take you there. The cave is around a curve in the creek and the only way I know to get there is in a boat. In the summer ever time I ever been there I ain't even been able to get close. They has willow trees all around the hole what goes into the cave and them trees is filled with snakes. Water moccasins. And y'all probably know they is poison. I do go out there a lot in the winter; me and Willie that is. We just like a couple of kids because when we get close to the cave mouth, we sing into it. It's kinda like one of them Cary O'Kee
machines they got down at the Dew Drop Inn. The sound what come back is pure and clean, a lot better than what come out of my mouth in the shower. Maked me sound like Frank Sinatra.
Tomorrow:
The Seventh Wonder (ain't no place though)