Swamp Thing

We spent Saturday in the swamp.............The Okefenokee Swamp that is.

Jimmy's family is from all around the swamp....Homerville, Statenville, all of those little towns.
So every September they gather at the State Park in Fargo, Ga. right at the bottom of the swamp.


The park has cabins, play grounds, plenty of water for fishing and boating and picnic pavilions. This weekend it was a very busy place. Two large reunions plus a lot of people fishing and hunting.


Hannan had fun "driving" the boat. He, of course, was one of the stars of the gathering.

We didn't even see a gator............... but this is as far out in the water we got........ The dock! Maybe next year, Hannan.

A Lot of Moving Going On

Still Waters has been a very busy place the last few weeks. The Manor house down the lane has been completed and is now occupied. The big move is pretty much complete. The (For Real) plantation behind us has been using our lane to access a tract of pines that they are thinning and Bennett has enjoyed watching the log trucks pass not only because the drivers always toot their horns at him if they can see him out but because he is a boy. Boys just REALLY like heavy equipment. He especially enjoyed a couple of trips down the new road to check out the progress and to see the bulldozer and log picker-upper up close. Also, the rattlesnakes have been moving and we have seen and killed several very large snakes the last couple of weeks. And when I say we, I mean other people. I had no part in this activity what- so- ever. I did not chose to look over their dead bodies nor stretch them out to their full length to take their picture. I did not even chose to ride by to see their dead lifeless bodies from the safety of my vehicle. After Jason killed the first snake at the Manor House he explained to Bennett that if he ever saw a snake he was just to "tell Daddy." I had not heard about the latest snake killing until after Bennett told me, " If I see a snake I'm going to STEP on it!" I don't expect he will be allowed out of the house on his own until he is 18 or so. We may also be changing the name of our planation-ett to Snake Nation. Anyway, Welcome to the neighborhood Lairsey family!

It Happened At Belk Hudson

During my pre-teen years my family lived just a couple of blocks from the city block that housed an elementary school, the junior high, the recreation department, the local city gym - used by the Jr. High for PE, the rec department for basketball games, the high school for basketball games, AND was used as an auditorium for the entire community and the schools. The next blocks were the main downtown area, so the main part of town was not too far from our house. It was a simpler (and safer) time and at 11-13 I was allowed to walk and really just ramble all over our part of town. So was our dog, Pal. He was well known :)

On Saturday afternoon one of my friends ( five of us lived within two blocks of one another) and I would sometimes walk downtown ....... passing the elementary school ... a quick swing on the empty play grounds.... by the junior high.... up and down the granite steps of the old post office....... maybe stopping to watch the cokes fly by on the conveyor belt at the bottling plant across from the schools..... then into one of several drug stores on the surrounding corners to sit at the counter or in a booth to enjoy an ice cold coca cola. Maybe having a slaw dog if we wanted to splurge with our allowance so early in the week. Or catching the Saturday matinee and enjoying the movie, a coke and popcorn all for $.40 at the theater located in the block between two of the drug stores.

Just a normal Saturday afternoon in most small towns in America in the sixties I suppose................ But we did have entertainment that may not have been available in every small town. Well, maybe not any other small town. Maybe only in Atlanta or even New York City........... Well, maybe not any other town of any size. We had entertainment at our Belk Hudson store. I always loved going with my mom to Belk Hudson and being entertained while my mom shopped in the fabric department. The entrance off the main downtown street opened onto the floor that housed shoes, the men's department, hosiery, and cosmetics. The top floor housed women's wear, the children's department, and lingerie.

But, if you parked in the parking lot you actually entered what was considered the basement. The basement housed housewares and dry goods (fabric, etc)..... AND.... THE MYNAH BIRD. That's right.......... our Belk Hudson had a talking bird that lived in the store over the drink machine in a sitting area. Very entertaining. And very loud! He was a rude bird now that I think about it. He whistled at all the ladies and yelled out cat calls and insults. There were certain words and phrases that he would repeat. All the local children knew what to ask him to either get a response or just get him rilled.

Just normal life for those of us who grew up with him. I bet the ladies in housewares wanted to poison his bird seed by Saturday evening.

The Boys of Summer.................

Labor day has come and gone so this series of photos will finish the summer series....... The Boys of Summer.


Does anything say summer like a creamsicle,..................

..........( maybe not Hannan's favorite).............. boiled peanuts,....







..................................... cool water on a hot day,...................

............... a new slip'n slide,................


.................... or, of course, golf.





............................. which calls for a snack.





Then more golf.......................................................


and more golf with a cousin....................................

.........................................and another snack.


And of course more ice cream on the front porch.




Summer kisses are the juiciest.


And more water to wash away the grime from summer fun.


And here's a special "boy of summer" who visited Still Waters. Come back soon Alan. Don't wait until next summer.

So long, summer. How I'll miss you, but please take the gnats with you. And the snakes!