Part 3 - MAIL

RAISIN'

3. MAIL

We got our mail at Route 1 Box 53, Millry, Ala. The box numbers changed over the years, and "Ala." was shortened to "AL" with a new thing called the ZIP code, which was and is 36558. Don't ask me what the newer four digit add on to the ZIP code is!

Daddy was the Rural Carrier on the route for several years, preceded by his brother Percy. He worked the route until the Post Office consolidated a couple of routes. Mr. Fletcher Mosley had more seniority than he did, so Daddy had to give up the route. After Mr. Mosley retired, our carriers were Crousom Armstrong, O.D. Frost and several others. Recently they have taken some of the boxes off Route 1, but the place is listed as 3949 Sam Wood Road. It was formerly Route 1 Box 330. We have a Post Office box (117) and don't get our mail on the route now. Probably will switch back to the rural route after we get too old to drive to the PO to get our mail.

Some certain person was Postmaster during the time that the "Zippy" codes and the new two letter state abbreviations were inaugurated. More on her later.

Part 2 - ROADS

(Note: The image of the horse above is not too unlike Ole Red. Red was a solid red Kentucky Saddle Horse (now called American Saddle Horse) except that he had about a dozen white hairs in the middle of his face and a white left rear hoof. He was 11 days older than me and we grew up together! )

RAISIN'

2. ROADS

Our house is located four miles north of Millry Baptist Church on the Millry-Isney Road.. The road name has been changed to Washington County Highway 11 / Sam Wood Road. The road was unpaved until 1960 when the county cleared, graded and paved the 6 miles from the school to the Washington-Choctaw county line, 1 1/2 mile to the north of our house.

The old road had several spots that became treacherous to get through after a season of rain and being torn up by loaded log trucks. This was really evident during winter months. The Aunt Ella Hill, Dipping Vat Level, Farrier Hill, Flim Jones Hill and Hattie Craig Hill were some of the bad spots over the years. I guess Farrier Hill was the worst, as it was very steep about midway, had a slight curve near the bottom and had very dense, gumbo clay along the top that would hold water for months. Not only was it hard to get up in wet weather but it was very hard for loaded trucks to pull since it was so steep. Some of the trucks that had only six wheels (only one rear axle) and hauled short logs had to be turned around and backed up the hill to keep the front end from coming off the ground as it did while trying to go up forward.

Once, Joe had a load of Mr. Ira Holston's Sugar Cane and a wooden barrel on the tractor wagon. While he was going down Farrier Hill, the loaded wagon began to push the tractor sideways. All he could do was to knock the tractor out of gear and "let 'er fly" on down the hill. He finally stopped at about the creek bridge, and had to go back and pick up all the cane and the barrel that fell off the wagon.

Of a summer night, what few cars that ran the old dirt road in the forties and fifties could be heard for distances up to two miles. Just by the sound of the motor, I could tell what make vehicle it was, in most cases whose vehicle it was and, sometimes, whether the driver was drunk or sober. The latter was determined by hearing how hard the car was hitting bad bumps in the road.

Dunbar creek, which runs along through our land and is the property line in some places, the Providence Church branch and the Becky Grimes branch would flood and run over the roads if there was a heavy rain. Once in a while the flooding would be so severe that the bridges would wash out. Also, the creek would rise up into the Creek Bottom and Big Flat (Fields on the place).

If the roads were virtually impassable and the school bus couldn't get through, those were the days we "hoofed" it the four miles to school. Once, there was about two inches of sleet on the ground. We all walked to school to find that there would be no school for that day or the next. Guess what! We had to make up those days on Saturdays. That seemed to be cruel and unusual punishment!

A couple of noteworthy items about Daddy's tenure as a rural carrier (More on this later). Every time there was a considerable amount of rain, a couple of places in the roads got so bad and boggy that no one could get through with a car. When this happened, there was a colored man, named Washington, at one place and Mr. Price Singley at another, waiting for him with their mule teams, ready to pull him through the mud to get the mail through.

Another time, Daddy knew there had been hard rains all night, so he left home before daylight to get to the Post Office before the creeks flooded. He said that when he got to the Farrier Bridge, across Dunbar creek, water was about six inches over the bridge. As he drove across the bridge, he felt it shake. Later, it was discovered that the bridge had floated downstream about fifty yards and lodged against a tree on each bank so well that the county graded a road around to it, and it was used there until a new bridge was built a couple of years later.

Part 1 - Introduction

RECOLLECTIN'

"Its about my raisin' "

I haven't done any posts to this site for some time. I've been thinking about starting a different thing with this blog. Then I remembered a thing that I started while I was working in Athens, GA in 1997,98 & 99. Then I added more to it about 8 years ago and it has lay dormant since that time.

So! I will post portions of my "Recollectin'" from time to time. I'd like to get some feedback from readers to let me know what you think.

RECOLLECTIN'

INTRODUCTION

I began writing the following ramblings back in 1997, 1998 and in 1999, while working in Athens, GA. This incorporates the seventy-two years of my life, as I recall them. Some readers may think that my memory plays tricks on me as they may remember some instances differently from me. Other readers may know that my memory plays tricks on me, as I just may not remember some things precisely as they happened.

Anyway, if I am wrong in any of my memories, please advise me so I may correct them as I wish statements to be as nearly correct as possible.

I was born on September 16, 1937, in Millry, Washington County, Alabama, in the house where I was reared, and now own. My parents were J.(Joseph) Sam (Samuel) and Leanora Forest Wright Wood. I had two sisters, Claire Louise, 9 years older, and Sylvia Aliece, 8 years older, and a brother, James Joseph, 6 years older. Joe was originally named James Joseph Wood. Mother and Daddy wanted to name me James Andrew Wood, after my Grandfathers, James Lee Wright and Andrew Jackson Wood. Therefore, they changed Joe's name to Joseph Samuel Wood, Jr.

University of Mobile Visitors

Two Visitors From UM

On Thursday October 16th, we had a visit by two of our favorite red heads, our baby granddaughter, Ashley and another of our "Other Younguns, Hanna (really from Montana!).

Both of these girls know that they're welcome to the farm at any time they desire to come. Again, Grandmother knew just what to cook that is each one's favorite food. Hanna has been up several times with Ashley, so Grandmother had already stored in her "Favorite Foods for All Younguns, Grand Younguns and Other Younguns library in her head's food file!

I think that they knew that our visitors from Auburn were coming in the next day and they decided to come on in and get their share while there was a good supply of groceries on hand!!!

Both of these young ladies are musicians. Hanna plays viola in the UM Orchestra and some other groups and teaches violin to several young students. She is a Music Major. Ashley is our Vocalist grandchild and sings with the UM Choirs. She is a Music Minor student. Both make beautiful music in their own realm.

We were really honored to have them with us for the day and hope they will come back more often.

On previous visits by these two, they have made similar ventures to the dirt pit, cemetery, etc. that the Auburn group did on their visit. As soon as they got to the pit, both tossed their shoes aside and played in the sandy soil.

So, we wound up with nine grand younguns and other younguns within 3 days and did we have a ball!!!

Auburn Younguns' Vistit

What a Great Weekend!

What a fun weekend we had at Lonesome Pine Farm when seven Auburn University kids came for a visit over the weekend of October 17 - 19th.

Bradley had asked if he could bring some of his friends from school to the farm on this weekend. Of course, we readily agreed as we love to have any of our grandchildren to feel a part of the farm and to bring friends in to show them how the Old Folks live. This makes us proud that they feel comfortable doing so.

On Friday night two groups headed from the Loveliest Village on he Plains at different times. One group of two young ladies and Bradley that were able to get away about 3 pm. The other group of three guys and one young lady couldn't get away until around 6. Each group had some pretty bad driving conditions caused by light rains and quite a bit of fog for the second group. But, they all made it safe and sound. Sound!?!?!?!

The young ladies were Jordan Dailey of Trussville, AL, Kenda Early of Moundville, AL and Chelsea Ferguson of LaGrange, GA.

The guys were Charles Gentry of Houston, TX, Hunt Prothro of Miami and Connecticutt, Forest White of Mobile, and Bradley Hughes our Grandson.

When each group arrived we told them, "I'm Grand Paw and this is Grandmother." This was to put them at ease and to let them know that we'd done our usual "adoption" of them as "our other younguns." So, that was the way it went all weekend.

Grandmother had thought up all things that Bradley likes to eat and did a good job of guessing what the others would like. This is some special talent that Grandmothers have that us old Grand Paws don't have a clue to! So everyone was well fed before heading off to bed.

We had planned to let the girls sleep in the middle and front bedrooms and the guys sleep on the front porch and on pallets in the dining room. But, the girls decided to sleep 3 to the bed in the middle bedroom. That gave plenty of bed room for the guys not to sleep on the floor.

The adventures began on Saturday morning after a big breakfast so well planned out by Grandmother. As noted, she had everything from cereal, to eggs, grits, sausage and biscuits with all the fixings.

A little later they all decided to go down to the pond to check it out. Sylvia had come by for a few minutes and we decided to ride down so she could meet them all. When we got there, there were two of the guys up in the two pines on Jose's island who had a "damsel in distress" kidnapped over there. (They were making a movie on a little digital camera!) Captain Sport was aboard the Duncan ship and was leading the good guys over to rescue the DD (distressed damsel) !!! (Wild imaginations!)

Well, somehow, the Villains managed to escape across the flat and down to the swampland along Dunbar Creek. The chase continued all along the beaver dams and unknown numbers of water moccasins in that wilderness. They finally were spotted along the edge of the hayfield but they disappeared under the bridge. By the time the search party made it back to LPF headquarters, several were pretty scratched up and one had a number of fire ant bites. (A little Campho Phenique stopped the burning from the bites.)

After a great dinner (lunch for yankees) where Grandmother had good eats piled high on the dining table and everyone "et hardy!" Word got around that the Scalawags had been spotted at Sylvia's Quarry, so the pursuit continued.

Grand Paw transported them up the hill in Aunt Sylvia's old green pickup so they could still have enough energy to chase the Culprits up and down cliffs and earthen mountains. After about an hour of chasing, climbing, hopping, and jumping it was determined that the Meanies had been seen headed down past Providence Church and up to the community burial grounds on both sides above Duncan Hill.

Grand Paw transported them up to the cemetery where they scouted all over both sides to visit the internment sites of our ancestors and all the wonderful workers that worked on the farm over our lifetimes such as Lucy, Dennis and family, Tommy, Florence and Willie. The Baddies were finally captured as they emerged from an old gopher hole in the side of the cemetery where they'd crawled into and the old gopher turtle ran them out!!

After a session of Q & A and confession and apologies from the Criminals, they were judged to be ok guys. Then all of them "took in the town" of Millry. That took about 3 minutes!!! They made an appearance into Sookie's Convience Store and were "well looked over" by the customers there. They came home and ate supper, then decided to go back for another few minutes to finish up their exploration. They made pictures by the Halloween "Spider" made of a big roll of hay and black flexible drain pipes near City Hall. Then they ended the visit very appropriately by photographing themselves around the Caboose.

On Sunday morning, Grandmother led a procession of seven scrubbed up Other Younguns through the sanctuary and back to the College and Career Sunday School Classroom. Two of the guys had to leave between SS and Worship as one had to be back in Auburn to set up for services there that night. The others stayed for Worship, then back to Lonesome for dinner and preparing to head back the the Lovely Village.

We really did hate to see them leave. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit and are looking forward to another time when our newly adopted Other Younguns can return to the Old Folks Place.

W A R
E A G L E ! ! !

Note: I tried to insert some pictures of our Other Younguns into this blog but they worldn't work right.