Articles by Shannon Bardwell
Possumhaw: The animals I have loved
My first pets were goldfish. It didn’t last long because I’d pick them up and they died. We got a cat, black as night and called “Inky.” Inky climbed into a neighbor’s car. When the neighbor discovered Inky, she put her out.
Possumhaw: Spring is around the corner
Well, I guess it’s time to get busy after several months spent inside enduring cold, ice and rain. Rain was greatly appreciated, bringing out the greening of grasses, a few plants and across the previously brown fields.
Possumhaw: Here today, gone tomorrow
If you believe the March equinox always happens on March 19 at 11:06 P.M. EDT the article said “You may be dating yourself.” As it turns out the date of the equinox changes every year in small increments.
Possumhaw: It all changes
It was getting dark while I fixed supper. Time had gotten away from me and I needed to bring Wilhelmina, the cat, indoors. She likes to slink around in the dark and hide. It’s not safe so I usually try to entice her inside with a snack.
Possumhaw: Life or death
In most everyone’s life you’ll one day encounter an emergency. An emergency is not something you can foresee, it’s unexpected.
Possumhaw: The chill of winter
Well, it’s been a couple of unusual weeks so far. The first week was spent homebound with the influenza sickness.
Possumhaw: It was a cold night
Influenza kept me in last week; I was told to rest, drink fluids, take meds, and do nothing else. Sam was an excellent caretaker, while laundry piled up and meals were interesting, we made it through.
Possumhaw: Fly away ladybug
Awh the ladybugs are back. They’ve been back for a month or more. Annually I write about the joy of having ladybugs as temporary pets.
Possumhaw: What comes next?
December 26 in certain parts of the world is known as Boxing Day and the feast of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. An official holiday in England is Boxing Day.
Possumhaw: Life with the Salvation Army
It was in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Starkville. Being younger and a bit more energetic, I worked a side job as a retail display designer.
Possumhaw: Christmas legends and stories
According to Google, Dutch families took the tradition of celebrating the feast day of Saint Nicholas with them to the American colonies, beginning as early as the 17th century.
Possumhaw: Life in the rearview mirror
Finishing school, leaving home, getting a job and anxious about my future.
Possumhaw: A grateful heart
A bluebird has settled in the water tray. I call the saucers that fit under a large clay pot “water trays,” because I fill them with water and a couple of medium sized rocks for the birds to stand on.
Possumhaw: The chores of fall
It was another day of trying to keep the falling leaves off the porch and out of the gutters. Cleaning out the gutters always causes my heart to flutter.
Possumhaw: Change is in the air
If you live in the South, you know the weather is predictably unpredictable. With the threat of a freeze, we prepared the greenhouse and the well house and just about everything we could think of.
Possumhaw: A season of change
By October 2, three fourths of the year had passed. On election day 85% of the year is gone, leaving 54 days to enjoy the rest of 2023.
Possumhaw: Old man on the dock
Out on the dock there’s a Great Blue Heron. The heron is a beautiful bird. The bird book says they are 46 inches, but I believe they are much more.
Possumhaw: Moths or butterflies
Another beautiful morning on the porch. I settled into the brown framed porch chair, the one with the matching brown woven seat and back. As soon as I sat down, I saw a furry brown thing moving along the armrest.
Possumhaw: Morning has broken
Wilhelmina and I had stepped out onto the porch and into the cool of the morning. The fisherman had left hours earlier before dawn.
