Possumhaw: Music of the morning
Sam walked in the door asking, “What happened on the porch? It looks like a gale force wind swept through.”
Possumhaw: Travel slow, travel light
Sitting on the front porch drinking my morning coffee, I noticed a tremendous number of pollinators.
Possumhaw: A carefully watched garden
The rains have subsided so the plants require watering every morning, and most evenings, having barely survived the heat of the day. And every morning on my rounds, I examine which plants have been plucked by the innocent-looking deer that bedded down in the field the night before.
Possumhaw: The wonder-filled world
Another month of spring lay before us. Many years it feels like there is no spring at all; the days change quickly from winter to summer.
Possumhaw: The extended guest
Our guest once lived in Starkville, having gone to college there. Later he continued his stay while working for the Extension Service. He moved away from the South for another job, came back again, then moved away again. And so it was, he came back for an extended visit but a short stay.
Possumhaw: A few of my favorite things
In the cool of the morning, a light breeze caused the leaves in the trees to flutter ever so slightly. The soft morning light filtered through the branches. Flowers were in bloom, pinks, yellows and blues. The grass had been cut, as had the fields, so I could see all the way to the lake.
Possumhaw: Ducks take a stroll
The oddest thing happens every year about this time. Besides the torrential rains, the Pekin ducks come waddling up to the house.
Possumhaw: All along the river
The day started cool, with a gusty wind, and gradually warmed as the sun shone overhead. Sam suggested a drive, which meant heading to the Tombigbee River spillway on the west bank. I was eager to see the area since the last time the river raged and the grassy hill beside the spillway was covered deep in floodwater.
Possumhaw: Ever have that gut feeling?
You know that little pooch you get in your stomach as you age, well I just learned it’s not your stomach at all.
Possumhaw: Strong libraries = strong communities
What if I told you that you could fill a whole big bag full of books of all shapes, sizes and subjects and you’d only have to pay $5. If you’re a reader then it would be terrific, but even if you weren’t a reader but you knew a reader, it would still be fabulous.
Possumhaw: The rains came down and the floods came up
Last week rainstorms rolled through the area flooding rivers, lakes and creeks. Naturally, like a snow day, we decided to take a look-see.
Possumhaw: Spring has sprung
There are some words that are just fun to say. As I drove from the Prairie through the Southside, I said the words out loud so as to enjoy them rolling across my tongue and to help myself call to mind what I was seeing.
Possumhaw: The Victorian art of salmon fly-tying.
Why would anyone want to steal dead birds? It was the hook that grabbed author Kirk Wallace Johnson’s attention. It was the hook that grabbed mine. Johnson’s book “The Feather Thief” introduced a world I knew nothing about.
Possumhaw: Pick something you could be good at
Few things are so calming as sitting in a sun lit room with two cats tightly curled into a ball by your side.
Possumhaw: Reading in the New Year
Predicted for the new year is plenty of good reads and a lot of running around. For Christmas the Bardwells each received two pairs of tennis shoes and a total of seven books.
Possumhaw: A goose and a gander
The Canada geese are back in the fields and edging along the lakeside; sometimes venturing into the lake, drifting leisurely, foraging for food or avoiding visitors.
Possumhaw: The little bird book
The deciduous trees let go their leaves, the foliage folded into nothingness and the cold descended like the night sky.
Possumhaw: The way it was
Over coffee one morning Sam and I were discussing shoes; maybe I was more discussing and he was listening. I expressed my concern there were so few shoe stores.
Possumhaw: The season, it is a changin’
Hallelujah, fall is finally here. One day the temperature is 55 degrees, and the next day temperatures rise to 70, maybe even 80. One night the gas heater gets lit, and another night air conditioning feels good.
Possumhaw: Letting your imagination run wild
James Wallace is a walker and a noticer. While almost anybody can walk, James — whom I call Jamie, because his grandmother called him Jamie — notices things most walkers wouldn’t.