Approaching three months

I know it is a cliché but, it seems like forever since I left my home in Lake Worth and began this adventure. There is a lot to be said for living with no agenda, no definite place I have to be and no specific time to be there. Not long term anyway. I still have to wash my clothes, cook my meals and get up every morning to a happy dog that wags his tail so hard it sounds like a demolition crew racing through the trailer. He keeps me moving, we walk a mile or two every morning and evening. I am half ashamed to tell you, I was really unsure whether I wanted to bring Cutter along on this adventure. Initially I had planned to go it alone but I could find no graceful way of dumping my friend and disappearing in to the sunset. Thank God for that. He has been my rock, my island of daily reality. Most people remember my name, but when someone is refreshing a friend’s memory they refer to me as “The guy with the three legged dog.” Additionally Cutter has become one of Franklin’s business leaders; here he is in front of his latest entrepreneurial endeavor.



North Georgia and Western North Carolina are beautiful this time of year. My friend Clyde call’s it God’s country. I am inclined to agree. Right now the temperatures are perfect. Low to mid sixty’s at night and mid to high seventies during most of the day, (when it is over 80, I nap). Things are very green. The kudzu has begun its futile campaign to cover the world, only to be eventually defeated by winters freeze.





Blackberries are starting to appear as bunches of little red nubs on the ends of the bush branches. Another month and they will be ripe and ready for the fool hardy picker who would challenge their thorns.

Almost everyone has their vegetable garden whether it is a small patch in the side yard or a acre out back of the barn.



Three months on the road and the lion’s share has been in the N. GA and W. NC area. Hence, through my astute powers of observation, I believe that I have become somewhat of an expert on the psyche of the rural mountain dweller. First and foremost they seem very friendly; they wave at you even if they have no earthly idea who you are. You could be Charles Manson and they would be waving and smiling as if you were their cousin that had been over for dinner the previously evening. On the road is where I notice the most difference between ruralites and city dwellers. One major difference is that they don’t seem to have any particular place to go and they have no particular time to be there. When following one who is planning to make a right turn, their turn signal goes on three miles before the planned turn and a gradual deceleration begins until they reach their turning point where they almost come to a stop as the make their turn. Another asphalt related occurrence is that even if they have the right of way and you are waiting for them to pass you from the opposite direction so that you can make your left hand turn, they stop and wave you in front of them. This habit is very disconcerting, in that, not everyone out here adheres to this policy, thus contributing to a substantial amount of indecision, which by the way, is another apparent rural trait. Even though they seem friendly enough I have noticed that they appear have a secret plot to take over the world. You see, they are multiplying. In the local Wal-Mart it is rare that you don’t see a female of breeding age that is not pulling one, pushing one and cooking one. Hell I hope they succeed, they can’t do worse and a little friendly wave now and then couldn’t hurt. However a lot of them do have guns.

AV