THE FELINE SPECIES by Inez McCollum I am a sucker for cats! I grew up with dogs; but never had a cat until my Dad gave us a beautiful white kitten. He had been a farmer as a young man; so knew all about domestic animals. He guaranteed this kitten to be a male. We […]
There was a total eclipse of the sun in 1699 and the preparations made by Governments revealed their superstitions. For instance: The elector of Darmstadt was informed of the approach of a total eclipse and in 1699, published the following edit in consequence: “His Highness, having been informed that on Wednesday morning next, at ten […]
Pay Station Collector by Clifford Dobyns In the early 60’s I was sent to my hometown by my employer, General Telephone, to supervise the business office. This office handled the contacts with the population of the main city of Ashland, Kentucky and eight other surrounding cities and consisted of 12 ladies and 1 man, Crayton Hamilton. Crayton was […]
THE FOOD CHAIN by Inez McCollum I could have titled this “Feed Them and They Will Come!” That would include a number of members of the animal kingdom. I have a cafeteria of food available for the birds at all times. This also attracts those cute, but pesky, chipmunks, as well as raccoons, possums and […]
FOURTH OF JULY By Inez McCollum Fireworks on the evening of July 4 are always so exciting. When my husband and I first moved to Birmingham, (Alabama) we lived on the Southside below Vulcan. Our second floor apartment had a porch which we would stand on during the fireworks extravaganza. One had the feeling those various lights […]
BEARS AMONG THE GREENERY BY INEZ MCCOLLUM Skid Marks on embankment A few years ago some friends and I spent a few days in a chalet in Gatlinburg. When we arrived at the chalet, I discovered some skid marks down an embankment to the deck. I decided those were bear skids and refused to sit […]
OLE BLUE, COME HOME by Jean Butterworth Ole Blue was a blue tick hound of my Dad’s during the late nineteen forties. This dog gave my Dad lots of pleasure in the fact that he could smell a deer a mile off. Ole Blue’s was a member of the Tuscaloosa Bear Creek Hunting club’s pack […]
Picnics on the ground were popular in the 1930’s all over America, especially in rural communities. Notice how well-dressed everyone is in these photographs.
Waiting for the Mailman by Jean Butterworth During the early forties in the summertime I would find my Granddaddy Champion, who lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair. After a morning of plowing with a mule in the cotton or corn fields, he was tired. He would have finished […]
May I have your autograph? by Jean Butterworth Did you have an autograph book when you were a young? My teenage grandchildren would say, “What is that?” All their experience with autographs is the how to get the signature of some famous ball player scribbled on a picture, program, baseball, or football. Famous person’s autographs […]
