Day 19 June 16

Dear Happy Trail Readers,

What an incredible day. We left Birmingham and headed south toward Montgomery and then Ozark.  On the way we once again passed a scene of tornado devastation –much worse than anything we had seen before (pix below). With Robert and Trystan following in her car we arrived in Ozark early in the afternoon.

Everything has changed since we were last here in May, 1970. What was once a small sleepy Sothern town with little more than a court house square with its confederate memorial and a few shops was now scores of strip malls and chain restaurants. When we first lived there segregation was still the official policy. Now we drove in on

Martin Luther King Blvd.

We got rooms at the Microtel, a chain we had never stayed at before. The rooms were really micro, you almost expected the staff to speak Japanese, but room spotless and very comfortable. The manager  had suggested a local southern buffet restaurant for lunch. It was cheap and absolutely the best Southern cooking any of us had ever tasted.

I asked the restaurant cashier if she knew of a Purvis or Elizabeth Taylor (our old landlords back in ‘70) but she did not know them. We hoped to find our old duplex that we had lived in 40 years before. Trystan did a quick Google search on her smart phone and found the obituaries of both husband and wife along with other helpful information. We decided to continue our search later.

We decided to visit Fort Rucker. Richard had trained there in 1967, proposed via the phone while in training, and, after returning from Viet Nam, was stationed there. We had moved to Ozark where I worked briefly for the phone company and eventually got a good job at the newly built Army commissary on base.

On the way to the base we spotted a Lutheran church that we had attended a couple of times during our year and a half at Ft. Rucker. At that time, it seemed very modern (circular, natural wood and lots of windows and surrounded by woods on three sides). I often wondered why this church was in such a small southern place and I think I found out when visiting the wonderful Army aviation museum at the Fort.  Unbeknownst to us, German POWs were at held at Fort Rucker during WWII and worked on peanut farms in the surrounding areas. After the war, quite a few stayed or later returned to this area. I’m suspect that is the reason for this church in an area which otherwise seems exclusively populated southern fundamentalist denominations. We did note, however, that the church was Missouri Synod, the more conservative flavor of Lutheranism. I don’t recall that that was the case when we attended years ago.

After the visiting the museum, we drove by the commissary. I would never have recognized it. There were buildings all around it which were not there before. We took pics and then drove through the base. When we were there the base buildings were aging wooden examples of WWII hasty construction –including heating courtesy of pot-bellied cast iron coal stoves.  Now the base looks like an expensive corporate office park surrounded by a golf course, manicured lawns, modern housing complexes and piney woods.

We also stopped at the town of Enterprise, on the opposite side of the base from Ozark. The story is that a plague of weevils destroyed cotton production in the area. George Washington Carver suggested that peanuts could be an even more profitable local industry for the area. This proved to be true and the result was a great prosperity for the entire region. The town fathers could not bring themselves to honor “a negro” so instead they erected a statue honoring the bug that had destroyed the cotton crop instead. It is claimed that this is the only monument honoring a bug in the world today.

Finally, we began looking for our old house. We had no luck with memory (i.e. driving around and searching), current phone books or asking people living in the town. I did remember it was in a neighborhood near the phone company building.

We decided that we needed to find a phone book or directory from around 1970. We went to the library and were sent to the genealogical area. We were helped by a sweet lady, and found the phone book… we found that the Taylors had lived on

Simmons Street

(this street name finally rang a bell). We got the address and, as we were leaving, met a woman in the library who knew someone who had bought the house from the Taylors and also remembered that Elizabeth Taylor made pottery (again, familiar memory).

Off we went, with her directions. We managed to find

Simmons Street

and despite the fact that the town had changed all the street numbers we found the house and, sure enough, our duplex sat in the back. It had aged, was a bit shabbier and the grounds had gone to seed but  we were happy to see that the place was still there.

All in all, a fantastic day. I think our search for this house made this day very special to us. We felt like detectives…

Good Detectin’ to All,

Linda

Day 18 June 15

Dear Followers of Happy Trails,

I couldn’t believe this was to be my last full day at camp. Richard called and said the Robert and Trystan would be joining him in Birmingham. They hoped to come to our sing that evening (which would be open to the community). I decided that in that case, I would leave camp after the singing so they wouldn’t have to come back again next day to pick me up and because nothing was scheduled for the next day except breakfast.

Our lodge was in charge of planning events for the day and a devotional was also scheduled following lunch. I enjoyed the whole program and the best part was singing a big thank you to the kitchen staff.

The classes were about the same as the other days, with lots of review and more singing. I was talked into attending a session on the future of Camp FaSoLa. It was interesting discovering the concerns of the camp organizers and discussing possible changes for next year. Later, I happened to be outside the chapel when Richard, Robert and Trystan arrived and I was happy to see all of them.

I think Robert and Trystan were interested and somewhat entertained. When everyone started moving their arms (to keep the beat because there are no other instruments other than the voices), I’m sure they were surprised.

The singing ended at 9:00pm and we drove to my lodge. Camp was over and I loved it…hope to come again. Trystan came in and helped me pack up and then we had a beautiful drive to Birmingham. On the drive through the forested hill country, the moon was a beautiful and strange red color.

I learned later that this was because of the ash ejected by a Chilean volcano. As we neared Birmingham, we passed through areas only recently devastated by tornadoes.

See you soon good Buddies,

Linda

Day 17 June 13

Dear Followers of Happy Trails,

I got feeling that the blog for yesterday might have been too detailed (boring), but I wanted to give all of you a sense of what this camp is like. Now that you know the routine, I’ll move it along a bit.

First thing after breakfast, there was a beautiful informal singing on the porch of Pradat House Lodge. The singing is from the Lloyd Book (an old book of traditional hymns that I had never heard of). I stopped by and noticed that the singing was usually led (sitting down) by older people (yes, even older than me!) with beautiful harmonies.

Then we studied more rudiments then had our picture taken after lunch. We then learned about the tradition of Memorial Lessons (usually in memory of someone more or less recently deceased). Following this, we actually had a memorial. This was very moving, with songs sung which were favorites of the deceased.

I learned that roommate Eliza’s father raised tobacco in South Carolina and was originally from one of the islands off the coast of South Carolina where the inhabitants speak Gullah. I’ve always wanted to learn more about these folks and their dialect, and by coincidence am currently reading a book set near there which has characters who speak Gullah.

Happy Trails Soon,

Linda

Day 16 June 13

Hello Happy Trail Followers,

I hope my details about camp won’t be too boring for you to read, but it was all exciting for me. My first day at camp proved to be exhausting.

Back to last night (Sunday). As it got later, I was sure I would not have a roommate. However, as I was reading my book, snug in my bed, there was a knock on the door. In walks my roommate, Eliza, the only African-American at camp. It turns out she is a music teacher from Atlanta and had never been to camp before. After introductions, my light went out and Eliza began to put her stuff away. The next thing I know, she is removing blankets from her bed and putting some sort of a comforter down. I then hear and smell her spraying something on the bed. My first thought was that it was probably something to kill bed bugs (I’ve since come to the conclusion that it was Lysol). Eliza warned me that she would be up and jogging by 5:30, which meant I could expect some private every morning.

Breakfast was at 8:00 followed by our classes at 9:00. There was usually about 2 or 3 things to choose from so I decided to take Beginning Rudiments class which lasted most of the morning. After lunch, I attended a class on the composers of the music in the “The Sacred Harp,” one of the principal song books that have been used by shape note singers since the 1800’s. Our teacher authored an important book on the subject that I had recently read. We sang some of the songs as we studied the composers. The next class I took was on learning “the 7 modes” –a system of time keeping used by shape note singers. Finally, Buell Cobb (a composer and all-around famous person in the Sacred Harp circles) gave a hilarious lecture on the etiquette of Sacred Harp “singings” laced with many amusing anecdotes.  Mr. Cobb is a very nice person and I spent lunch talking to him about his experiences in the Sacred Harp world.

During break, I talked with a woman who was at camp with her husband and 17 year old daughter. She and her husband celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary while at camp. She told me that she left her 15 year old son with friends, after giving him a choice between attending Sacred Harp camp or wrestling camp. Dear reader, I’m sure you can guess which option he chose.

I walked back with a lodge-mate that I attended classes with today. Her name is Joyce and she is from Maine. Wonderful person…

More later,

Linda 

Day 15 June 12

We’re baaaaack…

Hello Happy Trails followers…we are ready to begin writing the blog again. In real time, we are relaxing in New Orleans and will hit the trail again tomorrow. I kept some notes at camp and will try to reconstruct the last few days of my camp experiences and then on to Ozark, Alabama and then on to New Orleans.

Dear Happy Trails Followers,

We left Scottsboro around 9:30 today (Sunday). The drive was gorgeous. We first went through Double Springs (very small town with no activity seen). We noticed all the churches with parking lots full of cars. By the way, I have never seen so many Baptist churches…this is indeed the Bible Belt.

We drove along a windy country road and into forested hill country and finally found the turnoff for Camp McDowell.  I took a few pictures but by this time it was about noon and we were not to register until four so we left and headed a few miles south to Jasper, where Richard had decided to stay while I was at camp. We found a great place to have lunch…Jasper restaurants were alive and hopping. Many of those in town appeared to be families who had  just gotten out of church and had stopped for a Sunday meal before heading home.

Richard drove me back to camp and dropped me off.  I registered, got issued 3 T shirts (with Camp FaSoLa insignia), instructions on which color shirt to wear which day and received my room assignment. My room at camp was in Holy Comforter Lodge (although the camp is owned by the Episcopal Church, it is used by many different groups for various activities). I was happy get there before my roommate so I could lay claim to the side of the room I wanted.

I went out to the common area of my lodge and met the others who were staying there. After I returned to my room, I heard a voice I recognized.  It was a woman from my Berkeley shape note group. I was so happy to see a familiar face. After camp, she told me, she would be going to France for a month.

 Dinner was scheduled for 6 and orientation for 7. Dinner was good old-fashioned country food. Over dinner I met a woman from Ireland whose luggage had been lost by the airlines.  After dinner, we sang in the chapel for about an hour. By 9, we headed back to our rooms and whew…a long walk. I’ll definitely get 10,000 steps in. The walk back was pitch dark and spooky. I tried to stay close to others.    

After I got ready for bed (still no roommate) two women from England arrived in the room across the hall from me. They seemed nice but were clearly exhausted.

Happy singing to All,

Linda

Day 14 June 11, 2011

“Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?”

Hello All,

We decided to stay here in Scottsboro one more night. We are only about 100 miles from my camp site and we have a comfortable room and felt we needed a little extra rest….

We were out early this morning and the town looked deserted... and then realized that we were back in the Central Time zone—it was even earlier than we thought. Driving around town we noticed that Scottsboro, like Alameda, has a Trinity Lutheran Church. I may attend services tomorrow. Most likely we will head out fairly early towards northwestern Alabama to explore the area around Camp McDowell where I am expected to check in at 4 pm. I am still apprehensive about camp. Not knowing anyone else attending camp, I apparently will be expected to find my own roommate.  It’s like the first day of school or summer camp all over again.

We spent another hour at the Lost Baggage Claim store and bought lots of odds and ends: books, music, etc. The place has a fantastic collection of everything from a bizarre dwarf manikin once used in a movie production (see below) to a rack full of hundreds of digital cameras that had been left in airline seat pockets.

We also went by the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center which is dedicated to telling the story of the nine black teen boys falsely accused of the rape of two white girls in 1931. The museum is located in a building that was once a church. Over the course of the two decades following their convictions by all white juries, the struggle to right the injustice of the trials and the system itself played a major part in setting the stage for the civil rights movement in the U.S.

After our morning activities, we stopped at Magnolia House, an old mansion from the 1800’s that is now a restaurant. The food was classic southern cuisine but we decided to take it easy and stuck to sampling their salad offerings. For the rest of the day (which was hot, hot, hot) we lounged around the hotel, did laundry and repacked and reorganized for camp. I can’t believe I’ll be there by this time tomorrow.

While at camp, I will not have access to the internet and blog until at least next Thursday. I will keep a journal, so expect to read the details if I survive. Richard will be met by Robert and Tristan mid-week (we think) so I’m sure he will have details of any adventures on their part.

Until then, “just sing a song and bring the sunny weather…”

Linda and Richard

Day 13 June 10

Hello All,

We left Cherokee this morning. The town is at the center of the Eastern Band of Cherokee reservation. The Cherokees here are a tiny reminant of the Cherokee Nation who were the victim of a shameful expulsion from North Carolina, along with other tribes from the southeastern US, (the "trail of tears") in the 1830's.   

The town itself is located in the foothills of the Great Smokies near the eastern entrance to the National Park.  It looks a lot like similar towns near the big parks around the country (motels, gas stations, restaurants, etc.) except for the large Harrah’s casino that dominates the smaller, older buildings.

 Stopping at the park Visitor’s Center we talked to a ranger who was originally from Oakland (small world). He noted that because it had rained the night before, we should get great weather and views of the mountains. He was right. They were breathtaking…. We stopped to take pictures and then went to the trailhead to Clingman’s Dome, the highest mount in the park at over 6,000 feet, to admire a view that can extended for 100 miles on clear days. The drive through the park passes through miles of beautiful deciduous forest with spectacular vistas of mountains and clouds well below the height of the park road.

On the west side of the park are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, towns that extend for miles along the main highways. Richard thinks that they look to be a combination of mountain resort, carnival sideshow and outlet mall. I thought they looked like a fun place to spend some time but not being in need of any of these services we didn’t stop. With a lot of road construction going on, negotiating through the traffic and congestion was a pain.

The traffic picked up further west and was light through lovely countryside and on through Knoxville, Tennessee and into Alabama, a state I thought we would never return to after leaving in 1970. Northern Alabama along our highway was attractive rolling farmland and the people we have talked to were friendly and helpful.

We stopped at Scottsboro at the Chamber of Commerce and got directions to the Unclaimed Baggage store, local motels and restaurants. The Unclaimed Baggage store is truly incredible. We plan on returning tomorrow. They have everything imaginable and more --but more on this tomorrow. Per recommendations, we ate at a place called “50 Taters”. The owner bakes 50 potatoes daily (if you are customer 51, you are out of luck) and prepares them with toppings made to order. We tried barbecued brisket and pork and both were some of the best BBQ we have ever had the pleasure to taste. Unfortunately for us, the amount of each serving would feed at least 4 people. When we protested that we were on diets, the waitress laughed and said that this was comfort food, not diet food. Oh well, we now have breakfast, lunch and dinner for tomorrow.

We are now at our motel where we will prepare for the next phase of our cross country journey.

Happy Trails to All of You,

Linda and Richard