St Clair Bait, Grocery and Hardware Store, Hwy 29

Off Hwy 29

Hundreds of Bales

Back waters of the Alabama River, Holy Ground Battlefield Park

Days End on Highway 80 West towards Selma

Our days are filled with chaos right now. We have no kitchen, no master bedroom or bath, we have no floors and what we do have is an infinity of dust and anywhere from 3 to 10 people working on the renovation all the time, it seems like. This is hell week–the one when all the tear-out is complete and the re-do is still totally messy and rough. We went out to lunch on Monday and while we were gone, the electricians were in the attic for a bit and then left and left the door open. Boo, our sweet and dumb dog, decided to go ‘sploring in the attic, stepped where she wasn’t supposed to and came tumbling through the ceiling into the kitchen. She’s OK—was waiting for us covered in insulation and wagging her tail that day. But oh, the mess.

This afternoon, when the work of the day was done, Sherod and I grabbed our cameras and headed out to do some photography. The light at the end of the day in this part of the world is so exquisitely beautiful! More and more signs of autumn are appearing each day. On Saturday it will dip below 50 overnight. On Saturday, we are also going to a place called “Big Foot Lodge” that belongs to our good friends, to watch the ‘Bama football game—or at least some will—I am taking either my knitting or my sewing. Last time Cosby, Marsha, Sherod and I did football together, it was in SoFla, when Alabama played Nebraska for the national title, if memory serves me correctly. I had the good sense to take a book with me to the game ‘cause dear sweet baby Jesus, that game like to never have ended. I guess I am mellowing, growing up or something, because I am actually looking forward to Saturday.

Then there’s my girl. We did a quick Tallahassee run, got to go to her school and were blown away by how wonderful it is. Her teacher has been in special ed for over 20 years and she is simply spectacular. Maria is doing so well that if she holds steady this month, she’s coming to spend my birthday here on the farm the first weekend of November. I know not to get overly invested in this actually happening but if it does, that will be the sweetest gift of all.

Work is good and busy, I am going to be supply priest at a big church in downtown Montgomery for the next two Sundays and what gives me the greatest satisfaction of all: I have started seriously writing for a book project with a friend and colleague. Me. After all these years saying I wanted to do this, I am actually taking the leap and writing a book. All different kinds of ‘sploring going on here.