Smoke Signals and other news
If you have dogs, you can probably relate. Our almost five-year-old “rescued” longhaired Jack Russell Terrier, Charlie, has come a long way from that frightened, abused little fur baby we took in when he was about five months old. He knows what our routine should be and doesn’t appreciate it when we vary from it. I am supposed to prepare breakfast by 6:30 a.m. After I take him outside. He is not very patient if I dare sleep past that time. He starts with gentle barks and maybe even a face licking and progresses to insistent barking and trying to uncover my feet to make me get up. He no longer bothers my husband as he senses he can no longer do these things. After breakfast is complete, he is fine if I lay back down.
As always, this week has been hectic with doctor appointments and errands. My husband, Doug, had two doctor appointments, which went well. It is an all-day event for most of his appointments, as he needs assistance with all phases of getting ready and getting in and out of the doctor’s office.
My daughter, Ellen Gehrke, and her family have been here from Springfield, Georgia, this week. All the family went to eat at Central BBQ. On the fourth of July, those who were available gathered at my daughter Emily Herring’s house for a simple meal and lots of visiting. None of us got to go to a fireworks show for various reasons, but the neighbors certainly shot off enough fireworks for us to enjoy. I don’t want the intermingling of automatic weapons in the mix. I don’t think the neighbors are doing “target practice” at 2 a.m. The rest of the week was filled with water gun fights, a trip to a swimming pool where eight-year-old Olivia finally got the hang of swimming on her own, a trip to the zoo with Aunt Emily for the kids, and dinner at Seafood Junction for Grammie, Olivia, and Landon which is always a must when they visit. My son-in-law, Matt, came by one afternoon to pick up the kids. “I don’t have anything to do for a while. I’m going to cut your grass.” He cut the entire yard and “tuned up” my mower. He and Ellen also spent a whole day doing things around the house I had been unable to do while I mostly watched!
How many folks remember the old water tower in Historic Downtown Byhalia? It sat where the gazebo is now. As a tribute to the tower, a mural is painted on the side of the current well house. Local artist, Anthony Moore, has begun work on the mural.
Lots of cleaning up is going on throughout the town. Maybe you have noticed the effort by both businesses and the town. Byhalia Nutrition has a fresh sprucing up both inside and out. The gazebo in town has a new coat of paint, the well house has been painted and new fencing installed to camouflage the necessary equipment, and the parking area at the cemetery has been paved. The ball fields on Lowry Road have had scrub trees removed, new grass planted, the concession stand painted, and a new fence installed.
An early look at Byhalia is possible from a diary owned by Corrie Nesbitt in 1859. As a young lady, Corrie’s interests were naturally more inclined toward parties, weddings, and social events than politics. She was a well-educated young lady who wrote of reading Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Othello as well as other classics. Corrie was the daughter of Dempsey and Matilda Nesbitt, who at the time lived three miles west of Byhalia, and attended Corinth Presbyterian Church, which was moved later to Byhalia. Excerpts from her diary can be found in the History of Byhalia book.
Please share your news with me at jchwagg@gmail.com or text or call 901 246-8843. You can message me on Facebook as Clair Wagg.