The South....

I liked this sign I passed in Vicksburg. Went to see the battlefield and some Antebellum Mansions but no one told me the whole of Mississippi closes down on Sunday. I do have many photos to share...but first, Carthage and the Barnett Reservoir.

A church in downtown Carthage, MS. I walked all around the quaint town and then stopped at a Dollar General which I saw. I needed a few very inexpensive items for the apartment and thought I could pick them up cheaply there. As I got out of my car, a black man asked if I was lost. I told him I knew right where I was but thanks...and went into the store after hearing that there was another Dollar General on the other side of town. I got inside and realized he was graciously telling me that I might feel more comfortable on the "other side" of town. I was the only white person inside, in the parking lot and in Piggly Wiggly where I next stopped.

This is a gigantic reservoir near my apartment. Absolutely gorgeous and there were tons of sailboats out yesterday and men fishing everywhere...Richard would have enjoyed this spot a lot.

I met Mike, a maintainance man here at the apartments yesterday at the laundry. I don't remember if I mentioned that talking with Mike for the first 30 seconds made me consider what language he was speaking...had to shake myself and remind myself that he was speaking English and that I had to listen carefully. I am enjoying the accents and especially enjoying the incredible friendliness of everyone. I got turned around in Vicksburg and am sure I shouldn't have been where I ended up but I saw a group of angry looking young men standing in the middle of the street...so asked them how I could find 20 East. ALL of them began talking and pointing and one young man said...one person talk slowly to her. So, one guy did and gave me perfect directions which I thanked them all for. They were laughing as I pulled away and probably said something like, "dumb ass."

Today, I met James our other maintainance guy who was banging on my neighbor's door for 10 minutes. I opened my door and he said, "I know they are hidin in thar." He was right...the neighbors finally came to the door. Both maintainance men were mytee friendly and mytee hellpful. You have to read that and say it like it is spelled. I am even finding that I am saying, "yes ma'am and no sir" to people. And Jerry, the friendly Wal-Mart greeter aught to be working down here. His accent is perfect for Mississippi and I found him with Logan and Kenz' help in Davison. A woman told me I had a "mytee purty" pair of shoes on yesterday.