Friday, May 7, 2010

Country Roads

Project 15 - Day 54

Country roooooads, taaaake me hoooome, to the plaaaaaace I belooooong, Alabama, whoops, wrong state but the sentiment is spot on.

In order to avoid the storm system which had moved into the metro Atlanta area we found ourselves driving north on I65 through Alabama the Beautiful. I couldn't help but feel the tug on my heart strings. After all I spent 15 wonderful years in this great state and there is southern in my blood. It's also in my voice. It lies dormant for months, even years but in the blink of an eye it returns whenever there is a southern encounter of the best kind. Ya'll got that?

As I was sayin, driving north on I65 through Alabama the Beautiful The Kid had barbecue on his mind. There is nothing in the world quite like north Alabama barbecue. NOTHING I tell you. Ya'll haven't lived until you have tasted this smoked delicacy smothered in white sauce, a north Alabama original. I don't think there is anyplace else on the planet that you can get white sauce with your barbecue than a few counties north of Birminham. Our mouths were waterin when we slid off of the interstate into the parking lot at the one, the only, the original, Greenbrier Restaurant. Of course at this point we were a little nervous. What if we ran into somebody we knew? We could be in big trouble. So I'll do it now before this goes any further. To all of my Madison friends (and you too K) I am sorry. Sorry we couldn't make a day of it, sip sweet tea and catch up on things. It just wasn't in the cards this trip. We have chores to tend to in Nashville. Flood victims to rescue. I thank you for understanding. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

I didn't need a menu. Pork barbecue, slaw, fried okra, hush puppies to die for and sweet tea. Oh momma it gets my mouth to waterin again just a thinkin about it. The only thing missing was the catfish but a girl has her limits. It was a slice of north Alabama heaven and I savored each and every bite.

All too soon our lunch was a memory and we had a little time to kill. The Kid had a conference call and he preferred not to be on the road. That was fine by me, I knew exactly what I wanted to do during that short delay. Just off of I65 at the Madison/Decatur exit sits the community of Mooresville. It is a throwback to a by-gone era and a lovely place for a stroll among oak lined streets. There is new mixed with the old in these few blocks but it is held in check by white picket fences and magnolia blossoms.



As I walked the neighborhood camera in hand I couldn't help but think about the people who lived here in the past. This little community is rooted beside the Tennessee River, it's cotton country, and during the Civil War era cotton was king.


Even today people gather at the local post office to catch-up with neighbors and collect their mail.


Ya'll knew there would be flowers didn't ya?




A short drive north of Mooresville sits another tiny farming community, Belle Mina. My memories of Belle Mina consist mostly of news reports and tornado tracking. They usually went something like this: "Residents in Belle Mina need to take shelter immediately." It also indicated it was time to get nervous as the storm was quickly closing in on us.


All too soon it was time to get back on the interstate and say so long to this special place, but not before I got one parting shot.


I hear her voice, in the mornin' hours she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
Driving down the road I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday,
Yesterday

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story. Dripping in Ya'alls. See ya' in a few short minutes!

S. Patton said...

Love this post - I feel like I was there with you (and now I'm hungry as all get out). Pictures are beautiful!!

Tim Logan said...

I cannot believe you did this post. You have a lot of gumption. I hope you find things ok when you get to Nashville. Tell the Kid I said hello. Beautiful pictures, if only they could talk.
tim

Marla Logan said...

Once again, another beautiful post!! Love the pics!! Also, loved the fact that you can still say ya'll!! Miss you guys! Hope C & J are straightened out soon.
Love,
Marla