It is devastating to see the destruction and deaths caused by tornados that ripped through Mississippi and Alabama over the weekend. The small town of Rolling Fork, MS was virtually completely destroyed. Our good friend in Macon County also suffered major damage to his cotton gin Sunday night. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who were affected by these storms.
We all need “skin in the game” when it comes to providing broadband internet service to all households in small municipalities and the rural areas of Barbour County. Our local governmental agencies have a golden opportunity to help provide resources to make this happen for the first time ever.
I think anyone who grows a garden knows this feeling: It's about mid-March. The days have turned balmy and pleasant. Every single plant seems to burst into bloom. The chickens start to lay eggs again. The animals start to rub off their winter coats. The world becomes a haze of newly-green leaves and delicate white blossoms which coat the ground as thickly as snow. People start to stroll around in short pants. They begin to talk about picnics and barbecues, washing their cars and going swimming.
Monday marked the first day of spring and the vernal or spring equinox. Wow was it cold Monday morning when we woke up to freezing temperatures so it didn’t feel a lot like spring. Warmer temperatures, thankfully, are forecast for the remainder of the week. The spring equinox also means that our days will gradually be getting longer. We don’t know about you but we will be glad when it’s not dark when we get up in the mornings!!!!
It's a mellow morning in early March. The gentle breeze and pinkish- orange sunrise tempt me out the door and onto my front porch. I stand there breathing in the perfumes of clover and wisteria blossoms between sips from my mug of tea. Then, from deep in the woods, I hear the distinctive chuckling call of a flock of wild turkeys. It's a purring sound punctuated by several yelps as the birds keep in touch with one another as they roam across the forest floor. Yes, turkey season will be starting soon. And I just love to listen to their 'talk' early in these soft spring mornings when they're just flying down from their roosts in the trees.
Sunday at 2 o’clock in the morning, we will gain one hour when Daylight Saving Time begins. Funny, we used the opportunity to remind people to set their clocks up an hour before going to bed but today that’s not necessary. Our cell phones and other devices automatically do that for us. Everybody has their own opinions about discussions to keep the time the same without losing and gaining an hour each year but we’ll see how that pans out. We do love the longer daylight hours after work and you can’t beat the beautiful weather we are enjoying. ****** We have read remarks about the two bright “stars” seen together in the night skies. They happen to be Jupiter and Venus that were spectacular to see in the western skies.
It’s a billion dollars. For about an hour last week, I found myself just repeating that sentence over and over as the video of the most recent Legislative Contract Review Committee meeting played on my laptop, and an attorney for the Alabama Department of Corrections inexplicably attempted to downplay lawmakers’ concern about the new handling of the new prison healthcare contract. That contract was for $1.06 billion over four years.
It’s always a beautiful time of year when the azaleas bloom in a variety of hues. They certainly brighten the landscapes of homes with their abundance of tiny blooms especially after the winter months.
'There's an old 'homeplace,'' my Daddy commented. He was driving his old GMC pickup truck down a country road in Coffee County, Alabama.
Even though spring is a month away, the weather we are having this week makes us think “spring has sprung.” Temperatures reaching into the mid 70s and 80s are enjoyable after having cold weather last week. No wonder the bulbs don’t know when to perk their heads out of the ground!