Letter 1: Home to Memphis Tennessee
March 10, 2009 believe it or not we actually left on the date we planned for. It seemed harder this year, even though we knew what to pack, where to put things and when to do it because of last years trip. There seemed to be more activities pulling at our time and energies.
We pulled out of the drive way at 10:14 am after a fretful night. Fred actually fell out of bed about 4:00 am. FYI we are sleeping in Muddie and Cecil’s double twin electric beds and the mattress’s have a tendency to slide around. Fred’s had slipped too far off the springs and he rolled over and HIT the floor with a bang. Fortunately he wasn’t hurt too badly.
Our first stop was to make sure the tires were aired properly at Discount Tire in north Waxahachie. Leaving there we started seeing flowering pear, plums and red buds, too bad it was raining.
In Terrell we couldn’t pass up the Russell Stover’s warehouse store and filled the few empty spots in the trailer with their cheap chocolate bloopers. Teenya, has Alan tried their mints? We didn’t buy any but did take a sample, then wished we had bought some. We think Alan would really like them.
Our first night out was spent at
March 10, 2009 believe it or not we actually left on the date we planned for. It seemed harder this year, even though we knew what to pack, where to put things and when to do it because of last years trip. There seemed to be more activities pulling at our time and energies.
We pulled out of the drive way at 10:14 am after a fretful night. Fred actually fell out of bed about 4:00 am. FYI we are sleeping in Muddie and Cecil’s double twin electric beds and the mattress’s have a tendency to slide around. Fred’s had slipped too far off the springs and he rolled over and HIT the floor with a bang. Fortunately he wasn’t hurt too badly.
Our first stop was to make sure the tires were aired properly at Discount Tire in north Waxahachie. Leaving there we started seeing flowering pear, plums and red buds, too bad it was raining.
In Terrell we couldn’t pass up the Russell Stover’s warehouse store and filled the few empty spots in the trailer with their cheap chocolate bloopers. Teenya, has Alan tried their mints? We didn’t buy any but did take a sample, then wished we had bought some. We think Alan would really like them.
Our first night out was spent at
Lake Cypress Springs at the Jack Gutherie Park. We were the only campers. It was on the lake and we choose a spot overlooking a cove and protected from the wind. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon. Fred fished and we noticed large white birds landing in the lake. They had black wing tips and we wondered if they were Whooping Cranes, but we don’t think they land when they take off for Canada. The bird book search found us looking at Ibis as they do frequent this area. Another choice was storks, but they don’t get here until August.While Olivia was heating up the pot roast Fred fished from the piers and caught
a 2 lb bass! We went to bed with the windows open and the fan blowing. About 1 am a Norther hit and the windows came in. By morning it was quite cold and raining.Wednesday, March 11 found us up early to rain, wind and cold. As we drove east to Arkansas on little roads we enjoyed seeing Dogwood and Yellow Jasmine blooming in the woods. We took Highway 82 across southern Arkansas going though Magnolia, El Dorado and Crossett which had a huge Georgia Pacific softwood and plywood plant. We elected not to try to tour, however we did think of our cousins the Brinkerhoffs with whom we toured a plant in Oregon. We also passed miles of rice and catfish farms.
We turned north at Lake Village to go to Lake Chicot (pronounced Chico) State Park. This lake was once the main channel of the Mississippi and is now a protected sporting area. Fishing and birding are main attractions. We followed the great river road 8 miles around the lake to arrive at the park. This park is on the Great River flyway and has a long check list of birds that can be seen here. We thought of Jeanette Burks and think she might want to make a trip over here at the right time of year. (Would someone please tell her about this place?)
Thursday, March 12 we crossed the Mississippi on an old bridge adjacent to 
a bridge under construction. It looked like a nice bridge with low sides, so the river can be observed in crossing. The cables were silver and much more visible when approaching.
We turned north and took the “great river road” along the levy. It is a well maintained road with very little traffic. There were lots of cotton farms, little towns and flat land. One of the towns was Beulah and we passed the Old Rugged Cross Church in Batesville where we thought of John Thornhill who is from MS and loves the song.
We arrived at the Wicker’s home in the near south side of Oxford and surveyed the land and ended up parking in their circular drive in front of their home. This house belongs to Walter’s sister’n’law who lives elsewhere. They are the caretakers of 10 acres and the house of 5 bedrooms. They are living here to be near his 99 year old mother, who is in ill health. They are shopping Waxahachie homes to move back when Walter’s mother passes.
Friday, March 13 we slept late, then toured Oxford and College Hill (a small community just north of Oxford) visiting
our pastor Jerry Galloway’s father’s store and 
the old Presbyterian Church. 
The church as very interesting in that there were two story doors on the front. We were told the balcony was originally for the slaves. We wondered if they had ladders to get upstairs. 
We drove to Holly Spring MS and saw Rust College, established in 1836 by the Methodist for blacks. Walter’s mom is in a care center in Holly Springs. The town is small and has some large old homes. Then on to Pott’s Camp where Walter grew up and we stopped at the 
Catch the Spirit UMW. Walter had several stories about growing up in this church and 
his childhood home nearby.
Saturday, March 14 found us driving by
John Grisham’s home and visiting 
William Faulkner’s home, Rowan Oak. Faulkner’s purchased the
1840’s Greek Revival home in the 1930’s. It was their home until his death in 1962. He wrote most of his works at this house and he set his stories were inspired by local stories of Indians, runaway slaves, old colonels and spinsters. There was a map on the hall wall of the area and where his stories took place.
Looking into
Faulkner’s Library, 
Living Room and the Office/Writing Room 
where the plot of A Fable is written on the wall in Faulkner’s hand
We ate lunch at the Bottle Brush Bakery then headed back to
Pea Ridge Farm.
Sunday we arose early and attended early church at the
Oxford University UMW. It is a very old church, established 1836 with a Circuit Rider. Then we drove to Tupelo and 
visited Elvis’s child hood home. 
We enjoyed our visit with the Wicker’s very much and are now off to Memphis.
a bridge under construction. It looked like a nice bridge with low sides, so the river can be observed in crossing. The cables were silver and much more visible when approaching.We turned north and took the “great river road” along the levy. It is a well maintained road with very little traffic. There were lots of cotton farms, little towns and flat land. One of the towns was Beulah and we passed the Old Rugged Cross Church in Batesville where we thought of John Thornhill who is from MS and loves the song.
We arrived at the Wicker’s home in the near south side of Oxford and surveyed the land and ended up parking in their circular drive in front of their home. This house belongs to Walter’s sister’n’law who lives elsewhere. They are the caretakers of 10 acres and the house of 5 bedrooms. They are living here to be near his 99 year old mother, who is in ill health. They are shopping Waxahachie homes to move back when Walter’s mother passes.
Friday, March 13 we slept late, then toured Oxford and College Hill (a small community just north of Oxford) visiting
our pastor Jerry Galloway’s father’s store and the old Presbyterian Church. The church as very interesting in that there were two story doors on the front. We were told the balcony was originally for the slaves. We wondered if they had ladders to get upstairs. We drove to Holly Spring MS and saw Rust College, established in 1836 by the Methodist for blacks. Walter’s mom is in a care center in Holly Springs. The town is small and has some large old homes. Then on to Pott’s Camp where Walter grew up and we stopped at the Catch the Spirit UMW. Walter had several stories about growing up in this church and his childhood home nearby.Saturday, March 14 found us driving by
John Grisham’s home and visiting William Faulkner’s home, Rowan Oak. Faulkner’s purchased the 1840’s Greek Revival home in the 1930’s. It was their home until his death in 1962. He wrote most of his works at this house and he set his stories were inspired by local stories of Indians, runaway slaves, old colonels and spinsters. There was a map on the hall wall of the area and where his stories took place.Looking into
Faulkner’s Library, Living Room and the Office/Writing Room where the plot of A Fable is written on the wall in Faulkner’s handWe ate lunch at the Bottle Brush Bakery then headed back to
Pea Ridge Farm.Sunday we arose early and attended early church at the
Oxford University UMW. It is a very old church, established 1836 with a Circuit Rider. Then we drove to Tupelo and visited Elvis’s child hood home. We enjoyed our visit with the Wicker’s very much and are now off to Memphis. 
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