I kept a handwritten note in March of 2020 from an older gentleman who had read “Lessons From the Ladder.” Although we’d never met, he instantly attained favored status by saying nice things about the author.

In a world of electronic communications, it was nice to get an old-style letter. Hopefully, pen and paper won’t become extinct, although I have reservations about cursive writing. It sounds inappropriate for a Baptist.

A newspaper clipping from April of 2021 announced that Daybreak Pregnancy Care Center was holding an open house in their new location. The leading cause of deaths in America is reportedly abortions, followed by heart-related issues. I suppose the two are intertwined. Matters of the heart lead to all sorts of problems.

Jane and I went to Lake Eufaula in Alabama on April 16th. I drove as she made notes about sights along the road.    

“Lions in a Pasture” is another of my unwritten columns. Two large concrete lions guard a pasture on Highway 280 in Sumter County. I seldom pass that way, but when I do Isaiah 11:6 comes to mind. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”

I don’t know if scripture inspired someone to place those unusual sentries among their cattle, but that’s the thought I ponder when going by. If anyone knows their story, I’d love to hear it.

The Rooster Hotel is near Smithville, Georgia. I made up that name and know nothing about the place except what can be seen from the road. Dozens of 55-gallon barrels with small openings at the bottom house what I’m guessing are roosters. Each bird was tethered with a light line to his private quarters. Some patrolled their yards while others perched atop their cylindrical homes. I’m guessing the hotel is pet friendly despite fowl service.

Fading white letters, D. M. Dismuke Co., are still legible on a vacant red-brick building. I read online that it was once a thriving business in a vibrant community of Terrell County. Although the structure is more elaborate than the country stores of my childhood, it reminds me of that era.

Eight country stores, including Joiner’s Store, were within five miles of our home. Original owners included my grandfather, Jim Joiner, along with Tap Owen, El Sparrow, Bivins Calhoun, J. H. Love, Dee Mashburn, Doc Mashburn, and Harold Nutt, who opened his place in the 1960s. Mr. Harold had severe physical challenges, yet wore a constant smile to compliment exceptional determination.

Those stores were all long gone when much to my surprise a new one came along. Carver’s Country Store was opened a few years ago in a farming community near Mock Springs, a Pulaski County landmark. While there are plenty of good reasons to stop by, my favorite is a chili dog topped with onions and mustard and washed down with Dr. Pepper.

The hands of time only go in one direction, but I’m learning that the turns offer a blessing – good memories get sweeter with age. As a country store with fading white letters pleasantly reminded me of childhood, I realized that quiet rewards are getting easier to find in sights along the road. That may sound odd to some, but one thing I am certain of. Old men who write handwritten letters will understand.