Author Archives: joinerscorner

Every year since the late 1940s a group of men has departed from Hawkinsville on a three-night river trip to the Atlantic Ocean. Fourteen to twenty friends usually ride two per boat and share tents as they camp along the … Continue reading →

My wife and I recently watched the 1980 version of The Blues Brothers. It’s been a while since I’ve laughed that much. Nobody can dance like John Belushi.  We’ve been Netflix customers since prehistoric times when movies were sent through … Continue reading →

On Easter Sunday of 2022 I scribbled a note describing that morning’s heavy fog. I planned to write a column soon thereafter, but instead treaded water in the pool of good intentions. Although my note found obscurity in a deepening … Continue reading →

My scant knowledge of criminal investigation techniques came from watching Columbo. The bumbling detective would often pose a question as he was about to walk away from a suspect. That recurring scene came to mind as I pondered over Buddy … Continue reading →

Buddy Bellflower died way too young. This story begins a few years before. Buddy rode our school bus for a short time when I was a youngster. He was eight years older than me and made a big impression on … Continue reading →

Angela Barentine warrants an early mention among those who have helped me along the way. After reading my short book, Lessons From The Ladder, she asked if I would be interested in writing a weekly column for the Cordele Dispatch.  … Continue reading →

I’ve run out of gas more than once, but the only time I clearly recall was in 1974. I had graduated from Valdosta State College and was living in a Tallahassee apartment working with Burroughs Corporation. Jane was staying with … Continue reading →

As we slowly improved the interior of my mother’s childhood home over the past two years, the outside patiently waited its turn. In late 2023, however, the neglected exterior began begging for attention. That’s why we’re putting new boards on … Continue reading →

Jane and I moved to Vienna in December of 1975 and soon joined First Baptist Church. The building’s third-floor hallway had an in-wall cabinet with a “LOST AND FOUND” sign. Only one item was displayed, a green Pyrex bowl.  That … Continue reading →