Hey Thar'. Lookin' fer Aunty's MCW entry? It's over at Ether Capacious. Theme this week is "worst sequel."
Meanwhile, iffin' ya wanna see why I'se been scarce, it's on account of this road trip (below)
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Road trip this time wuz up to Chattanooga fer the Head of the Hooch!
1500 boats, 5000 meters: the second largest crew regatta in the nation. High school, collich, an' club boats.
A few well named boats....
These younguns is such a treat to watch--energetic oncomin' adults, fit an' smart an' dedicated.
(So's they mamas an' daddies!)
Folks git set up fer a long day of competition...has this much equipment ever been hauled over so many miles fer jes' one day of merrymakin'? The atmosphere rustles up yore blood: high spirits, camaraderie an' friendly jostlin'.
Sleepyheads
includin' coaches
yep, sleep is big in this festival of organized chaos
Crew cuisine
We noticed how many rowers is redheads-- ain't seen so many lovely haids of hair in a coon's age--or mebbe ya needs to be Scottish to be a good oarsman/ oarswoman?
Chattanooga coexistence
Sweet thangs, it were jes' the most lovely time we had.
The weather, sunny but crispy cool, favored the weekend. Thar's still some good color in the foothills...
Drivin' aside the Ocoee
Along the way, we traveled some back roads, dodged all the fast food-poison, took our vittles in out of the way dinin' rooms, like this one heah, in an ole mansion-- our hostess wuz a defectee from Tampa, an' gracious enough to feed a stray pair at 3: 00 in the afternoon.
Three Graces, Tifton GeorgiaWe made a point of surveyin' BBQ shacks along the road, wood stacked at the ready
Oh Dillon, thas' amazin' pulled pork! (Fer the record? I is suspicious of any self-professed Cracker Lady that ain't as happy wif' a pulled pork sandwich an' slug of Orange Crush as wif' an' homard a l'americaine an' sip of Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame 1996. Jes' sayin'. )
So wuz the Georgia BBQ brisket on the road home ( moan, groan....)
We seen cotton in the fields, the Bonnie Blue, grand ole' homes standin' sentinel on oak shaded lawns, moss swayin' ...it felt like turnin' the pages in a yellowed book of days long lost.... we did miss out on Twila Faye's Southern Special when we sped through Bollingbroke on 41, an' Buckner's famous fried chicken over on Bucksnort Road jes' nawth of Macon. Reckon I will catch them next trip 'cause I does aim to pay homage to Idgie Threadgoode eat at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette. Thas' whar' Fried Green Tomatoes wuz filmed.
The thang ya notice right off is how comfortable these folks is, tucked back in heah whar' time belongs to the man, not the industrial maw.
They choose to be less affluent iffin' that be the price of livin' this life. So Dillon done give up his 9-5 to make the best BBQ in south Tennessee, ain't that a good decision? Who is to say which be the better choice?
Onc't Uncle came through the door, yanked loose his tie an' slumped in his chair. "Belle, I seen I man today, worn ole' coat but freshly barbered. He wuz jes' sittin' on a park bench in the sun, feedin' the critters an' gazin' at the flowers. We locked eyes fer a minute as I waited fer a parkin' space to free up. I ain't sure which of us had the better day."
A Black community church advertised Pastor Ebenezer and Brother Willie at the Zebulon Road pulpit. They chillens' wuz all dressed fancy, a blur of pastel dresses an' ruffles as we whizzed on by...
Thar's still la hamlet or two whar' a Piggly Wiggly hangs on... Why resist it? Get yoreself a
"I dig the pig" tee shirt. We found ours in Ducktown Tennessee.
Wanna' say it did mah soul some good to git off grid an' take a look at how some folks is quietly defecting in place, they ain't goin' fer the digital dawgfight, the M1 meltdown.
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
— Flannery O'Connor
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24 comments:
Belle,
It is a fine adventure to travel a back road with you. Part of my regular travel takes me across a bridge which overlooks the crew training lanes of Big Univesity.
Occassionally I will pull over and watch this inspiration of teamwork.
It DOES stir the heart real fine.
The sad news is
you were forced to eat Georgia Que when everybody with a taste bud knows the finest Southern Que hails from the Carolinas :-)
Fishy!! GO to sleep. What in tarnation is ya doin' up so early?
Promise to come to yore parts an git mah fill of the Carolina B-que
Congrats to Gamecocks and Spurrier! Doan'cha KNOW that was a SWEET victory fer Spurrier?
Oh, Fishy, an' MAURICE's to go with that Carolina BBQ
Aunty,
I knew you was a smart lady! I tries every year to sneak a little Maurice's down to my Dad; his wife always has him on some new fangled diet or another.
Interesting Florida-Carolina day yesterday. I expected Blowfish to come down with the carpal tendonitis what with all the remote
activity he had going on. It were a fine day fer football and we is all pleased as punch about Gentleman Spurrier taking the day. Sweet indeed.
This be why I returned to the Blog-World. Excellent post that's tempting me to stay off I-75 and I-40 next trip.
Liked the pics too. Especially the "coexistence" one featuring a replica of Troll Manor and a Modernist Building.
The Gators have more size, a lot more speed, double-the-number of blue chippers, more fans, a lot more money...
They don't have the Ole Head Ball Coach and class.
Go Gamecocks!
amen to sister flannery.
i think fishy has lost her mind. GA Q far surpasses that mustard hash they sling in the carolinas. and it beats that vinegary texas shizz too. loved the crew shots...
Au contraire K-9, mon ami, Sister Fishy is right, Carolina Que has been King long before Georgia slaughtered it's first pig.
Not bad shots for a celly. Those crews are quite the athletes. Early morning, cold and sometimes rainy, heart bursting exercise? Makes me faint just watching them.
Count me in on the Whistle Stop Cafe trip. Southern Living magazine just did an interview with Fannie Flagg. Love her.
Why the heck is Uncle wearing a tie on vacation?
So do you two have a connection to Crew or was it just happening where ya wuz?
Ditto the pulled pork/orange crush trust test, although I am partial to strawberry.
Sounds like a great ride and I loved your commentary.
As usual.
And welcome back Troll.
Although historically important, the truth is that BOTH types of Carolina Q have been surpassed.
As for Texas, they have no part in the history of Q having basically just copied the innovations developed in KC.
Fishy!
know Blowfish musta had a grand time with a good excuse fer plenty o' yellin' in high gear. As fer yore Daddy, doan he know the fun of eatin' Maurice's is two fold? Support the kindred souls and cheat on the diet. (how bad can a leetle bit 'o mustard be? ......OOOOOH, yeah ok, it's the PORK thas' the problem?)
Troll-Man! Why thanky sir, that is high praise comin' from under the bridge. Knowed ya would luv this route. Be sure to click the link of Three Graces to see their menu--mor'n ya might think in the category of gentile updated fare.
An iffin' ya git yoreself a case of wanderlust, I would be pleased to hear yore own take on the best stops along the route--I will be thar' next year, God willin'.
As to the Gator loss, lemme jes' note that any of us'uns who wuz lucky enough to have our 13th street collich days feature Spurrier, we'uns doan take this as *all* loss, but a win from a certain angle of view.
K9 Pup!
Ho! Ya KNOWS I has a Flannery quote fer dern near all of life's moments. Heh. Why, no matter yore take on whose BBQ reigns, GEORGIA done give us the one an only Mary Flannery O'Connor. (tho fer the record, Aunty who is a bit of an expert on POARK,rinds an' all, does put high marks to the rub and the smoke afore any sauce gits in the mix.)
Shamy!!
youse spot on! the crew folks is athletes of the highest order--knowed some fellas who done both football an' crew --reckon they can tell ya the one doan take no back seat to the other in physical prowess.
Shamy, did ya click the link an' watch the trailer fer FGT? Know ya's seen the movie many a time, but Flagg is hilarious, an wise in the ways of the heart. I like her deft handlin' of thangs. When ya come on pilgrimage to the Whistle Stop Cafe, holler.
I will meet ya thar', an mayhap we can lure that dawg outa the woods too fer this jaunt--an then we will cruise a few miles east to Milledgeville so we can pay homage to Flannery.
FC!
OOOps. did I give the impression Uncle wuz in a tie any time recently other than a funeral? No no no...that story is from a few years back when ties wuz required on certain bidness occasions.
An--raise yore eybrows--it warn't Uncle wif' me this trip. The hip pockets of his camos wuz in a tree stand miles and miles south. But NEXT year? Well, we'll see.
All y'all, I is tryin' to find a great column I seen posted in one of the Georgia BBQ spots-- it says somethin' I want ya to know--so stand by, I is on the hunt fer it.
FC!!
meant to thank ya fer the compliments-- an' I does like Strawberry Crush.
Troll, I heahby designate ya as Que historian of the blogosphere!
I am NOT going to TOUCH the BBQ argument. Nor am I going to say which style I prefer.
However, I will say that I love your travelogues and this made me laugh right out loud: "I is suspicious of any self-professed Cracker Lady that ain't as happy wif' a pulled pork sandwich an' slug of Orange Crush as wif' an' homard a l'americaine an' sip of Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame 1996. Jes' sayin'. :
My favorite Flannery O'Connor quote:
"I can, with one eye squinted, take it all as a blessing."
Welcome home! I find some of my cell phone pictures are some of the best when capturing the feel of a trip. I liked them editing of your photos, they tell a good story. We had Piggly Wiggly stores in Ohio when I was growing up and I hadn't thought of that in a very long time. Who wants to be thinking of a Piggy when grocery shopping?? Bwahahahaah.
What a fun, Aunty!
My daddy (now 87, thank you) crewed for Northwood School and Yale. We all be redheads in my family, mayhap there is something in that!
left comment on your back porch
to k9: exsquuuueeeeeze me! we make fine bbq up here in nc. we 'uns are in the bbq business after all. i've eaten bbq throughout the state and have yet to come across a mustard sauce (although it could exist somewhere). i think the mustard sauce is considered a
s. carolina thing.
anyway, aunty belle,
i absolutely love the regatta photos, esp. the one of the sleepy heads and .. well, all of them. they bring back memories actually. i wasn't a rower but a flat water kayaker and have participated in several regattas in my youth.
Thank you to Shammy, a culinary expert extraordinaire, bout proving this point:
Dawgs don't know Que
Aunty,
The good wife has my Dad eating so much salmon these days he looks more peachy than rosy. Wonder does Maurice's taste good on salmon too?
I loves Fannie Flaggs take on things, loves some crisply fried green tomaters and the Whistlestop, well it is worth the journey.
Aunty, what a wonderful little road trip you had! I am so lovin' the photos and your commentary!
I love to row too (I'm part Scott, is that why?) I was going to join but they want me up at 5 am!! I'm no good to anyone then! tee hee!
I LOVE your pairing of pulled pork and the Veuve. Very civilized indeed and I expect no less from a cultured Southern Belle like yourself!
And yes, the man who gave up the 9-5 to barbecue? Well, you know La Diva can relate. You know what, I am overdue for a good ol' road trip, haven't done one in a while. But they take more time and hubby doesn't have any more days...(I miss the four week holidays in Oz!)
Moi, Cherie,
youse a wise woman to steer far clear of a tussle a'tween Fishy an' K9. you an me, we better be like de Tar Baby, "He lay low."
Boxer-babe,
how's that heel? The piggly wiggly's is cashin' in on the nostalgia of 'em wif' these pig shorts--what a riot.
Caroline!
hi thar', really happy to see ya'. WHAT is it about redheads and crew? odd but fun. Kudos to yore G-Papa.
Anon,
the french ain't impressin' ya none?
Foamy Lady!
Hiya! Well...as I said to Moi, on BBQ, I will lay low. Folks is testy on the matter.
I can totally see ya as a kayak woman--oh yes! It fits. The solitude of the water, skimmin' along off shore fer enough nobody can mess wif' ya...but ain't them sleepy kids sweet? Not quite adults but not babies no more.
Fishy,
all this talk of the WhistleStop Cafe has me thinkin' on when I can next git away--fear it will be long after the New Year.
La DivaC!
ha! That does it--youse a Scot? an ya like to row? Finished wif' that survey: Rowers is mostly Scottish/ and / or redheads. An' of COURSE ya can relate to Dillion--ya done it ain't ya Pretty Thang?
Good morning Aunty Belle,
What a fun trip, thanks for taking us along.
I've come up with a way to solve the debate.(Mind you this is surely in the interests of science) All parties wishing to submit their best barbecue, can put it in a sealed container pacted with dry ice and send it air freight to good old Karl(please include reheating instructions and any condiments and or beverages necessary to expand the experience) after thorough inspection, I will get back to the body to discuss my findings.
Bucksnort Road, Auntie? That cannot be real.
AUntie! What a fabulous trip you had and I really enjoyed riding along with you for a spell. That crew business is getting to be all the rage around my town, which is astounding considering that river had no water in it for my entire life until just a few years ago.
I have a little southern flair on my page tonight that you might enjoy! Well, it feels southern to ME!
And the BBQ? How about that for a blog summit? The great blogger bbq trail. I'm for it.
Karl,
heh..ain't'cha clevah? Sacrificin' yoreself to unravel the mystery of the nation's best BBQ?
Laughed wif' Granny last night about the Great Barbeque Debate an' she say, "Que was born in Memphis."
Anon,
Shure it's real: Bucksnort Road, Jackson Georgia.
PamOKC,
A BBQ Blogger gatherin'? Inspired!
I'se for it! That'd be a heck of a road trip..whoo hoo!!
Off to see yore own Southern Flair.
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