6.25.2012

Rambling Along Mobile Bay

 New Post on Back Porch



Uncle an' me went off to a weddin' over the weekend....but relax, I ain't gonna ply y'all wif endless bride pics. 'Tis 'nough to say the weddin' be lovely, the couple fair as ya' could want, an' the weather spared the pair until the next mornin' when Tropical Storm Debbie came a'callin'.


Heah be the drenched hibiscus at mah own gate this mornin';






We's desperate fer the water, so y'ain't gonna have no complaint from me.


Anyhoo, afore that storm got good an' all wound up, we had a best time ramblin' along in the Mobile area.  First we tarried in the East Bay village of Fairhope, Alabama.






This little hamlet were settled in 1894 --though some ole homesteads wuz already thar'.   It be the Bright Idea of an economist whose stated purpose were:


to establish and conduct a model community or colony, free from all forms of private monopoly, and to secure to its members therein equality of opportunity, the full reward of individual efforts, and the benefits of co-operation in matters of general concern.”



Well. I cain't say iffin' that purpose has stood up to modern economic woes, but I can say ramblin' around in this place is jes' a charmin' way to spend an' afternoon. 


 




But first, Uncle had to sample the local gumbo--this one came from a menu that offered "Naked gumbo"
( chicken an' sausage only)  or ya' can add yore choice of "fixin's": shrimp, crab, crawfish tails or oysters.
Wisely, Uncle pronounced it "not too bad, but not good as yores, Belle."  'Course not.






Thus fortified, we strolled along shady roads, admired the cool (white an' green) landscaping, an' generally sighed wif' happy nostalgia over these picture book homes that fill our memories of  the "ole South."




Thar' wuz a time when these ole screen door designs could be had fer a few dollars at any scrap yard--no longer. As wif' many such treasures, today, they be coveted an' pricey.


Natcherly, a PORCH is essential--oriented to catch the bay breeze what slips in under the pines an' oak branches. 

 




Uncle got hisself a hankerin' fer this round porch....




But Aunty had more modest hopes--lemme take this garden shed home to mah back forty.

We remarked on the advantageous settin'--how so many ole timey places seemed untouched by a hunnert years an' more of hurricanes churnin' up the Gulf...thang is, this Eastern Shore sits on a bluff overlookin' Mobile Bay--wind surely whips thangs around, but most of these ole places ain't subject to floods or storm surges.




This Eastern Shore area is home to sleepy marinas, shady waterfront parks, birds an' roses....a laid back vibe even for the laid back South. 
 

I'll be checkin' in again --a few days-- wif' some rambles through Mobile itself. 'Til then, thas' Aunty y'all see on the news, wadin' in the waters of TS Debbie.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

glad u enjoyed my neck of the woods. I believe that is the old Montrose post office.

Anonymous said...

This post:
http://auntybelles.blogspot.com/2009/09/summer-sex-wars-or-why-gender-matters.html

"modern married men as sexless competitor wives--a problem unique to the liberal rich"

Middle class has caught it. You should revisit Ms. Wolf.

Sandcastle Momma said...

Your pictures are beautiful. I have cousins who live in Fairhope and I always like wandering around over there looking at the old houses.
Y'all stay safe from Debby!

moi said...

Hope Debby doesn't put a crimp in your plans. Now, I'm off to ponder why Debby with a "y" and not an "ie."

Aunty Belle said...

Anon 1,
why thanky! Yes, it surely is--I googled it, found a bit of history on that wee post office/ garden shed on a website headed up by them sweet folks at the Montrose Garden Club. (Or...was it history club?) Youse fortunate to live in such a pretty place.

Anon 2,
not shure of yore meanin'--did ck Ms. Wolf's latest--more of same. What have I missed?

Sandcastle Momma!

Hey thar'. Reckcon youse pleased to go visitin' yore cousins, ain't'cha? Debby be blwoin' over all our sandcastles! So pleased to see ya'.

Moi, Cherie,
yikes! Debby, not Debbie? Gracious, I'se on auto pilot--an' listenin' to news not lookin' at it. We's very grey an' blustery today. (grey is still acceptable even to gray people, I think)

Debora said...

Oh I love those pictures! I've never seen such a screen door! Of course, living up north, with the weather being what it is, we only use our screen doors for a couple of months each year. I just haveta visit the South...

Karl said...

Good evening Aunty Belle,

Were y'all in a hurry? Why was Uncle eating on a paper plate? A refined man of his tastes should have a proper plate.

Hope you're doing all right with the storm. Seems like it's mostly rain and a bit to the north of you.

Sharon Rudd said...

Lookin' forward to your Mobile ramblin's. Hope you stay dry, or are not knee-deep in mud.

Worried for my Colorado friends, whose state seems to be bursting into flames for miles and miles.

We've had a glorious few temperate days, but may approach 100 later this week. With humidity. Ugh.

And somehow it's cold in Seattle? Wish we could swish up all this weather stuff to a happy medium.

xoxo, eggy

Aunty Belle said...

Debora, hey!

Well now, funny ya say that 'bout the screen door--went to huntin' some on the net...ain't found much, tho it mayhap be that I used poor search terms. I remember one from my chile'hood that were a sailboat scene. An' yes yes! Visit the South.

Sir Karl!

Well, we's sorta hurried --weekend only, but the photo is deceptive--thas' a blue ceramic bowl cradling that gumbo. But I admit the place was definitely in "diners, drive-in, an' dives" territory. Ya shoulda seen the galvanized bucket of hot sauces on the tables. We's real soggy, but rejoicin' 'cause our water table were in calamity zone.

Eggy!! Hey you!

I know I know--poor Grins/ Curmudgy. I'll take our gullywashers over fire any day. Though I like yore idea of swishin' it together to make one lovely weather pattern.

SophieMae said...

Dawgawn, I sent you an email the same day you sent me one. Mine bounced. I re-sent and it bounced again. I'll see can I get it through using a different email program.

Your gorgeous pichers bring childhood summers in SC to mind. And the round porch reminds me of a DeLand house I always drooled over.

Now I'm gonna have to hunt down one of those screens! Gosh, I miss those days. Just yesterday, I was telling Duller I'd right enjoy having a wringer washer again, even though my skinny little arm got sucked right through the wringer one day. Reckon I know better now. 8-]

fishy said...

I reckon if any reader had a doubt they now know Uncle to be a smart man. At least about gumbo and wives.

I am green with envy for the landscaping at the house pic just after the gumbo. Perfection. In our part of the Carolinas there are no moss draped trees, no St. Augustine grass and caladiums are annuals not perinials. Sigh. In this drought nothing is that deep rich green. Lots of gray and a bit of peaked green here and there. Even the gardenias are not rich and glossy this year. I was actually hoping Debby would take a little northerly wobble and bring some help but it wasn't to be.

It will be interesting to see if Uncle gets his round porch and you get a garden shed. One of my favorite rooms ever was a round Library/Sunroom. All bookcases on the inside walls, all bookcase/window seats below the windows, all full height bookcases between the windows. It felt like a porch but without the noseeums.

Hope Debby did more good than harm in your patch. Nice to see you posting again :-) Haiku Monday is at the Pond this week, y'all come play a spell.

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