Pictures of Ghost Kitty

I started out for my nightly ritual to watch the birds eat when I spotted the kitty playing with its mother. If I venture very close, they disappear behind the gap in the fence. I was able to get these shots from the front porch--the first evidence that there is a ghost cat. The kitten was hilarious--playing with its mother's tail, and the plant by the opening in the fence. I watched in awe as it just seemed to be experiencing the emotion of joy and fun. On occasion, Mama would go on alert mode and in some unseen and unheard communication, the kitten would scamper through the fence, to await her signal it was safe.

Ghost Cat's Kitty

I was sitting outside this evening after mowing the front yard. A little black spot leaped up out of the gap in the fence by where I feed the ghost cat. My heart leapt as well. I moved closer. The little kitten I found on the porch was playing with the Mama cat, leaping in and out of the gap in the fence. It would wander over to the food dish I keep there, and take a bite or two, then engage in a rolling play with Mama cat. It just made my day: it survived.

I took out fresh water, saying hello kitty with every step.

Day in the Delta Part III

Just out of Greenville on Hwy. 1, following the Mississippi levee, is Winterville Mounds. This is one of the delta locations for Native American mounds. These were constructed and occupied 1000 AD-1450 AD. This is one of the smaller mounds, but the one just beyond it is 55 feet tall, and served as the prominent mound in the series. Mounds were the site of several sacred structures and ceremonies. There were as many as 23 mounds in this site originally, but many were leveled due to farming and construction.
It was interesting to listen to the difference between Johnson's version of the song and Eric Clapton's version.
The Grace Episcopal Church in Rosedale, was built in 1879, and is "Carpenter Gothic." It is the oldest extant church in Bolivar County. I tried to upload a video as the birds were flying around, singing, but it failed, as usual. In all the efforts I have ever made to upload a video, only one has ever actually posted.
As I drove throughout the Delta, I noted similar signs in front of many of the high schools. Tech Prep is a fairly recent Mississippi education venture, and is described as an alternative to traditional college prep high schools. The "enhanced vocational programs" have replaced many general courses of study in schools throughout the state.
While on the one hand, some of the things I read sounded excellent (the goal is to make connections between studies and work, emphasizes integrated learning, focuses on reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and is performance-based), it also reminded me of earlier efforts to channel some students into vocational education and the workforce, rather than encourage college. In West Bolivar, 90% of the students qualify for the free lunch program, which provides an indication of the poverty in the area. Rosedale is 70% African American.
Duncan, a hop, skip, and a jump down the road, has a population of about 578. The median income is $14,000, compared to the state's median of $41,000. They have an elementary school for K-3rd grade, and have 238 students. The population is 78% African American, and a whopping 6% is Irish, followed by 3% Hispanic. With the exception of 4 Hispanic children and 1 white child, the enrollment of the school is African American. The closest school past 3rd grade is at Shelby, approximately 5 or so miles further down the road. Shelby is also the closest library.

This represents only a smattering of the similar communities through which I passed on my way home.

Day in the Delta Part II

Although I entered Greenville yesterday from what seemed to be the least likely approach (the side next to the Mississippi River levee), it also took me into town less than 2 blocks from my final destination (unbeknownst to me when planning the route) and into a very historical area of Greenville.

This is the old Elks Club building, though I was unable to find any other information other than the name.

A block over from the Hebrew Union Congregation Temple stands the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. The church has a "sister church" in Haarlem, Holland.

This beautiful old building sits vacant. Clearly, it was once an auto dealership showroom, though I could not find any additional information about the building itself.
Near the area is a "retirement" apartment building, the Delta Towers. The organization was established in 1982, though I could find nothing about the building. I liked the concrete details on the windows. The building also sported a semi-round covering over the front doors, and just seemed like something I would sooner expect to see in New York than in Mississippi.

Circling the block attempting to get close enough to the Delta Towers, this auditorium caught my attention. It is the Ella Darling Elementary School.

This niche and the intricate detail work above the columns made me think more of a church building than a school. I was unable to find any information other than it used to be "Central School" according to the oral history of the Rev. Ted Shepherd.
This beautiful old house stands across from the school, and is clearly in need of saving before it becomes only another vacant lot, though I would presume that will be highly unlikely to occur. So many historic buildings are located in neighborhoods that are sorely impoverished, and it is rare to find someone (or some organization) who will invest the funds necessary.

Still, it was an unexpected treat to view all the historic buildings in the area, too many for me to capture in my limited time. No doubt about it though, another trip to Greenville is in order, equipped with the necessary camera and accessories to do the town justice.

Tomorrow I will finish the Delta post with the trip home--up highway 1, following the Mississippi River levee.

A Day in the Delta Part I

Two important lessons learned for today:

1. Never assume a GPS in Mississippi will actually get you where you need to go; and

2. Always take the complete camera bag, with extra battery pack and digital cards, even if you don't think you will need them. It could be worth the extra 3 minutes it takes you to load them.

On my way to Greenville, I had to make a stop at Batesville at the Lowe's, to pay for the special order toilet seat to go with the special order toilet. It was supposed to be ready for me to just swipe the credit card so they would order it. Nope; appears to be a glitch somewhere in the order; could I wait? No, not really, as I am on my way to Greenville. I said I would stop by on my way home this evening. No problem, they assured me they would have it taken care of and ready for me.

My next stop was the gas station; heading into the delta of Mississippi is rather like going into the plains of west Texas: you should start with a full tank. Hmm...the credit card does not work; what's up with this? I will just get gas at the next town. Meanwhile, I called Rand to tell him the card did not work. He knew. He said he had it shut off, as they did not do online billing and payment. Uh, do you think you could have mentioned that to me? Okay, 19 miles to the next town...but there is no gas station. Not a surprise in this area. My fuel light came on waaaayyyyyy from the next town, and I was sweating bullets by the time I got there and took the first exit...and drove down some street in Clarksdale, knowing there had to be a station somewhere. Finally, just as I was about to despair, I spotted the Double Quick and pulled in. I kid you not, every pump of the 6 pumps was full, with cars waiting. What? There is a sale on gasoline at the Double Quick in Clarksdale? After about 10 minutes, I finally was able to pull into a pump and fill up...$70--I was a gallon less than empty.

My GPS had been loaded since I left Oxford, and it recalculated me back to the road. Zooming along trying to make up for lost time, I suddenly had the message from Nuvi to turn right onto a 2-lane highway that looked like it was headed out into the middle of the field. It did not feel right, but I took the turn. Yes, I finally got to Greenville, but I was positive that I had gone way out of my way to do so. The nice thing about it was it took me into town in an older part, what I would have referred to as "down town" and some of the most fascinating buildings I could imagine.

The next few posts will be about some of those buildings, and others on the way back to Oxford via Hwy. 1.

On Main Street, I noted this historic sign and stopped to check it out. When Greenville was incorporated in 1870, there were about 25-30 Jewish families living in the area. The present temple building was constructed in 1906 at a cost of $30,000, and today serves about 50 families. It seems that either the Jewish population of Greenville has not significantly increased, or that they worship elsewhere.

I made a number of stops on the way back to Oxford, and those will be the subject of subsequent posts over the next day or so. I did stop at Batesville again, and not surprisingly, the toilet seat order was still not to be found, and thus, I could not pay for it to get it actually ordered.

Two phone calls to managers and 20 minutes later, "could you come back tomorrow and we will have it ready?" I politely declined to make yet a 4th trip to Batesville just to buy a toilet seat. Interestingly, Rand was able to go online and order it shipped directly to our home, AND in the color I actually wanted.

The Pictures I don't have from the Research I didn't do

Trying to stay afloat in Mississippi these days seems to be constantly eluding my ability to tread water: both literally and figuratively. I have some research scheduled in various communities this summer, and have been excited about the discovery of new places here, and some new pictures.

Today, I was supposed to be in Ripley, and then make a quick run over to Corinth to leave a research book for a student. I left at noon, but by the time I got the books loaded, went to the bank, and reached the cut-off to the road, the sky opened up and it began to pour. The battery died on my car yesterday and I was in Rand's truck...he was on the motorcycle. I called him to see if he wanted a ride back to work so he did not have wet jeans all afternoon.

By the time I turned around, picked him up and got him to work, and headed out again, it was an hour later. That still left me plenty of time...if I had not gotten lost on the way. Mississippi is just miles and miles of rural land in this part of the state, with tiny little towns and communities here and there, all connected in a maze of two lane roads and endless kudzu. Of course, only after I arrived back home this evening did Rand mentioned I should have taken the GPS.

After it taking me an hour longer than it should have, I was now out of time to get the book to the student and get back in time to pick up Randy, so I skipped the research--the primary reason for the trip--and called the student. She was back in the town through which I had just driven 20 minutes earlier, on her way to the town in which I live. Ya just gotta love it. She gave me directions to the office where she was to have been, and asked me to leave the book with a colleague of hers.

On my way into the office, I met the local sheriff, overseeing the yard work with the inmate crew. Once inside, the receptionist window informed me the office I needed was "at the other window." I went to the other window, but there was no one at it; I waited. Finally, just as I was about to go back to the other "other window" I noticed a small sign at the bottom of the window. Please have ID ready when you ring the bell.

I'm sorry, but what bell? I looked all around the window for a buzzer or bell. All over the wall. Under the shelf. Finally, I notice an old-fashioned bell like one used to see on a hotel check-in...inside the window. I slid open the window, and no, I did not have my ID out, and tapped the bell. Finally, a woman came to the window and took the book--which I had thankfully pre-labeled with the student's name--and said she would see that it got to her. I thanked her, hoping that it would.

I left, and found myself wondering if it took me that long as educated as I am, and somewhat familiar with the concept of social service offices, would it have been that difficult for a client who may not have even finished high school? Or, perhaps, she might be more adept at navigating the system than someone who expected a person to be at that window who wanted to help me--you know, like when you go to Walgreen's to pick up your prescription or to Dairy Queen to order your ice cream.

I pulled out my iPhone once back in the car and in between stopping at traffic signals, put the map app on to figure out how to get home a shorter way. Even at that, I knew I would never make it by 5. Not long after, J called to see if I was "dead on the side of the road" and told me my car had started earlier, so I had a tentative back up to get Rand. There were any number of interesting little communities through which I passed--intermittently with mounds and hills and forests and gullies of kudzu--but I did not stop for pictures. It was also intermittently still pouring now and then and I was hoping to miraculously make it back by 5. At a quarter of, I gave up that pipe dream and called J to go ahead and pick up his dad. He actually was quite cheerful about it.

I made it home only 30 minutes later, but only because I did not quite follow the speed limits. Mississippi also has a rather unique system of speed limits, and there seems to be little discernible reason for why a limit suddenly drops to 45 from 65, for example. It just does; I just tried to keep it at a steady gallop today, unless it was in one of those pouring rain episodes.

Tomorrow, I get to do it all over again, only south and west instead of north and east. I plan on an earlier start, and hope to get the research, the pictures, and the books to the student. For sure, it better not rain so Rand can use the motorcycle.

One Book One Community

I met Outreach Librarian Melissa at the Service Learning Fair in April. She asked about my work in Riverside and when I told her part of it involved reading and getting books into the children's hands, she asked to meet with me about the One Book One Community project that will kick off this fall at Ole Miss. When she came to meet with me, she laid the book Listening is an Act of Love on my desk and sat down. I commented immediately, "Oh, StoryCorps!" She was excited that I had heard about StoryCorps, so I explained my Unalaskan friend's participation and credited her with telling me about it.

Listening is an Act of Love is the first book we will be using to introduce the project, whose primary mission is to strengthen literacy, for the community to read and learn together, and to develop a sense of community focused on conversations around what is read. I was on board from the first explanation of the mission.

In practical terms, what that means is I will assign this book in a class--or more than one--and build assignments around it. In brainstorming with Melissa, we talked about how readily the stories will lend themselves to social work--assessments, for example. It lends itself to analysis of diversity issues presented in the stories, and how it relates to the promotion of social justice. All involve critical thinking, reading, writing, research skills that are needed by our students.

In addition to what we do in the classroom and the community--we will extend this into our Riverside program--there will be campus and community activities to which the students can connect. The idea is to connect individuals who might not otherwise be connected.

In my grad class this summer, we have an assignment where the students post a short 1 page paper about the readings as connected and applied to the activities we do in class. Then, they have to converse (via the discussion board) with other students about the ideas contained in the paper. I have been amazed already at the depth of the conversation and see it as a valuable resource to their learning; I don't know how they see it, but I am just fascinated by their comments--comments that I would never know about if not for this method of eliciting them.

I will use that same process in the practice with groups class this fall in implementing the One Book One Community Project. I plan to use it in the Research Writing class as well. Nothing else has worked to get them interested in writing, so I will not lose anything by trying a different approach. I am enthusiastic about the possibility to create a new partnership with others on the campus about writing and reading, and try once again to find a way to connect students to the joy of lifelong learning and what it can add to the richness of our lives.