Hardly did I get out the photos of the pretty pink azeleas in my yard (see post below) until nature decided that I had been guilty of the sin of pride, and decided to teach me a lesson.
Following a week of beautiful weather in the 80s, a cold front from Massachussets came through, bringing hard rain, and bitterly cold temps.
The rain beat down the blossoms from the azeleas (well, about half of them, anyway) and the brutal cold (30 degrees for about two hours early this morning) forced the gas furnace to come on to keep the house nice and toasty warm. The lawn mower was even hesitant to start, with the combination of the oil being thicker with the cold, and less cranking power from the battery.
The good news is that today was much warmer, and we should be back to normal (mid-70s) by tomorrow. Again, proof positive that God loves the South best. As soon as the pecan trees complete their pollen dump (pecans are the last trees to bloom), paradise will once again be complete.
I bumped into three of my very favorite former students this afternoon in Wal-Mart...Miss Rena Barber, and the Pouncy sisters, Morgan and Jennifer. I really do miss teaching this year (my third, or fourth career) because of my fondness for the kids. It's always nice to bump into them. I saw several ex-students Sunday who are now in University and home for the Easter holiday. One in particular (Mallory Lee, also a favorite) is doing very well in Chemistry (one of the subjects I taught) according to her mom, and that made my day.
I also saw the Paulk boys, Brett and Brian at the club Sunday, along with their Mom, Sharon McCraney Paulk. They were both smart boys, and their talent reminded me of the fact that their maternal great grandfather, Professor Harrison, taught me mathematics in the first and second grades at Fort Deposit Grammar School. Professor Harrison was an institution, and was responsible for most of the Fort Deposit children's alacrity in mathematics. A disciple of the look-say school, he taught us to run a column of figures at lightning speed, a facility that has remained with me to this day. Professor Harrison, principal of the Grammer School, wielded a yardstick with which he dispensed justice. I was never sent to see Professor Harrison, thank Goodness.
