Southern nights.....and days

June, 2004

revised, 12/28/2005

Move'n on

In the summer of 2003 Pen and I retired. This in itself would be exciting- no longer having people give you money for your labors. Not being satisfied with this one change, we also moved- to a new state, a new home, and a new culture.

After living in Minnesota for the last 50 years or so we packed it up and moved South. Way South. Like Mississippi South. About the only thing that Minnesota and Mississippi share in common is that both state names start with an "M", and they both have that big river running through or along side of them.

Our new home is near Oxford, Mississippi, a small town of about 11,000 that is also the home of the University of Mississippi- "Ole Miss." We did a lot of research on the subject, mostly on the internet. We had criteria such as taxes, population, weather, health care, crime rates etc. - the stuff that we all care about for our families. Little old Oxford rose to the top of our list. Apparently we were not alone- Money Magazine recently chose Oxford as one of the six best places to retire. That's out of the entire United States...high praise indeed.

Mississippi?

If you do not live here, or have not visited Mississippi I can see your raised eyebrows. Dry, flat country stretching for miles, covered with cotton fields. Well, there is flat country in the state, and cotton is a major agricultural resource. And, in a strange twist of what we consider "facts", Mississippi actually has more lakes than Minnesota- this according to an article published in the Minneapolis Star & Tribune on June 17th., 2005. However, like most States, Mississippi is multi-faceted. Southern Hospitality abounds, and the people that live here are some of the nicest and most gracious that you will ever come across.

Our home is in the Northern part of the state. The area is very hilly, has numerous lakes and is covered with trees. The Holly Springs National Forest (150,000 acres) is a mile from us. We are about a 45 minute drive South, and East of Memphis, Tennessee. We live out in the country, about six miles east of town. Looking out our windows you see nothing but the lake and tree-covered hills. Hawks circle the sky and the woods abound in wild turkey and deer. Across the lake is a meadow where horses graze.

It is truly a beautiful location, and Penny and I do indeed feel blessed that we have found this place to live.

Hurricanes

Something that we used to read about in Minnesota, something that we pay attention to in Mississippi. Although New Orleans got most of the press coverage, poor old Mississippi was devastated in 2005 as Katrina marched right up the middle of our state with the eye (now a Tropical Storm) passing right over our county. We had some trees snapped over in the woods, but what we experienced was nothing compared to the souls on our Gulf Coast. Mississippian's are proud "hitch up your britches" and just do it folks- they don't whine, they just get to the task at hand. It will be many years before our beautiful state is fully recovered. To all of the good folks that contributed to our rebuilding we appreciate you.

Click here to read the actual hurricane warning for Katrina issued by the National Weather Service. (PDF format.)

Click here to read a letter to the editor of our local paper from a resident of Illinois that visited the Gulf Coast right after Katrina struck. (PDF format.)

Shelter from the storm

Not having a basement means not having a place to seek shelter from violent weather, be it hurricanes or tornadoes, so I promised Pen when we moved down that I would come up with something. We both agreed that we didn't want an underground shelter. God, in His infinite wisdom, placed just about one of every kind of creepy critter in Mississippi, and we would be creating an underground home for them. Also, we didn't want to have to go outside, possibly facing flying debris, as a storm approached. So, above ground and inside access were two criteria. Lastly, I remembered some years ago when a series of tornadoes struck Ohio in the middle of the night. Several people were killed as there was little notice before they had time to seek shelter. So, we had our last criteria- rapid access in case we had to bail out of bed to seek safety. We found a company in Americas' Tornado Alley, Oklahoma, that made an all-steel shelter that was rated by FEMA to take a direct strike by an F-5 tornado. We poured a concrete slab off of our bedroom and cut a hole in the brick for the door.

The shelter is all steel construction and anchored to the concrete with twenty seven 5/8" steel bolts.

We bricked the outside to match the house. Pen and I did the brick work, something that we had never done before. (This picture was taken before we cleaned the outside of the brick with an acid wash.)

The window to the left of the shelter is one of our bedroom windows. We can make it from our bed to the shelter in seconds if necessary.

We finished the inside with drywall, baseboards and a vinyl floor. The lights are combination lights/power vents so that we can pull in fresh air. The door is solid steel and latches like a bank vault with three 5/8 inch steel pins.

The house

Construction of our new home was completed in the Fall of 2003. It is built on a slab. The contractor offered a basement option, but we decided that we had negotiated enough stairs in our lifetimes and single-level living was for us. We have 4-1/2 acres of land that need to be landscaped, and bass jumping out in the lake that are begging for our attention.

Life will not be dull.

The house is about 20 feet above the level of the lake.

The floor plan is very open.

Front of house. The lake is to the right.

Front porch.

In 2005 we purchased the land next to our lot and hired a local contractor to build a storage shed for us. The garage door opens to a full-length garage for all of our "wheeled toys."

On the 4th. of July, 2005 we flew a special flag for the occasion. It was the one that had covered my father's casket, still folded up from some 50 years ago when an Army Honor Guard presented it to my mother. Surprisingly it was in excellent condition. Look closely- six rows of 8 stars each, 48 stars total. Alaska and Hawaii were just territories back then. A 48-star flag. I think that my dad would have been proud. We will fly it twice a year now- Memorial Day and the 4th. of July. Normally we fly a regular (50 star) flag and the Mississippi State flag. Lighting is on a photocell so that the pole is lit at night.

The shed, house in the background, lake behind the house. (Looking Northeast.)

We needed something to help us with all of our plantings and landscaping and John Deere's Gator fills the bill. The "vanity plate" says it all. (She lets me borrow it now and then.)

For Christmas, 2005 my neighbor "Whit" and I decided to put a lit tree out on the lake. It was a trial (our first edition sank after 3 days) but we finally came up with a winning design. It is powered by 500 feet of 12 gauge wire plugged into a GFCI on "Whit's" house. The tree is 8 feet high- this year we're going for a 16 footer. We never learn...

Front entry.

View as you come in the front door.

Living room. The door on the left leads out to a covered side porch that faces the woods along the side of the lot. The door on the right leads to the rear terrace.

A good view for the cook.

Master bedroom.

About Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford, Mississippi courthouse that sits in the middle of the town square.

Oxford, Mississippi town square- West side of the square.

Oxford, Mississippi town square- Northeast side of the square.

"A town of only 13,000 residents, Oxford has long been recognized as a culturally and historically rich tourist destination. The home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, Oxford is a vibrant university town filled with unique boutiques and gift stores, a nationally recognized bookstore, eclectic restaurants and bars, historic homes and buildings, and a beautifully preserved courthouse Square. This town stands apart from others in that it has maintained its charm and Southern gentility all the while becoming a cultural oasis for the arts and learning.

Other nationally celebrated writers such as John Grisham, Larry Brown, Cynthia Shearer, and Barry Hannah have followed Faulkner's lead by making Oxford their home. Independent bookstore, Square Books, and annual events such as the Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha Conference and the Oxford Conference for the Book have made the town a destination for not only writers but readers as well.

Each spring, Oxford hosts the annual Double Decker Arts Festival. Taking its name from the town's authentic double decker bus imported from England in 1994, the festival brings together visitors and residents alike for a daylong celebration of music, food, and the arts held on the picturesque courthouse Square. Over one hundred selected art vendors from around the region display their creative wares for the anticipated 40,000 attendees. Shoppers can browse to the rhythmic sounds of bluegrass, jazz, gospel, blues, country folk, Cajun, and rock-and-roll musical groups, while sampling the variety of culinary treats from local restaurateurs.

Another unique attraction for visitors, and the cultural and economic hub of Oxford since the town's incorporation in 1837, is the historic Courthouse Square. Devastated during the Civil War when General A.J. "Whisky" Smith and his federal troops burned many of the area's homes and buildings, today it thrives with businesses such as Neilson's, the oldest continuously operating department store in the South and the sixteenth oldest in the nation. Oxford also offers a variety of restaurants and upscale clothing boutiques. The downtown square in Oxford has remained the center of economic and cultural life in this vibrant university town for over 150 years.

The historic downtown area is now more than ever the nucleus of all forms of activity. For example, at nationally acclaimed Square Books, there are weekly reading and signings. It is common to run into such writers as Barry Hannah, John Grisham, and Larry Brown. Just next-door is South side Gallery. The gallery hosts numerous forms of art, from high art to folk-art. An evening walk around Oxford will present a unique atmosphere with families strolling, bike riding, co-eds jogging through the square, and observing balconies full of people enjoying live blues or jazz music.

Each fall, Oxford doubles in size for nine months of the year when University of Mississippi students enroll in classes. Thousands of fans travel to Oxford to see exciting SEC football as the Ole Miss University Museums whose exhibits include rare Greek and Roman antiquities and 19th century scientific instruments.

Over the years, Oxford has received notable recognition, such as being listed among the "Best100 Small Towns" for several years in a row. The town square has been included in the 63 "Great American Public Places" from among 200 candidates, as well as being named the "Thriving New South Arts Mecca." Most recently, Oxford was recognized as one of the six "Best Places to Retire" by Money Magazine.

Throw in beautiful homes, the intoxicating scent of magnolias, extraordinary cuisine, upscale shopping, colorful characters, laughter and music that echoes at twilight and endless tailgate parties on weekends -that's Oxford."