Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 20:01:16 -0500
From: Charlie Ford <cford@MindSpring.COM>
Subject: Hazlehurst, Georgia (my home town)

        Well, here i sit in Hazlehurst, Ga., my hometown.  It has been
quite a few years since I have spent any lenght of time here.  When I was
in high school, the only thibg I could think about was leaving.  For the
past couple ofm weeks all I could think about was getting back here.  The
main reason for this anticipation being that this is my jump off point.
The beginning of "the search for the beginning of wind".

        I arrived yesterday after staying one night in Lyons, Georgia.
Lyons is the county seat of Toombs County.  Toombs County is also the home
county for the famed palatious delight known as the Vidalia Onion.  What a
fine smelling county it is, just makes you cry to pass through there.
Actually the onions a an e hybrid species that if they are grown correctly
shouldn't make you cry at all.  They are reputed to be eaten by many as if
they were eating an apple.

        Hazlehurst (Jeff Davis County, why I don't know), and Lyons are
both situated in Southeast Georgia, the Coastal Plain.  The area lies due
east of Savannah and a little northeast of Brunswick.  The land is flat and
sandy with tall (100 ft.) Georgia Pine forest on both sides of most any
road or highway you travel.  The climate is pleasant, today it was 65
degrees and partly cloudy, tomorrow it is supposed to be up around 70
degrees and blue skies. The people are plain ole country.  They, and I,
speak in a slow southern drawl that can be compared at times with syrup
that has been sitting on a windowsill in the late fall.  They are mannerly
in that here you are taught to practice respect for your elders, the law,
and God.  Although the law isn't always the best role model to follow in
this good ole boy region where croneism runs deep along with a few other
ism's.

        Growing up here was not that bad.  Church was the social focal
point, or should I say the focal social point?  Either way it was where we
went to party when we were young and didn't know about the evil things that
lurked in our futures, but then in so many ways we were sort of naturally
sheltered from all that living in southern Georgia.  They of course may
have been a bit more sublime than the rest of the parties I have known, but
a simple fun just the same.  Plus, church offered all who grew here a
foundation that was badly needed.  i am not rabidly religious, but I have
something to believe in and that in itself gives one strength when times
get tough.

        Today I went and saw an old friend of our family.  The one man in
Jeff Davis County i knew as a kid that drove a Volkswagon.  His name is
Wendell Mimbs.  Wendell is now 67 years old, and owns two mint original
"Things", two Beetles, and two Carman Ghias.  He is a tall skinny man that
carries himself with confidence and pride.

        I went to high school and graduated with Wendell's daughter Cheryl.
She died a few years ago at the age of 36 with Cancer, then a few months
later Wendell's wige Jennelle died, leaving him pretty much alone.  But he
appears to have weathered the storm and came out alright, although he does
still speak of them a lot, and you can say some pain in his eyes and hear
it in his voice.

        I dropped by and ask him would he be the man to supervise me in
some minor repairs on the "Mothership".  Specifically I am going to rebuild
the front brakes, re-pack the bearings, tune her up, and wash her down.  He
asked me, "what the hell are you gonna do boy?", and I explained about my
trip.  He then smiled ear to ear and said, "Yeah I will help you out, I may
even have abunch of parts I can give you as spares for the road".  Ladies
and gentlemen, this is southern Georgia, and a sampling of the nobility of
the people that lives here. We start on Sunday afternoon.

        My Mother has provided me with plenty of food since I arrived in
town.  Homemade biscuits, cornbread, Blackeye peas and hog jowl, being the
fair of New Years Day (a tradition).  This morning I woke up to a large
plate of grits, three eggs, biscuits and a half a pound of sausage on the
side.  Damn, I hated to tell her it was way too much so I sat there and
like a good boy (285 lb., 40 year old boy) and ate it every bit, right down
to the last bit of grit.

      I explained to her that I was trying to put some riegns on my diet,
and she explained to me that she realized that, but she wasn't gonna let me
go off hungry.  She still doesn't understand that these days a man's figure
is his life.  But then I have never wanted to be in a men's magazine with
my shirt off anyway.  I will save that for the first girl that kisses me
and I hope she likes pugginess.  hehehehe

     I am sure by the time I leave here I will look like I have been tubing
down a river and forgot to take the tube off.  but it really doesn't
matter, on the road I don't figure i'll be trying to win any beauty
contest.  Unless of course they have one for the unbuffed type.

   Well folks I just wanted to submit something to let ya'll know I was
still alive.  I will send up another in a few days.

   By the way The Mothership did a great job of moving me down here.  She
performed with ease under a load.  She will be pretty much in drydock until
that appointed date of departure.

        Take care,
Charlie Ford











"79" Transporter, dressed for the road
The Mothership

 The"Turning 40 Nostalgic VW Service Tour, and
Search for the Beginning of Wind".

"Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set"