Around the neighborhood

Congratulations! You’ve been flocked!

Early Tuesday morning our neighbor a few doors down had pink visitors on his lawn, planted in the dark of night as part of a fundraiser by the local high school band’s indoor percussion group.  The flamingoes disappeared by the end of the day, presumably migrating to another yard specified by a donor to the band’s fund. I wonder how many variations on this fundraising activity exist. My nieces and nephew’s youth group in Virginia “forked” church members’ lawns in their version of the fundraiser. I saw a couple of the forked yards, resplendent with hundreds of white plastic forks poked into the turf. It was hysterical looking.

These leaves fell in our yard as a result of rain Monday. Does that make them “fall color”?

I have seen lots of fall color on blogs I visit, but our color on the coast here hasn’t been that vivid. Yesterday on a trip to Hattiesburg and the return trip today, I did see single trees here and there dressed in flaming red and orange. The angle of the sun this time of year seemed to make the leaves stand out individually, embellishing them with sparkling highlights.  

Mr. Raby shares his harvest.

Neighbors are not always on your same street, or even in your same town. Mr. and Mrs. Raby are good neighbors that I am proud to know. They and my parents struck up a friendship more than 40 years ago. They shared a love of God, family and fishing. And yes, I do have that in the right order, even though my mom, dad and Mr. Raby really, really looooovvved fishing. On their fishing trips together when my father was living and Mother was still able to fish, I think maybe Mrs. Raby was a cheerful participant and a good sport, but not a fishing addict. She is a master at serving up the catch, however. 

I was fortunate enough today to be included in the lunch date the Rabys and my mother observe almost weekly, a tradition that started early in the two families' friendship. This time lunch was at the Raby homestead. The meal was a visual and taste treat with veggies from Mr. Raby’s garden and fish that he had caught, all prepared with Mrs. Raby’s special touch. And I left with a mess of mustard greens and turnips fresh from the garden. This non-cook will be cooking . . . uh . . . attempting to cook greens and cornbread tomorrow! Thank you, neighbors!