Nashville, Tennessee and Rienzi , Mississippi

Through Kentucky, Tennessee, into Mississippi.——————-

We are at a small farm and very pleasant lakeside old homestead here in the district of Rienzi not far over the border into Mississippi belonging to Ed and Melanie Kulagowski. Melanie is Carl and Betty Brown’s daughter and as Carl is confined to a wheel chair now It is a large and comfortable home for them to live and be cared for by their extended family who live in this area. Betty Brown is Ian’s 2^nd cousin. Tom McEwen, Betty’s great grandfather is Ian’s great uncle

We did not realise before as we moved Sth West across this big country how far reaching and how much the civil war of the 1860s affected the people and how the hatred and suspicion engendered still affects the way people think. Saw another battlefield today for the strategic railway intersection here in Corinth MSS.

Just speaking with Andrea, Carl and Betty Brown’s (Betty is my second cousin and came to Donald in 2001 for our family reunion) granddaughter and asked her if she had ever thought of running for some local Government Office here in Mississippi. She is very involved in the area and works for the Chamber of Commerce. She said she was not interested in running for any public office, first because she is a Yankee (Northerner ) and would not get support this far south and because she is a woman.

There is still feeling about States’ rights and federal influence and this State is the only one still flying the Confederate Flag.

Watching the Republican debate the other night was enlightening. Hearing so many vying for the Republican candidate for President, a Aussies Rules football side . The big issues of economy, world affairs and illegal immigration, health care and education just some of the issues.

Ben Carson, the paediatrician neurologist, Jeb Bush, and so many state leaders spoke well and Donald Trump with his ego bigger than Myers.

Driving down yesterday after it had stopped raining during the night we saw we were going through Nashville Tennessee so we decided to take a couple of hours to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and as usual it was an excellent representation of this genre that so many of us love. Seeing old footage of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley was great.

I gotta get that old Banjo we have, going one way or another.- says Ian.

To see the roots of this genre in the old Gospel songbooks and church choirs and so many we know honoured in these halls , from Roy and Dale Rogers , Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton down to Elvis, They have his Cadillac here and the Old Opry . All toe tapping and inspirational.

We did a tour of Corinth yesterday and had lunch at the oldest Drug store in this State and enjoyed a slugburger and Malted milk shake, Even had a milkshake machine complete with the Metal Canister( I can remember) and Alison ordered a Strawbery Malt… Decadent , I had a Slugburger, Famous in this area and Town , Is a burger with some beef and lot of corn and used to trade for a cent which is known as a slug LO but very tasty.

They have a special wagon with Electric ramp and all the gear to get Carl around and it great to visit these places with them , Off to Church this Morning, Andrea says this in the center of the bible belt and 80% of folk still belong to a church and 50% still attend weekly .

Not sure where we go from here , will pull the plug on Florida and will head west one way or another , Getting Homesick and it has still not rained to any extent at home . Looks positive for Tuesday , Wednesday and we are praying they may get some before the weather gets warmer .