Weekend Update

I was getting really hungry on Saturday when I happened upon this roadside catfish stand near Epes, AL. It was pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but the fried catfish was probably the best I ever tasted.

It was not a “have it your way” kind of place – what you get is four generous portions of fish squeezed between two pieces of Bunny Bread and garnished with ketchup.

It gave me the boost I needed to get to my next destination – Gainesville. Actually I hadn’t planned on stopping in Gainesville, but rather hoped to get to the Corps of Engineers campground in Cochrane.

I was unsuccessful in getting anyone to answer the phone at the campground, so I asked a gentleman who was putting some supplies in his truck in downtown Gainesville about camping possibilities. That turned out to be my luckiest move of the day. He introduced himself as Charles McGough and immediately invited me camp on his property. What a beautiful place it is – a stately antebellum home built in 1840, a booming time when Gainesville was the third largest city in Alabama.

Since that time the town has lost most of its industry and the population has dwindled to around 200 folks, but it is a beautiful and serene place. Charles works out of New Orleans, but he and his wife Margaret chose to settle in Gainesville (her hometown) to raise their four children.

I pitched my tent on a part of his property where he often cooks and feeds everyone from Civil War reinactors to wayward cyclists like me. Tonight would be just such a night, as he prepared a delicious campfire bean and beef dish on the open fire while Margaret made corn bread in a big iron skillet.

YUM!! We enjoyed a great meal and conversation around the campfire before calling it a night.

I really appreciated their hospitality and allowing me to share some time with them in their little piece of paradise.

I learned some interesting facts about Gainesville. There are four churches in town: Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Episcopal.

Because there are not enough people to support that many churches, the four take turns, each one taking one Sunday a month.

The combined congregations worship together at the designated church each Sunday.
The highlight of Easter Sunday for me was attending the Gainesville community sunrise service. The folks there greeted me with open arms – the message and the music was good, as was the breakfast.

I particularly enjoyed visiting with Miss Daisy Pruitt (she’s on the right in this photo) and the other Matriarchs of Gainesville.

After the sunrise service, I rode 70 miles to Columbus, MS. The weather was looking really threatening, so I checked into a motel. Good choice – a severe thunderstorm raged most of the night. This morning (Monday) things are looking much better as I head for Aberdeen.

I’ll be talking by phone to John Lowe’s 8th graders at Ransom Middle School in just a bit. I’m looking forward to that and to another beautiful day on the road.

Large versions of all my blog pics can be found at my photo gallery.

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