GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE ADVENTURES!
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Today, one of my best friends turned 39. I took her on a surprise adventure down roads unknown to either us. We went down one road that kept getting narrower and narrower until it ended up as a driveway in someone's yard. One road turned dirt then paved then dirt then paved then half dirt and half paved before going back to paved. We saw lots of houses that are now waterfront property thanks to the copious amounts of precipitation. We oohed and aahed over beautiful homes and lovely, lovely scenery despite the overcast skies and frequent rain.
Our main destination, of which I kept a surprise from Rhonda til our arrival, was
Porches Restaurant in Wesson. Jim took me there to eat on Veteran's Day and since then, I've been plotting Rhonda's birthday surprise.
After a delish meal and a jolly time exploring the old house that is the restaurant's home, we did a little sight seeing around Wesson. We were so into it, that an old gentleman pulled over his truck to ask us if we were alright since we were stopped in the middle of the road. We just told him that we were tourists. After perusing the shelves of the public library and driving around looking at interesting buildings and old houses, we drove north to Hazlehurst (what a HUGE cemetery and interesting county court house) and then on to Crystal Springs where I lived for 3 years as a kid. We went into the post office to mail a Christmas card to my domestic helper in Swaziland while we were looking around. And as in most small towns, immediately had two strangers strike up a conversation with us only to discover that I went to school with the husband, they go to church with my best friend from elementary school, and they knew a million folks I knew way back when. And of course, before it was all over, 2 or 3 more folks (including the postal clerks) were in on the conversation. Oh, the joys of small towns!
I drove Rhonda past my old school, church, library, even the beauty shop where I got my first "wings". As we left Crystal Springs, we went down my old road and saw my old home and reminsced about neighbors and happenings.
The last spot to visit was the small town of Terry. More old houses to ooh and aah over before heading home.
What a wonderful day combining some of the best of the past and the best of the present...and building on the foundation for many future years of fun and friendship with Rhonda.
Love you, woman! Thanks for letting me celebrate your birthday with you. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever been a part of...muddiest, too.