chasing rabbits stateside

Albertville, Northern Alabama, 12th - 15th May.

Many of the people I have met on my travels to date raised their eyebrows when I said I was going to Alabama. Well you can all lower them now - I had a ball!

I knew I was going to get along fine with Laurie when she met me at the bus station with a gift - of anti-itching cream for my bites !! As a result my stay with her began with laughter and pretty much remained that way throughout. Laurie is the most fun, spirited, beautiful (inside and out), intelligent individual. She put so much thought into entertaining me - her fabulous 'to-do-card' became a running joke.

Food has continued to be a theme of the south. Laurie was determined that I would continue to experience American and/or Southern specialities: Hash browns, Waffle House coffee (surprisingly good), cajun boiled peanuts, blue berry bagels, more of the wonderful biscuits this time with Segum (is that right L?), squash, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, plantain, various fish the names of which escape me (for heavens sake, age is destroying my brain cells !). I am going to be the size of a house. Also, on more than one occassion Laurie's cooking did result in an attempt to bburn down the neighbourhood with her flame throwing grill, the food was characteristically superb despite the risk to life and limb in the process of creation.

On friday we walked the trails be Lake Guntersville with the extremely handsome and well behaved Luke (no I haven't 'turned', Luke is a 6 month old Golden Retriever and wasn't he well behaved ?!! Laurie can take the concept of the proud pet owner to new levels !). We ate the finest hamburgers I have experienced whilst looking out across the lake. We wandered through the campsite - the owners of the caravans / RV's are remarkable. It seems they empty the entire contents of their home and take it with them, regular furniture, lamps and rugs, giant stoves, flags, rope lights. To my mind that kind of activity is about leaving your home behind - escaping for a little while. But I guess 'whatever floats your boat'.

Also, there are no small cars in this part of the world. Everybody drives huge trucks and SUV's. A Mini Cooper would look like a freak show on wheels if it was driven through this area. Everyone, from the 17 year old who has just passed his driving test, to your 90 year old grannie drives a vehicle that could carry 3 horses in the back. Cycling is not something you partake in around here, sadly, as its a beautiful part of the world.

I could have happily spent days at the Lake just hanging out, walking, talking. I have had wonderful conversations with Laurie, about travel, politics, literature, education, religion, relationships, you name it - it came up. The conversations about religion have been . to my surprise, the ones that have interested me the most. Laurie is as far removed as you can get from the streotype of a southern religious fanatic. She is passionate about her faith, open minded, gentle in her approach to the subject, fascinated by other people's ideas and opinions, and spiritual on so many levels. I don't know if she realised it but she opened my mind and set me thinking about so many things which i know I will mull over as my journey continues, it is a dialogue I hope to continue with her. If anything my time spent in her company has given my journey an additional level, a different dimension.

Friday evening we drove to Birmingham and ate at Bahama Breeze and went to 22nd Street Jazz Club. The music was less jazz and moew blues/country, not that it mattered. The band was lively and amusing, the bass player apparently stoned, the drummer good with the humour and the very talented pianist, who didn't even seem old enough to drink, had remarkably large hands (he's going to make someone very happy, and no doubt himself too !!!).

Laurie's navigating skills are ideally suited to hosting guests from out of town, She can give you a driving tour of an entire area without even trying (junctions are entirely optional). Even the journey from Krispy Kream to the bus station in the last hour of my stay was impressively diverted. Mind you, she was not in anyway responsible for the fact that it took us 3 attempts to get into the jazz club. The architect was clearly a fan of rabbit warrens, that or an architect was in no way involved, and there lies the problem!

The Albertville home is shared withLuke, the most laid back pup I have ever come across; Dan , a Basset Hound with eyes that turn you to mush and, if he so desires, he has a career as a draft excuder in the bag. Then there's yoda, this is a dog with 5 legs ! I swear he would ipregnate a table leg if sheer determination were allowed to play a part in the forces of nature !

The most significant part of Laurie's life is her son, Chad. A handsome, strapping, courteous, 18 year old who drives one of those monster trucks (the only car I've ever been responsible for was a battered Ford Fiesta called William. It was eventually found burned out - it had taken me a whole weekend to even realise it was missing, that's how switched on I was!). The plan had been for him to take us night time bow fishing on his boat (yep, shooting them with arrows!). Sadly the threat of storms put an end to that - not that we would have let him kill anything in our presence. Another time hopefully.

The Trade Fair (and I was up at 6.30am for this experience - my mother will be in shock), brought me face to face with all the character that fall into the southern streotype, it was like walking through a movie set. These are peoplewho own guns like I own a pair of spectacles - its an extension of self. Everything from chickens to knives to goats, to peanuts were on sale. We avoided the far end of the plot of land, that was where single animals were being sold for cock fights and dog fights, we didn't need to see that. Apparently (because I go through life oblivious to these things) my tattoo attracted an incredible amount of attention. Laurie took great pleasure in people nudging their friends and pointing me out. I'm often disappointed by my lack of awareness, I quite enjoy a bit of attention!

OK, I have to tell you a story about my Alabama hostess, it tells you all you need to know about her. During a 'Walk for Jesus' event the local sherif madde a public address, within this he made various homophobic comments. Most people, no matter how shocked, would grumble to their friends but do nothing. Not Laurie. She marched up to him, tore strips off him, making it very clear that he was out of order and being incredibly unchristian. I know very few people, particularly someone who is not gay themselves, who would be this proactive. I told you she was something special.

posted by KP @ 1:08 AM