Hell's Snowflake

This evening, I had a recruiting presentation to do for a fraternal type organization. Their meeting was later than my usual programs, so I got a chance to see the Phenom and munch a bit of dinner before heading out to the little town in which they are located. I will admit, I don't often get to drive about at night and it was kinda nice. The other aspect of the drive is that fall in the south is lovely. The evening was cool without being hot. As I left my program, I was bathed in the sweet scent of southern blooms - gardenias, magnolias, honey suckle - all have the ability to over take patches of the planet with intoxicating scents. The tobacco barns are curing the leaf - which creates occasional patches of road hazy with the thick smog. The moon hung low and fat in the sky, and was tinted orange with the tobacco cure.

If the south is the bible belt of America, this little town must be the buckle. You can't drive a mile without seeing at least one, if not more, church. Every meeting is opened with prayer. People ask which church you attend as easily as they ask what you do for a living.

Also, the folks of this little town have a thing for decorating for holidays. Ironically, they love to decorate for Halloween. As I drove home this evening, I passed many homes decked out for spooks night. Most had variations of orange lights. One house had orange socks stuffed with something to resemble ghosts hanging from a tree. Another house had an artificial evergreen type tree structure glowing with orange lights.

The house that was most memorable was one with quite a few over sized, plastic carved pumpkins - each with a spot light illuminating it. And, on their porch, they had this burst of red lights that I can only describe as Hell's Snowflake.

Nov. 1st, the Christmas decorations go up.