Peeping through my Venetian blind, I thought, “Now that summer’s officially here, the days should be getting shorter;” and I began to hum “In the Good Ol’ Summertime.”

“A watermelon would be good about now,” I thought, “and lemonade, and, with the Glorious Fourth on its way, barbecue and camp stew, and – there’s no end to the delights of life!”

The late Elizabeth (Everage) Welch used to fry up the best fried-bread patties. I’ve found some about as good as hers at two eateries here in the Dimple of Dixie – the “deli” at Piggly Wiggly and that relatively new restaurant, Mama T.’s. Hmmmmmm! Good!

Tim Hattaway (known in high school as “Straight-A Hattaway”) tells me that a former resident of Andalusia, a Mr. Britt, has penned a book, A Good Problem to Have, which details life in our town.

Rogerl Reeves, 78, was seen kneeling in prayer by his half-acre garden. He has been growing new potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, peas, okra, onions, peppers, and eggplants, and hopes to put away some in the freezer. Rogerl likes to talk about his garden, but his talk always turns to Jesus, too.

I’ve been saving some notes on a bus tour organized by “Miss Betty” Mitchell back in April. The trip was named “Cajun Adventure.” Let’s listen to her own words.

“April l6, Betty’s Tours departed for Louisiana.

“We had lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Gulf Port, Mississippi. After lunch we headed to Marrero, La., to Captain Lou’s for a swamp tour. Everyone had an opportunity to hold a small alligator, plus see all types of birds, turtles, and alligators.

“Around 3:45 we departed for Scott, La., where we ran into some heavy rain. We arrived at Fezzco’s for dinner and were greeted by our tour guide, T. J. Miller. After a wonderful dinner we checked into the Holiday Inn Express for a three-night stay.

“Tuesday morning after a good breakfast our guide met us to carry us to our first stop, St. John’s Cathedral, established in l82l in Lafayette. The grounds had an oak tree that is over 300 years old, said to be the oldest in the U.S.. The architecture has been described as Dutch Romanesque. The cathedral center displayed a Hanley-Gueno Presepio, a Baroque Italian nativity scene from the l8th century.

“We traveled to Avery Island to the Tobasco plant and were shown everything from gathering of the peppers to bottling and shipping. The sauce simmers 28 days before being bottled and shipped world-wide.

“We were then off to New Iberia for lunch at Victor’s where we had some wonderful fried chicken and jambalaya. As we were walking to our motorcoach, several vendors were pulling in to sell fresh vegetables. They said they couldn’t sell anything before 2:30, but they had carrots, beets, onions, and cabbage.

“We arrived at the visitors’ center for a film about growing sugarcane and rice on a plantation, Shadows-on-the-Teche. Sugarcane planter, David Weeks, completed his stately home, overlooking the Bayou Teche, in l834. The house, a combination of classic revival and Louisiana colonial, sits on two and a half acres with gardens. It’s a vivid picture of plantation life for both the Weeks family and their slaves.

“Then we were off to see how rice is planted, grown, and harvested. We were able to taste and purchase different varieties at the Konriko Rice Mill.

“Then we were off to St. Martinsville. We went to the location which Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used when he wrote about Evangeline. We were able to stroll around the bayou and see the Evangeline Oak and her statue. Longfellow’s poem, Evangeline, immortalized the tragedy of the Acadian exile from Nova Scotia in l775. This oak marks the legendary meeting place of Emmeline Labiche and Louis Arceneaux, the inspirations for Evangeline and Gabriel, the separated lovers whose ‘ships pass in the night.’

(The French Acadians, who had settled in Canada, were removed by force from Nova Scotia by the British and relocated in Louisiana for political reasons. That’s why the descendants of the Acadians are called “Cajuns” to this day.)

“Back on the motorcoach, the group got excited at the prospect of great Cajun food and dancing at Randall’s. The food was great, especially the shrimp gumbo. After dinner several ladies enjoyed dancing with T. J., our guide, and our very own Larry Popwell. Larry made sure that everyone who wanted to dance had an opportunity. Thanks, Larry, for a great time! He even showed Mrs. Norma Gavras a good time dancing, though she was on her ‘walker.’

“Everyone was able to get up early Wednesday for breakfast, even after dancing the night way.

“Our guide met us at the hotel; and after our daily drawing (for door prizes) and prayer, we were off to Crowley, the rice capital of the world.

“Our first stop was at the Grand Opera House where we were given a tour of the restored opera house. That night the Lowes from Branson, Missouri, were performing. The only other opera house near us is located in Mederian, Mississippi.

“Charlotte, our guide in Crowley, carried us to the city hall where we were welcomed by Mayor Greg Jones. He made us feel very welcome. He finished high school with Bill Greenwald, whose hometown is Crowley. Mr. Jones and Trudie Steele shared a visit, having friends in common.

“Then we toured the Rice Interpretive Center, Ford Museum. President J. F. Kennedy had visited the rice festival back in l96l as a Senator, trying to get a feel for running for President. Thousands were in attendance. While our group was touring, a newspaper reporter showed up and interviewed ‘Miss Betty’ and T.J.. The reporter made a picture of the group to appear in the local paper. Then we were off to the Rice Theatre, which had been restored, to see a film on rice production. The seats would lean back and rock. I saw a few people getting in a snooze or two.

“Back on the motorcoach we headed out to Crystal Rice Heritage Farm for a lunch of jambalaya, salad, roll, tea, and banana pudding. Everyone was looking for the seasoning, ‘Slap Your Mama.’ We were able to purchase some.

“Mrs. Wright, the wife of a fourth-generation rice producer, welcomed us and gave a talk about her husband’s background as a rice producer. Later, some toured the antique-car museum and the Blue Rose House, which was named for the late Sol Wright’s famous Blue Rose Rice. Here is the site of the world’s best seed rice, which revived that industry by insuring wider markets. His varieties, used today for breeding purposes, are Blue Rose, Pearl, Early Prolific, Edith, and Lady Wright.

“We departed around 2:30 with a ride through the countryside, seeing rice fields and crawfish traps.

“A great surprise awaited us at Scott’s Heritage Visitors’ Center. MaMa Rodell had a Cajun music ‘jam’ for us. They were wonderful. They demonstrated the different types of music. Jason, the fiddle player, who also owns several businesses, gave us an insight on the Cajun culture. We got to play musical instruments, such as a triangle, spoons, and the washboard. Jason could sing in French.

“After the music ‘jam,’ Jason showed us a film he had put together on making boudin at his plant. Then he prepared pork and crawfish boudin and cracklings for us to taste. This was one of the highlights of our trip.

“For dinner we ate at Malate’s with more great food and dancing.

“We said goodbye to our guide, T. J., who was outstanding, and returned for a good night’s rest and packing for home.

“Thursday morning after breakfast we stopped at Don’s Meat House where MaMa Rodell met us to help us select boudin, cracklings, and ingredients for rice dressing and seasonings.

“Back on the motorcoach, we headed for Gonzales, La., for a stop at Cabala’s, a competitor to Bass’s Pro Shop. It was a very nice store with a great aquarium and much wildlife.

“On our way home we stopped for lunch and shopping in the Cracker Barrel in Gulf Port, Ms.

“We learned on our trip that Beau Bridge is the Sugarcane Capital of the World; Scott, the Boudin Capital; New Iberia, the Crawfish Capital; and Crowley, the Rice Capital.

“The trip was enjoyed by everyone; and we are looking forward to the time when we can return – where life is ‘rice and easy.’

“Buskoteers” from Andalusia were Glyndia Baker, Wayne and Margaret Bennett, Diana Bledsoe, Lela Bradley, Mary Brazzell, Kent and Lucy Davis, Mary Evers, Norma Gavras, Dale Griffin, Jackie Hallford, Red Hallford, Martha Helms, Gordon Helms, Shirley Helms, Rex Helms, Betty Knowles, Bea Miller, Jimmy and Crystell Prestwood, Larry and Vicki Popwell, Jo Ray, Glinda Simmons, Martha Smith, Trudie Steele, Barbara Teel, Gladys Trawick, Vernon and Mazel Wiggins, and Thelma Glisson.

From Opp were Kathleen Adams, Ed and Patsy Bennett, Margaret Donaldson, Roy Donaldson, Betty Kyser, Virginia Merritt, Allen and Marlene Miller, James and Joy Simmons, and Katie Wilkes.

From Florala came Barbara Holley.

From DeFuniak Springs, Florida, came Joan Cibiras and Nancy Stock.

From Lillian came Caroline Canaday.

Escorts were Zolly and Betty Mitchell, “the Travel Queen.”

Jasmine Hills Gardens above Montgomery but below Wetumpka is open through the end of June, each Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m..

The celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, England’s greatest novelist, continues.

The celebration of the l00th birthday of the movie cowboy, Roy Rogers, born Nov. 5, continues.

The celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of l8l2 continues.

Again, I ask that each citizen of Andalusia join the Covington Historical Society and pay its annual dues of $25 so as to help preserve the history of our county, whether you attend meetings or not. Mail to CHS, P.O. Box l582, Andalusia, Alabama 36420.

To commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States, let us return to this week l50 years ago.

Vicksburg, Mississippi, was under siege.

Remember to buy Sesquicentennial and Mark Twain stamps. Four Sesquicentennial stamps have been issued thus far.

Our mysterian for the third week is a Presbyterian pharmacist, a mischievous lad, witty and clever.

The birthday of the week is that of Charles Gounod, a Frenchman who wrote the opera Faust, based on a poem of the same name by Goethe, Germany’s greatest poet. The poem/opera is about an old man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for another chance at life, to go back and be young again, and in love. Faust gets his wish and falls in love with Marguerite, whose brother, Valentine, unsuccessfully defends her honor. One of the great songs of the opera is “Valentine’s Cavatina,” sung by Marguerite’s brother, with its almost unbearably beautiful melody. The other great song in the opera is the trio sung at the end by Marguerite, Faust, and Mephistopheles (the devil) as Marguerite dies and is carried up into the clouds of glory by angels. It will make you think the doors of Heaven have been opened and you have been allowed to look in!

There is another famous play about a man who sells his soul to the devil, one written by the Englishman, Christopher Marlowe, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. It has the famous lines spoken by Dr. Faustus when he first sees Helen of Troy, “Was this the face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Ilium (Troy)? Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.”

That means that Helen’s beauty was surprising. The man who stared at her could see why a thousand ships were launched from Greece to Troy to rescue her after she had been kidnapped by Paris of Troy. Because of their determination to rescue Helen, the Greeks burned Troy – with its seemingly topless walls – to the ground. The man who stared at Helen thought that one kiss from her would keep his memory alive – immortal – forever.

Now, gentle reader, allow me to encourage each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend, Lord willing.

Fare thee well.