Peeping through my Venetian blind, I noted along the roadway the heavy nod of the goldenrod. Thought I, “Just as September is ‘the Yellow Month,’ so October is ‘the Golden Month.’”

My friend, S. Daniel Shehan, who composes under the name of S. Daniel O’Sheehan, has published a second book of music, Five Little Postludes for Organ.

Four of the postludes were composed for baccalaureate exercises and dedicated to the graduating classes of ’73, ‘74, ’76, and ’77 when Shehan was teacher of English at the Andalusia High School and played the organ for commencement exercises.

The fifth postlude is an individual piece called “Praise Ye Our God,” composed in 2012.

Copies are available, free of charge while they last, at the office of the Andalusia Star-News.

Shehan’s first music book is called Christmas Songs and can be purchased at the Bass Agency.

Seen at Larry’s were Aurelia Scherf and David Robertson.

Seen at Samurai were Larry and Gail Mullen, Dianne Gray and Jan Gager of Sav-a-Life, Chris Mohon and his daughter, Presley, and Rainer Birk ad Julian Birk.

Also at Samurai I came across a birthday party for Billy Jones, who turned 48 September 17. With him was his wife Lisa and their son, Joshua; Billy’s parents, Mike and Jean Jones; Lisa’s parents, Fred and Janett Self; and a friend of the family, David May.

Billy’s brother, Will, could not attend as he was at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he is a sophomore.

Another celebrating group at the Samurai wore red hats and purple garments, members of “Forever Friends,” a chapter of the fun-loving Red Hat Club (founded 2006).

The “Red Hatters” included Judy Powell (the Queen), Peggy Jones, Juanita Bowers, Glenda Schwartz, Susan Kervin, Mary Jane Sharpe, Debra Wallace, Margie Eisenberger, and a visitor from Pensacola, Karen Jones.

The other day I spent the afternoon at Hilltop, the restaurant above the Conecuh, rocking on the porch and enjoying the fresh air and company and a good supper of fried onion rings and fried oysters.

I was in no rush, so I rocked a long time, talking with Gina Green, who runs the informal restaurant with her husband, Billy, and their daughter, Nikki.

Nikki has two children, Austin and Haley Harris.

Gina and I talked of much, the 44 years Hilltop has been in business, the late Pat Seymour, Mentone in North Alabama, where Miss Seymour retired and lies buried, selling Green’s Pit (long known for its barbecue) two years ago, and customers who come from all over – Ino (the Church on the Hill), Montgomery, Highland Home, Panama City, Destin, Crestview, Greenville, Evergreen, Fort Walton, Birmingham.

As I rocked, I talked with customers, arriving and departing. One party had driven over from Georgiana. They were Richard and Joyce Skipper and Richard’s sister, June Whittle, the best friend of a late cousin of mine in Georgiana.

Others I talked to were Jennifer Messick, Neal King, and Jo Florence.

This year, by the way, is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, signed at Runnymede in England by King John, a document that inspired more recent papers of freedom.

September 23 saw fall officially come in. There’s a nip in the air, according to Miss Birdie Purdy.

Once again, I ask the citizens of Andalusia to join the Covington Historical Society and pay its annual dues of $25 to help preserve the history of our county, whether you attend meetings or not. Mail to CHS, P. O. Box 1582, Andalusia, Alabama 36420.

The mysterian is the member of the AHS Class of 1926, still living.

Born this week was Willliam Holmes McGuffey, an American educator whose readers helped mold American character for a hundred years.

William Albritton, one of our late citizens and an attorney in the prominent Albritton family, thought that use of McGuffey’s readers would help save American education.

Now, gentle reader, allow me to join Buffalo Bob Smith in encouraging each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend, Lord willing.

Fare thee well.