I traveled to my hometown to visit my family and do a little celebrating of Memorial Day. I don't celebrate it regularly, but its hard not to when you're with family and surroundings you used to know. Of course I took the beaux out to see the local cemetery. Not surprised to see quite a few confederate flags there in a small row of small graves. I'm from a small town! The cemetery was big and full of 100s of tombstones and these (possibly racists and/or misguided) were only a small part.
Speaking of small, I found out yesterday that where I grew up is considered a ghost town! I thought it was pretty cool. I lived in this small town called Odell for many years off and on. I visited there a couple of years ago to get pictures of the old houses I used to live in, but they were all gone, except for two. I lived in about 7 houses in the area and the 2 that remain are still inhabited, so I didn't wanna look like a weirdo in their front yard. Anyway, a ghost town indeed!
I enjoyed living there as a kid, playing with the neighborhood kids and running the streets with hardly a car in sight all day. Then we would run up to the local grocery store, Cooper Grocery run by Leoda, a little old lady who'd lived out there for years. She looked perpetually grumpy, and the store was always warm, but we loved it. The store has been made into something of a museum since her passing, and next door the old Post Office is now a small recording studio with a stage outside. I heard they do "Odell Days" art and music festival, but I haven't heard if it still continues.
Its funny to think there are parts of Vernon I have never seen, but going to explore it as an adult has proved fun on many occasions. Things are changing here and there and some things never do.
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