Week 2 on Oconee

The blog for this week is an email that I sent to my friend, Freda. Freda taught with me in Bangkok. She is a native of North Carolina and is currently residing there. I have some questions regarding southern customs so I directed them to her...

Yes, it has been relaxing here. We've done some work on the house but not as much as we originally thought we would. The weather continues to be glorious although the locals want and need rain. The sun and temps in the mid 60's make it doubly enjoyable to sit on the dock and read while glancing at the lake from time to time. It has been interesting moving into a neighborhood in rural, albeit, middle class south. The homes surrounding us have full time residents, all with local roots. So Barb and I are the odd ones. We talk funny, have quirky political leanings, and we don't know the name of any NASCAR drivers. However, the neighbors are friendly and delightful. One couple took us to a local restaurant for dinner on Friday night. Another neighbor is taking me fishing in his boat on Thursday. Nice people, fun, giving, and they appear to enjoy having us around.

I have a few questions, however, and as a native southerner and good friend, perhaps you can best answer them. Why do the majority of southern men have names that end in y? We have Kenny, Billy and Ronny in the homes next door and across the street. Jimmy came to work on Ben's roof last week. Also, is it a bad sign that one of the neighbors has a restraining order banning him from the local Hooters?

Also, when my granddaughter arrives and I introduce her to the neighbors do I call her my grandbaby or is granddaughter o.k.?

As you can tell, we are immensely enjoying this phase of the trip. It is a comfortable feeling to put down some roots for a few weeks in friendly confines. Although there are contrasts from "back home", we celebrate those differences. As we have said many times, there are friendly and gracious people all over this beautiful world and it appears that the south has its fair share.