The Old Lady loves to go hiking with her friends, and today they showed her a walking trail not four miles from her Cottage and very near downtown Valdosta.
The Azalea City Trail starts on the corner of Drexel Park on East Brookwood Drive and ends at Gordon Street near Lankford Drive/Melody Lane (GoogleMaps: Azalea City Trail).
It wanders through the prettiest parts of the Valdosta State University campus then through a shady, wooded area beside a small stream.
The trail is a level concrete sidewalk, making it accessible to all ages and abilities.
To steal a slogan: Walking in the Woods is Very Valdosta!

Fresh Spring dawn
With mockingbird
Singing every birdsong I have ever heard
And quite a few I haven’t.
Once upon a time
I fed raisins to my mockingbird
Until I found my own wild food
And then I understood.

I read one time
Don’t ask me where
That the first person on record
With my family name
Was arrested in what is now Wales
Charged with
“Illicit dealing in quilted plaids”.
My family fought no wars
Nor seized the reins of power.
My family dealt in quilted plaids.

FORD

2022

Snake Nation Press is a long-running Valdosta project powered by three indomitable women: Jean Arambula, Roberta George, and the late Barbara Passmore whose posthumous financial support has made possible extensive renovations to the historic home that now houses the Press.
Arambula and George recently hosted the Grand Opening of the Snake Nation House just a few blocks north of downtown Valdosta at 110 West Force Street, dedicating the Barbara Passmore Media Center where local writers can work, access computers and WiFi, as well as have access to Arambula, an experienced editor, and George who is an award-winning author.
Visit the Snake Nation House and find out for yourself how they can help your writing.
It might be just the place to finish… or start!… writing your own story.

It takes
Courage
To get up and dance
And
Trust
To keep on dancing

FORD
2022

Walking dogs is like watching them scroll through their Facebook.
They enjoy the scenery as it goes by but truly love stopping to check out posts.
Sometimes they leave comments, but dogs don’t respond with hearts or emojis.
They just leave a little p.

When The Old Lady told her church friends that she was going to a black-metal show, they reacted as if she were selling her soul.

That night at the Valdosta DiY House the first thing she heard, from a Florida band called Wreath, was their singer calling for opposition to the notorious Don’t Say Gay law and support for gay youth.

Later her very favorite black-metal band’s singer introduced the set by hollering “Trans rights are human rights! Women’s rights are human rights! Indigenous people’s rights are human rights!”

And even later: 

🎶 “If you can hear me, I LOVE YOU! If you CAN’T hear me, I LOVE YOU!” 🎵

No preacher has ever said it any more clearly.
LISTEN to The Old Lady!