Way Down South

We were on the road for a long time , the road seemed to go on and on and there was no end, I was driving and after some time panic struck, everything hit me, my chest closed in and one moment I was driving the next I was lost in some anxiety ball. Tarynn could sense something was wrong and we pulled over, I couldn't understand it. I tell you this because a few minutes later we stopped on the side of the road next to a lake and went for a swim. When I dove in all that angst just went away with the water, I swam the nerves out and it was incredible. That swim is one of the things I will remember most about this trip. And so....

We have spent a beautiful few days way down south in a little town Mc Burg in Tennessee. We were staying in a ranch with the Buford family , who Tarynn like to call her American grandparents and I feel honored to share the same sentiment about them.

I woke up every morning at 6am to a fresh pot of coffee and sat out on the porch of a timber built house, rocking on my chair taking in the view of rolling hills,cows doing what ever it is that cows do, horses grazing and 'my' Jesse a three year old Border Collie running up and down the ranch after the animals the cars, she even played Frisbee with herself as in she would pick he Frisbee up , throw it in the air and catch it. I have never seen anything like it.

Mornings were my most favorite because Joanne "American Grand Ma" and I would sit on that porch and we would chat. I would listen to her stories about living all over the world, more personal things and then just trivial things too. It was special for me because I felt a connection a real connection and it is not that often I have these connections in life of late. We would go from rocking on our chairs while I smoked and she spoke to the kitchen where she would fix us up some breakfast.

We were spoilt. 

I won't forget how Glenn drove us all round the farm, picking figs from trees for me to eat. As I ate my figs he picked apples for the horses. We spent some time with the horses, beautiful beasts,beautiful beings. Glenn (American grand pa) too us to a real southern barbecue. We not talking braai, we talking pig. They roast them some pig and we eat it with potatoes and beans. As we walked into the hall he loved introducing "these are my friends from SouthAfrica" I don't think half the people knew what he was talking about. Tarynn and I returned to the hall later that afternoon to watch a 'baby-10 year old beauty contest' At first I found it to be hilarious and then disgusting. Watching the parents giving them commands such as "jump,fetch,sit" only "blow kiss,twirl.smile" The agony on there faces when there kids didn't win.

This morning sadly we had to leave the life of the ranch and the home of the Bufords. Saying good bye was not easy for me. I not only bonded with Jesse the dog but also with what I now feel to be 'a part of my life' As every other day I had my Coffee with Joanne, I smoked and listened to her stories as she told them so beautifully. I could sit out on that porch and listen to her for hours. Glenn gave me some more figs as a parting gift, as I hugged Jesse goodbye, my eyes watered-a league and the feeling of loss she It was time to leave hit me suddenly-I didn't realize what I was feeling til now.

I am really glad i can always find a home deep down south in Tennessee.