Bluffs & Bayous July 2016

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F RO M T H E E D I TO R

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nce that summer humidity comes around, all I usually can think about is getting to the beach, and not just any beach, but those beaches so many of us grew up visiting along the Alabama coast. However, VLQFH Ă€QLVKLQJ FROOHJH HQWHULQJ the business world, and starting to enjoy time out of town as a chance to “unplug,â€? that busy coast line doesn’t have the same appeal it used to have.

Luckily, we are a family that still vacations together and enjoys that time away and in close quarters. This year, we have decided to visit the intriguing Mississippi Gulf Coast for a few reasons.

One, though the beaches there amaze their many sun-and-sand lovers, we aren’t too big on the actual sand anymore. If there is a good pool and plenty of sun, that’s all these Guido girls need.

Also, a little closer to home isn’t always a bad thing. Three-to-four hours seem much easier than six to seven these days. Lastly, we’ll get to bring one of the beloved four-legged Guidos this year.

While we may miss some of the beach-combing, boutiques, and restaurants that we frequented at our old vacation spot, I think we will be much happier, equally charmed, and a little more relaxed staying right here along and beyond the Mississippi.

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July 2016

FEATURES

Natchez 300: Family Life Along and Beyond the Mississippi pages 38 - 39

Life is Better on the Lake: Get Away to Lake Bruin pages 40 - 43

Mississippi Traveling: A “Q & A� with Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts pages 46 - 48 Page 8 { July 2016 { Bluffs & Bayous

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July 2016

F AV O R I T E S

Events

Louisiana Up & Coming! ............................................................................................... 54-56 Mississippi Up & Coming!.............................................................................................. 59-63

All Outdoors Grand Children...............................................................................................................14-15

G’s Fare Traveling Through the Pages .........................................................................................18-21

In the Garden Grand Children pages 14 - 15

Vermillionaire: The Flower for the Summer ................................................................ 32-33

Legal Notes High-priced Timber ....................................................................................................... 24-25

Southern Sampler The Adventures of Drac ................................................................................................ 64-65

The Social Scene Louisiana Garden Club Federation Convention................................................................ 12 Pike County Art Show ........................................................................................................ 13 Mississippi School of the Arts Reunion ............................................................................. 16 Princess Ball ....................................................................................................................... 17 NGC Page Party for Royalty .......................................................................................... 22-23 Birthday Tea Party for Janette and Rayborn ..................................................................... 37 A Chocolate Affair .............................................................................................................. 49

Traveling Through the Pages pages 18 - 21

Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration Benefit ...................................................... 50-51 Retirement Reception for Passman............................................................................... 52-53 Dancing with the Vicksburg Stars ..................................................................................... 53

Weddings & Engagements Engagement Party for Faust and Huling ...................................................................... 26-27 Gibson & Luba Engagement .............................................................................................. 29 Crysel & Wallace Wedding ............................................................................................. 30-31

ON THE COVER Those lazy days of summer are filled with traveling to destinations near and far. Read more about weekends at Lake Bruin in Saint Joseph, Louisiana, on pages 40-43.

Photography by Jennie Guido and Artistic Design by T.G. McCary

Vermillionaire: The Flower for the Summer pages 32 - 33 Page 10 { July 2016 { Bluffs & Bayous

PUBLISHER Cheryl Foggo Rinehart MANAGING EDITOR

CONSULTING EDITOR

Jennie Guido

Jean Nosser Biglane GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jan Ratcliff

Anita Schilling

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim McCary

Van O’Gwin

Cheryl Rinehart

Lisa Adams Whittington SALES STAFF

Jennie Guido

Cheryl Rinehart

Donna Sessions

JoAnna Sproles

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Gary R. Bachman

Lucien C. “Sam� Gwin

Becky Junkin

Ross McGehee Alma Womack

Cheryl Rinehart

Jean Biglane

Jan Ratcliff

Anita Schilling

Van O’Gwin

Tim McCary

Lisa Adams Whittington

Donna Sessions

Dr. Gary R. Bachman

Jennie Guido

Lucien C. “Sam� Gwin

JoAnna Sproles

Becky Junkin

Ross McGehee

Alma Womack

Bluffs & Bayous is published monthly to promote the greater Southern area of Louisiana and Mississippi in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Bluffs & Bayous are those of the authors or columnists and do QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHà HFW WKH YLHZV RI WKH SXEOLVKHU QRU GR WKH\ FRQVWLWXWH DQ HQGRUVHPHQW RI SURGXFWV RU VHUYLFHV KHUHLQ :H UHVHUYH WKH ULJKW WR UHIXVH DQ\ DGYHUWLVHment. Bluffs & Bayous strives to insure the accuracy of our magazine’s contents. However, should inaccuracies or omissions occur, we do not assume responsibility.

OFFICE 423 Main Street, Suite 7 | Natchez, MS 39120 | 601-442-6847 bluf fsmag@gmail.com | bluf fs.editor@gmail.com bbupandcoming@gmail.com www.bluf fsbayous.com

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THE social SCENE VIDALIA, LA

Louisiana Garden Club Federation Convention n April 10, 2016, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation gathered in Vidalia, Louisiana, for the eightysecond annual convention. On Monday evening, the attendees enjoyed a happy hour in the lobby of the Comfort Inn and Suites on the Vidalia Riverfront followed by a dinner hosted by the members of the Vidalia and Ferriday Garden Clubs. Over the next two days, guests enjoyed many meetings, conferences, and presentations in the Vidalia Convention Center along with tours of area gardens and homes.

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1 Kyle Martin, Mabel Himel, Ruth Delhomme, and Donna St. Louis 2 Beverly DuPont and Libby DuPuy 3 Anita Petitjean and Babette Werner 4 Betty Foret, Mary Jane Peters, Dot Wu, Linda Brashier, and Paulette Henry 5 Gail Lonibos, Mary Jacobs, and Dottie Hebert 6 Sara Marshall, Mary Lou Robertson, and Jeanette Gatzman 7 Katherine Calhoun, Ann Thompson, and Johnnie Ruth Sturgeon 8 Joy Irvin and Kathy Stevens

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THE social SCENE MCCOMB, MS

Pike County Art Show he Pike County Arts Council along with Pike National Bank held the twenty-first annual art show and sale on March 17 and 18, 2016. This event was dedicated to the memory of longtime arts council board member Patsy Carruth. The show featured numerous artists from the surrounding area. An awards reception was held following the completion of the art show.

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5 1 Jennifer Wallace, Gidge Clayton, and Christopher Hart 2 Cy Hoaglund 3 Prudence McGehee and Malcolm Allen 4 Michael Guttuso and Janice Hoaglund 5 Beverly and Hardy Kergosien with Kelly Parks 6 Prudence McGehee, Judy Hughey, Janice Haoglund, Dianne Burris, and Maxine Bierbaum 7 Winnie Len Howell and Carla Stringer 8 Front—Judy Hughey, Janice Hoaglund, Winnie Len Howell, Dianne Burris, Nan Felder, and Mark Brumfield; Back—Ginger Ford Thomas, Prudence McGehee, Hardy Kergosien, Ava Madison, and Karen Clark 9 Ava Madison and Pat Brumfield 10 Ginger Ford Thomas and Patsy Thomas 11 Larry Carruth, Gidge Clayton, and Kelly Parker

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Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 13

ALL OUTDOORS

BY

While we were riding out to see the cows, I pulled off the road and drove across the pasture to get a closer look. Catherine noticed and reported, “You are not on the road anymore!”

I replied, “Yeah, I know. We can do that here.”

Her response was priceless: “Wow, there are no limits here!”

Later, after looking at cows, I let them take turns “driving,” sitting on my lap and steering the truck anywhere they wanted to JR 7KDW ZDV D ÀUVW IRU DOO RI WKHP When four-year-old William took his turn, his sisters were hanging out the passenger windows.

All of a sudden they all squealed, “Oooo, gross. That’s disgusting. Grand-daddy, he just drove through some cow poo. Yuck.

That’s nasty. Do it again.” And KH KDG D WLPH WU\LQJ WR ÀQG VRPH more and make his sisters giggle.

Back at the house, Catherine ZDV WDNLQJ SLFWXUHV LQ WKH RIÀFH When I came in, she asked, “Why is there a deer head on your wall.

And where did that bobcat come from? Why do you have ducks in here?” It was completely foreign to her that someone would have these, and she had pictures to show her friends. It made for an interesting conversation, explaining all of that to her satisfaction.

Of course, we rode horses; or they rode horses while I led. We led horses through the woods, looking at the timber we are going to cut, telling them about renewal, and hoping that some of it soaked in. We clocked a total of fourteen miles in three days, going all over the farm, and had a couple of wrecks and some sore feet; but it was fun. Catherine had a horse “booger” when we tried to put a second passenger aboard, and she got thrown. But she found out, “You’ve got to get back on the horse. Don’t let this get to you. You’ve got to do this or you will never do it again.” She got back on and toughed it out but chose to ride the other horse from then on. Sophia had a horse spook on her and run sideways for a while, but the little monkey held on although her eyes got ELJ 6KH·V RQO\ ÀYH Oh, we also picked up pecans. Mary Spenceley is eight years old and was feeding her pecans to the donkey. We also renamed the donkey “SheHaw” because they thought “HeHaw” was sexist.

After a while, we looked up and Mary Spenceley had tears in her eyes and her hand in the donkey’s mouth. She had not withdrawn her hand, and the donkey was chewing on it!

We went down to the gin and rode on the big spray rig, on a combine, and on a new tractor while Mary Liz took videos for them to watch when they are home. Andrew got to drive them, too; and he always is amazed that a combine is “as big as a house.”

Grand Children W

hy are the children of our offspring referred to as “grandchildren”? Shouldn’t that be “grand children”?

Currently, I am in possession of seven grand children. Mary Liz has four in Connecticut and William has three in San Diego. I try to visit both about twice a year, but it is a lot more fun for them and me when they visit here. There just seems to be more to do and more to show them. Of course, airfare for a passel of kids is prohibitive; so they don’t get here much, but when they do . . .

Mary Liz showed up before Thanksgiving for a few days with her tribe; and her husband, Andrew, came along as well. They live on Main Street in a small town in Connecticut, have some chickens in the back yard, don’t lock their doors at night. If their dog gets loose, everybody in town knows whose dog it is; and they live two doors down from the local “market.” It is as close as one could expect to get to Mayberry.

Of course, they stayed in the country. No yard lights, cows in the pasture next to the house, horses across the road, and crickets and frogs in serenade mode at night. For a solid week before their arrival, I had “tuned up” the donkey with some sweet feed, so every time my truck showed up she would bray. They thought that was hysterical!

7KH ÀUVW WKLQJ ZH GLG ZDV WR OHDUQ DERXW VHDW EHOWV 7KH\ GXWLfully got in the truck and began buckling up for a ride. I put a stop to that: “This is ‘the country,’ and you don’t have to buckle out here.”

“Really?” Wow, that made all the difference in the world. All of a sudden, there were three of the four running around the back seat enjoying their newfound freedom.

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Ross McGehee

Unfortunately, I am not the only grandparent. They had to leave to see Andrew’s parents in Jackson for a couple of days while Mary Liz and Andrew went to New Orleans for a wedding. But we all met up at Middendorf’s to share Sunday lunch and to pass the kids back to their parents, and they were gone again.

Grand children. They are all the smartest, and the cutest, and the sweetest.

Each one is different from the others just OLNH VQRZÁDNHV $QG WKH\ DUH QHYHU KHUH enough, so we’ve got to go to them. But from Connecticut to San Diego?

Columnist Ross McGehee, a lifelong resident of Natchez, Mississippi, owns a diversified and far-flung farm operation.

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THE social SCENE BROOKHAVEN, MS

Mississippi School of the Arts Reunion

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n Saturday, May 28, 2016, the Mississippi School of the Arts hosted a reunion for MSA and Whitworth College Graduates on the campus in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

The day’s activities included breakfast provided by Janie’s Pastry, lunch, a tour of the buildings, and a historical presentation on the college’s early history.

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Carolyn Riggs and Doris Mason Darlene and LaDon Dawson Jean and Hannah Speights Jerry Brown and John Riggs Jessica Sprenkle and Carl Walters Susan Jones and Jerry Brown Josie Summers Julia King Nancy Myers John Gerald

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13 11 Derek Migues, Brianna Moore-Christa, and Amy Walker 12 Shortie Brister, Barbara Edwards, and David Peavey 13 Terry and Margaret Rivers

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THE social SCENE SUMMIT, MS

Princess Ball outhwest Mississippi Community College’s Bear Trackers held its annual Princess Ball on April 1, 2016, in Summit, Mississippi. It was a magical evening for dads and their princesses as they enjoyed dancing, visiting with Cinderella and Prince Charming, and eating delicious sweets fit only for a princess.

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Chris, Maryn, and Jansyn Hollis Andrew and Zoe Alford Carley and Jess Greer Sarah, Scott, and Mary Elizabeth Kuntz Lillian and Casey Carter Lylah and Greg Gibson Sophie Reid and Jamie Jackson Kacy and Josh Wells Eleanor and Dr. Steve Bishop Keldri and Kelby Bowman Mattie Pigott, Jenna Lee, Pat Young, Jenna Van Dan, and Haley Simmons Kathryn, Michael, and Karinlee Brister Tate Allen, Eleanor Bishop, Ashley Gray, and Dr. Steve Bishop Front—Caitlin Harrell, Emily Ashley, Aurora Diaz, and Daley Roberts; back—Katelynn Roberts, Lauren McCaffrey, Jenna Van Dan, Jenna Lee, Alissa Adam, Haley Simmons, Kelly Campbell, and Brittany Brumfield Katelee Thomas, Karinlee Brister, and Leeanna Hodges

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Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 17

G’S FARE

BY

Becky Junkin

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AND COURTESY OF

Jennie Guido Becky Junkin

Traveling Through the Pages I

have been a world traveler since the young age of nine. I have traversed the countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa; journeyed to the bottom of the ocean with Jules Verne; and toured battle sites of the great wars fought on all continents and even through time. I have done all of my traveling without ever leaving the comfort of my home.

You see, my mode of transportation has not been a plane, car, or train; it has been books. As a retired kindergarten teacher, I believe that one of the greatest gifts I gave my students was the love of reading. I have always loved to read; and as a child, I even read through the encyclopedias and phone books.

My bedtime stories were Shakespearean plays and the classics of Robert Louis Stephenson. In high school, I read Gone with the Wind from cover to cover one entire day and QLJKW , UHDG Ă XII\ URPDQFHV FODVVLFV P\VWHULHV DFWLRQ WDOHV and biographies.

Through all of these different works, I have met a variety of people who represent a spectrum of social classes, cultures, and political views. This experience has broadened my views, and I have learned to see things from different perspectives.

If it has words, I will read it. My favorite day is one spent reading out on my side porch in my bed swing with my faithful companion, Marsh, alongside. The VXQOLJKW LV ÀOWHUHG DQG WKH birds are chirping.

These books also have introduced me to a smorgasbord of culinary delights.

Now, with the internet, I can Google and try foods from all parts of the world. Some of these have been hits, and some have been total disasters. Below, are several recipes that were successes and are just the “tip of the iceberg� of the recipes that I have tried. So pick up a book, discover, re-discover, or continue to discover for yourself the many wonders of our world; and along the way, sample its enticing, eclectic cuisines. Bon Voyage!

I loved Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes and traveled with him through the villages of Spain. As you vicariously visit the countryside of Spain, you can enjoy its cuisine by sampling Paella Salad along with a glass of refreshing Sangria. The Paella Salad is from Southern Sideboards, but Sissy Eidt has added and deleted from the recipe to make it even yummier.

PAELLA SALAD 1 green pepper, chopped 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard 1 7-ounce package yellow rice, cooked J\W NYLLU VUPVUZ Ă„ULS` JOVWWLK 2 cups cooked chicken, diced 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup boiled shrimp, shelled 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1/8 teaspoon salt Mix together the rice, vinegar, oil, salt, and mustard. Cool to room temperature. Add remaining ingredients except tomatoes, toss lightly, and chill. (This can be done the night before.) Top with grape tomatoes right before serving.

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This is a different version of Sangria; for during the summer, I prefer a white wine to a red. From the December 1990 issue of Southern Living, this Sangria is perfect to take to the beach. It is icy cold and can be made the night before.

WHITE-WINE SANGRIA 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted 1 1/2 cups water 1 750-milliliter bottle Chablis or other dry white wine, chilled 1 10-ounce bottle club soda, chilled Garnishes: lemon, lime, and/or orange slices *VTIPUL [OL Ă„YZ[ PUNYLKPLU[Z PU H _ _ PUJO WHU" MYLLaL \U[PS Ă„YT ;V ZLY]L ZWVVU ZS\ZO mixture into a large pitcher. Add wine, club soda, and fruit; stir gently until slushy.

When I was young, I loved Haley Mills. After seeing her in Disney’s The Moonspinners, based on the book by Mary Stewart, I trotted down to the library and immediately checked out the book. I fell in love with Greece, and I decided I was going to have a yacht and sail the Mediterranean Sea. I also fell in love with the writing of Mary Stewart, UHDG DOO RI KHU ERRNV DQG KDG D GLIÀFXOW WLPH GHciding which country was my favorite. While you read The Moonspinners, you can feast on Greek 6DODG DQG D JODVV RI RX]R DQ DQLVH à DYRUHG DSHUitif, or better yet, a glass of French champagne.

Andrea Murphree, my daughter-in-law’s sister, gave me the recipe for the salad; and the dressing is from the November 1990 Southern Living. This dish will have you dreaming of a Mediterranean cruise. Be sure to read the “Note� about what Andrea uses instead of dressing.

GREEK SALAD DRESSING 1 1/2 cups olive oil 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon dried whole oregano 2 small cloves garlic, minced Combine all ingredients in a jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Chill dressing at least 2 hours. Shake dressing again just before serving.

Note: Andrea does not use the above recipe for salad dressing. She uses 2 packages of Good Seasonings Italian Dressing mix (prepared as directed) and adds it to the above mixture to marinate overnight. (I would drain the liquid when I added it to the salad greens; otherwise, it might have too much liquid.)

GREEK SALAD 2 cans Greek olives, sliced 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped 1 can hearts of palm, chopped 1 red onion, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 1 carton feta cheese Salt and pepper to taste Mix together all ingredients with a very small amount of the salad dressing, and refrigerate overnight. Bring mixture to room temperature before combining with salad greens.

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When I was young I loved to read or have read to me the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans. I dreamed of going to boarding school in Paris, learning to walk in two straight lines, and visiting the sites. Of course, at the time, I loved “French� food— “French� fries, “French� bread, and “French� toast. Later as an adult, I learned to love real French food. Coq au Vin (chicken in red wine with onions, mushrooms, and bacon) with French bread to dip in the sauce is one of my favorites.

Below is a recipe that Sissy Eidt gave me from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, coDXWKRUHG E\ P\ IDYRULWH )UHQFK FKHI -XOLD &KLOG 7KH UHFLSH LV UHDOO\ QRW DV GLIĂ€FXOW DV LW looks; just be very careful when you ignite the cognac. Traditionally in France, it is served with parsley potatoes.

COQ AU VIN 3-to-4-ounce chunk lean bacon 2 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup cognac 3 cups young, full-bodied red wine (such as Burgundy or Chianti) 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock, or canned beef bouillon

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1/2 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, mashed 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1 bay leaf 12 to 24 brown-braised onions 1/2 pound sautĂŠed mushrooms [HISLZWVVUZ Ă…V\Y 2 tablespoons softened butter

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4 inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water and KY` 0U H OLH]` PUJO Ă„YLWYVVM JHZZLrole or an electric skillet, add butter, and sautĂŠ the bacon slowly until it is very lightly browned. (The temperature for an electric skillet should be 260 degrees.) Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole (or 360 degrees in an electric skillet). Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees for the skillet) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Turning your face away, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the Ă…HTLZ Z\IZPKL 7V\Y [OL ^PUL PU[V [OL casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer.

Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms in a separate pan. Simmer the chicken-cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two skimming VɈ [OL MH[ ;OLU YHPZL [OL OLH[ HUK IVPS YHWidly, reducing the liquid to about 2Âź cups.

Adjust seasoning, remove from heat, and discard bay leaf. )SLUK [OL Ă…V\Y HUK ZVM[LULK I\[[LY [Vgether into a smooth paste (beurre manie).

Beat the paste in the hot liquid with a wire whisk. Bring to a simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it, and baste with the sauce.

Serve from the casserole or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with springs of parsley.

I read every one of Agatha Christie’s mysteries when I was young, and my favorites were the ones featuring Miss Marple. I wanted to live in a thatched cottage in a village much like St. Mary Mead. I could visualize myself sipping Earl Grey tea from a porcelain cup and tasting the goodies from a cream tea. Below is a cake that , PDGH RYHU WKH (DVWHU +ROLGD\V 7KH ÀOOLQJ DQG IURVWLQJ FDPH IURP WKH (DVWHU LVVXH of Mississippi Magazine and the cake from www.cakecentral.com. The combination makes for a fabulous moist lemon cake. I loved it, and I am not a fan of lemon cake!

When I was in England, I fell in love with clotted cream; and I have found that I can substitute Devonshire cream for it here in the States. Both are excellent on scones.

LEMON CAKE 1 cup sour cream For cake: 1 teaspoon clear vanilla (I used regular 1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix (I vanilla.) used a lemon cake mix.)

2 teaspoons lemon extract J\W HSS W\YWVZL Ă…V\Y Zest and juice from 2 large lemons 1 cup granulated sugar 1 box Jell-O instant lemon pudding mix -VY Ă„SSPUN HUK MYVZ[PUN: 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 4 eggs 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 1/3 cups water 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Mix all cake ingredients for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl and mix for an additional TPU\[L 7V\Y PU[V [^V NYLHZLK JHRL WHUZ HUK IHRL PU H KLNYLL V]LU *HRL PZ done when a toothpick has some crumbs clinging to it. (I checked the box and used that as a guide to determine when to start checking for doneness.) Let them cool, and divide each layer in half to make four layers in all.

-VY Ă„SSPUN HUK MYVZ[PUN JVTIPUL [OL JVUKLUZLK TPSR HUK SLTVU Q\PJL 0 SL[ P[ ZP[ for a few minutes). Save half of the mixture for the frosting. Spread the condensed milk/lemon mixture between the layers of the cake. Mix the cool whip with the remaining half of the lemon/condensed milk mixture, and frost the cake. Refrigerate overnight. Slice and enjoy. This cake must be refrigerated!

Sissy Eidt gave me this recipe from Easy Hospitality by Patty Roper. Sissy’s son, Duke, lives in England; and she fell in love with clotted cream, too. We are unable to get it here in the United States because of pasteurization, but she found this recipe an excellent substitute.

MOCK DEVONSHIRE CREAM 2 cups sour cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Mix all ingredients together.

Becky Junkin, mother of four and grandmother of eight, is a lifelong Natchez resident, a retired elementary teacher of WZHQW\ IRXU \HDUV DQG FHUWLĂ€HG 3LODWHV LQVWUXFWRU

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 21

THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

NGC Page Party for Royalty n Friday, March 4, 2016, the Natchez Garden Club Royal Pages hosted a cocktail party in honor of King Hunter Taylor and Queen Pepper Taylor. Held at Ellicott Hall in downtown Natchez, Mississippi, the party celebrated the beginning of Spring Pilgrimage during the city’s Tricentennial.

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1 Mary Collins and Paige Carter 2 Harper Carter, Pepper Taylor, and Anna Leigh Jordan 3 Conner Tipton and Pepper Taylor 4 Sam Fury and Conner Tipton 5 Hunter Taylor and Sarah Austin 6 John and Hunter Taylor 7 Lauren Middleton and John Taylor 8 John Taylor and Roanne Tipton 9 Pepper Taylor, Adele Middleton, and Julia Rachel Kuehnle 10 Hunter, Pepper, Kay, and John Taylor 11 Pepper Taylor with Karen and Jean Biglane 12 Nancy Kuehnle, Roanne Tipton, and Kay Taylor 13 Aimee Guido, Lanier Dasher, Julia Rachel Kuehnle, and Jennie Guido 14 Hunter Taylor, Sarah Austin, and Pepper Taylor 15 Suzanne Guido, Pepper Taylor, Jennie and Aimee Guido, and Julia Rachel Kuehnle 16 Thomas Garrity, Lauren McCann, Colton Webb, and Sarah Garrity

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THE social SCENE

NATCHEZ, MS

17 Wes, Lauren, and Jake Middleton with Pepper and Hunter Taylor 18 Anna Leigh Jordan, Jake Middleton, Grayson Tosspon, Harper Carter, and Hunter Taylor 19 Sarah Garrity with Lauren and Stacy McCann 20 Kitty and David Bray with John Taylor

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Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 23

LEGAL NOTES

BY

High-priced Timber T

he logging business in Mississippi is one of the biggest industries we have. If you are a landowner and want to cut your timber, I cannot stress how important it is that you know where your boundaries are before you cut. Take, for example, the matter of Taylor vs.

Galloway that was just decided by the Mississippi Court of Appeals. In this case, WZR ODQGRZQHUV JRW LQWR D ÀJKW RYHU ZKR owned a 3.93-acre strip of land. Mr. Taylor, who wanted to cut the timber, argued that he owned the strip of land by adverse possession; so he cut the timber.

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At trial, Galloway proved real title to the property via a warranty deed. On the other hand, Taylor had a surveyor review the property descriptions; and he concluded there was no deed to Taylor. Nonetheless, Taylor maintained that his father told him that it was their property several years earlier and that 3.93 acres belonged to the Taylor family.

The statute governing the wrongful cutting of timber has some big, sharp teeth in it; and to either accidentally or intentionally cut timber off someone else’s property can be a horribly expensive lesson.

Lucien C. Gwin III

First, the law in Mississippi covering the cutting of timber (MCA § 95-5-10) states that should one even accidentally venture across a property line and, being honestly confused about said property line, then proceed to cut someone else’s timber, such conduct (even in good faith) allows the true owner of the timber to collect double the value of the timber.

In Taylor vs. Galloway, Galloway was awarded $17,425.00 in compensation/ damages. This means that the true value of the trees cut on the 3.93-acre strip of land was $8,712.00 or about $2,100 per acre.

This is high-dollar timber.

But wait, there’s more. A court can also order $250 per acre for “re-forestation.”

But wait! There’s still more. If the timber owner can show that the logger was not cutting in good faith but rather was acting “willfully or in reckless disregard” of the rights of the timber owner, then there are more damages that are known as statutory damages. This means that, if the logger knew or had reason to know that he had no rights to the timber but cut it anyway, the statutory damages are appropriate.

According to the timber trespass statute, for every tree wrongfully cut that is greater than 7 inches in diameter at 18 inches high, the timber owner is allowed $55 dollars. This applies to trees whether they are cut down, knocked down, injured, or destroyed. (Have you ever seen how many little trees get run over by a logging skidder?)

On top of this, if the tree is less than 7 inches in diameter, at 18 inches high, the timber owner gets $10 per tree. (Now, we are talking about twigs.) In the Taylor case, Galloway proved that Taylor acted “in reckless disregard” in cutting the 3.93 acres; and a jury awarded Galloway $43,560.00 in statutory damages. Ouch!

But wait, yes, there is even more; and this is my favorite part: should the timber owner prove “willful or reckless disregard” on the part of the timber trespasser and statutory damages are awarded, then the statute goes further and states that attorney fees and costs “shall” be awarded to the rightful timber owner. What are costs one may ask? Costs under the statute may include expert fees, such as a forester who can spend thousands of dollars cruising the wrongfully cut timber and assessing the total cost of the timber cut, removed, or

destroyed. Attorney and expert fees can literally go into tens of thousands of dollars.

Now, back to the Taylor case. You guessed it; the court awarded Galloway his expert and attorney fees in the sum and amount of $42.767.00. (Good Lawd!)

So, let’s add up the damages to Taylor.

He paid $17,500 as double damages.

He paid statutory (punitive) damages of $43,560. Finally, he paid $42,767 in attorney and expert fees. For the timber on just under 4 acres, he paid the grand total of $103,872.00.

My Take: I have personally handled several timber trespass cases for clients on both sides of the fence. With Mississippi’s being such a “timbered” state and with thousands upon thousands of timber owners, it is easy to see why these laws are so important for landowners to know. You should never cut timber withRXW D WLWOH FHUWLÀFDWH IURP D ODZ\HU DQG DQ up-to-date survey from your surveyor.

Lucien C. “Sam” Gwin III was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1981 and has been practicing many aspects of the law at the firm of Gwin, Lewis, Punches & Kelley in Natchez, Mississippi, ever since.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 25

THE wedding SCENE WOODVILLE, MS

Engagement Party for Faust and Huling n engagement party honoring Olivia Faust and Ryan Huling was held at The Woodville Lofts & Studios on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Family and friends greeted the engaged couple as they arrived. Guests mingled on the veranda of the Woodville Studio while enjoying a scrumptious array of food provided by Rolling River Bistro of Natchez.

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Olivia Faust and Ryan Huling Olivia Faust and Tanya Curry Joe Brian and Lili Lewis Rich Field and William Griffin Shellia Boatner and Olivia Faust Olivia and Dale Faust Mary Claire McGraw, Renee McGraw, and Katy Greene Eric Greene, Thomas Lobrano, and Cliff Cavin John Andrew and Kelly Griffin with Ginny Randall Marianna Blackburn, Betty Field, and Caitlin Craddock Marianna Blackburn and Olivia Faust with Corley Anne and Brooklynn Ross Patti and Tucker Curry Olivia Faust and Griffin Callender Patti Curry, Lili Lewis, Donna Sessions, and Melissa Field

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THEwedding SCENE

WOODVILLE, MS

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15 Stephanie, Ida, and Dustin Whetstone with Manson Smallwood and Lyndsey Thornton 16 Lisa and Brian Berry with John Andrew Griffin 17 Sally Rogers, Joyce Wines, Anita Knighton, and Kristen McNabb 18 Brittani Eidey, Drew Havard, Russ Shuckrow, and Laurel Bennett 19 Brittany Morgan, Kattie Shuckrow, Codi Hobgood, Shellie Boatner, and Lyndsey Thornton 20 Ryan Huling, Mary Jean Lobrano, Olivia Faust, and Thomas Lobrano 21 Joe and Marianna Blackburn, Dale Faust, Ryan Huling, Olivia Faust, and Thomas and Mary Jean Lobrano 22 Randy and Barbara Huling, Eddie and Melissa Eldred, Ryan Huling, and Olivia and Dale Faust

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gibsonjluba engagement september 24, 2016 jackson, mississippi Photograph by pound photography Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Edward Gibson, Jr., of Jackson, Mississippi, announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Catherine Elizabeth Gibson, to Colin Alexander Luba, son of Dr. Lorraine A. and Mr. Norman K. Luba of Louisville, Kentucky.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. John Bernard Hooker and the late Melinda Bone Hooker of Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Edward Gibson of Natchez, Mississippi, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles (Robyn) Brown of Natchez. The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Norman F. Luba of Terryville, Connecticut, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Irving W. Doyle of Massapequa, New York.

Miss Gibson is a 2008 honors graduate of Jackson Academy. She received her bachelor’s degree in Markets and Culture from Southern Methodist University where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She is currently employed as Showroom Manager of The Mix Showroom in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Luba is a 2007 honors graduate of Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Economics with Financial Application from Southern Methodist University where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

He is currently employed as Assistant Vice President and Regional Relationship Manager in the National Warehouse Lending Division at PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas.

The couple will exchange vows September 24, 2016, at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 29

april lane crysel& patrick stuart wallace april 16, 2016 j orange beach, alabama j photography by avery forrest photography

pril Lane Crysel and Patrick Stuart Wallace exchanged their vows in holy matrimony during an ocean-side ceremony on April 16, 2016, in Orange Beach, Alabama, at half past five o’clock in the evening in the midst of a golden sunset. The event was set along the sea-grass border of the Crysel family’s beach residence. Dr. Alan McBride, how apropos, performed the joyous ceremony filled with family and dearest friends. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Crysel of Brentwood, Tennessee. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wallace, Jr., of Bogue Chitto, Mississippi.

Upon arrival, wedding guests were greeted and escorted to the mise en scene as sounds of breaking waves and strains of acoustic guitar filled the

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air, creating an ambiance of romance. The guests were seated in chairs of natural bamboo, arranged in a circular fashion about the altar, which was draped in a garland of French garden-rose pomanders, vine orbs mingled with echevaria rosettes, and capricious whips of tillandsia. The family crescent of seating was detailed with echevaria rosettes and ribbon regalia.

The bridal path was edged with white Japanese paper parasols.

The bride, escorted by her mother and father, wore a Watters & Watters silhouette gown, with romantic, Gatsby-esque hand beading of deco lines and scallops. The gown’s subtly billowed, flared hemline flowed into a delicate chapel train. Melanie Padula of Local Honey in Nashville, Tennessee, devised the bride’s makeup and fashioned her tresses in a modern, upswept coif set with an antique rose-gold cabochon. Jennifer Neal Edwards and Stephanie Napier, friends of the bride, accompanied her to the edge of the bridal path, carrying her train. The processional was set to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” The bridal bouquet, designed by Nashville floral artist Jennifer Neal Edwards of Reveal Event Style, consisted of Italian cream ranunculus, echoing the scalloped beading on her bridal gown. Nestled in the ribbon binding of the bouquet was her grandmother’s handkerchief, a nostalgic relic as her something old.

The groom donned a custom-crafted, Brooks Brothers Aegean blue suit, complete with a British inspired ticket pocket and choice lining detail. Upon his lapel, he wore a popped French, double-bloom black tulip.

Following the couple’s exchange of vows, guests enjoyed a champagne hour during which a trio (steel drum, upright base, and guitar) performed; and the couple danced to “Tupelo Honey” to the delight of their guests.

The reception inside the family home, overlooking the Perdido Key sunset, was a festive setting for cocktails and an international fare of the couple’s favorite Epicurean delights, including a fresh sushi bar and a margarita bar.

French, double-bloom tulips were in bountiful display in various art vases throughout the Crysel residence. Guests spilled onto the home’s wrap-around balcony to enjoy the views, and family and friends offered heartfelt toasts before the cake cutting. The cake, the groom’s choice, was a strawberry and butter-cream flavored confection dressed with French, double-bloom black tulips.

The evening before the nuptials, the Wallace family hosted a welcome dinner of delicious seafood delicacies at Fisher’s, located at Orange Beach Marina, where guests dined with a view of the setting sun. The newly joined families hosted a Sunday farewell brunch at the Palms of Perdido with its panorama of crystal white sand along Florida‘s coast.

Following a Mediterranean honeymoon visiting Italy and the Greek Isles, the newlyweds now are at home in Brookhaven, Mississippi, with their three “fur babies,” Lola, Flex, and Chopper.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 31

IN THE GARDEN

BY

Dr. Gary R. Bachman

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Dr. Gary R. Bachman

Vermillionaire: The Flower for the Summer

L

ike almost every gardener I know, I want a gorgeous looking garden and landscape that is drought tolerant and requires little maintenance.

I know I should know better, but I want what I want.

So, I’m always looking for those plants that can pretty much fend for themselves most of the season. I’m going to help out when needed with supplemental watering during the extremely hot periods of the summer, of course. I’m also going to feed the plants when they get hungry. But the plants have to realize that they need to be able to pull their own weight and put on a Top—Cuphea Vermillionaire is a heat-loving SODQW WKDW ÁRZHUV IURP VSULQJ WR IURVW LQ WKH IDOO DQG FDQ UHDFK WKUHH IHHW LQ KHLJKW E\ VXPPHU·V end.

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Ă DVK\ Ă RUDO VKRZ LI WKH\ ZDQW WR JURZ LQ my garden.

2QH SODQW WKDW KDV GHĂ€QLWHO\ HDUQHG its spot in my landscape is Cuphea Vermillionaire. This is a heat-loving plant WKDW Ă RZHUV IURP VSULQJ WR IURVW LQ WKH IDOO /DVW \HDU 9HUPLOOLRQDLUH ZDV Ă RZering all the way into November in my coastal Mississippi garden.

The common name for Vermillionaire LV ODUJH Ă€UHFUDFNHU SODQW ,W¡V HDV\ WR VHH ZKHUH WKLV QDPH FRPHV IURP ,WV Ă RZHUV UHPLQG PH RI WKH OLWWOH ODG\Ă€QJHU Ă€UHcrackers we played with as kids. While WKH\ GRQ¡W H[SORGH WKH Ă RZHUV VWLOO JR “BANG! BOOM! POW!â€? in the landscape. $EXQGDQW Ă€HU\ KRW \HOORZ UHG DQG RUDQJH WXEXODU Ă RZHUV DUH SURGXFHG XS DQG GRZQ the stems and all over the entire plant. It OLWHUDOO\ ZDV D PRXQG RI Ă RZHUV DQG TXLWH the sight all summer long.

7KH Ă RZHUV DUH EXWWHUĂ \ DQG KXPPLQJbird magnets, and I enjoyed watching these visitors. But I was amazed by the insects WKDW WRRN DGYDQWDJH RI WKH Ă RZHUV LQ WKH fall. Walking by the plant, I could literally hear it buzzing with a multitude of different sized native bumblebees.

One day, I counted seven different bumbles at one time jostling for position with several hummingbirds. And it was interesting watching the bumbles feed.

They did not go in from the front of the Ă RZHU OLNH WKH EXWWHUĂ LHV RU KXPPLQJbirds. The bumblebees would grab onto DQG FKHZ WKURXJK WKH EDFN RI WKH Ă RZHU to get at the yummy nectar.

Vermillionaire is a nice-sized plant. It reaches three feet tall by the end of summer, growing in a large container in my landscape, with an almost equal spread. It makes for a nice container patio plant.

Be sure to plant Vermillionaire in the IXOO VXQ IRU WKH EHVW Ă RZHULQJ DQG WLJKWHVW growth. Though Vermillionaire is tolerant of droughty conditions, it will really put on a show with consistently moist soil and regular feeding. I use water-soluble fertilizer about every three weeks.

Vermillionaire cuphea is perennial in zones 8a and warmer, so this covers a large portion of Mississippi. But north Mississippi gardeners won’t be disappointHG LQ WKLV SODQW DV D JUHDW à RZHULQJ DQQXDO

Columnist Dr. Gary R. Bachman is an assistant extension professor of horticulture at Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

Birthday Tea Party for Janette and Rayborn n outdoor tea birthday party at Twin Oaks in Natchez, Mississippi, honored Audrey Janette and Brooklyn Rayborn, who both turned four years old. Little girls came in their finest dresses, wearing their mothers’ pearls, and were greeted

by Princess Elsa. The guests were served little tea sandwiches cut out into tea cups, macaroons, and chocolate-covered strawberries. They also enjoyed cupcakes and iced sugar cookies created by Molly Manning; and each princess went home with her own hat, boa, and sunglasses.

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Photography courtesy of the Natchez Convention and Visitor Bureau

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S

ummertime is when family time is at its best. Whether spending time together on vacations and fabulous get-aways from home or relaxing right here at home, these warm days of summer allow for a parade of special events and activities.

1. Picnics on the Bluff 2. Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway 3. Sporting in Duncan Park 4. Biking throughout downtown 5. Walking through the Natchez City Cemetery )RXUWK RI -XO\ ÀUHZRUNV 7. Summer reading at the George Armstrong Library 8. Watermelons at home 9. Sundays at church 10. Grabbing a snack at The Malt Shop 11. Visiting the Farmer’s Market for fresh produce 12. Seeing a movie at the Natchez Mall 13. Shopping in downtown’s boutiques

14. Sampling pies and cakes at Mammy’s Cupboard 15. Swimming at Ellicott Pool and Stanton Hall 16. Sipping on a shake from the Bellemont Shake Shop 17. Baseball tournaments throughout the summer 18. Cooling off at a snow-cone stands 19. Touring the many antebellum homes 20. Cookouts at home 21. Rolling down the mounds at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians 22. Vacation Bible Schools throughout the summer 23. Enjoying a carriage-ride tour downtown 24. Treating the palate at “Tastings Along the River” 25. Gardening with family Bluffs & Bayous { Julyy 2016 { Page 39

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Life is Better on the Lake:

Get Away to Lake Bruin D

uring the summer, vacations and weekends away are ideal times for everyone to slow down and relax a bit before the hustle and bustle of back-to-school comes around.

Luckily, Lake Bruin in Saint Joseph, Louisiana, is the perfect “home away from home� for those looking for a little peace and quiet and lots of time near or on the water.

When I went over to Lake Bruin to visit Jane Netterville, local real estate broker and resident of the lake, its calming atmosphere embraced me from the get-go. Calming and peaceful, \HV EXW 1HWWHUYLOOH FODULÀHG WKH ODNH¡V DSSHDO IRU IXQ IDVKLRQLQJ ZDWHU VSRUWV DV ZHOO ´/DNH Bruin is a large oxbow lake created by the Mississippi River over 3,000 years ago. The lake is very deep, and the water is very clear. Brushy Lake, which connects to Lake Bruin, helps PDNH IRU LGHDO ÀVKLQJ LQ WKH ODNH %HFDXVH RI LWV VL]H /DNH %UXLQ LV SHUIHFW IRU ZDWHU VSRUW enthusiasts looking to wake board, wake surf, and ski since the water is so smooth.�

Living on the lake since 1979, Netterville has seen many come and go from lake living and has helped welcome new neighbors along the way into the shared community of those who live on the lake or have camps there that they visit throughout the year. “Several years ago, the only marina on the lake sold to private owners, leaving the rest of us without available fuel on the lake,� Netterville explained. “My son, Robert, thought it would be a good

by Jennie Guido Photography by Jennie Guido and Courtesy of Jane Netterville Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 41

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idea to open our own marina to offer what the locals needed; and that’s how Netterville Landing was born.�

Open since 2007, Netterville Landing is a one-stop shop for those living and vacationing on the lake. The Nettervilles not only offer “curb-sideâ€? fueling but also provide a well-stocked general store, boat and kayak rentals, a grill with many delicious menu items, and famous “boat drinksâ€? for your cruise around the lake. “We play host to events all summer long, starting with Memorial Day weekend’s live music and summer kick-off; a Father’s Day Poker 5XQ WR EHQHĂ€W 7HQVDV $FDGHP\ DQG D MDP SDFNHG )RXUWK RI -XO\ ZHHNHQG ZLWK D )ORWLOOD %ORRG\ 0DU\ %UHDNIDVW &DSWDLQ¡V 3DUW\ DQG D IURQW URZ VHDW IRU RXU QHLJKERUV¡ Ă€UHZRUNV GLVSOD\ Âľ 1HWWHUYLOOH VDLG ´:H DOVR KDYH PDQ\ HYHQWV IRU WKH NLGV WR HQMR\ LQFOXGLQJ ZDNH VXUĂ€QJ school, ‘paddle over and play,’ and more.â€?

With several cabins available for renting, Lake Bruin offers a place for those looking for short- or long-term visits on Lake Bruin. “I would suggest making your reservations early in the year,� Netterville said. “We have plush cabins to house large families and groups and smaller cabins with private piers that can sleep eight to ten, or you can always stay at the State Park, which is right next to the lake.�

Netterville and her son both agree that weekends are busy on the lake. “Guests typically arrive on Fridays and get in line at the local Fish Tale Grill, stop by the Landing for a Bruin Burger and cheese fries, or grab a few dozen hot tamales on their way in from Walkers in town,�

1HWWHUYLOOH VDLG ´8QOHVV WKH\ DUH SODQQLQJ RQ VWD\LQJ XS IRU RXU IDPRXV QLJKW ÀVKLQJ RQ )ULGD\ most people are off to bed early to get a head start on their Saturday morning.�

In downtown Saint Joseph, an eclectic “farmer’s� market lures those staying on the lake and locals alike. “Every Saturday morning from Memorial to Labor Day,� Netterville explained, “local vendors set up booths to sell their fresh vegetables, baked goods and casseroles, handmade items, and other crafts. You will need to get there early since most vendors sell out fast!�

So, if you’re looking for a quick trip one weekend during the summer, head over to Lake Bruin and see Jane Netterville at Netterville Landing. For more information, visit its website (www.nettervillelanding.com) or follow it on Facebook.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 43

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Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Page 44 { July 2016 { Bluffs & Bayous

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Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 45

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Mississippi Traveling: A “Q & A� with Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts

By Jennie Guido • Photography courtesy of Hannah Roberts and Rory Doyle

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annah Roberts, Miss Mississippi 2015, has seen and traveled nearly every mile of the state of Mississippi and many points beyond. Bluffs & Bayous recently visited with Roberts and invited her to share many favorite facets of her reign. % % 7HOO PH DERXW \RXU SODWIRUP DQG KRZ LW LQĂ XHQFHG ZKHUH you traveled.

Roberts: Pages of Love is a book-donation program I founded in 2005. New or gently used books are donated from schools, churches, and civic organizations. The books are then cleaned, if needed, and sorted into boxes before being donated. Over the years, I have donated over 40,000 books to many states with a concentration on my home state of Mississippi. During this year, my travels were inĂ XHQFHG E\ SODFHV WKDW ZHUH HLWKHU GRQDWLQJ RU UHFHLYLQJ ERRNV B&B: Since you are originally from Mount Olive, where in the state were you most excited to visit during your reign?

many appearances in and around Jackson; but for others I may see the cities of Greenwood, Biloxi, Columbus, and Hattiesburg all ZLWKLQ DERXW ÀYH GD\V 7KLV MRE LV GHÀQLWHO\ QRW D ERULQJ RQH DQG I have been busy all year long. I also like to think that my navigation and driving skills have greatly improved!

B&B: What was your favorite NEW place to visit?

Roberts: Before this year, I had visited the Delta only once or twice. However, it has quickly become one of my favorite areas of the state. In particular, Cleveland is a beautiful city and is now home to the very recently opened Mississippi Grammy Museum.

Roberts: My family’s home is in Mount Olive; but because both of my parents are teachers, I claim many cities in the state as “home.� I went to high school in Sumrall, elementary school in Seminary, church in Magee, and orchestra in Hattiesburg. I was probably most excited to visit Sumrall because it was where two of my three Miss Mississippi Princesses attend school, and I had not seen my former teachers in many years.

B&B: Tell me what a week in the life of Miss Mississippi has been like with your seeing so many places.

Roberts: Every single week is different and so is every day, so there is a lot of variation with this job. Some weeks I would have

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Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 47

% % :KDW KLGGHQ JHPV GLG \RX ÀQG DORQJ WKH ZD\³SODFHV WR HDW VKRS YLVLW" 5REHUWV 7RZDUGV WKH HQG RI P\ UHLJQ , KDYH GHÀQLWHO\ DGGHG PRUH VLJKWVHHing into my driving routes. This past week, I was near Port Gibson and made my ÀUVW HYHU GULYH RXW WR VHH :LQGVRU 5XLQV 'XULQJ WKLV \HDU , KDYH DOVR YLVLWHG WKH Friendship Oak, a 500-year-old tree in Long Beach, and several Indian mounds in the Delta. If I am in South Mississippi, I love to eat at Zip’s Cafe in Magee or The Depot in Downtown Hattiesburg. I also love Central Station Grill in Starkville, 10 South in Vicksburg, and Hey Joe’s in Cleveland.

B&B: If you were suggesting a place for an out-of-stater to visit in Mississippi, where would that be and why?

Roberts: I have loved visiting Bay St. Louis and the coastline of Mississippi since I was a little girl. My parents would often drive us down to the coast just to eat dinner or shop. This area is great for both outdoor and indoor lovers and features art, music, antiques, great seafood, and a side of Mississippi culture that so many forget about.

B&B: With so much press against Mississippi right now, what do you tell people to make them see Mississippi in a different and better light and to come visit?

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5REHUWV , KDYH DOZD\V LGHQWLÀHG ZLWK WKH TXRWH ´EHlieve none of what you hear and only half of what you see.� Every area of the country has its own stereotype, and that is also true for Mississippi, but it’s important for us all to remind the rest of the world that stereotypes are so often unfounded and unreliable.

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We can do this by highlighting the great people and places Mississippi has to offer and encourage others to see Mississippi for themselves before assigning an inaccurate judgment.

B&B: What’s a smart travel tip you picked up over the year that would be helpful to others and the new Miss Mississippi?

Roberts: I am usually driving on an interstate or major highway and may go for many miles before ever seeing a gas station or a fast-food restaurant. A good tip for everyone taking a long trip is to pack a small ice chest of drinks and a bagged lunch.

I can usually be found traveling with a coke and a sandwich at all times. This tip will save you time and even money!

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+DQQDK 5REHUWV 0LVV 0LVVLVVLSSL DQG ÀUVW UXQQHU XS WR 0LVV $PHULFD will continue her education by attending medical school at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Thanks to her honors and scholarships she was awarded as Miss Mississippi, she will be able to complete her education and further her professional career.

THE social SCENE VICKSBURG, MS

A Chocolate Affair ecently, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation hosted its eighth annual “Chocolate Affair” for patrons and community members at the Saint Francis Convent and Academy’s auditorium in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Guests enjoyed delectable desserts and live music by Hugh Mitchell.

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Maria Signa and Taylor Chewing Annette Kirklin Barbara and Pat Cashman Nelson Gonzalez and Aretha Segrest Amy Scott and Alainna O’Bannon Mary and Kevin Mahoney Cheryle Jinkins, Ashley Drinkard, Richard and Bridgett Hunt, Casie and Jason Combs, and Gary and Holly Claborn Emily Salmon and Drew Kelley Tom and Donna Osburn with Phil and Donna Mortensen Kasman, Mary, and Remy Massey Kay Elliott, Sandy Miller, Adrienne Eckstein, and Cathy and Margie Blanche Devin Snow, Felicia McKnight, and Daryl Hollingsworth Seated—Nancy Fassett, Kris Madsen, and Mary King; standing— Matthew Fassett with Bobby and Kimberly Madsen-Thomas Katie and Kimberly Smith, Kristal Herrington, and Tia Knowlton

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration Benefit he twenty-seventh annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration was held February 25 through 27, 2016, and featured keynote speakers Dr. Bill Ferris from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and John M. Barry. Speakers and award winners were feted at the NLCC’s closing event, a benefit cocktail buffet honoring the speakers and award winners on February 27, 2016, at The Elms.

Award-winning chef Ester Carpenter graciously opened her home and prepared a delightful buffet for all. The Elms had special relevance for this year’s theme: Natchez at 300: A River Runs by It, as this federalist mansion was built in 1804 by John Henderson, author of The Paine Detected, or the Unreasonableness of Paine’s Age of Reason, the first book published in Natchez, Mississippi.

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William Winter and Ray Bradford Ray Bradford and Ronnie Nettles Beth Richard and Emily Edwards Teresa Busby and John M. Barry Brett Brineger and John M. Barry Elizabeth Lehmann and Nan McGehee Jordan Nettles and Taylor Spring Nancy Guice and Mary Jane Gaudet Al Walker and Bobbye Henley Douglas Sharmann and John Guice Stella and Philip Carby Carolyn Gwin and Sarah CarterSmith Teresa Busby, Mike Gemmell, and John M. Barry Sonny Gwin, Carolyn Vance Smith, and Carolyn Gwin Ed Gaudet, Jay Lehmann, and Gwen Ball Jerry Mitchell, Sr., Jerry Mitchell, Jr., and Jan Mitchell Judy and Cappy Stahlman with Bill Henley Jacob Flanagan, Kyle Britt, William Winter, Ray 17 Bradford, and David Higgs

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

Retirement Reception for Passman erit Health Natchez hosted a retirement reception on May 16, 2016, to honor Dr. Carl Passman, orthopedist, who provided sixtyone years of dedicated, loyal, and professional medical service to the Natchez, Mississippi, community. Dr. Passman received a proclamation from the Mississippi House of Representative and House Speaker Phillip Gunn; and from Merit Health Natchez, he received a proclamation recognizing him for his esteemed medical career spanning decades. The reception allowed co-workers, family, and members of the community to wish Dr. Passman an enjoyable retirement.

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Dr. Carl Passman and Eric Robinson Marcia Passman and Jean Florence I. J.Florence and Pat Biglane Renee Cantu and Sarah CarterSmith Marcia and Dr. Carl Passman Kay Jenkins and Andrew Haile Fred Worthy and Dr. Carl Passman Dr. Carl Passman and Brenda Rasco Dr. Carl Passman and Dr. John White Tony Byrne and Dr. Carl Passman Dr. Kathryn Nutter and Dr. Carl Passman Andrew Calvitt and Sarah CarterSmith Ann Thornhill and Dr. Carl Passman Renee Cantu and Ellen Depta Eric Robinson and Peggy Benson Gene and Mildred Dauphin Walter Brown, Dr. Carl Passman, and Missy Brown Paola Hernandez, Mary Frances Sessions, and Colby Passman Lana Stamper, Carrie Coleman, and Kathy Prospere

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

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20 Kay Ketchings, Lurie Ramagos, Ellen Depta, and Nora Beret 21 Joe Stedman, Marcia Passman, and Sue Stedman 22 Lynda Hall, Brenda Moon, Kay Ketchings, and Kay Jenkins 23 Elizabeth Lehmann, Dr. Carl Passman, and Jay Lehmann 24 Colby, Dr. Carl, Carl, and Alton Passman 25 Janet, Alton, Carl, Dr. Carl, and Marcia Passman

THE social SCENE VICKSBURG, MS

Dancing with the Vicksburg Stars he United Way of West Central Mississippi hosted its fifth annual Dancing with the Vicksburg Stars on April 30, 2016, at the Lady Luck Arena in Vicksburg, Mississippi. All proceeds from the evening benefit United Way’s Early Childhood Literacy Program, which helps third grade students in local schools in Vicksburg and Warren County. A special performance by Spectrum Jazz highlighted the event.

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Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 53

JULY Louisiana Up & Coming! www.louisianatravel.com BATON ROUGE Throughout July www.visitbatonrouge.org

Through September 3 LSU Special Library Collection presents From Grand Village to Bluff City: 300 Years of Natchez History LSU Campus Library Free (225)578-6544 / Lib.lsu.edu/special Throughout July 5HG 6WLFN )DUPHUV· 0DUNHW 0DLQ 6WUHHW )DUPHUV· 0DUNHW Dates and times vary www.breda.org FERRIDAY July 7, 14, & 21 Summer Reading Program Concordia Parish Library Preschool: 9:30 am Elementary: 10:15 am Teens: 11:15 am Free www.concordialibrary.org July 12 Terry Vanderventfer Concordia Parish Library 10:15 am www.concordialibrary.org July 21 5RVD 0HWR\HU 6WRU\WHOOHU Concordia Parish Library 10:15 am www.concordialibrary.org

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Louisiana Up & Coming! JULY JACKSON www.felicianatourism.org LAKE CONCORDIA July 2 2nd Annual 4th of July Liberty Loop North End of Lake 1 pm: boat line up Facebook.com/libertyloopconcordia LAKE ST. JOHN July 2 Annual Flotilla & Fireworks North End of Lake 9 am – Noon: Registration 2 pm: Parade (318)481-0182 / donnamaroon@aol.com (601)807-8030 / mbrown@fatmamas.com ST. FRANCISVILLE July 2 Explore the Civil War Audubon State Historic Site 10 am – 4 pm (225)635-3739 www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/ historic-sites/audubon-state-historic-site July 2 Big Chill 5 pm : Activities 9 pm: Fireworks (225)784-8447 July 7 – 10 6RQJELUG 0XVLF 6FKRRO 8 am – 5 pm birdmancoffee@bellsouth.net July 24 A Touch of Color Audubon State Historic Site Noon – 4 pm (225)635-3739 www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/ historic-sites/audubon-state-historic-site

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 55

JULY Louisiana Up & Coming!

VIDALIA July 3 Fireworks Riverfront 9 pm July 5, 12, & 19 Summer Reading Program Concordia Parish Library Pre School: 9:30 am Elementary: 10:15 am Teens: 11:15 am Free www.concordialibrary.org July 6, 13, 20, & 27 )DUPHUV· 0DUNHW Old Courthouse 9 am – 1 pm July 12 Terry Vanderventer Concordia Parish Library 2 pm www.concordialibrary.org July 14 & 21 All Things Southern Concordia Parish Library 6 – 8 pm www.concordialibrary.org July 21 5RVD 0HWR\HU 6WRU\WHOOHU Concordia Parish Library 2 pm www.concordialibrary.org www.visitmississippi.org

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Mississippi Up & Coming! JULY BROOKHAVEN July 1 - August 2 BRAG Registration for Watercolor Class ZLWK %LOOLH ) 0DWKLV Classes: August 17 – 19 Members: $225 / Non-members: $275 kathybehan5@gmail.com Facebook/Brookhaven-Regional-ARTS-Guild July 10, 12, & 14 Casting Call for 2016-17 Season Brookhaven Little Theatre 2 & 6 pm www.haventheatre.org

July 14 - 16 Brookstock City of Brookhaven Thursday: Singer/songwriter night Friday: Brookstock Too (The Haven Theater) Saturday: Brookstock XVI (FEMA Buildling) / 5 pm www.facebook.com/Brookstock July 21 %5$* 0RQWKO\ 0HHWLQJ Vernon Room at Lincoln County Library &DWK\ 2·5HDU &DOOLJUDSKHU 5:30 pm Facebook/Brookhaven-Regional-ARTSGuild July 28 – 29 &KLOGUHQ·V 7KHDWUH &DPS SUHVHQWV Hansel & Gretel Brookhaven Little Theatre 6:30 pm www.haventheatre.org JACKSON Throughout July www.visitjackson.com Throughout July /LYH 0XVLF &RQFHUWV 'XOLQJ +DOO www.dulinghall.com Throughout July $UW (YHQWV DW 0LVVLVVLSSL 0XVHXP RI $UW www.msmuseumart.org

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 59

JULY Mississippi Up & Coming!

Throughout July 0LVVLVVLSSL )DUPHUV· 0DUNHW 929 High Street Every Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday 8 am – 2 pm www.mdac.ms.gov/bureaus-departments/ farmers-market July 4 Red, White, & Blue Day Jackson Zoo $5 / 9 am – 4 pm July 7 )RQGUHQ·V st Thursday 11 am – 11 pm ZZZ ÀQGLWLQIRQGUHQ FRP 0&&20% July 20 .LGV· 'D\ ([FHO (EUDWLRQ 0F&RPE 'HSRW Train Tales every 30 min.

9 am – Noon trainmaster@mcrrmuseum

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Mississippi Up & Coming! JULY

July 7 - 10 The Drowsy Chaperone Pike County Little Theatre 7:30 pm & 2 pm Sunday Matinee $10 (601)310-4933 NATCHEZ Throughout June Natchez Tricentennial Events www.natchezms300.com Throughout July /LYH 0XVLF (YHQW &DOHQGDU www.visitnatchez.org/full-event-calendar July 3 Independence Day Fireworks Natchez Bluff 9 pm July 9 2nd Saturday Downtown Natchez (601)442-2929

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 61

JULY Mississippi Up & Coming!

July 9 ArtsNatchez Featured Artist Reception 425 Main St 5 – 9 pm (601)442-0043 July 9 – August 10 ArtsNatchez Featured Artist Exhibit Ron Chapman & Salongo Lee 425 Main St Gallery hours: 10 am – 6 pm (601)442-0043 July 11 – 12 Natchez Art Association Art Camp The Art Center 452 Jefferson St 10 am – 2 pm / $120 (601)807-3290 July 29 – 31 Natchez Food & Wine Festival (601)442-4895 www.natchezfoodandwinefest.com

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VICKSBURG Throughout July www.visitvicksburg.com Throughout July /LYH 0XVLF (YHQW &DOHQGDU www.visitvicksburg.com Throughout July Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation info@southernculture.org www.southernculture.org Throughout July )DUPHUV· 0DUNHW Downtown Vicksburg Corner of Jackson & Washington St. Wed: 3 – 6 pm / Sat: 8 – 11 am (601)801-3513 www.vicksburgfarmersmarket.org July 4 Independence Day Fireworks Celebration Downtown riverfront Depot Stage Music: 7 pm / Fireworks: 9 pm (601)630-2929

Mississippi Up & Coming! JULY July 8 & 9, 15 & 16, 22 & 23 Gold in The Hills Parkside Playhouse 7:30 pm (601)636-0471 www.vicksburgtheatreguild.com July 21 Ritz on the River Vicksburg Convention Center Dinner and concert (601)630-2929 www.vicksburgccevents.com July 31 – August 4 Tara Wildlife Archery Camp Tara Wildlife Refuge (601)279-4261 www.tarawildlife.com/camps/summeryouth-camps

%H VXUH WR FRQÀUP GHWDLOV RI WKH HYHQWV should changes have occurred since events were submitted.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 63

SOUTHERN SAMPLER

BY

Alma M. Womack

The Adventures of Drac

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n the life of Bluffs & Bayous, I have done stories on dogs, ancestors, country living, dogs, chickens, snakes, more dogs, and a wayward buzzard that baptized my friend’s new truck with regurgitated road-kill. This month I have an interesting tale about another buzzard, but this one was not your regular run-ofthe-mill buzzard. This particular buzzard occupies a special niche in Catahoula folklore and was known nationwide in the 1980s.

The location of this story is Field’s Point about four miles up the road from Smithland. Field’s Point was once part of the old Nicholia Plantation but was purchased by Julian and Euna K. Field in the 1930s and has remained in their family to this day.

In the 1980s, the Fields’ oldest son, Robert, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Bobby, all lived in a lovely country home on the bank of Jones’ Bayou at Field’s Point. They had a menagerie of animals: cats, kittens, dogs, pea fowl, geese, sheep, mallards, and peacocks.

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Bobby was a veterinarian student at LSU, who from childhood had taken in all manner of wounded and stray animals. His mother was used to having extra mouths to feed due to her son’s kind heart.

One day, when he was home for the summer, Bobby went walking down one of the roads that went through the woods below their home. He found a tree that had been struck by lightning and was burning. On the ground by the tree was a fuzzy baby buzzard with burned, sore feet.

Naturally, Bobby picked him up and brought him back home where he put the baby buzzard in a chicken coop with a wire bottom. Elizabeth remembers Bobby saying, “Mom, guess what I just put in your chicken coop?�

She knew better than to answer anything but “What?�

Bobby replied, “A baby buzzard!� as though his mom should be thrilled. She had to admit that a buzzard was one thing that she had never fed for him.

Bobby named the young buzzard “Drac,� short for Count Dracula. Because the baby’s feet were sore from having been burned, Bobby put a piece of foam rubber in the coop for the little fellow to stand on. Whenever Drac moved from the sunny part of the coop to the shady side, he cleverly dragged the foam with him to continue to provide protection for his feet.

Bobby fed the youngster by hand. Drac would eat just about any raw meat but would turn away in disgust from anything with a strong odor. As Drac improved physically, feathered out, and grew used to his unusual new family, he was let out of his pen to interact with the other animals in the yard. +LV ÀUVW DFW RXWVLGH WKH FRRS ZDV WR KRS DWRS WKH ZRRGSLOH à DS KLV ZLQJV DQG PDNH D KRUULEOH EX]]DUG VRXQG that scared away the lesser fowl residing in the yard. He would play with a litter of kittens by hopping around, à DSSLQJ KLV ZLQJV DQG KLVVLQJ ZKHQ KH QHHGHG WR JHW D point across.

In September of that year, Bobby went back to veterinary school at LSU. He turned over Drac’s care to dad, Robert, who was put in charge of feeding the rather persnickHW\ EX]]DUG ZKLFK SUHIHUUHG FKLFNHQ OLYHU DQG ÀVK DQG RWKHU UDZ meat. Drac would peck on the kitchen door until someone came out with food. If the delivery was slow to come, he hopped around and screeched until his needs were met. Sometimes he would sling the kittens around if food was not fast enough in arriving. Food to feed Drac was kept in the freezer in Ziploc bags because he could not eat PXFK DW D WLPH +LV JXOOHW ZRXOG ÀOO XS DQG KH ZRXOG KDYH WR ZDLW until that food was digested before eating anything else. During the GLJHVWLQJ WLPH KH ZRXOG UHVW ZLWK WKH NLWWHQV RU à \ XS WR WKH URRIWRS to nap on his own.

Drac and Robert became good friends, and Drac would follow Robert around as faithfully as any dog. He got to the point where he would follow Robert’s truck when Robert went to the tractor shed to get machinery ready for harvest. When Robert and Elizabeth

ZHQW ÀVKLQJ LQ WKH ED\RX 'UDF ZRXOG VLW on a limb, watching and waiting for his PHDO RI IUHVK ÀVK Finally, as all had expected, Drac looked up one day and saw a group of buzzards circling in the air. He watched them for a while and then joined the group in the sky over his home. Robert, watching his companion join his own kind, said that he couldn’t help but get teary-eyed, knowing that Drac’s time with his human family was ending.

Drac stayed gone for two days, then returned “like a hungry teenagerâ€? for some good food from the Ziploc bags. He brought two buddies with him, but they would not land in the yard. After eating, KH Ă HZ DZD\ DJDLQ EXW ZRXOG UHWXUQ HYHU\ few days for his gourmet meals. Ever after, KH Ă HZ LQ DORQH Elizabeth said that the last time they VDZ 'UDF ZDV LQ 2FWREHU ´:H ZHUH Ă€VKing, and he circled the boat several times DQG Ă HZ DZD\ 7KH QH[W VSULQJ %REE\ was walking in the woods near where he’d found Drac; and a buzzard circled overhead--about ten feet high--several times.

Bobby knew that it was Drac and that his friend was where he rightfully belonged.�

Jarrett Ganey Reeves, a former feature writer for the Catahoula News-Booster, once did a story on the Fields and Drac.

The story was picked up by The Morning Advocate in Baton Rouge and then by the Associated Press, which had it printed nationwide.

An act of kindness by a young vet student turned into a story enjoyed by people all over the USA. The Fields considered themselves the lucky ones, getting to care for a bird that not many people would consider the proper pet. Drac proved himself an intelligent creature who was never shy in letting his feelings be known when it came time to eat; and he proved himself a faithful friend to his human family and to his extended family of cats, dogs, and the other yard fowl.

Elizabeth still has a video of Drac’s antics at feeding time that she showed to Bobby’s children, Bona and Ben, and their friends when they were young. Dr. Bob likes to think that Drac is still somewhere close by, keeping an eye on the place that KRXVHG KLV ÀUVW IDPLO\ DQG ZDV RQFH XSRQ a time, his home.

Columnist Alma Womack lives on Smithland Plantation on Black River, south of Jonesville, Louisiana. In addition to her duties as maitresse des maison, she is the keeper of the lawn, the lane and the pecan orchard at Smithland.

Bluffs & Bayous { July 2016 { Page 65

BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI Page 66 { July 2016 { Bluffs & Bayous

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JULY 1 “They Equip Themselves like Warriors”: The Natchez Fort Site at Battleground Plantation 601.446.6502 | mdah.state.ms.us/new/ visit/grand-village-of-natchez-indians/ JULY 1-3 Sadie V. Thompson Reunion 601.442.5880 natchezconventioncenter.org JULY 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 Natchez Walking Tour 601.660.7300 | tourology.net JULY 1-AUGUST 31 “Everywhere with Roy Lewis” Photography Exhibition 601.445.0728 | natchezms300.com ´5HÁHFWLRQV V WR 3UHVHQW 'D\ Natchez through Pointillism” Joe Johnson Exhibition 601.442.2500 | natchezms300.com JULY 2 Lake St. John Flotilla JULY 3 Fireworks over the Bluff 800.647.6724 | natchezms300.com

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JULY 5-9 Civil War Adventure & Naturalist Camp 601.442.2901 / mdah.state.ms.us/new/ visit/historic-jefferson-college/ JULY 9 Second Saturday 800.647.6724 | natchezms300.com Natchez Photography Tour 601.660.7300 | tourology.net JULY 11, 18, 25 Natchez Legends & Lore 800.647.6724 | natchezms300.com JULY 12 Civil Rights Commemorations of Jerusalem Baptist Church, Bethel AME, and Morning Pilgrim Baptist Church 800.647.6724 | natchezms300.com JULY 12-15 MS Chancery Court Clerks 601.442.5880 natchezconventioncenter.org

JULY 16 “Raise the Roots” Genealogy Seminar 800.647.6724 | natchezms300.com JULY 20-22 MS Assessors & Collectors Association 601.442.5880 natchezconventioncenter.org JULY 23 Minor Street Jubilee 601.431.1088 JULY 24-27 MS Head Start Association 601.442.5880 natchezconventioncenter.org JULY 29-31 Natchez Food & Wine Festival 601.442.4895 natchezfoodandwinefest.com JULY 30 'XFNV 8QOLPLWHG %DQTXHW 601.442.5880 natchezconventioncenter.org AUGUST 3 Happy Birthday, Natchez!

WK &HOHEUDWLRQ 800.647.6724 / natchezms300.com