Macon, continued...

I haven't spent a lot of time in the South so I was interested in "getting the feel" of the place.  I found the weather to be warm and the people I talked to even warmer.  I'd heard of Southern gentility and good manners and found both in abundance.  I love the way words like "m'am" and "sir" are used with ease.  I saw great poverty and houses that proved fabulous wealth, many with a view to the past. 

I may be mistaken, but I think that the cover of the album, "The Allman Brothers Band" (1969) was taken at the house, above.

Many houses had beautiful verandahs, often wrapping around from one side to the other.  My mind drifted off to thinking what it must be like to sit there on a pleasant, warm night, listening to the cicadas humming in the background.  They are intriguing, colorful bugs with large orange protruding eyes - interesting when they are outside, but I wouldn't want one in my house!

The greenery and plants were amazing, like this magnolia tree:

Unfortunately there weren't many blooms on the magnolias at this time of year, but the few that I saw were incredibly large, bigger than I'd ever seen before.  Another house had trees in front with Spanish moss hanging from them.  The only place I'd ever seen Spanish moss before was at a flower shop, available in small quantities to put around the base of another plant.  Isn't this beautiful and exotic?...

Tomorrow.... the food!