Hey beautiful people! Especially Lizard Wizard, freshly subscribed and on a “like” rampage to be reconned with! To this beautiful project of procrastination. I don’t want to do dishes… and it feels like enough to report to warrant writing again!!
I have promised and flailed to be more consistent. Or at least write more often instead of the few posts in a month if you’re lucky. So here I am!
We headed out of Crestview and had a very lovely drive to Atmore. However, after parking at the Walmart, they called the cops to tell us we’re unwelcome. I don’t mind being told they don’t want me there but it seems a bit lazy of management to call the cops to kick me off property. Especially saying I was soliciting to ensure the police had cause to come, when I was just parked to overnight. It’s like they implied that my existence was inherently soliciting…. but then to not just send someone they pay to ask me to leave but have a whole squad of cops show up to ensure I knew how unwelcome I was. When asked about an overnight spot the police tried to send me to a rest area miles out of town.
I simply moved us up to the truck stop of the Poarch Creek Indians. And that turned out to be a good move. It was really quiet for a truck stop overnight.
In the morning I really needed to make fuel happen, but also pinpointed the Poarch Creek cultural center as a good spot for kids to learn for when we had filled the mission and tank.
I was super happy for it to be a beautiful day especially since the kickdowns were super sparse. Sitting there until afternoon could’ve been unpleasant, but we didn’t mind. I played some ukulele and let the kids watch a documentary, though they were more trying to enjoy the lovely weather. A chip delivery guy stopped by and gave us a whole box of variety chips and dip! A group of local ladies pitched together and brought us some cash. The true gem was the lead manager, Tammy, who came out to make sure we were ok besides the fuel need. Usually that’s the point people ask us to leave; though, this time she sent her workers back out to ask us to pull to the pump and fill up! The kids and I went in the store to make sure we thanked her profusely!
The cultural center wasn’t far… or big, but stuffed full of excellent information and history! The video was amazingly informative and struck hard in the feels. Another local came in during the show and asked if Matilda was ours and handed me a wad of cash. I’m so blown away by this community! I wish the gift shop had been open….
The exhibit circled around the little theater where we watched the introductory movie. It touched on all the points the movie had and brought more life into it! A lot was touchable for the kids. I wish all native tribes to feel as recognized and included and strong as they portray themselves to be. I wish them so much prosperity.
From there we drove back down to Atmore and played a little at the park before we walked a little around town. The town has a very old timey vibe. Cozy, but somewhat standoffish on the surface (marked by Walmart, which apparently isn’t uncommon for this locality) until we went to the local grocery store. People were very friendly and kind. A mom pulled up in her truck to take a pic of Matilda and share on social medias, her kiddo popped up and asked if she could also have an ice cream cone! We had bought a 4 pack, so I was very pleased to give her one instead of over sugaring Galixy or having it go to waste. We had a few good convos and a kindly gentleman kicked down a $20 in the name of Trump (usually it’s God or Jesus….)
Why Monroeville? Because it has a cool thing (the Old Courthouse Museum,) a very cool downtown vibe, and a Walmart allowing overnight parking. Like so relaxed parking lot, I almost feel like I could stay another night if we wanted….
This morning we’ve already done laundry. Realized my little bag of quarters has disappeared just in time for the coin machine to be out of service. I scrounged up enough to wash and dry without having to break open the kids piggy bank…. or walk to another business for quarters…..
Then we headed to the Veterans Park and let the kids play a little. They are bugging to decorate some cookie eggs….
Ater a little walk and bike ride we went down to the Old courthouse museum. It’s the courthouse where Nelle Harper Lee and Capote played as children and the model for the courtroom setting in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. The original plan to built this courthouse was initially deemed too expensive and the county dude made a statement that no one in the area was smart enough to construct such an extravagant building. Said Dude didn’t get reelected but the building got built and endures! Three stories of white walls with examples of a lawyer’s and judge office. Rooms of information about the life of Capote and the work of Harper Lee. The courtroom made for a good game of interrogating my child while the other presided as judge/ jury.
After this exploration, both kids screamed for ice cream. Already parked downtown across from the local creamery motivating us to spend some local money on some sweet and cool joy to then entice us to do the bronze statue walk.
It seems Gizmo had much opportunity to be barking at people as a steady stream of people passed and took pix. A local remarked that it was all the lawyers taking pictures to find legal weaknesses in Matilda, but they were all smiling.
Three lovely ladies in a red car stopped to chat and direct us toward the red hill spring again. They were such lovely ladies with great smiles and vibes.
Before heading out of town we stopped at Nelle Harper Lee’s gravesite. The graveyard was very beautiful to walk through. In comparison Herper Lee’s headstone was rather unremarkable, besides the surplus of mementos lefft.
It was a beautiful backroad drive to the spring and the location of it was also kinda isolated and gorgeous. I wondered if we should camp there, but felt safer heading into the next viable overnighting city…..
In all the last two days were super energetic and stuffed with excitement and entertainment. It feels like a groove I enjoy. Not that I have to be doing things every day but that a couple days are taken away from the workbooking workbooks. Though we did some of that too…
We just got some fresh fruits brought to us. She’d asked what supplies we need and when I listed all the bus parts needing attending and that we were super set on food and clothes, the retort came “so some fruits is what I can bring back…” I see the want to help and contribute and I can’t say no at that point. The dollar amount spent on those fruits would’ve definitely helped contribute towards parts, but we’ll enjoy the berries, cutie oranges and bananas she supplied. I definitely don’t want to sound ungrateful. It’s a little show of love and caring that I try to promote…
As the things stand I’m feeling pretty successful about the last couple days but still like a mirage in the desert, the goal seems closer, yet further from reach. The endless game of breathing and lifing.
Iwas advised of a spot to relocate to that has a splash pad on. I guess it’s the thing to do for right now
On that note, I must reitterate that we do run mainly on your kind donations and I greatly appreciate your contributions. Every little bit helps and gets us to explore just a little more of this exciting world. I accept donations via CashApp: $MatildaBugus and paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/matildabugus
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I so appreciate you lovely humans being here! Y’all keep me going in so many ways.
Stay grateful. Hope you’ve smiled.
Matilda the Bugus 