Footprints in the southern soil

Today was a good day. Simply put, it was one of those days that when you finish it you are exhausted and just want to find a quiet place to rest your bones and reminisce.

In today's world it is all to common to hear myself complain of work, issues, aches and pains, and recent "drama". As I get older I seem to find my days to be more mundane than interesting but today was not one of those days. Today I learned what a "graveyard rabbit" is and what it means to "run one", thanks to my youngest brother Don Dulaney, the soon to be famed author who writes at www.dulaneybranch.blogspot.com. If you haven't already done so, you really should go there and read some of his postings.

As we trekked around Itawamba County Mississippi, Don explained to me the experiences of the past few months endured by himself and Mona Robinson Mills (http://itawambaconnections.blogspot.com/) as they pieced together numerous puzzles related to genealogy in Itawamba County. It seems that it has become a great sport for these two "rabbits" to see just how fast they can link anyone, and I do mean ANYONE to anyone in this county. I must say that I was impressed and somewhat awestruck as the day progressed.

We visited numerous cemeteries down the north road, Mt Pleasant road and up highway 25. My head is still spinning from the whirlwind of information and ancestors. I learned of countless grandparents and relatives and found the entire experience to be very refreshing and interesting. Points like one of my grandfathers being buried sitting up in a rocking chair was a highlight that I won't soon forget.

I also found it interesting that at each of the old cemeteries we visited there were always a number of very large cedar trees some of which you could hardly reach around. These were some of the largest cedars I have ever seen in Mississippi and I couldn't help but wonder if there was some significance to them being placed around the graves. I hope to do some research to find out. Kim Wells of Belmont Mississippi pointed out that it may be because the root systems of the cedar grow more in a downward direction and wouldn't disturb the graves like an oak or other hardwood might. Don suggested that it might also be because they remain green throughout the year. No matter what the case may be, I hope to find out soon.

So today was a good day and a day to remember. I would like to thank Don for the great tour and the time spent educating me on the history of the county. I look forward to many more days like this in the future.