Today in Mississippi May 2025 4-County

Mississippi’s other ‘King’

When we think of kings and music in Mississippi, we often conjure images of Tupelo’s favorite son.

Elvis Presley was indeed the “King of Rock and Roll.”

But the world would not have had an Elvis Presley — or rock and roll for that matter — without the blues. Ground zero for this distinctly American artform was Mississippi. It’s impossible to have a conversation about Mississippi blues without talking about B.B. King.

Had he lived long enough, King would have turned 100 this year.

A decade ago this month, King, 89, died following years of health struggles with diabetes.

Although he was born in Berclair and spent his earliest years near Itta Bena, King considered Indianola his hometown. It was in Indianola where his body laid in state for mourners to pay their last respects back in 2015. Indianola is also home to the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, where blues and King fans from all

over the world visit to learn about where King came from, what he went through, and how he impacted the world with his mesmerizing singing and guitar playing.

For this month’s issue, we visited the museum; a beautiful tribute to a legendary life dedicated to one of this country’s truest and purest creative mediums.

But why should we let blues tourists and King fans from the UK, France, and Belgium have all the fun?

As Mississippians, we should visit to learn about King, Mississippi, the blues, and — in some ways — ourselves.

We hope you enjoy the issue.

by Michael Callahan

Executive Vice President/CEO Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

Earth’s Bounty + First Saturday The MAX • May 3

Bud N’ Boilin’ Singing Brakeman Park May 3

Meridian Symphony Beethoven & Blue Jeans MSU Riley Center • May 3

Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival Downtown Meridian • May 12–18

Dailey & Vincent MSU Riley Center May 22 Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South Exhibit at The MAX On display through June 21

The Official Publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

Vol. 78 No. 05

OFFICERS

Brian Hughey - President

Brian Long - First Vice President

Shawn Edmondson - Second Vice President

Brian Clark - Secretary/Treasurer

Michael Callahan - Executive Vice President/CEO

EDITORIAL STAFF

Lydia Walters - VP, Communications

Steven Ward - Editor

Chad Calcote - Creative Director

Kevin Wood - Graphic Designer

Alan Burnitt - Graphic Designer

Jill Sowell - Graphic Designer

Chris Alexander - Member Services Coordinator

Andy Tuccio - Media Solutions Director

Steve Temple - Social Media Director

EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING

601-605-8600

Acceptance of advertising by Today in Mississippi does not imply endorsement of the advertised product or services by the publisher or Mississippi’s electric power associations. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser.

• National advertising representative:

American MainStreet Publications, 800-626-1181

Circulation of this issue: 485,749

Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year.

Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) is published 12 times a year by Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Inc., P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600. Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland, MS, and additional o ce. The publisher (and/or its agent) reserves the right to refuse or edit all advertising. The magazine is published for members of subscribing co-ops. The magazine is a bene t of membership.

POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2) NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to: Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300

www.facebook.com/TodayinMississippi

www.todayinmississippi.com

During extreme heat or dry spells, give them an occasional deep watering to keep them looking their best. Apply a balanced, slowrelease fertilizer in spring to give them a strong start. I advise supplementing this with a liquid bloom booster every few weeks during peak flowering periods.

While these salvias are self-cleaning and don’t require deadheading to continue blooming, I like to trim back spent flowers occasionally to encourage fresh growth. A light midsummer pruning helps maintain their bushy, compact shape.

Most people in the South grow Rockin’ Deep Purple and Unplugged Pink as annuals. However, with protection, these resilient plants can sometimes survive a mild winter.

When it comes to companion planting, they pair beautifully with plants that enhance their rich colors and attract even more pollinators.

For a striking contrast, I recommend planting them alongside yellow or orange blooms like lantana, coreopsis, or Rudbeckia, often called black-eyed Susan. The salvias’ upright form pairs well with mounded plants such as Blue My Mind evolvulus, which has a low-growing, trailing habit and bright blue flowers.

To add texture and movement to the garden, ornamental grasses like muhly grass make an excellent backdrop for these salvias.

The ornamental grasses sway in the breeze and complement the salvias’ vertical spikes.

For a more cottage-style look, I recommend mixing them with verbena, zinnias, and gauras, which create a natural, free-flowing display.

Give Rockin’ Deep Purple and Unplugged Pink a try in your outdoor space this year. These beautiful, low-maintenance plants are guaranteed to bring joy – both to you and the pollinators that visit.

by Dr. Eddie Smith

Southern Gardening columnist Dr. Eddie Smith, a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, is an internationally certified arborist, Produce Safety Alliance certified trainer, and one of the developers of the Mississippi Smart Landscapes program that encourages the use of native plants in the landscape.

For a striking contrast, I recommend planting them alongside yellow or orange blooms like lantana, coreopsis, or Rudbeckia, often called black-eyed Susan. The salvias’ upright form pairs well with mounded plants such as Blue My Mind evolvulus, which has a low-growing, trailing habit and bright blue flowers.

Outdoors Today

While in college, we amused ourselves without spending much money that we didn’t have by throwing Frisbees at trees, road signs, mailboxes, and other objects.

We even had friendly little competitions to see who could hit the object in the fewest throws. That was more than 40 years ago. Since then, disc golf exploded exponentially across the world.

“I started playing disc golf about six years ago,” recalls Damon Parker of Petal, former president of the 1,900-member Hattiesburg Disc Golf Association. “I just planned to play casually with some friends, and it developed into competing in tournaments.”

“To start the game, players come to a T-pad and throw discs at a basket,” Parker said. “The disc must go into the basket. Anything else counts as a stroke. Like in golf with a ball, the object is to go from the T-pad into the basket with the fewest strokes.”

To start the game, players come to a T-pad and throw discs at a basket. The disc must go into the basket. Anything else counts as a stroke. Like in golf with a ball, the object is to go from the T-pad into the basket with the fewest strokes.

Disc golf generally follows the rules of golf with a ball. The major di erence, disc golfers try to put their discs into baskets 24 inches in diameter instead of hitting a ball into a hole.

Players throw di erent types of discs. Use fairway drivers from the T-pad to get the most distance to the basket. Use mid-range discs for throws of about 200 feet or less and putters for shorter throws on the greens.

“People used to go to parks and move garbage cans around to serve as baskets if they didn’t have a real course,” Parker said. “Now, we have courses all over the state. Most Mississippi state parks have courses. Disc golf is a sport that people of all ages can play alone or with a group. In our club in Hattiesburg, we have players from 12 years old to folks in their 70s.”

“As years of weekly changing menus passed, we felt limited by the available produce. My partner Adrienne and I were on vacation in Fiji when we visited an organic farm that was a garden of Eden with almost unlimited unusual edible and medicinal plants. On the flight back, we decided to look for a property where we could create our own little food paradise. That was about 2017 when we were on the trip, and we bought the Mississippi farm in 2018,” Foundas said.

Because Foundas’s restaurant focuses on zero waste cooking and complex flavors, fermentation is a key aspect of the process.

“For example, at the end of a weekly menu, we may have extra brussels sprouts and roast corn. So, we might make brussels sprout kimchee and roast corn miso,” Foundas said.

The Tiki Food Lab and Education Center is not just about fueling the menus of the restaurant. There are food experiences open to the public at the Pearlington facility, including a farm tour, cooking classes, and chef-curated meals based on di erent topics.

“We have done classes on miso making, introduction to fermentation, wine and vinegar making, and barbecue techniques from around the world. We have also had events featuring well known neurologists discussing the synergy between the micro biome and brain function — and then prepared a meal that provides food for thought! Another event is the poetry menu, where the guests prepare an eight-line poem that turns into their eight-course menu,” he said.

The reaction from the public has been positive.

“People seem to be really interested in foods that make you healthy and boost your immune system, which is what fermented and organic foods do. Plus, an evening at the Tiki Farm is like being on vacation in the South Pacific, but just a short drive from New Orleans, Biloxi, or Picayune,” Foundas said.

Although Foundas spends most weekdays at the restaurant, his weekends are spent in Pearlington at the farm.

“I’m originally from New Orleans and have been visiting the Gulf Coast since I was a child, so I have an a nity for the area. We love the proximity to the coast, the beauty of the bayou, and the interest in business development from Hancock County.”

For more information about the farm, visit tikifoodlab.com or call 504-338-2986.

FINALLY ... LIFE INSURANCE YOU

• Rate schedule is based on your current age and is guaranteed for the life of the policy.

• Monthly rates as low as $3.49.

• Coverage is also available for your spouse and other family members.

• Benefits will NEVER be canceled or reduced for the life of the policy if premiums are paid on time. Policy Form #SRTCV/SRTCV R13 or R17, or #SRTCV90MA in MA

• Rates are based on your children’s or grandchildren’s present age and never increase for any reason.

• Monthly rates as low as $2.17.

• Benefits will NEVER be reduced or canceled if premiums are paid on time.

• Give your children a financial head start right now. Your policy builds CASH VALUE for your family’s needs. Policy Form #GWL2001 or GWLA001

“Improving the quality of life for all those we touch.”

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUMMER ENERGY SAVINGS

One of my favorite things about summer is memories of maintaining a garden with my grandparents and growing up on a farm. The opportunity to experience fresh, homegrown food, whether it’s shopping at the local farmers’ market or sharing the abundance of garden tomatoes with a neighbor, is special. It’s amazing how just a few seeds, some fertilizer and a little water can turn into a bountiful harvest.

When I think about energy e ciency, I think about that bounty of food, and how with just a few simple actions, you can use less electricity and reap the rewards of energy savings.

You don’t need to be a farmer or botanist to know that plants need water — just like you don’t have to be an engineer to know that adjusting the thermostat or turning o lights can reduce your monthly electric bill. In fact, when you read 4-County’s publications, check out the co-op’s website and follow us on Facebook, you know there are a lot of things you can do at home to save electricity and money.

Summer months bring some of the highest energy bills of the year. But why? Cooling your home accounts for a large portion of your monthly energy use, and the hotter it gets, the harder (and longer) your air conditioner works to keep you cool.

There are several ways you can manage energy use at home, and we’re providing a few tips for employees and members that can help grow your summer energy savings.

Annual meeting returns to familiar venue

SAVE MONEY WITH THESE EASY OFFERINGS:

• Energy e ciency tips – 4-County o ers a variety of ways to enhance your energy e ciency. Look for these money-saving suggestions at www.4county.org.

• Recycle – If you have an old refrigerator or freezer that’s running but is not used much, it’s costing you. You might be better o getting rid of it.

• Energy audits – Our energy advisors can determine the overall e ciency of your home and help you with ways to improve it. If you want to do it yourself, we can help with that too. Call us at 1-800-4311544 or go to our website for more information.

• Take control of your use – Use our online energy calculators or our helpful app to track your energy use. You can even get alerts when your use spikes, so you can make changes in real time.

• Ways to pay – If you’re having a di cult time paying the higher bills that come with increased use in the summer, contact us to learn about our billing options like levelized billing or the prepaid electric program. Most people don’t know everything about electricity, and that’s why we’re here to help you. There are no investors making profits here. Just knowledgeable people with local jobs, working for our neighbors to ensure there is electricity available when you need it. Contact us, and we can work with you to find more ways to save energy — and money.

by Brian Clark

CEO/General Manager

The 2025 4-County Annual Meeting, set for Thursday, June 5, will return to the East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) Golden Triangle Lyceum, 8731 S. Frontage Road in Mayhew. The meeting has been held at the Communiversity for the last few years.

4-County o cials say the EMCC Golden Triangle Lyceum will better accommodate a growing number of annual meeting participants. Please make a note to attend!

(Due to limited space, we will not be hosting a health fair.)

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

ANNUAL MEETING CHECKLIST

❏ JUNE 5, 2025

❏ NEW LOCATION: Golden Triangle campus of East Mississippi Community College, 8731 S. Frontage Road in Mayhew.

❏ REGISTRATION • 9 a.m.

❏ LUNCH • 10:15 a.m.

❏ BUSINESS MEETING • Noon

❏ DOOR PRIZES • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Grand prize is a retired 4-County vehicle. You must be present to win.)

Loca

EAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Golden Triangle Lyceum 8731 S. Frontage Road in Mayhew

Notice of Nomination Reports

Nominating committee reports were posted March 20 at both 4-County o ces and online. The deadline for additional nominations for directors, by petition of at least 50 consumer-members, was April 4, no later than noon. This year, no petitions for nomination from membership were received.

Johnny Johnson (District 1, Lowndes County) and Marty Crowder (District 5, Choctaw and Winston counties) – both current board members – were placed in nomination by the association’s nominating committee at the March 20 meeting.

Ballot/proxies will be mailed by May 6 to all 4-County members.

The deadline for returning ballot/proxies is May 30 by noon, six days prior to the annual membership meeting June 5.

Members of the nominating committee present for the March 20 meeting included: Paul Crowley, Benny Graves, Charles McMinn, Donald Land, Belk Weems, Ann Shelton, Frank Howell, John Partridge, Brian Power, James Gillespie, Grey Land, Angela Robertson, Henri Sue Kennard, and Odie Shaw.

Co-op Director Nominee Bios

JOHNNY JOHNSON | District 1, Lowndes County

• FASTnet Board of Directors

• Lowndes County resident

• NRECA Gold Level Certified Director

• Graduate, Mississippi Industrial College

• Master’s & specialist degrees, Mississippi State University

• Mississippi’s Principal of the Year 1993

• Retired assistant superintendent, Columbus Municipal School District

• Chairman, Mississippi Regional IV Housing Authority

• Chairman, R.E. Hunt Museum & Cultural Center

• Retired Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Reserves

• Chairman of Deacons, Missionary Union Baptist Church

• Wife, Fairie, one daughter, one son, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren

MARTY CROWDER | District 5, Choctaw and Winston Counties

• FASTnet Board of Directors

• Ackerman resident

• Licensed professional engineer and surveyor

• County Engineer, Choctaw & Neshoba counties

• Graduate, Mississippi State University

• Member, Mississippi Association of County Engineers

• Member, Mississippi Association of Professional Surveys and the American Council of Engineering Companies

• Director, Broken Wings Ministries, Inc. in Ackerman and Grace Christian School in Louisville.

• Member, Antioch Community Church in Reform

• Wife, Kathrine, three children

Remember to register. To be eligible for door prizes and the grand prize — a retired 4-County fleet vehicle — you must have your name listed on an account. If unsure, contact 4-County before the annual meeting.

If Your Hands, Arms, Feet, or Legs Are Numb - If You Feel Shooting or Burning Pain or An Electric Sensation - You Are at Risk

Get The Help You Need - Here's What You Need to Know...

Purvis, MS - If you experience numbness or tingling in your hands, arms, legs, or feet or if you experience shooting or burning pain, this is important.

Please read this carefully

Peripheral Neuropathy is when small blood vessels in the hands, arms, feet or legs become diseased and tiny nerves that keep the cells and muscles working properly shrivel up and die.

Early-warning symptoms include tingling and numbness, mild loss of feeling in your hands, arms, legs or feet, inability to feel your feet, which increases your risk of foot-injury and falling

More Advanced Symptoms Include...

Loss of coordination & dexterity, which puts you at increased risk of accidents

Inability to feel clothing like socks and gloves

High risk of falling, which makes walking dangerous, and makes you more dependent on others

Burning sensations in your arms, legs, hands or feet that may start mild, but as nerves and muscles die, may feel like you're being burned by a blow torch.

Ignore the early warning signals long enough and you risk progressive nerve damage leading to muscle wasting, severe pain, loss of balance and a lot of staying at home wishing you didn't hurt

When every step is like walking on hot coals, sitting still may be the only thing you feel like doing But there's little joy in sitting still all day long

Now here's the scary part....

Nerve damage CAUSES cell damage Cell damage SPEEDS UP nerve degeneration

Without treatment this can become a DOWN-WARD SPIRAL that accelerates.

The damage can get worse fast Mild symptoms intensify Slight tingling, numbness or lack of feeling can turn into burning pain.

Before you know it, damage can become so bad you hurt all the time

Unless this downward spiral is stopped and nerves return to proper function - the damage to nerves and cells in the affected area can get so bad your muscles begin to die right along with the nerves and cells. And that sets the stage for weakness, loss of mobility, disability, and dependence on others.

If you have early warning signs of peripheral neuropathy, (tingling &/or numbness, loss of feeling or pain) it's CRITICAL you get proper treatment

It's critical, because with proper treatment the symptoms can often be reversed Without it, you are playing Russian Roulette with your health

Once your nerve loss reaches 85%, odds are there's nothing any doctor can do to help.

The most common method your doctor may recommend to treat neuropathy is prescription drugs

Drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, & Neurontin are often prescribed to manage the pain But, damaged nerves and dying cells do not heal on their own

Pain pills do not restore healthy nerve function. They just mask the pain as the nerves continue to degenerate and cells and muscle continue to die.

Taking endless drugs and suffering terrible side effects that may damage your liver & kidney and create even more problems, is not a reasonable path. You deserve better. Three things must be determined to effectively treat neuropathy 1) What is the underlying cause? 2) How much nerve damage has been sustained? 3) How much treatment your condition will require?

With proper treatment, shriveled blood vessels grow back & nerves can return to proper function How much treatment you may need depends on your condition

At Purvis Chiropractic we do a complete neuropathy sensitivity exam to determine the extent of your nerve damage The exam includes a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, & a detailed analysis of the findings.

Dr Rob Acord, D C will be offering this complete neuropathy sensitivity exam for $47 This special offer goes away at the end of this month as we have a limited number of exam appointments available

Stop Hurting & Start Healing

Call

But as segregation laws fell and American society integrated, the venues King and his band could play expanded. To wit, the final exhibit at the museum features one of his tour buses that carried them more than a million miles.

Sometimes, he even brought his family along for the ride. While on a weeklong European tour in 1998 that routed them to countries like France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Williams got a thrill of her own from seeing her father perform on stage for adoring fans.

“I would just be overwhelmed at the crowds of people, the young people who would be completely excited about him,” Williams says. “They were shouting, ‘B.B., we love you!’ and that seemed to just inspire him to even play harder. It just amazed me.”

King’s passing on May 14, 2015, from complications caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, months shy of his 90th birthday, impacted people far beyond the music community. Thousands attended his funeral procession as he traveled Beale Street one last time and lined Highway 61 for the final leg of his journey home to Indianola, where he laid in state in the cotton gin where he once worked, now a wing of his namesake museum. More than 4,000

mourners, including famous friends like blues guitarist Buddy Guy, attended his visitation.

“People drove from all over to come pay their respects to him that day,” says Malika Polk-Lee, the museum’s executive director. “It was a continuous line, and we had to have help from the state troopers for security on top of the local police force. And it was a hot Delta summer day, but people didn’t care. They stood in line until they got a chance to view him and pay their final respects.”

People love the music, which is what draws them to him, but if you have a man who will stay ‘til 3 o’clock in the morning to sign your poster, your jacket, your album cover, your ticket, and have a conversation and make you feel that connection with him — that is why he has fans that have stood the test of time. It was the man himself and the sincere connection he made with his fans.

For all the thrills King brought fans through his music and performances, Polk-Lee believes the measure of the man himself keeps people coming back to Indianola to rediscover his legacy. Almost as much as the music he created.

“Everyone talks about his character, and I think that is how he created lifelong fans,” she says.

“People love the music, which is what draws them to him, but if you have a man who will stay ‘til 3 o’clock in the morning to sign your poster, your jacket, your album cover, your ticket, and have a conversation and make you feel that connection with him — that is why he has fans that have stood the test of time. It was the man himself and the sincere connection he made with his fans.”

For the Love of the Game

‘McNelis Strong’

At the age of 15, Joye Lee-McNelis knew that she wanted to play college basketball.

She even knew what college she wanted to play for. “I always knew I wanted to play for Southern Miss,” Lee-McNelis said recently.

Lee-McNelis just completed her 21st and final season as head coach of the Southern Miss Lady Golden Eagles. She announced her retirement in February.

The daughter of Louis and Nell Lee grew up in the community of Leetown in Hancock County. Her parents were the first to put a basketball in her hands. They were also some of her first coaches.

“I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. We lived a pretty simple life. We went to church and played basketball. As soon as the chores and schoolwork were completed, we were out shooting hoops,” Lee-McNelis said.

Lee-McNelis played basketball with the boys in her early years. She would attend high school at Hancock North Central. “I was fortunate to have great teammates and coaches in high school. Every time I attend the state championships; I still remember the great victories.”

Hancock North Central went to the state tournament all four years she was in high school and won two state championships. She is still the school’s all-time leading scorer. Hancock North Central retired her jersey — No. 14 — in 1993.

Her journey to Southern Miss began in 1980 as a player for Kay James. Her winning success in high school followed Lee-McNelis to college. The Lady Golden Eagles appeared in their first ever

postseason in 1981 during Lee-McNelis’ freshman year. She left four seasons later as the second highest scorer in school history with 1,510 points.

Following her career as a player, Lee-McNelis began coaching at Southwest Texas State, which is known today as Texas State University. After two years, Lee-McNelis was brought back to Southern Miss by coach Kay James in 1986. She quickly became known as one of the best recruiters in the country.

During her five seasons as an assistant, the Lady Eagles went to three NCAA Tournaments and won 103 games. That success earned Lee-McNelis a reputation of an up and comer in the coaching profession.

Makes 1 9x13 cake

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2⁄3 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups cold water

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan and bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. (I do spray the dish with cooking spray)

I found this recipe in some of my mom’s ‘stuff,’ and I’m not sure where she got her copy of it. Similar recipes have been called by names such as Wacky Cake, World War II Cake, and Depression Cake.

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon melted butter

1 to 2 thin slices deli ham

2 eggs

½ tablespoon whipped cream cheese (or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream)

1 tablespoon melty cheese, your choice (string, mozzarella, cheddar)

Makes 1 serving

Brush a shallow ramekin (6-ounce small ovenproof bowl will work) with melted butter. Line the dish with the ham. Crack the eggs carefully over ham, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes until the egg starts to set. Remove from oven and top with cheese and the cream cheese/heavy cream. Return to oven until eggs set (don’t overcook) and cheese melts. Serve immediately from the ramekin or lift out onto a plate.

Makes a ½ gallon

4 single serving black tea bags (use 2 family size if you like)

2 quarts water

1 cup sugar

Bring 1 quart of water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and drop in 4 single cup size black tea bags and soak in water for 5 minutes. Pour hot tea over 1 cup of sugar in a heat-proof pitcher. Add 1 quart of cold water and stir. Cool down completely, then chill in fridge before serving over ice.

I learned to make sweet tea in high school home economics class. I didn’t cook much in those days, but the chore of making tea and coffee for supper fell on me. I was thankful to Ms. Hudson in those days for being very specific about how to make it “properly.”

by Vicki Leach

Vicki Leach is a full-time chef/culinary instructor at Mississippi State University in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion. She teaches Science of Food Preparation, Foodservice Organization, and Quantity Food Production. She lives in a 130-year-old farmhouse that speaks to her old soul.

The old proverb says, “April showers bring May flowers.”

I checked Google to find out where that saying came from. Google cites a poem published in 1557 — “A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry” by Thomas Trusser. The poem is online. I gave reading it a shot. It is written in old English and reminds me a lot of the original version of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” which is also written in a version of English that is very di erent from the language that has evolved down to us.

In one of my classes at Mississippi College, we had to memorize as many lines of the introduction to “The Canterbury Tales” in Old English as possible. The more we could recite, the higher our grade. There was a recording of a reading of it in the library. That’s how we learned the poem. That was before the internet and downloading. We couldn’t even order a personal copy from Amazon back then. It’s a wonder we graduated at all.

The reading sounded to me like just a string of syllables. I could pick out a word that I recognized every now and again. But I had to take by faith that what I was hearing was English.

I still remember some of it. I can recite up to about as far as the line referring to “swish liquor,” which pretty much translates to “April showers” in the context of the poem. That was good enough for a “B.”

So here we are, standing on the verge of the time of year when the “April showers bring May flowers” equation gets put to the test. We’ve had plenty of showers this year. Of course, the big drought two summers ago and the deep cold snaps the past two winters have taken their tolls. But “spring hopes eternal” to invert a phrase making it fit this time of year.

Thinking of drought reminds me of a story my mother told me about. I shot that story for a television segment. This was so many years ago I can’t even remember the name of the couple involved. But they were an older couple who had a big yard full of azaleas in the Dorsey community of Itawamba County. The azaleas were beautiful. I asked them if they were hard to maintain. The gentleman said he had to water them occasionally. His wife chimed in and told me watering was an understatement. She said the previous summer had been dry and

one day they got a water bill for $500. She asked her husband about it, and he told her he had been watering the azaleas. He said, “I couldn’t let ‘um die, could I?” To which she answered, “If we get one more water bill for $500, I’ll die!”

So, if we keep getting dry summers, we’ll have to add to the old saying, “April showers and August waterings bring next year’s May flowers.”

by Walt Grayson

at walt@waltgrayson.com.