Shackin’ up at the Shack Up….

    On Tuesday June 15th I hit the road with 14 total trees on my trailer. First stop was Oxford and after working in all of this heat and humidity, nonstop for countless days, I was TIRED!! One of the many things I love about my job is when I actually get to meet the people who ordered the tree. Bearing Bottle Trees is sometimes like having the key to the city….people welcome you with open arms and plenty of questions. Sometimes people even make me edible treats for my journey. I absolutely love it!!
    After leaving Oxford I headed up highway 7 to US-78W to Memphis and while I have heard many people complain about this route, I personally enjoy it. Especially passing over part of Sardis Lake on the steel bridge. This is where I do my best brainstorming. Oh yes, and another great factor in this trip is being able to tune into WEVL radio (89.9)!!! I just love that station because of the vast variety and genres of music. On this travel day I got to listen to old time country that seemed to have alot of yodelling going on. Artists like George Morgan, Hank Williams and even Elvis. Then they switched gears and had a full hour of Cajun and Zydeco. There’s nothing better than back country roads and good music to clear the world’s chaos out of your head and help you tune into God’s love letters found all along the way. The key is to pay attention and if you’re going to be in the company of someone on this trip, make sure they “get it”. If not, it’s better to go it alone.
    I had a couple of deliveries in Memphis and all I can say is thank you technology for the GPS!!! My last stop for the day was at a nursery in Coldwater, MS called Homestead Farms. They close at 5 and I got there at 5:04. I will have to say that this is now my favorite retail business that I deliver to…......they had 9 dogs on the grounds and I felt at home walking amongst the pack. People keep dumping their dogs out onto old country roads and it’s people like Homestead Farms who step up to the plate and help a canine brother out. Love ‘em!!
    Ok….so now we get to the nitty gritty….The Shack Up Inn!! I got there by 6:30, road worn and weary and was greeted with open arms by Bill Talbot, one of the owners. He said that Felder Rushing had been in the day before and warned them that I was coming. Warned them?? I can’t help it that I’m always tote’n large quantities of steel on my trailer looking like I’m heading to the recyclers. I guess it doesn’t help either when I’m always wearing my welding clothes. Oh well…..that’s what showers are for.
    So, they put me in a shack called Fullilove and I was in heaven!! I immediately set up my Katrina tree outside the back door just in time to catch some pix of the setting sun casting golden rays on the bottles. Tap onto the Facebook icon at the bottom of the page and you can see what I’m talking about. Every shack comes with a cd player so if you bring your own cd’s it makes for a nice backdrop to the entire relaxed, weathered, timeless experience.
    The second night I was in the Cotton Gin Inn which is connected to the Chapel and the lobby. This is a more modern unit for those who aren’t too sure about staying in a shack. I thought for sure I was going to get out and see alot of things along the Blues trail, but I was so intrigued by Guy’s home tour of the grounds that I ended up staying most of the day there. I’m pretty sure I got to see the interiors of most of the shacks. We even discussed putting one of my 10’ trees in the middle of the property. As a matter of fact, that is now set in stone and I should be able to deliver in a couple of weeks.
    I ate at some pretty amazing eateries like Rust, Ramon’s and the Dutch Oven while I was there. I highly recommend a trip to Clarksdale to anyone adventurous at heart because there is soooo much to see and do. Not just in Clarksdale, but the surrounding areas like McCarty’s Pottery in Merigold,  King Biscuit Flour Hour live broadcast in Helena, Arkansas and Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, one of the last surviving rural jukes, also located in Merigold. I stepped into the Delta Blues Museum and got a very extensive lesson in Blues music and especially by the people who brought it to life. They have an excellent interview on film of Muddy Waters and those musicians he inspired. I bought 3 cd’s while I was there…Charlie Patton, Son House and Honeyboy Edwards and I love each one for different reasons. I can’t wait to head back in a couple of weeks when I deliver and install The Shacks 10 footer!!! With Charlie Patton strummin’ and singin’ in the background I just know it will inspire a tree that will put a smile on many faces!!