Cornersville, the Best Place to Live

        Picture the white picket fence lining the sandy road, with huge old sycamore trees

and hackberry bushes on either side. From the road, inside the picket fence, you can see Miz Maddie’s house where she is raising her four girls, Minnie, Lucy, Jenny, and Annie, and her two boys, Brownie and Charley. While she isn’t the oldest resident, Miz Maddie is the matriarch of Cornersville and all of Misty Forest beyond.

      People there are all good neighbors, watching out for one another, and no such thing as crime.  Maybe because folks are always giving you anything you need.  Don’t want to steal eggs ‘cause Miz Maddie is so happy to share hers. No one needs to worry about twigs for a nest because the Si  Squirrel family is happy to gather enough sticks and grass for everyone.  Barney Beaver and his family supply wood for any standing structures. Mrs. Puddleduck offers feathers in case you want a soft mattress, and Ritzy Racoon and Boss Bear always bring enough of their fish catches to share.

       Lest this picture of all the good things in Cornersville paints a false image, I must share that sometimes dark shadows almost obscure the canvas. Shadows can foretell accidents, others hover over bad choices. But this morning, like so many mornings, the sun is shining brightly and the sunflowers are turning their heads. All is well in Cornersville.

       Everybody is so friendly. An hour ago, when Miz Maddie was out watering her roses  enjoying their fragrance, Zigzag Chicken-Snake came scooting up the road beside her picket fence, tipping his straw hat with the black band and smiling at her, like he did to everyone he met on the road.  “Good morning, Ziggy,” Miz Maddie called out, “You headed to town?”

“Yes, ‘mam.”

   “Be safe!”  “Ziggy”, which everyone affectionately calls him, is headed for the upper road that leads into Cornersville.  The junction is about a half block up from Miz Maddie’s place where three weathered wooden signs stand tall on poles anchored in the dirt. One sign points to Upper Road to Cornersville, and a second signs points toward  River Road  (which also goes to Cornersville a the more picturesque way, but longer), while the third sign points down to Rhinestone River. Late at night, Fairy Fox or Cozy Coyote travel that latter road that winds down behind her house, according to Miz Maddie, who never misses anyone going or coming down the road outside her yard.  

      Any day would be an unusual day if folks didn’t stop at Miz Maddie’s gate to visit awhile.  Yes, Cornersville is one wonderful place to call home!