Nutri-Green
Lawn Care Service
Several
years ago, when Barbara and I owned a second house in Greenville, MS, we
used a lawn care service to keep our small yard groomed. The folks did a
good job, but I thought the rate of $40.00 per hour was a little steep. However,
when the rate climbed to $60.00 per hour, I realized the old rate wasn't
so bad. Still it was cheaper than doing it ourselves, when you consider we'd
have needed a new lawn mower every few weeks. We didn't have a storage building
to accommodate a mower and anything left outside and not nailed down would
disappear in a matter of hours.
One spring, our lawn care superintendent explained he'd contracted a specialist
who would periodically fertilize our lawn and kill all of the weeds for a
small fee. If we wanted to sign up, he said he would bill us along with the
regular lawn care. We agreed to the bargain, and by the end of summer the
lawn looked really good.
Toward the end of my at-home recuperative period following prostate surgery,
I noticed a familiar looking sign had been placed in the yard of my neighbor,
Bill Knight. It contained the Nutri-Green brand name, a phone number, and
the business name, Greenville Lawn Care.
"How about that?" I thought. "Those folks have branched out."
A few days later I saw Bill in his yard as I was walking the circle, and
I stopped to ask him for information on the sign.
"Yeah, that guy bought a house down on Black Zion Road, next to my dad's.
His name is Walter Dill, and I think he used to live in Greenville," Bill
related and promised to have his dad's neighbor provide me with an estimate
and explain his services.
A week or so later, Walter was over measuring the yard of Ricky Hodge, my
nearest neighbor to the south. When he finished, he came over and introduced
himself, measured my property, and soon handed me an estimate. It was a little
higher than I was expecting based upon the price he had quoted Bill Knight
whose yard is at least three times larger than mine is.
Walter explained he used a formula based on a minimum plus the number of
square feet to be treated. I liked the fact that I didn't have to sign a
contract and could discontinue the service at any time, so I agreed to having
my lawn treated. Based on the results I had seen at our former Greenville
location, I even recommended Walter and Nutri-Green to several more of our
neighbors in and around Dogwood Circle.
Our yard has had an abundance of weeds from the first summer we moved here,
so I was not surprised to see all the bare spots after the first application
of weed killer. It may take a year or more for the bare spots to fill in,
but the "good" grasses will eventually spread and fill the bare areas. One
exception may be the ground under our trees where there's not enough sunlight
to keep grasses like Bermuda alive. We may have to opt for some seed or sod
to get grass in the shady areas established.
Fertilizers were applied the last time Walter was over, and with all the
recent rain, our yard is beginning to show signs of improvement. I doubt
the Nutri-Green treatments will have had time to reach full potential by
the time of the fish fry, but wait until next year before passing any judgements.
Corley's
Return Methodist Minister Retires
Reverend Kenneth Corley and his wife, Glenda, are back in Pontotoc. I can't
speak for everyone, but for the folks whom I do know, it's "Happy days are
here again!" Brother Ken Corley has retired after serving numerous parishes
for the United Methodist Church. The Corleys most recently served the Methodists
of Water Valley, MS. Prior to being sent to Water Valley, they were in Pontotoc.
I had only begun to get to know them, largely through their volunteer work
with Habitat for Humanity, when they were transferred to Water Valley. The
fact that they have chosen to return to Pontotoc says a lot about their
relationship with the citizens of Pontotoc. The energetic couple has lost
no time in renewing friendships.
Shortly after Brother Ken decided to retire, he and Glenda began searching
for a place to live in Pontotoc. They looked at a number of locations both
in the city and the county, making an offer to buy on more than one. Brother
Ken had stated an interest in purchasing a house with several acres of land,
or at least enough land for his mule and a small garden. The Methodist Church
provided their home in Water Valley. With a new pastor coming onto the field
in June, the Corleys were running out of time when they found a house to
rent in Pontotoc.
Barbara and I stopped by to visit them on a recent Saturday afternoon. Barbara
had told me where the house was located, but she failed to remember the one
fact that would have helped me mentally identify the exact location. As she
directed me to turn into the driveway, I realized the house was the one Larry
and Marsha Schrader had once rented or owned.
"You didn't tell me, they moved into the Schrader's old house," I complained.
"I had forgotten all about that," she offered.
Brother Ken and I sat on the shaded back porch as the women visited inside.
Pointing to the yard on the south side of the house, I stated, "Yeah, Larry
Schrader and I stood over there and shot arrows at a target about thirty
yards away, trying to get ourselves ready for deer season. Larry, Kenneth
Prewett, and I used to hunt together. Larry was with us the day I killed
my only deer with a bow and arrow."
"There was a deer moving along the edge of the trees just beyond our pasture
early the other morning," Brother Ken shared, as he pointed toward the western
boundary of the twenty-nine acres.
Brother Ken had earlier explained how he and Glenda might be interested in
purchasing the house and land and building a new house a hundred or so yards
further up the hill to the north.
"He had it on the market at one time but took it off," Brother Ken explained.
"Now, I don't know if he's willing to sell."
"I'm surprised you'd want so much land to have to see after in your retirement.
You'd need a tractor with a bush hog to keep the pastures cut."
"Oh, no," Brother Ken gently explained. "There's always a farmer around who'll
rent the pastureland for the hay he can cut or else graze a few head of cattle
on it. He (owner) has it rented out now."
His logic sounded good at the time, but I later reflected upon the fact that
there are fewer farmers than there once were.
It would have been easy to have stayed the rest of the afternoon on the back
porch basking in the quiet surroundings and conversing with Brother Ken,
but I knew Barbara and I were keeping Glenda from unpacking more boxes and
Brother Ken from the garden-tilling chore we had found him involved in when
we first arrived. So, I stepped through the backdoor and suggested to Barbara
it was time for us to be heading home. Though twenty years have passed since
I was last inside the living room, there was a familiar look about it. I
even remembered that Larry had a mounted deer’s head above the fireplace.
Several days passed before I had another opportunity to see the Corleys.
The day was Tuesday June 15th, Glenda’s birthday. Brother
Joe Steen had been treated to a surprise birthday party several weeks ago
at the Corley’s home in Water Valley, MS. He planned to surprise Glenda
on her birthday by concocting a story about celebrating Barbara’s first
anniversary with Habitat as a full time director, and asked Glenda to bake
an anniversary cake for the occasion. Brother Joe might have pulled it off
but for the fact that the scheduled board meeting coincided with Glenda’s
birthday. That was surely a dead giveaway to someone like Glenda who has
a nose for plans that don’t smell just right.
Brother Joe planned to have Glenda arrive with the cake for Barbara’s
anniversary at the close of the Habitat board meeting. He also arranged for
someone to decorate a sheet of cardboard with cake icing indicating, "Happy
Birthday Glenda." Thus, once Glenda brought in the cake, all he’d have
to do would be to place the new top on the cake and
voilà…the anniversary cake would become a birthday cake.
Brother Joe is a much better carpenter than he is a social organizer, but
considering his lack of experience, he did okay. In addition to those persons
present for the board meeting there were a number of folks who showed up
to wish Glenda a happy birthday. Plus, Brother Joe enlisted the help of several
ladies to help with table arranging and serving. How, I got volunteered in
leading the group to sing Happy Birthday, I don’t know, but having been
"chosen," I did the best I could.
There was a lot of excitement in the air, especially among the Methodists
who were present and enjoying the return to Pontotoc of a greatly admired
couple, and an equally grateful group of Habitat volunteers who recognize
the couple as capable workers ready to volunteer their labors in the service
of others. Heck, I was excited, and I’m neither a Methodist nor a Habitat
volunteer. However, I’m a fan of my hometown, and I appreciate the
Corley’s past contributions to our community and the promise of more
good things to come. Welcome back Brother Ken and Glenda!
Bodock Beau
Homespun Humor
Sometimes humor is found along the roadside. For instance, the editor tells
me there's a business sign between Pontotoc and Tupelo that reads:
-
Lakeside Grocery
-
Discount Grocery
-
Restaurant
-
Bait Shop
I don't know that I'd want to eat in a restaurant that's part of a discount
grocery and bait shop. For me a restaurant combined with a bait shop is too
much like a Chinese restaurant next door to an animal shelter.
I'd bet Jeff Foxworthy would say "You might be a redneck if the store where
you buy your peanut butter has a restaurant and bait shop,
too."
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Sara Sue got off from work and stopped by last weekend near the end of the
televised sunset funeral service for former President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
One of these days, Sara Sue's gonna have to get a hearing aid. The rest of
the family was enjoying the beautiful music and watching the historic event
unfold.
At one point, as the band played the National Anthem, cameras panned the
faces of several attendees who happened to be singing along with the music.
Everyone but Sara Sue understood the words and were mildly shocked by Sara's
question.
"What are they singing? It looks like they all know the words."
It gave me great pleasure to tell her it was the Star Spangled Banner.
"Oh!" she blushed. "I couldn't hear the words. All I could hear were the
drums."
-----------------------------------------
Due to complaints the stamps were not sticking properly and mail not being
delivered, the Postal Service has recalled the new stamp honoring Hillary
R. Clinton. The recall follows a full investigation that revealed the following:
1. The stamp was manufactured properly.
2. There was nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People were just spitting on the wrong side.
Contributed by Vickie Murphree
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