When I moved to Mississippi,

I was 8½. I was angry at being moved with only what I remember as a day's notice, angry at leaving my friends and the only home I knew, and angry about what I quickly learned were the differences between California and Mississippi then. My parents were absolutely ecstatic to be there and did their best to help me become a proper young southern lady.

I wanted desperately to return to what I knew and understood, to what was "home" to me. After awhile, in what I am sure was exasperation with my profound unhappiness, I was told that I had better forget California, because I would never see it again. At that, I basically gave up on life and all things good.

The political climate was very difficult for me back then, as were the heat, humidity, school, church, mosquitoes, etc. However, there were things about Mississippi that, if I'd had a different attitude, would have been wonderful.

Please forgive that child, my Southern friends.

The Birds!
The Mocking Birds were magic! The first one I heard was in a tree above where my sister and I had been playing hide-and-seek together. One day, my sister and I heard someone teasing us from somewhere in the back of the house we rented, calling, "You're it! You're it!" We looked everywhere! -- even in the huge tree in the back yard -- and found no one. We ran in the house and told Father, and he immediately knew what it was. A mocking bird! We never saw it, but we were thrilled.

Another bird I fell in love with was the Cardinal. Wow, they were gorgeous! -- especially in the snow.

And another -- those lovely sky-blue Blue Jays. Up here, I have yet to see one like those, even though I have read that we have them; rather, we have the Stellar Jays.

And you have Bob Whites! I had never heard one in Eureka, CA, but I have heard some here in Washington.

Fire Flies!
I loved them, too. What child would not? At first, we poked holes in a jar lid, put a few drops of water in the bottom, added some grass and a sprig or two, then filled the jar with fire flies. How disappointing the next day to find them dead. So we learned to put them in the jar for a little while, then open the window after a few minutes of enjoying them as "night lights," to let them go.

And I learned their other name, too. Lightning bug!

Frogs and Crickets
I was not allowed to find and play with them, but I could not be stopped from enjoying their music!

The Panther
The little old man who lived in Brandon loved to brag about the big black panthers he had seen in the woods behind his house, and my sister and I would give each other looks. Yeah. Sure. A panther in the woods behind his house in Mississippi. And when we were alone, we would giggle about his stories. Obviously, they were not true . . .

Except I read a few months ago about the panthers that most certainly DO live in Mississippi!

It was our ignorance that made us laugh at the old man.