Two the Mills

This is from the back roads of Alabama, from last week. We turned around and went back to this junction where Stephanie had seen a small sign saying “SACO”. We had no idea what that meant until we saw across the road in the trees the Saco Volunteer Fire Department. One ol' fellow (my age?) stopped in his pickup as I was sketching this place, and said this was the corn storage at one time for the grist mill across to the east. Now it is just a hiding place for a load of trees headed to a mill... He also said the corner at one time was home to 13 businesses – such a statement is proof I would think that he had been around for some time. One was the grist mill, one was a cotton gin, one still is apparently the Sorrel Lumber and Pulpwood Company. The only evidence we saw of life besides this informant, was the new brick building across the large lot with a couple pick ups parked beside it in the shade. Well, I guess there was one other fellow there. As I was standing in the middle of the lot sketching, I began to hear some music from under this structure, but could not see anything under there in the darkness. Pretty soon an ol' pick up pulls out from there and around to where I was standing. This ol' boy wanted to know if I would be around long enough for him to see what my drawing looked like when it was done. When he found out I would be just a few minutes, he said, “well I have to be getting home now.” and off he drove.

When I had a couple sketches done, I hopped back in the car with Stephanie, and off we drove to Troy.