The Old Bridge

This old bridge holds many memories for me. Years ago our family would cross this bridge on our way into Memphis to see my grandparents and relatives. Daddy crossed the bridge on his way to work and so did I when I started working.

Twenty five or more years ago there were improvements made to the road along with giving it a new direction. The bridge was closed to traffic.

Brent was raised in the city, but had the heart of a country boy. He loved living in the country. The first couple of years that Brent and I were married we went fishing together, or Brent and my brother-in-law would go fishing or hunting. When Brent and Ronnie would go coon hunting my sister, Grace, and I would take turns going to each others house. We'd stay up until the boys got home from hunting. Sometimes it would be 2-3 am. We spent the time playing Scrabble, drinking coffee, cooking, watching TV, talking or cleaning house. My sister taught me how to cook those coons. It taste very much like beef roast. It is excellent cooked with sweet potatoes and gravy. Even our dogs, Bob (Grace & Ronnie's blue tick hound) and Tandy (our lab & pit bull mix), were the best of friends. They both went hunting with Brent and Ronnie.

Ronnie grew up in the area and knew all the places to hunt and fish. Brent and Ronnie were always on the lookout for new places to fish or hunt. The old bridge had a new job. It became the perfect fishing pier. One evening Brent, myself, Ronnie and Grace went fishing off the old bridge. We had chaise lounge chairs, a cooler of drinks, and a lot of fishing poles. Brent and Ronnie set out all the poles and dropped them in water. There were small bells on the poles. When we got a bite the bells would ring a small soft sound. We were after catfish. We sat there from sunset to about 3 am. It was a wonderful time. There is never much traffic on that road and after midnight I don't remember seeing or hearing any cars. We were relaxed, talking and having a great evening.























This photo, taken about 1983, is of Tandy on the right and her son, Bear. They were our children before Anna was born.

The next photo is of my brother-in-law, Ronnie, taken about 1983 with his dog, Bob, and some of the coon hides. Unlike most owners of hunting dogs, Ronnie raised his hunting dogs in his home. He never put them in pens only to be brought out at hunting time.

The last photo, taken in August 1982, is of Brent's catch from the pond on the back of the property. We ate good that night and had some to put in the freezer too!