Pieces of Hatchechubbee, Alabama

I grew up in a rural Alabama community, where my parents still live.

I took these pictures last time I visited, and thought I'd share them with you. They are pictures of two of my favorite pieces of Hatchechubbee, Alabama

The church where I grew up was built over 100 years ago, and it rests on the same land where its 130 years of members are buried.

The lives that have been put to rest under these stones have become legends both haunting and noble. People who never knew them know and tell their stories.


The bell tower is a booming metropolis for wasps each summer. When I was a little girl, I used to cower as the boys would ring the bell and take off running as the wasps swarmed after them. I think it was one of my first recognitions of just how different I was from the boys. I would be willing to bet that little boys have been ringing that bell and running from wasps each summer for decades and generations.






This may seem like an odd piece to feel drawn to. Let me explain. These roads generally have 1 to 0 cars on them at a time. It was 5:00 in the afternoon when I parked on the side of the road and squatted in the middle of it to take this picture. The other piece is, they get so hot that rain and light interact eerily to bring out a surreal light and fog. I could not quite capture it with my camera, but trust me when I say this interaction of elements defines radiance.





Off of these virtually silent, motionless roads are smaller "neighborhood" roads that look like this:






And more often than people milling about, you see these:





Apparently, someone needs to fix their fence again. Or, someone has given up fixing their fence, knowing where to find ole' Dolly when it's time to milk her.




And, yes, Dolly. I know. It is I who am the intruder here; not you.


They can look at you with a tone, don't you think?