Alexis, NC

8:00am came very early this morning when I left to pick up my brother for the family reunion. We met about 10 Stroupe's in Alexis, NC and took them to a cemetery in somebody's front yard where we believe that Adam and Jacob are buried. My were the folks living in that house surprised to wake up and find us stomping around in their yard. Some of the grave markers are just field stones and we are most certain that two of the field stones are Jacob's and Adam's as "old" Solomon is buried there. Then we took them to a cemetery that is about 100 yards in the woods after driving through a trailer park. The folks who were with us who had never seen these places were amazed. Then we took them where we had to hike through the woods....hike being the operative word. We needed a machete to get through the briars and posion ivy that I am sure to be covered in......about a half mile to some of our Stroupe markers that are covered in blackberry vines. A good time was had by all. We returned to the Baptist Church where the reunion was held. Since it was a good Southern Baptist Church I knew they wouldn't mind my giving myself a good foot and calve washing to hopefully remove the poison ivy I had wallored in. Is that how you spell "wallored?" There were about 120 people attending the reunion, and I will never remember all I met. Back "in the day" seems quite a few folks married their first cousins and I covered my ears each time I was introduced to a double cousin. Lots of gossip. My mind is swimming with it. I didn't get back to the camper until 6:00 pm, and I am looking forward to traveling to Asheville, NC tomorrow morning. Billy is such a sweetheart to let me spend the last few days alone with my brother. He is 12 years older than me, and has always been a special part of my life. He is still seeing double and one eye is almost completely closed, so I have been his driver for the week and he introduces me as his seeing eye dog. I will be grateful when we find out what is causing his vision problems. Cousin George Rhyne surprised us all be showing up at the reunion and it was great to see him again. I talked to Lewis Burton on the phone last night and he was in Gastonia playing in a Putt Putt tournament. He was going to try to get over to Alexis, but didn't make it. Hope that means that he was winning. He said he would try to get out of Atlanta in the next few days to come see us in Asheville. Tired....going to bed. Thanks for stopping by. I love you Bubba. You were a Rock Star at the reunion today.