The production of seafood was somewhat handicapped this past week by the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo which took place off the coast of Dauphin Island at the entrance to Mobile Bay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this past week and in which fifteen hundred fishermen and fisherettes participated and it was “the biggest and best” in years.

Between us, we managed to corral the puppies in the kitchen.

In the event of the beasts failing us, we took also ten of the best of those Strathmuir men who had accompanied us on the sea-cow trip, to serve as bearers when it became necessary. It cannot be said that these snuff-and-butter fellows—for most, if not all of them had some dash of white blood in their veins—were exactly willing volunteers. Indeed, if a choice had been left to them, they would, I think, have declined this adventure.

I loved their shouts of welcome as I trudged across the fields carrying the heavy jug. Mama mixed the old time drink from cold well water, a pinch of ginger, molasses and some vinegar to tarten it.