We got settled in to the Shear place complete with a dog named Black Boy and a cat named Geraldine. My dad had built a chicken house and bought us about one hundred Rhode Island Red chickens We raised them without any real losses and had plenty of egg's and eating chickens.

We put out a garden and pretty much waited for summer to come. Summer in this part of the south was pretty warm but not anything you couldn't adjust to. Air conditioning was very uncommon in private homes. Most houses got by with open windows and maybe a big window fan. Going to a movie would get you air conditioning as part of the cost for admission. Cost of the Saturday matinee was  eleven cents. My folks would drop me and baby brother off and go do their Saturday business. Pretty much what everyone else did. Going into town was considered a big deal back then. The Saturday movie in Carbon Hill was always a B-grade western. Usually Johnny Mac Brown or "Lash La rue". A cartoon and a serial rounded out the program. Lowell and me enjoyed the serial. It wasn't that great but our old friend "Catalina Duke" kept showing up in the  short continuing films.

Sunday was church day from day light to dark. We was in the "Bible Belt". Mom was a Baptist and that was that. The church and the members were a big part of our lives. We depended on one another a great deal more than today. My dad didn't attend very much but my mom had Lowell and I along with herself in church every Sunday. I think it did us more good than harm to be exposed to religion. Got to know some really good people along with some that weren't so good but aint that how life is??

The high point of the church year had to be decoration day. Each church set up a day that didn't interfere with another Church's decoration day. We used to spend most of the early summer Sundays going to decoration day at different local churches. I often was amazed at the number of people that showed up. I didn't think there was that many people in the whole county.

Revival time is another church activity that brings everyone together for a spiritual boost. A mid to late summer happening it is solid week of every night church. The revival seems to be losing favor. I think this is due to changing times and the new ways of communication.