Hi All, It is still cold, icy, light snow and sleet still on the ground although it is bright and sunny today. Except for the extra heavy work trucks going by, the traffic is still going pretty slow. I've got pinto beans cooking and will make regular cornbread for me in a little while. I finally figured out how to just make Joe cornbread crust. I made him some in my waffle maker. He loves it. Joe and I have just been staying inside and watching all the birds at his bird feeding station. He has a large plastic tray sitting on an outdoor coffee table under a big cedar tree, you can see all kinds of birds out today. We have a lot of red birds, they are the brightest I've ever seen anywhere. We have seen all kinds of birds in the last few years, he feeds them every morning but more often the last couple of days. There are two crows that also feed there everyday. We used to have four crows that fed winter and summer, every day, most days when I got up all four would be picking over the grass in the back yard but they later, after Joe woke up and filled the tray, would be in front, but one of them was killed, we think flying too low over the road in front of the house, they would fly really low over that road and those pickups fly by like bats outta you-know-where. Joe saw the crow and said it looked like it had been hit. Anyway for several years now we had three crows, you know how they mate for life, every so often a fourth crow would try to edge into the group, but it didn't work until just the last couple of weeks and so we are back to two sets of two. I wish I could tell them all apart. Well, that's what is happening here, what's happening in your neck of the woods? Oh yes, I loved the note in "Attalta Cty." about the local King Herod 1847 & how Possumneck got it's name. (below) POSSUMNECK The small village of Possumneck is located in the western part of Attala County. This unusual community is a neck of land which lies between Big Black River on the west, Sharkey Creek on the east, Sharkey and Apookta Creeks on the south and Rocky Point on the north. The early settlers came from the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. There are no definite records as to when these people first began to migrate to this area, but land grant records show that in June 1835 Duncan McMillan, Elisha Sharp, Anthony Winston and Byran Whitehead acquired acreage; in 1847 a Mr. White acquired nearly two hundred acres. Olive C. Woods and Thomas Anderson purchased land in the Indian Reservations. During this period Robert Cade lived in the community and served as Sheriff of Attala County from 1839 to 1845. Prior to 1847 the area was commonly known as "The Neck", taking its name from the shape of the land. Before the War between the States there was a place on the Big Black River bluff known as Rockport. This was where travelers crossed the river. Some of the travelers continued on westward, and some came to buy slaves at an auction which was held just across the river. Sometimes floodwaters forced the travelers to camp and wait for the waters to recede. At one time there were several stores at Rockport, including a saloon. A famous race track called Bucksnort was built here. To pass away time the men played poker, bet on the horse races, gambled on anything and sometimes fought just for the fun of it. This caused the place to be known as the "Dark Corner" of the county. It is assumed that it was here the community got its start. These people liked a good time and nearly every weekend there would be a social gathering, or square dance at the log schoolhouse or in some home. From all the reports of the "Old Timers" some of these parties were rough and wild. Outsiders were not welcomed; many times these visitors were rudely and roughly shown the way out of the "Neck". W. M. Herod was living in the northern part of the community about this time, and he was known as "King Herod". During a term of court in Attala County a case was called up before the Judge which involved some of the boys from "The Neck". King Herod was referred to and the Judge asked what he was King of. The witness replied, "Oh, Judge, you know the Neck where we catch all them possums". The Judge gave a laugh and replied, "Oh, yes, King of Possumneck". Thus was originated in 1847 the name of Possumneck. Soon after the Civil War many new people came to possumneck to make their homes. Among these were: Felix Cade, John Evans, J. W. Dean, Robert Rigby, J. M. and M. M. White, E. A. Love, J. W. Seawright, Samuel, Nathan, Levi and John Murff. Alfred, John W. and Thomas Guyton, Lawrence Cherry, E. A. Ercanback, J. M. Weeks and J. C. Alexander. In 1875 Allen Rhodes Weeks and his brother John came from the Soringdale community to build their homes. These homes are still standing today. In the late 1880's the Weeks brothers built and operated a saw mill, grist mill and cotton gin. John Weeks did not like the mill business, so he went back to farming. His oldest son, Joseph Allen Weeks, joined the uncle in the mills. The Possumneck store was built for a Mr. Cochran to run, but by 1890 Allen and Joe Weeks bought the business from Cochran as they needed the availability of supplies for the mill workers. For years the store operated under the name of A. R. Weeks and Company. It was in this store that the Possumneck Post Office was established on 18 October 1893 with Joseph Allen Weeks as Postmaster and his sister Emma as Assistant Postmistress. The Post Office was closed on 14 September 1905 and replaced by a rural route from West Station. In the late 1920's W. A. Henley came to work in the store and in 1934 bought the store business. The store was closed in May 1966. Possumneck has become widely known because of the outstanding Tennessee Walking horses which are trained and shown from the Possumneck Stables. In late 1940 this unique enterprise was started when the Charlie Maddoxs bought their first brood mare; her colt proved to be a real show horse by the name of Governor Wright. The stables were named the Joe Annis Stables for the niece and nephew of Mrs. Maddox. Jimmy Holloway came to the stables as trainer in 1954 and in 1971 he bought the stables and additional land in Possumneck. Jimmy trains horses for other people at the Holloway Stables. People from all over the United States visit here, and a sign outside the stable reads, "Visitors are always welcome". The first school house was also used as a meeting house for the people of Possumneck; this house was made of hand-hewn logs. The school's location was moved many times. Once close to Smyrna and once was known as North West School. Miss Bettye Ayers was one of the teachers in the late1800's and Mrs. Whit Weeks taught there in the early 1900's. Unity Baptist Church was built in 1885; the old wooden building was replaced in 1954 with a brick house. This church was built by local men with no indebtedness against it. The community has give cemeteries: Smyrna, Unity, Guess, Thornton and Armstrong. Possumneck citizens are proud of their community; the place that has excited the curiousity of every one that hears the name, Possumn * **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023)