Ms Lillian, Plains, Georgia

November 1976

After Jimmy Carter was elected president, in November 1976, we drove to Plains, Georgia, to check out the President-to-be's stomping ground.   We saw his mother, Ms Lillian herself walking across the street.  With her long legs she was walking fast.  Some people had a hard time keeping up with her.  In the Train Station she had a chair and desk whee she was signing autographs.   She was very nice and graceful until a woman reached out to hug her and she recoiled like a caged animal.  She said something of the effect, "Do not touch me!"

After all, she was a nurse. 

Plains, Georgia, November 1976

A Sampling of my Wares

Jimmy's Brother Billy Carter on the move.

Billy Carter's Service Station

Jimmy's Mother "Miss Lillian" Carter on the move

Miss Lillian Carter in the Railroad Depot autographing. 

Miss Lillian was very congenial and polite to all the gawkers  around her.  But she had to snap at a couple of people who reached out to shake her hand.  Apparently she did not want to touch anybody's germy hands.  I'm sure being a nurse for any years taught her that humans are natural carriers of germs.

In November 1976, after Jimmy Carter was elected President, Anna and I drove down to Plains, Georgia.  I took a lot of pictures of the town.  I took on the role of a rude unscrupulous prying paparazzi  photographer.  

About 30 years later when I started my blog Chicken-fat in a desperate search for material I remembered my Plains pictures and  published them on the blog.  There are some pictures of Mrs. Lillian Carter signing autographs;  some of Billy Carter; and some buildings.  Actually, just after I took a picture of Billy in his vehicle he shot me a bird- he caught me with my camera down.... I miss the best shots sometimes.

Arcadia Press is releasing  a book about Plains, and Jimmy Carter.  The editor, Bobby Buccallato searched and found my Plains pictures on Chicken-fat.  He emailed me and asked for permission to use some of them in his book and I said sure.

Today the book JIMMY CARTER IN PLAINS will be released.  The launching site is the Carter Center in Atlanta.  We were asked to be there this evening.  We probably will.

Ernie Marrs and the Dashboard Jesus

In playing a little Facebook make believe game you were to make up something  untrue about the person you are verbally dueling with.  Marian Wagner made up that I worked with her at THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD.  I jokingly said, "I thought you was Ernie Marrs!"

Let me tell you about THE GEAT SPECKLED BIRD and Ernie Marrs:  If you are young  or new to the area, you might not heard of either.

THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD was an Atlanta underground newspaper in the late 1960s and 1970s.  It bravely took on the establishment in stories,  political cartoons,  and editorials.  Hippy-looking people on street corners peddled the newspaper.  It was well done and very informative.

One of the editors was the late Ernie Marrs.  Earnie was a song  writer, singer, poet, philosopher, and roofer, which was his day job, that he did not quit.  Ernie wrote several songs that made it high on the charts.  The one that comes to mind is "DASHBOARD JESUS."

A co-worker, Pat,  knew  Ernie well.  They were regulars at the Stein Club on Peachtree, just south of 10th Street.  One time, I think it was a Sunday  Anna and I were driving around with Pat and  she was telling us all about Ernie Marrs.  She asked if we wanted t meet him and we said yes.

He lived in Little Five Points in a garage apartment.  When we got  to the steps leading to his apartment I had been drinking some, and had to pee.  I thought I would use Ernie's bathroom.  I couldn't hold it much longer.  I was the first one up the stairs knocking on the door.

No one came.

Ernie was not at home.

Like I said, I could hold it any longer, so I urinated off the top landing of his steps, facing the big looming buildings of Atlanta.  Anna and Pat were waiting in the car.

Then I heard footsteps running  up the stairs.  I introduced myself to Ernie Marrs  and shook his hand with my only free hand. 

We had an instant party.  He played some good music and poured the booze.  He was glad to see us, or I suspect he was glad to see Pat.  He pulled out correspondence he had with Bob Dylan and  other nobles of the topical folk world and read and pointed out things in the letters.

I think we had a party and invited him once and if I remember correctly, he had to work late, those roofs don't put themselves up, you know.

In The Boondocks

About 1959 a group of us teenagers went to Panama City Beach, Florida.  I was surprised my parents allowed me to go.  I think I only started off with $30.  It was a tradition every year to go to Florida, leave the night of the seniors graduation ceremony.  This was my first time.   We went in Billy Joe Royal's black 1950 Ford.  Yes, Billy Joe Royal was soon-to-be famous rock and roll rockabilly singer.  Also Billy Joe's brother Jack, his friend Charlie, Tommy Hadaway, Harry Whitten, and me.

We left about midnight and drove all night.  I remember waking up and it was early daylight.  Everybody else was asleep  We were driving down a newly cut dirt road with no houses ,no  telephone poles, or anything.  Obviously Harry was lost.

I think we arrived on the strip at Panama City Beach about noon.  Between six of us I had the most money.    We looked for the cheapest room available.  Across the street was  the Key of Rest Motel, a rundown dumpy  little motel with not many units.   It was something like $5 or $6 a day.  Since I was the one with the money I signed us in.  The owner, a suspicious-eye salty middle aged lady asked how many were staying.  Billy Joe, which was in the office with me said "Two"

"What about the others?"

I forgot what he replied, but probably saying they already had rooms.

The room was small and shared a bath room with another room, which was not occupied.

We brought our stuff in and went out to the beach to meet up with friends already.  I was delighted that the sand was so white and the Gulf was so blue and calm and you could open your eyes under water and they didn't burn all that much.

I was also delighted that we could openly buy beer without the store clerks questioning us.  We found a cheap beer, Spearman Straight 8 I think was the name of it.

On the beach was a sun-tan lotion tent.  You pay a fee and to into the tent and get sprayed.  I did not go in but thought it was interesting. 

Next to  the suntan lotion tent  was a sign saying:  COLORED MAIDS IN BATHIN SUITS ARE NOT PERMITTED ON BEACH.   It made me feel bad.  What right did anybody have to deprive a group of people of their right on public tax-paid property.  It seemed far from the SEPARATE BUT EQUAL ruling to me.  There was nothing equal about it.

We swam and sunned.  Then we returned to our room, and sat around on the floor and talked,  drank beer, and remembering funny incidences and so on.  We left the room with  a lot of empty beer bottles and cans scattered about. 

We went out and ate something cheap and came back.  The room was all cleaned up and the empty beer containers were neatly in order.

We had a good time on the beach and that night at "The Hangout", and opened -air pavilion where teenagers hung out and danced to rock & roll music.

When we returned to the room we realized we were all blistered.  We were painfully sore.  The adjoining room was still empty so half of us slept  there.

In the middle of the night she opened the owner showed the other room to a newlywed couple.  She opened the door and flicked on the lights exposing 3 or 4 lobster looking teen boys who had nothing all but their jockey underwear. 

Everybody screamed.

She kicked us out immediately.  I asked for our money back.  She gave me a hateful laugh that meant, "Like Hell!"

When we left she wisely demanded to search our suitcases.  In some of our suitcases she found three or four of her towels.

We finished the night sleeping or talking in the car, now in a public parking lot for the beach.  I think the biggest topic of conversation was "What now?  we don't have a room or money."

In Florida $30 can slip out of your hand  very easily.  Another thing I forgot to mention, at the beginning of the trip I lent Billy Joe Royal $5.  He promised me he would not rest until he paid me back.  That was 56 years ago.  Poor guy hadn't had a peaceful night of rest in 56 years.

My memory is hazy but Billy Joe and Jack wanted to look an old friend that moved there a year before.  We found him, not where he lived but where he worked.  He was working so he couldn't talk to us long.

Somehow we took up a collection among our friends who were not broke, enough to buy us gas to get to Billy Joe and Jack's uncle and aunt in Valdosta, Georgia.    I remember on our trip back we got lost in Tallahassee, Florida, in the middle of darkness.

We stayed with Billy Joe's and Jack's relatives in Valdosta and Tipton, Georgia, for almost three weeks. 

They were not rich people but boarded us anyway.  Although they did request for us to use the same bathtub water.  Six baths with the same water.

They  took us to a dance at the American Legion in Sylvester, Georgia, and a couple of dances in a furniture warehouse in Valdosta.  Interesting, his uncle played the guitar in a band at the furniture warehouse.  During our whole three week stay in south Georgia Billy Joe had music on his mind 24 hours a day.  He sung, imitated popular songs, played their piano and guitar... it seemed like all the time.

Billy Joe started playing the guitar in his uncle's band in the warehouse concerts.  I think that was the first time he played in front of an audience. 

A Senior Moment Explained

Yesterday morning I thought Anna had said, "Jack Nicholson died."  I slapped my town crier hat on and went to work as BLOGMAN! 

First, I found what I thought a fitting picture of Jack Nicholson  to announce his death, in a humorous sort of way and put it on facebook.

Then, as I was looking on Google to say something interesting about Jack I thought it was strange no one had announced his death yet.  Was this a scoop just for me?  Then on THE TODAY SHOW I heard Bla Nichblabla had died.  It went on to say he directed  THE GRADUATE.  I said thought, "He did not!"  It was Mike Nic.....?"  Then it hit me.   Aww Shoot!  I made a mistake and made it public. 

Of course, I was corrected by my  Facebook  friends as I should have been.

 So much for my credibility now.

On the bright side, now that my blog reputation is ruined people will not expect me to  keep up  high standards like correctly spelled words and good English.

Mike Nichols was an excellent director and playwright.  I hate to see him go.

On This Date, November 5,in History...

On this date,  November 5, 1969 Al Capp (1909-1979) died.  He was the cartoonist who created LI'L ABNER, FEARLESS FOSTICK, and the many characters that surrounded them.  For a while he was a hero of liberalism then things shifted and became a hero of conservatism.   In his cartoons he called things as he saw them, which I think sometimes he saw them threw tainted lenses.  

 He had some interesting messages in his cartoon stories, which incidentally, he was a fantastic story teller - if one would take the time to transcribe his comic stories into words  I think each story would stand the test of time and be  a classic on its own.

In his later years he was on the college speaking circuit, which he defended his beliefs.  During this time he had a reputation of luring young coeds to his room.  I think he may have been falsely accused.

Also on this date in 1911 Roy Rogers  was born and in 1942 Art Garfunkel was born. 

Happy Trails to you.

Today, September 10, in History

"You talking to me?"*

1608 - John Smith was elected president of the Jamestown Colony Counsel, Virginia. 
1776 - Georgia Washington asked for a spy volunteer.  Nathan Hale volunteered. 

1893 - Al "Fuzzy" St. John was born in Santa Ana, Ca.  Fuzzy played a slaptick side kick to cowboy movie heroes in the black and white days.  I enjoyed watching his antics with Lash Larue and Happalong Cassidy and probably more.

Strangely in the 1950s Fuzzy St. John was in Marietta, Georgia.  He was looking for land to invest in.  And double strangely, Fuzzy's "straight-man" side kick Lash LaRue was arrested in Marietta not long before for public drunkeness or vagrancy..... Now, it we can only connect Hoppalong Cassidy,  The Long Ranger & Tonto, Bob Steele, and Johnny MacBrown to Marietta the collection will be complete.

Speaking of Fuzzy St. John here is a poem I read many years ago within a joke, and trying to find an excuse to recite it and this is a good place as any:

A father read his little son a bedtime story:

Fuzzy Wuzzy wuz a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wuzn't fuzzy,
wuz he?

"Maw, Paw's drunk again!"

*private joke.

So Long Joe South, It Was Good to Know You

Joe South is dead at 72.  I think he was a great song writer and a humble person, well, as humble as a music star can be.

I met him a couple of times at concerts that involved my old friend Billy Joe Royal, who he was the producer for.  I doubt if he remembered me no more than he remembered swatting a gnat 55 years ago.  Well, I doubt if Billy Joe remembers me either.


I like Joe's music.  I think the words will be around for many years.  Some of it seems to take a profound Hindu outlook at life transformed into rockabilly words.  At the moment the only thing that comes to mind is "WALK A MILE IN HIS SHOES".... that is just like me, the only thing I can come up with is an an ancient
Chinese proverb * that he borrowed.

*Actually I am just guessing it was a Chinese Proverb.  I googled it and could not find the origin of the saying, but I did come across a funny explaination, "Walk a mile in his shoes before you criticize him; thus if it makes him mad at least you have a mile headstart on him.

August 21, This Date in History

1873.  Jesse James robbed his first train.  I was told that one of the families they hid out with from time to time were Trammells.  Relatives no doubt.

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899.  He was a great writer.  He wrote about rugged types of adventures and just about lived the same kind of drink-straight-from-the-bottle kind of life.  I have read only one of his books, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.  But I did see the FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLED movie.  He made Key West a tourist spot. 

When I think of Earnest Hemingway I think of big game hunting, charging elephants, tigers, bears, and maybe even sharks with knives.  Earnest Hemingway also reminds me of the movie HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA JUNE by Kurt Vonnugut, Jr.  It was first a play then it was made into a movie starring Rod Steiger - of course it had other people in it, but Rod Steiger's character is who I want to point out.  Steiger's character is very much like Earnest Hemingway.  His Manhattan apartment was decorated with mounted heads and stuffed animals that he had killed big game hunting.  Just like Hemingway, he was a man's man.  They went out and bought a birthday cake from a local bakery at the last minute.  The only birthday decorated cake the bakery had was one that had HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA JUNE on it.  It was a cake that was not picked up.  It was to be Wanda June's 13th birthday.  She was ran over and killed.  Which had another story-line, Jesus and Wanda June watched the interaction of the birthday party her cake was from above making witty comments about it all.  It was sort of like a Greek play.  The grabber of the play/movie, was that the Hemingway-like character, the man's man, so to speak, was impotent.  Never trust a book by its cover.

Don Knotts was born in 1824.  I think he is best known for his character Barnie Fife and his one bullet on the Andy Griffin's MAYBERRY, RFD.  The first I noticed him was on the STEVE ALLEN SHOW and the first TONIGHT SHOW, MC: Steve Allen.  He had the nervous high strung type of character down-pat.  I don't think he had to research his character-type much at all.

Dave and J. Fred Muggs

Dave Garroway died in 1982.  Dave was the first TODAY SHOW host.  Dave was a very casual dignified type of guy.  It seems to me THE TODAY SHOW has been falling in dignity ever since.  After Hugh Downs I feel it took a sharper degree falling downward.  Boy, Dave Garroway and his partner J. Fred Muggs knew how to show some dignity - especially that time J. Fred threw a birthday cake in Dave's face.

Elvis Died on this Date of Heart Ailment.

It is true, on August 16, 1977 Elvis died with a heart ailment.  Heart as in Heart Break Hotel.

Also, in 1989 Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) died and in 1948 Babe Ruth died.

Also gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896 and in 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, which some are still looking for loopholes.

So Long Dlick Clark (1928-2012)

Dick Clark died today at age 82.

There is a cartoon by Gary Larson showing Dick like a poof of wind, suddenly aging into an old man in front of everybody. He looked like a young person, even after his stroke.

He sparked many top 40-type of musical careers in his lifetime.

Next New Year's Eve will be different.

And those are the only comments I can come up with.

HOWDEE!!!

Today is history: On this date March 4,1996 Minnie Pearl country comedienne (Grand Ole Opry), died at age 84. I wonder if one of her big toes had her funeral cost on it.

So Long Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Saturday we went to a home show in Duluth, Georgia, to get some ideas about our bathroom project. Our GPS navigator Jill gave us the scenic tour. We went through the John’s Creek area of nice homes and rolling hills and by The Country Club of the South.

I noticed at The Country Club of the South all drives going into the area were gated. I told Anna that is where Whitney Houston used to live. I thought to myself of the times Whitney and her spouse Bobby Brown had domestic problems of violence and drugs and called 911. How did the emergency vehicles, fire trucks, and police cars get through the gates? Whitney died near the same time I was thinking about her and her problems.

Later we learned that Whitney was found dead at the Beverly Hills Hilton. My first thought was “drug overdose”.

She was a great singer. I think her gospel singing upbringing taught her to develop her musical talent – it is a shame the gospel upbringing didn’t teach her other things about life.

She had such a lovely heartwarming smile it is shame that it will be nevermore. Last night on the news they showed a lot of pictures of Whitney – and a good many of them she looked lit or high.

The bad thing about people who develope reputations of being dope addicts – they are not allowed to die a natural life, I’m sure many actually do die natural life having heart-attacks, cancer, and all other natural forces that take lives – but the public will remember how they made the news and are sure that is what caused their deaths. What will Whitney's legacy be?

Woody Allen Turns 76 Today

Allen Stuart Konigsberg was born this day, December the 1st, in 1935 in Brooklyn. Later he changed his name to Woody Allen. He turns 76 today.

Woody is amazing. His mind churns out one liner jokes after another, without ending. He was a writer for various show people such as Sid Caesar, Gary Moore, and others, and also did stand-up comedy in small clubs Finally he channeled most of his talents into movie making. Each movie he does, he pretty much controls it from writing it and directing it. But, he is too shy to give the great actors he chooses directions and encourage them to ad-lib and play it by ear. His movies are always innovative, trying things never tried before – not that he is trying to be pace setter, he just marches to his own drummer.





Speaking of music, he plays a clarinet in a small band, which it appears he values more than his movie-maker accomplishments and reputation. One time his movie ANNIE HALL was nominated for a number of Academy Awards and Woody said he couldn’t make it to the presentation because it was on a Monday night and his band had a gig that same night. ANNIE HALL won 5 Oscars that night that Wood did not know until he picked up his newspaper the following morning.

If you know Woody Allen's music you might have recognized his WILD MAN BLUES on several of my Youtube Videos that have been on my blog.



Woody is creative, shy, humble, and perhaps a little strange. Like, for instance he ran off with his and his wife Mia Farrow’s adopted child, with romantic intentions – after she was old enough , of course.



A couple weeks ago NPR and a two part series on Woody’s life and his professionism. I recorded it and am watching in bits and pieces. It is a very interesting study of one of this time periods greatest innovators.


In the three and half hour NPR special I have watched two hours so far. As yet, Woody’s physique has not been mentioned. He is a little frail guy, but he can leap long high bounds like an antelope. He also has a comedic body language like a mime or a clown. But I noticed as he ages he is doing less bobbing up and down. I can understand that.

Happy Birthday Woody!

On This Date, August 16th...

1812: General Hull surrenders Detroit & Michigan territory to England. I read that Detroit is trying to make a comeback. It was suffering from 45% unemployment because the big ones of the auto industry moved to other locations, leaving the city high and dry. I think now the State Department is going over the legalities of the terms that General Hull surrendered Detroit to England in 1812 and say England won Detroit fair and square and it is now back under British rule as far as the U.S. is concerned.




1925: Fess Parker Fort Worth Texas Fess Elisha Parker was born either on August 16th, 1924 or August the 16th, 1925, take your pick. Wikipedia says he was born in 1924, on-line This Day in History says 1925.. He is probably best remembered for playing Davy Crockett and wearing a coonskin hat in the Disney movie. However, he also wore a coonskin hat playing Daniel Boone on a TV series. He also played James Andrews of Andrews Raiders in Disney’s GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE, which sort of started here in Marietta but really got underway a few miles up the track at Kennesaw… or was the name of it Big Shanty then? Not long ago we were in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta andread a sign said James Andrew was hung something like 40 or 50 feet from the sign, which would have been across Memorial Drive. I looked over to the spot the sign was pointing to and saw Fess Parker swinging at the end of a rope.




1977: Elvis Presley died of a heart ailment at Graceland at 42 and the music stopped.

This Day in History, August the 3rd

Comedian Lenny Bruce died this date, August 3, 1966, of a morphine overdose.

Lenny Bruce had a persistent back pain which he had prescribed pain medicine to help him get through it. I honestly don’t know if he ever used illegal drugs or not.

He was a stand-up comedian and arrested many times for his drugs and his indecent comedy routines. How indecent you ask? He made jokes about the Pope in Chicago, which the police force then was predominately Catholic. That is how indecent. He also poked fun of American idols and used four letter words freely on stage.

Some give him credit for giving freedom of speech to comedians and in the long run made sitcoms more realistically.

Some might even say Lenny died so other funny people can even be more funnier.

He gets the Pie-In-The Face Stand-Up Comedy Award, posthumously, of course. Or is that posthumorsly? get it? yuk yuk!

Alex the Multi- Affluent Languge Monger

Jeopardy TV-game host Alex Trebek ruptured his Achilles tendon while chasing alleged robber Lucinda Moyers after Trebek caught Moyes allegedly in his room stealing valuables.

I would love to have seen that. If you know the game show JEPARDY you know Alex Trebek can speak a number of languages affluently, and does so often. Close your eyes and picture Trebek chasing a thief down the corridor of an exclusive hotel cursing him in Spanish, French, Japanese, Dutch, and Swahilis

Bob Dylan (Robert A Zimmerman) Turns 70 Today!

Like a Rolling Stone Blowing in the Wind on Maggie's Farm but its all right Ma, I'm only dying1

Elizabeth Taylor Is Dead at 79.

The graceful legendary actress is dead. She went through 8 husbands and is said her private life was as dramatic as her on-screen life. If someone would ask me who would I think was an excellent "vamp" actress, I would say Elizabeth Taylor. She was a good actress ever since she was a kid.

I just heard on the news she was an excellent business woman with her perfume company.

Also she was a humanist, makingthe world aware how tragic the HIV virus is when the public had a negative view of the disease is and initiated organizations to get help for AIDS victims.

I don't think no one can deny she was a beautiful person, inside and out.... but she did appear batty at times.

So Long Leslie!