Not evil, it is just a weevil

The Boll Weevil decimated the cotton crops of the South over a century ago.  In most places the economy collapsed and withered, just like the cotton balls out in the field, but not Enterprise Alabama. Here, the insect brought prosperity, as inadvertently as it did.  Elsewhere, the bug transplanted from Mexico caused a total estimate of 23 billion in damages and led to massive social upheaval and mass migration, in Enterprise, realizing what was ahead, they switched to growing peanuts, and the town prospered.

Today was the Boll Weevil Fall Festival in Enterprise Alabama, and yes, Olaf was there, well my wife was there too.  We came late looked on a bit and went and saw some of the statues to the local bug hero.

                           

Pharmacist weevil

Power company employee weevil

This weevil was waiting for a dental exam, Silja was in need of a cleaning so she got in line

farmers market weevil

There was also AC and heating repairman Weevil

Silja was touched by an angel in downtown Enterprise today, literally.  This older woman asked me to send her a photo of the iconic Athena holding the Weevil statue (it is named the Harald of Prosperity erected in 1917), instead Silja volunteered to take her photo.  Why was she an angel, you ask?  Well we told her we were from up north and South Dakota.  The woman proudly exclaimed, she was from heaven.  The Heaven?  Well, there is no "Heaven" in Alabama, in fact, although there are two places called Hell (one in Norway and one in Michigan) there is no city or village named Heaven anywhere in America, so therefore she must be an angel, as there is no other Heaven.  Why is an angel taking a selfie on an Iphone 11?  Maybe the shipment of I-14s have been delayed up there too?

 

Silja taking a photo of an angel in front of the Harald of Prosperity

It was not our only stop with unusual monuments,  We swung through Memphis to see the Great Pyramid of Memphis.  I was tired of three days of heavy wind so I needed a stop.

The Great Pyramid, once a odd basketball stadium (Memphis Grizzlies) is now a Bass Pro Shop and a hotel.  I needed gloves and a belt and lunch sounded like fun.  It was brave to drive the big rig in downtown Memphis at the Riverfront.  I checked the online community.  "Sure, you can camp in the bug lot.  Well, luckily I also read to just park at the Tennessee Welcome visitor center, which we sort of bailed out in when I saw the low arched sign over the road and the ominous warnings, 

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Morale:  do not believe the internet!

We had our visit and got out in one piece, no problem.  Like Enterprise, we came we saw and we weeviled

We are 350 miles from Land O Lakes Florida and our winter campsite, seeing everything in Enterprise and since our campground is a little lo-cal, we will make it tomorrow.  Snowing at home and here, in the land of the cherished weevil, 85 today.  What a difference 1400 miles makes.

So far an uneventful trip and an angel, good day all in all

Olaf