MONTGOMERY THE COTTON PORT

 Being a former pilot on the lower Mississippi and the author of a book on inland navigation rights, I pride my self on my ability to determine that a body of water is or was commercially navigable in a single glance. Of course SWWBO (She Who Would Be Obeyed)  thinks its just another indication I've "gone around the bend". SWWBO really doesn't appreciate me. But that's OK. Think about it. The readers of VOGUE voted Sean Connery( the actor famous for his portrayals of British Secret Agent 007) to be "The Sexiest Man in the World" the year he turned 70. Hell, I'm only 64, when I'm full grown I could be dangerous! We've been married 40 years, next year I'm sure she'll start to like me, if not then maybe when I'm full grown and all the other women in the world are crazy about me. Anyway SWWBO and I were eating and drinking, OK mostly drinking, down at the Maxwell Club on the Air Force Base. It got to be sort of a dare to prove my "one eyed assertion" that Montgomery had been a big cotton port. So we blew a big part of the afternoon off on a quest.

 We went to the Alabama State Archive. This place is the Library of Congress of the South with a bit of the Smithsonian thrown in for good measure. I knew if there were records, artifacts or photos that could prove my "one eyed assertion". They'd be there. What a difference between Washington DC and Montgomery, Alabama. At Washington official buildings you just about have to disrobe and endure a strip search to enter. At Montgomery I'd rate the Capitol Building and the Archive right up there with any of the great Washington edifices for both architecture and contents. But there are no crowds and you are met by a docent who just says "Hello, what are you looking for. So I told him, proof that Montgomery was once a big river port. In an instant he led me to a friendly lady who had me fill in some forms and then I was whisked into the heart of the collection, where in about five minutes flat I was looking at ancient glass negative photos of the old Montgomery waterfront lined with class A river steamers. BINGO! What a delightful place. I authored nine books that are in the card catalogue of the U.S. Supreme Court Law Library and I was refused admission to the library  because I was not admitted to the practice of law in the District of Columbia. In Montgomery I was made a card carrying researcher for free upon showing my out of state drivers license. No wonder Alabama succeeded from the union they are absolutely nothing like the people on the Potomac, really they should do it again, the cultural gulf is insurmountable.. 

 So I won my bet and SWBWO had to be the designated driver as we motored off to attend happy hour at the Maxwell Club. I was in there hoisting rum and cokes like it was 1967 again when SWBWO had her revenge. Shoving her wrist watch under my nose she reminded me that  I" hadn't done jack for work all day" and didn't I know that "work is the curse of the drinking class". I was then led by the ear out of the Officer's Club. That's how I came to be here in the motel lobby at 9  PM trying to write a blog . Meanwhile SWWBO is back in the room with total control of a bottle of white wine and giggling like a school girl. I can't wait to be full grown.



ON LINE FISHING EQUIPMENT SHOP