The Good Samaritan

Donny was going to work one morning when a white work truck stopped in front of Valley Point School to turn in. There is lots of construction work going on because Valley Point is building a new school building. 

Donny was sitting, waiting on the man to turn in, when a car suddenly hit him from behind. The impact was so unexpected that he took his foot off the brake and it rolled into the truck in front of him. Now both bumpers are dented and the tailgate looks bad. Fortunately, the guy's truck wasn't damaged because of his trailer hitch but the car that hit Donny was totaled.

The insurance company finally approved the repairs for Donny's truck. Donny asked me to meet him at the house around four o'clock so we could take the truck to the mechanic, Mr. Carroll, to get it fixed. 

I had been at the Whitfield County courthouse this morning. Later I picked up my friend, Joann, and we went to the Cracker Barrel for a bowl of soup. She paid the bill and I paid the tip. That's how I know I had my wallet then. 

Later we went to Walgreen's and while we were in line I got out to look for my pocketbook I had stuffed behind my seat. I needed my dark sunglasses because the sun was finally shining too brightly.

I rushed home to meet Donny and we took his truck to Mr. Carroll's and started to go home but I remembered that Mamma said Donny could drive my daddy's truck while his was being fixed so we went on to Mamma's house to get the truck.

As luck would have it, it wouldn't start, so we called my son and got him to come help push the truck away from the carport so we could get close enough to boost the battery off.

I went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market after that. 

I tried to find my wallet and tore my pocketbook apart and looked all around inside the truck but couldn't find it. Naturally, I got mad and started panicking and calling Joann to ask if she could remember where I had it last. She mentioned that I'd gotten out of the truck. 

She drove around Walgreen's and I called them to see if anybody had turned it in. Joann even called the Cracker Barrel for me. Nobody knew anything.

After about an hour I finally came home and looked for it even though I'd already got Donny to look for it.

The phone rang and I answered it. Somebody said they were Officer Rittenhouse from the Dalton Police Department and wanted to talk to Pamela or Donny Strickland. I was excited and said "I'm Pamela Strickland. Did you find my billfold?"

She told me a nice 85 year old lady turned my wallet in to the police. I asked her where she found it and the lady said it was at the Walgreen's. The officer said I could come pick up my wallet at the police station.

I couldn't believe my good fortune. I offered Officer Rittenhouse a reward for the lady who turned my wallet in and she called the lady to tell her that I wanted to give her something but she said she was just glad she was able to help. Her name was Mrs. Manis. She has renewed my faith in people again. 

                                                

There aren't enough stories about good people who do good deeds and I believe people like Mrs. Manis are few and far between. They deserve a special thanks and honor. Not everybody would be that honest.

Thank you, Mrs. Manis. 
Donny said I'm lucky. 
No, I'm blessed.

AS ALWAYS
PIO

Wreck in Dug Gap

You may remember when Mamma's mailbox got squashed after Daddy passed away. Well, it happened again. What the heck is going on with people? The driver knocked down sixty feet of cedar fence and two mailboxes on Dug Gap Road.

It's always something!

I thought I'd post pictures of this wreck because I got some negative feedback from the last wreck I posted. I am an equal opportunity offender. 

I, personally, find it offensive when people wreck in front of our houses. I especially dislike when someone squashes our mailbox or destroys our property. Daddy put the cedar fence in front of his house. A distracted, pregnant woman ran over it and wiped it out. That is one more thing we have lost since my father died. 

I don't know about you but I have had a shitty couple of years and I am only now beginning to feel normal most of the time. I still break down sometimes and think about everything. It is so personal and such a mystery how a person reacts to grief. Sometimes people act brave and carry on. Sometimes it takes time, lots of time, to let go of the pain. We were like that when we lost my cousin. The whole family reeled from shock. Some people never got over the loss but time marches on and we eventually learned to deal with it. 

Right now I am thinking about all the tests the doctors put Daddy through which eventually led to his demise. He had a bad heart and was on blood thinners but started passing clots. Everything combined against him. The invasive exploratories exacerbated his condition and the doctors gave up.

I have my own pain and I am not the kind of person who wants to cause pain for others. I did not mean to disrespect the driver and I really didn't think I had the right to even mention she was a woman because I didn't want anyone to make a smart ass comment about women drivers. I didn't want to say anything about the person because I knew the wreck was bad and they were very, very lucky to be alive. Since I didn't see a soul around who looked like they knew the driver I didn't ask the firemen or Georgia Patrol for the driver's name. It wasn't any of my business. I only wanted to post a story on my blog about another wreck in Resaca. 

Thank God the lady is alive and obviously improving. Thank God she has loyal family and friends who support her and want to protect her. Don't be hating. Count your blessings because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

 Peace

AS ALWAYS

PIO

updated
PBS 9-10-2015 11:50 pm edt

Wreck in Resaca

It's always something.

NOVEMBER

Today I was sitting in Colt's room playing on his computer when I heard a big "BAM". I jumped up immediately and headed out the door as I said, "Somebody had a wreck!" Colt and Donny weren't far behind. We piled outside to see what was going on.

I could see a flame of fire on the shoulder of the road. By the time I got to the end of the driveway the fire was out but wreckage was strewn across the highway. Traffic was stopped in both directions and some people were headed to the scene of the accident. 

A motorcycle wheel was laying on the shoulder of the road beside the driveway of the church near our house. Further down the road there was a blue car in the ditch on the other side of the road. A motorcycle was laying down at the second driveway of the church.

People gathered around a man laying on the pavement. Several men and two ladies were trying to comfort him. One lady, kneeling down beside him was trying to keep him calm and awake. Another woman was on a cell phone calling 911 and the young man's father. Traffic began to back up in both directions before long.

Two guys were in the blue car. They weren't as badly hurt as the motorcyclist. One man said he was the driver. He told me he was trying to pass a car when he ran into the motorcycle head on. He admitted it was all his fault. He hadn't seen the motorcycle until it was too late. 

An ambulance came and transported the motorcycle rider to the hospital. He was in serious condition.

Soon two wreckers came and loaded up the motorcycle and the car and took them away. Finally, the road was cleared and everything looked back to normal.

With that in mind, and the holidays on the way, everybody needs to drive carefully and keep an eye out for other drivers, especially motorcyclists and bike riders. You never know when one small decision can change someone's life. Stay safe and don't speed. Five extra minutes isn't worth anyone's life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Samantha, Dawn, and Larry

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Roy and Sara

REMEMBER
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

AS ALWAYS
PIO

Another Wreck in Resaca

This car was going north on Hwy 41 in Resaca Georgia when it turned in front of an oncoming vehicle.

Traffic was backed up after the wreck. It didn't take the LEO long to show up. Fire Trucks and Ambulances showed up, too.

I think that was a PT Cruiser that took that big Cadillac out. I was surprised there wasn't more damage to the Cruiser.

* * *

Over the past 22 years we have seen countless wrecks and accidents. I usually don't think to take pictures but I was able to take the pictures on my cell phone and (with Colt's help) put them up here. 

The man driving the Cadillac was going to visit the Wheat's. He got out of the car and went to talk to Mr. Wheat. I finally figured out that a man and a woman had been driving the PT Cruiser. The lady took pictures with her cell phone, too. I couldn't figure how the white car landed over the ditch and not IN the ditch. If he swung around through the driveway he barely missed a couple of reflectors there. And if he swung around over the ditch how come he didn't fall in it? Who knows? The couple didn't appear to be hurt and the old man was walking around and talking to Mr. Wheat so he looked like he would be alright. I talked to one of our neighbor's who told me that he had lost his wife in February when he was making a turn on the Dalton By-Pass and was T-Boned in the passenger door. His name was Mr. Slaughter. He said he thought the man driving the Cadillac could be Mr. Wheat's father. Don't quote me on that though because I didn't ask.

That's All For Now 

It's always something.

AS ALWAYS

PIO