Peeping through my Venetian blind, I thought of the old saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” With all the rain we’ve had this April, there ought to be myriads of May flowers.

As I drove about this week, I noticed some early May flowers – magnolias, deutzia, spiderworts, buttercups, daisies, iris, and roses such as the Van Fleet and Seven Sisters.

My Seven Sisters was given me by Jim and Eva Maloy when they lived in Andalusia. It reminds me of them, of course, each year when it blooms. What a wonderful couple!

Driving through Greenville this week, I was impressed by the red Knock-Out roses, outlining the cloverleaf.

While in Greenville I met Mrs. Gotrocks for lunch at the Cracker Barrel. We sat at the favorite table of the Portly Gentleman, the corner table where hangs the picture of Hopalong Cassidy.

Back in my sedan I heard some classical music played over the public radio. The announcer credited the Estep family, late of Andalusia, with sponsorship of the program. I was proud of the association of our county capital with culture.

Cousin Jo of Lexington, South Carolina, shared an accidental “find” with me. She was in Books-A-Million, browsing, when she came upon a magazine called Southern Cakes. In it was a feature on Dean’s Cake House, run for the last 21 years by Dean Jacobs of Andalusia.

As I was heading to Montgomery, along the “Double Nickel,” this week, I stopped for lunch at B & H Restaurant, run by the Bush and Hartly families. It has been open about two weeks and occupies the building once known as Kayla’s, closed now for about eight months.

The hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday, 7 a.m. through 2 p.m..

Seen at the Steamboat for lunch were Ashton and Katie Sue Wells, Charles Gantt, Peggy Stinson, Eddie Edson and his family, Shannon Glenn, Bob O’Neal, Judge Bowden, Hampton Glenn, Brian Dove, Greg Henderson, Jerry Wishum, Fran Davidson, and Lori Couturie.

At my request, Fran gave me an update on her sister, Brenda Fryer. She and her husband Louie live in Millbrook and are retired. Their son, Adrian, lives in Atlanta with his wife Karen and their two sons, John and Tommy. Louie’s mother recently turned 101 in Ft. Walton.

Trudie Steele, a local artist, and I enjoyed a “sidewalk” conversation when we ran into each other at the P.O. this week.

Driving past Tabby D’s, I spotted my first bluebird of the spring.

Once again, I ask the citizens of Andalusia to join the Covington Historical Society and pay its annual dues of $25 to help preserve the history of our county, whether you attend meetings or not. Mail to CHS, P.O. Box 1582, Andalusia, Alabama 36420.

To commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States, let us return to this month 150 years ago.

On April 12 Southern General Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia formally surrendered to Northern General Grant.

Federal troops occupied Mobile, Alabama.

Northern General Wilson occupied Montgomery, Alabama.

Northern General Sherman occupied Raleigh, North Carolina.

On April 14 President Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died the next day, and Andrew Johnson of Tennessee became president.

Southern Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered to General Sherman under terms that were later rejected by those in authority over Sherman.

Confederate President Davis and his party fled south.

John S. Mosby, known as “the Gray Ghost,” disbanded his troops.

General Wilson took Talladega and several other Alabama towns.

General Sherman’s plans for peace, made with General Johnston, were overruled; so the two generals agreed to meet again, concerning terms of surrender.

The mysterian is Miss Mattie Waters. Who was she?

Recent birthdays are those of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States; Noah Webster, the American who published his dictionary in 1828; William Gilmore Simms, the greatest literary figure of the Old South; Charlotte Bronte, the English novelist; and William Shakespeare, the English playwright, thought by some to be the greatest writer of all time.

Paul Revere’s ride, made April 18, 1775, became famous in Longfellow’s poem.

The Revolutionary battles of Lexington and Concord were fought April 19, 1775.

Now, gentle reader, allow me to join Buffalo Bob Smith in encouraging each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend, Lord willing.

Fare thee well.