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Thoughts on Going Home from Going Back Home 
Late in the afternoon, a small group of 59 Musketeers had pulled up chairs under the old oak which had spread shade over the day. We laughed about a lot of things and talked about a few old friends. We commented on the decaying center of the tree and I took this photo. When I looked at it later, I saw a little figure in the gnarly debris. I wondered if any of the 800 or so people passing by saw this little spirit watching over us and if, for them, the day and their memories of the 50s would be like what each saw in the tree -- creepy, gentle, ugly, lovely, magic.
Wayne and Caroline LeRoy Ayers
I quickly realized that there were so many people whom I didn't recognize and others that I just didn't know, so I began to look for green dots.
I joined the groups greeting each other across the grass, gathering for conversation in the shade, checking out the souvenir tent and enjoying the entertainment.
And I stood in the long food line in the shade of the Murphy Pavilion where banana pudding made it worth the wait.
Each year, as 'new' old classes are welcomed to the roster, the event is tweaked by Robert and his class committees. Judy's Volunteers make things run smoothly and let classmates just enjoy visiting.
Down Memory Lane
The line of classic cars on the right started the memories pinging in my head. (The cars got a lot of attention all day so I suspect others had a few fond memories as well.)
I headed to the registration tent on the left where each class had been assigned a color and given a 'headquarters' sign representing one of 'our' drive-ins. Stopping at Timmerman's Fly-In/Drive-In, I got my nametag with the green dot and my old annual photo. I remembered how the little planes would taxi up to the fence and get their hamburgers, fries and milkshakes. I thought about some other things, too. . . . Ah, more memories. Blush.
I sat with Butch, Mary and Judy H.J. for a bit and and then made a Coke run. What a line! And some more familiar faces. Thanks to Maxie and Judy S.T., I was able to get near the head of the line and deliver souvenir cups of refreshment back to the registration table pretty quickly -- it was a lo-o-ong line.
Yesterday, Mary Gahnz Usher and I arrived at the Murphy farm to find quite a few committee members putting out chairs and tables, hanging signs and cleaning dust. We noticed little decision making conferences and bits of conversations as everyone worked to get the scene set.
An area was designated for the classic cars and the popcorn tent.
There was a little concern about the heavy black clouds which gathered over the pasture and a question about whether there would be too much wind for the Coke sign which I created. 
On Saturday, I'll be turning off the highway near Trenton at this wonderful white picket fence, driving under an arch of pecan trees and through the peach orchards which line the road and watching for the two left turns before reaching the entrance to the Murphy farm. I'll be transported back in time but I think the 2007 Three R's will be more fun than the 1959 ones.
On Saturday, you won't have time to check out ALL the great stuff in the souvenir booklet, but later you'll read it on the way home or over coffee and you'll realize how cool it is.
Don Starnes is coming from Arlington, Texas. He is one of those from 'another class,' but he has been reading the '59 Musketeers blog to keep in touch. He wrote, "I am excited about seeing some of my old friends from JOHN MILLEDGE and WOODLAWN elementary schools, TUBMAN junior high, ARC, Harrisburg, Frogholler, and South Richmond County. You see, I sorta lived all over the place and know folks from all over. Lord knows, I needed all the friends and help that I could get."
I often refer to myself as a "born again Augustan" -- a facetious title, but one which fits my rediscovery of Augusta and all its hidden treasures. After college, I accepted a job in Greenville, SC while hubby was at Clemson. We moved to a number of towns over the next 25 years and enjoyed what each had to offer. Imagine our surprise to find, after returning 'home,' that Augusta has many of those things and more. Everything about our old hometown has been experienced with new eyes and new excitement.
On Tuesday evening, representatives from Classes of 1953-1960 met to assemble the name tags with the old annual photos for this year's 50s Decade Barbecue. Robert Murphy had printed names and colored dots for each class. Butch Murdoch had copied and cut the photos and prepared the envelopes for our class so the job was easier. There was much laughter and general enthusiasm as we settled into the job.
