Bridge Work

No, I'm not talking about teeth. Louis Kaduk, supervising contractor for the development of the Outdoor Learning Center at Andalusia, has gathered his group of volunteers for another work day this week to construct a second bridge across Tobler Creek to complete the loop for the Lower Tobler Creek Trail. This bridge connects two raised berms leading to the creekbed, so it provides a more elevated view of the surrounding area than the lower bridge does. If you haven't walked the trail at Andalusia, the coming months would be an ideal time as the temperature begins to drop back to more comfortable levels. By the middle of September, the trail will feature new interpretive signs linking the landscape to O'Connor's fiction. You will also notice small tree labels along the trail, around the pond, and near the main house, identifying the various species on the property. If you love the outdoors and learning from nature, Andalusia is exactly where you want to visit.

Craig

Southern Literary Trail

Andalusia is one of many literary landmarks included in a new consortium of twentieth-century fiction writers' homes in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi called the Southern Literary Trail. As far as I know, our organization is the first of its kind in the U.S. that crosses three state lines. Programs and activities are planned for all the organizations in the Trail to be held concurrently in March, 2009. Check out the website at the link above and make sure to take advantage of the "Trailfest" next spring. We hope to see you at Andalusia.

Craig

Getting started

Greetings from the land of Misfits and Good Country People! My name is Craig Amason, and I am the executive director of the Flannery O'Connor - Andalusia Foundation. Our non-profit organization is responsible for the restoration and preservation efforts at Andalusia, home of the highly-acclaimed fiction writer, Flannery O'Connor. This certainly is not the first nor the last blog devoted to Flannery O'Connor, so we aren't breaking new ground here. In fact, I got the idea from Bill Dawers, the current president of the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home Foundation in Savannah, Georgia.

I will be posting entries periodically to report on activities, events, and "what's going on" at Andalusia. We believe this internationally significant site has the potential to be one of the most important literary landmarks in the country because it is more than just a place where an author penned her fiction -- it is a place that very clearly inspired so much of the fiction. If you have never been to Andalusia, I encourage you to make plans to visit soon. Check out our website for all the details, including directions. Don't hesitate to call us at 478-454-4029 if we can answer any questions. Thank you.