BY MAGGIE DIGIOVANNI
SPECIAL TO THE ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Due to the ups and downs of the virus, Eclectic Mayor Davenport felt it necessary to cancel Eclectic’s Annual Cotton Festival this year. Did that keep the town down? Not at all.
Deciding “if we cannot do the original plan, then let’s do what we can,” local merchants agreed that perhaps a Merchant’s Day might bring people together. Clearing the way with Town Hall, store owners turned an ordinary Saturday into a small celebration.
No parking space remained as people from Eclectic and surrounding communities arrived to check out sidewalk sales, enjoy a cup of coffee, and talk with friends
Original Grace Boutique and Bless Your Heart shop owners busily moved from store to sidewalk racks of merchandise, as more and more people arrived. Whether they made a sale or not, smiles were the order of the day. However, it seemed few went home without early Christmas gifts for friends and family or perhaps something for themselves.
The library joined the fun, with a table of two-for-a-dollar movie CDs and a cart of interesting books. Donovan Jones quietly pointed out additional movies of interest when he noticed the genre that drew a customer.
Cornerstone Coffee Company whetted appetites with luscious miniature Smores cupcakes. Of course, with a cupcake, a hot or cold drink is a must. Children delighted in painting miniature pumpkins or getting their faces painted with hearts or their own designs. A songstress entertained all who gathered there.
Restaurants stayed busy as diners meandered over completing their purchases.
Any Saturday is busy in Eclectic. This one had a different feeling than others. Along with the happy faces, there was a determination to fight against anything wanting to put their lives on hold for long.
The Itsy-Bitsy (Shiver) Spider
Let’s turn to another subject – the Invasion of the Crab Spiders. As a recovering arachnophobe, I can say with sincerity that winter cannot come soon enough.
These weird little beasts, barely half-an-inch across have surprised all of us with a web in the face at the most unexpected times. They are ready for joggers, cyclists, and anyone else who dares go near trees.
Upon opening your front door to head out for the day, it is terrifying to get a web in the face. But, when the occupant of the web is now less than an inch from your eyeball, it is totally disconcerting.
As with the mosquito, fly and leech, we look at these tiny architects and wonder at their usefulness. The only thing I have seen trapped thus far are humans, who blunder into them while preoccupied with their cell phones or who are deep in thought.
Some are much too big to save for later. Or are they? When I see one of their magnificent spun creations ranging from a limb far up in our oak tree to our porch, I may reconsider.
See more photos from Merchants’ Day Below.
