by: Blanche Hogg

Blanche Hogg sighed, as she put the last of her personal items from her childhood home bedroom in a box.  Dressed a bit more casual than her usual long skirts or palazzo pants with their extra wide legs so they looked like a dress, paired with a lace pullover top, today Blanche wore a pair of sunshine yellow carpi’s paired with a silk sleeveless pullover top of the same color, on her 5’4” small frame. The outfit looked custom-made to fit her 120 pound body perfectly, its bright color decreased only by her equally bright smile, her caramel wavy hair and chestnut brown eyes in complete contrast to the brightness.

“Well Espresso, guess it’s time to go, ready to move on to a new adventure in our lives?” Blanche asked her dark grey “blue” long coated, Chihuahua that sat on the bed watching her.

They were going to a place called Hazzard, just a one horse town her father said but, her great Uncle “Boss” J.D. Hogg had been county commissioner there and had run the whole county in fact, owning at least a portion of all the businesses in town. Blanche had never been to Hazzard, having grown up and always lived in Rome, Georgia with her parents, but not wanting the house to go to waste, Blanche was going to live in the Hogg home that had been bequeathed to her father Hughie Hogg, upon the passing of his Uncle “Boss” J.D. and Aunt Lulu, whom Blanche had been told a kind and sweet lady always ready to help her neighbors, especially a family by the name of Duke. There were too many memories there too, her father had said about his living there and like home now upon the passing of her mother, he could not bear those memories, however not wanting a perfectly good house to go to waste, he had decided that someone should live there and unable to see the old house sold to strangers, it was decided Blanche could escape her own memories and move to the house in Hazzard, while Hughie moved to their summer home in Valdosta, Georgia to escape his. Gathering up the little dog in her arms, Blanche set Espresso on the floor, who then yapped happily as she pranced out the open bedroom door. Taking the final box filled with mementos too precious to Blanche to entrust to a mover, even a good one, she went downstairs meeting Hughie at the front door, stopping to kiss him on the cheek,

“Bye Daddy, see you in a few weeks”. She said before going out the door getting in her silver Cadillac SRX that was parked in the driveway. Setting the box in the backseat, and lifting Espresso up to the passenger seat, the little bundle of energetic dark fur would be her co-pilot. One last hug and wave goodbye between daughter and father, then Blanche was off embarking on a new life, a starting over as she pulled out of the driveway, Garmin GPS set to take her straight to the Hogg mansion in Hazzard,

In Hazzard, on a warm mid spring day, sun shining bright on the flower boxes, as well as flower and vegetable gardens being pollinated by buzzing bees and brilliant orange, yellow and black butterflies, Blanche pulled up to the big two story Victorian style white house, in her silver 2013 Cadillac SRX. “Well here we are Espresso, our new home.” Blanche spoke to her dog, getting out with the tiny animal wearing pink Mary Jane shoes and a pink bow adorned with a clear rhinestone at the base of the pup’s right ear; with a matching pink harness with angel wings attached, upon which Blanche clipped on a pink retractable leash, to keep the dog out of the street when she was sat on the ground.  The pair moving across the yard to the door, using the key her father had given her before she departed, Blanche unlocked and opened the door, the inside of the home was just as splendid as the outside; decorated in the fine Victorian style as the home’s construction but, not so fancy was the furnishings as to make one afraid to move in fear of breaking something nor was the décor stuffy. Making her way upstairs to a hallway, Blanche opened and looked into the rooms behind five identical doors, four of which were bedrooms the last one being a bathroom.

Choosing the bedroom with Chippendale furniture with and beige décor, second door on the left in the long hallway, the room having a large walk-in closet, it’s dark wood stain chaise lounge, desk, small dining table and chairs for two and, joining bathroom in white.  The other three bedrooms much the same except they lacked a joining bathroom and were different colors, the hallway bathroom done in the same white as the one that joined Blanche’s own bedroom.

Exploring the rest of the house, Blanche decided she would need a cook; she had been raised with the perks of great wealth and, didn’t know how to do such domestic things as preparing her own meals. She stood in the living room done in its Victorian style imagining the social gatherings in the large room, which she would be hosting for her friends. Shaking herself from her musings, Blanche scooped up Espresso connecting the retractable leash once more,

“Well Espresso let’s go have a look around town and see if we can find some culture somewhere”.

With these words Blanche set the little dog back on her feet and headed for the front door, with her nose wrinkled in distaste, already sure the backwater town had nothing to offer her; she set off from the house down the weathered and sun bleached cement sidewalk, on her excursion of exploration.

On her walk through the town, Blanche saw a quaint little gazebo of all white, a nice place indeed for relaxing and observing the town happenings. Across the street from the court house was the town garage, not the prettiest spot in town, with its dingy exterior and sign proclaiming the services offered, as well as prices but, still it was good information to know. Further on down the sun bleached sidewalk was a park with beautiful flowers of, pinks, red, purples and yellows. Along what would be known as the business district maybe or even a shopping center; Blanche found a theater, emporium, jewelry store on one side of the street taking a left though brought her to a little building called the Busy Bee Café, the name speaking for itself; on further down again across the street stood a brick building with pastries and pies painted on the front windows, one window giving the business name of Hazzard Bakery. Continuing her journey around the little town, eventually being brought full circle to the front of the white Victorian house again, Blanche was beginning to think a life here, in this little one horse town called Hazzard might not be as bad as she first thought. This was not the life she was used to living but after all she was starting over and, starting over was all about making changes, in one’s life.