Today's Flagging 11/8/11 Georgia!!

Today's Flagging began at approx 2:17pm on the Lowell Road gate - Carroll County side.

I arrived first and the lay of the land was very simple, a wide 2 lane road with plenty of parking alongside of the road and excellent weather.

Cars could only enter and exit in one direction, as Lowell Road dead ends 100 yards from the gate , so it was a standard fish in a barrel type scenario

Insider info said this gate was the most used by employees, and shift workers begin leaving at 2:30pm.

I began by setting up 2 flag displays that covered an additional 300 yards, Then I set up shop directly across from the gate with my 6X9 Battleflag on a 12 foot pole. I wore my Confederate Corporals uniform but had no weapons, just haversack and canteen.

Within 5 minutes of my arrival, I spoke with 2 people who pulled over and asked what was going on. I just started by asking them about their knowledge of Yellow Dirt, and both nodded and pointed back towards the big chimney and said 'is it about the flags?' I said yessir.

By 2:35, James and Pam Tolbert pulled up to join me. This was their first ever Flagging, so I set them up with a pole each, Miss Pam had brought a flag to use, and I loaned James my 4X4 ANVCBF I gave them a few tips on what to do , what to expect and how to respond. It would turn out for them the best 1st Flagging I have ever saw.

I had 2 more encounters with folks stopping and asking what was going on, and I said the same thing as before, but these people were not aware of the situation inside their place of work, but they left with a whole new outlook, and were very supportive of our efforts.

Just before 3pm, Russ Massa of the Heard Citizen newsmedia appeared. Miss Pam yelled to him "youre one of us!" and he stated NO he was a reporter. I told Miss Pam he probably wouldn't hold a flag with us, but would take our picture of us with a flag.

As he began interviewing us, a Carroll County Deputy pulled up. I thought I had the drill down, I just knew why he was there and I began my canned responses on right of ways and nothing sinister going on, but it turns out that he was just patroling the area and thought a few folks sporting flags on the side of the road looked unusual, so he just stopped to check us out.

The reporter even asked the Deputy a few questions.

Passersby are about 95% positive/friendly. Miss Pam makes sure we are aware of the ones who dont acknowledge her cheery waves and big warm smile. She later admits she really enjoyed doing this, James confesses that Flagging was easy.

Finally the interviews had been made, the Sheriffs deputy departs and it is just us 4 Flaggers to face the sporadic release of Plant Wansley workers. For a few hours Ga Power security had a truck park down near a treeline inside the gate to watch us. Later inside sources inform us that the chief of security Tammy Lovvorn and another person were glued to TV monitors tuned to "The Flagger Show" but they never came out to see us.

Word also was given that shortly after 3ish, their switchboard lit up like a Christrmas Tree light show. Perhaps folks were curious as to our presence? Wonder what was said...

Pictures were taken, stories swapped, and many a person waved, thumbs upped us,

some either yelled 'Yahoo' or 'The South is gonna rise again", and more than a few were spotted snapping camera phone pix of us.

While Jasper is quite a ways off, Steve relayed to us a man in San Diego California said he was flying a CBF in support there for our actions today. Bi-Costal Flagging - so it turned out to be a Multistate Flagging afterall!

Special thanks go out today for Steven Monk and his San Diego Amigo for the Long Distance dedication, and to our new up and coming star - Mrs Susan Hathaway in Virginia, who is the Flagger tech support who posts instantly for Flaggers everywhere to see what info I send her (when she is not out Flagging herself in the Old Dominion) Also thanks to Russ Massa of the Heard Citizen for keeping the story hot, and to Pam and James Tolbert for being new Flagger recruits!

Anyone else want to Flag Wansley - This IS THE WEEK TO DO SO!

Till next time

Billy Bearden