Once upon a time, Spring Hill was a tiny little town, and about the only restaurants were J.J.s Barbecue, the Poplar House and the Old School Restaurant. At that time, I worked as a Quality Engineer at GM, and we had sort of a tradition in my work group.
It would happen on those rare beautiful days, when it wasn’t too hot, or too cold, when Spring was just on the horizon. You know the kind of day…where it is just too beautiful to stay stuck inside a dark, giant auto plant. It’s the kind of day where teachers choose to take extra recess time, and even adults get cabin fever and just have to go outside.
On those rare days, someone (not always the same person), would come one by one to each of our cubicles, and say simple “Huffs today.” Then, at lunch time, me and the boys would pile into a vehicle or two, depending on how many of us there were, and head out to Huff’s Grocery, in Burwood. Usually, my friend John would drive, and I would instantly regret allowing him to because he drove like a teenage boy with something to prove. But with the windows rolled down and the wind in our faces, it was hard to care too much about being responsible.
It was too far of a drive to go regularly for a working lunch, which is why it was reserved for those special days. Driving on the back roads and taking the long way was part of the fun. (Saturn Parkway didn’t go that direction back then anyway.) To be clear, Huff’s isn’t really a restaurant at all, but a little gas station with a few groceries, in the middle of nowhere. (At least it use to be in the middle of nowhere, but I haven’t been there for years. With the parkway it could now be a booming exit.) It reminds me of the salvage store that was near my rural home growing up…where you can get the necessities you need when it’s too far to drive to Kroger.
But they made the BEST sandwiches. They had a little paper menu where you’d choose white or wheat bread, then choose your meat, cheese and condiments. Nothing fancy at all, but it was SOOOOOO good.
Then we’d take our sandwiches, with a bag of chips and a can of soda and go sit out on the front steps of the store. And we’d sit and just enjoy the day, and our sandwiches, with the sun on our faces, and take our own sweet time getting back to work.
So you are probably wondering what any of that has to do with photography. Well, when this family booked their January family session, they were concerned about whether it would be too cold. Not a problem because they got one of the most beautiful days of the entire year.
And as I got to the location early before our shoot, I kept thinking about how it was a Huff’s day. And ever since, and especially as I edit the photos of this beautiful family, I keep craving a Huff’s sandwich, which I have not had in years. But the beautiful weather only lasted a couple days, and now it’s all winter again. Boo. But maybe soon, it will happen again and I can go to Huff’s. Who wants to go with me?
