WHEN THE DOORS are open at Parker Memorial and Lee Griff Perry and his wife Martha are not there, something is wrong.

The rest of the story is Lee Griff, who served as organist at Parker for 35 years, took a terrible tumble recently and wound up in Birmingham for some serious reconstruction surgery on his face.

I’m told he is now at NHC and doing nicely ... with Martha probably in attendance whenever possible.

Lee Griff is 95 or so, Martha is 98 and is the second oldest member at Parker.

Asked in Birmingham if he is an organ donor, he quipped, “Yeah, but not like you think.”

The “donated organ” was Lee Griff’s personal (musical) organ he gave to Ironaton Methodist a few weeks back.

OF LATE, there’s been quite a bit of highway work in our vicinity.

Out where I live (Saks), there has been a lot of construction and paving of turn lanes in the U. S. 431/Leatherwood Bypass intersection. I guess it’s a needed improvement, but in traveling that way several times a week, I have some trouble in determining that necessity.

If nothing else, I suppose it’s Mr. Obama’s “stimulus” money at work.

But even more of a puzzlement is just a few hundred yards past the U. S. 431/Alabama 144 (Ohatchee) intersection work is on a left-hand turn lane into ... well, as far as I can tell, nothing.

Which brings to mind a recent story we had of caution (blinking) lights being installed at the intersection of Henry Road/eastern bypass intersection.

That’s well and good, but if there’s anywhere in our area that calls for a extended “on ramp” any more than that intersection, you got to show it to me. What you get is a “yield” sign and a blink-of-an-eye entrance onto the southbound lane of the bypass.

Once the bypass is completed — like along about 2112 — traffic will be very heavy and the junction there, as devised by whomever, is a joke ... a joke ... a joke.

What really gets to me is that the “designers” of that little mistake make a lot more money than the 75 cents you can get by purchasing this newspaper and listening to ... me.

Hey, I’m here to serve ...

QUOTABLE: In one of the emails from readers of my Father’s Day column I got this:

“At the place down deep where only ourselves are allowed.”

That’s heavy, that sings.

IN A RECENT column, I posed the question:

“What is a fist-buster?”

I got just two replies ... which means most of you are not from where I am or your memory has lost some of its wattage.

A fist-buster is a small watermelon, one you walk out into the field and pluck, head for the shade, bust with your fist, and then sit down and enjoy ... much to ire of Mom when she picks up your shirt for washing.

Her ire never stopped me from “the next time.”

IN MENTIONING that I claimed my dad’s 13-ounce Bluegrass trim hammer before “little bother” could claim it, there were a couple of inquiries as to the parentage of Bluegrass.

I had no idea, but one reader did and here’s his answer:

“Bluegrass was a house brand for Balkan Hardware, like Craftsman is for Sears.

“Balkan Hardware was a hardware distributor in Louisville, Ken. I forgot how many states they covered, but probably about 1/4 - 1/3 around Kentucky.

“At the time they covered anything and everything that a small town store would sell except for perishables. I know that they had carpet and furniture. And I think possibly caskets.

“Anyway they have been out of business for 20 years.”

George Smith can be reached at 256-239-5286 or e-mail: gsmith731@gmail.com