Georgia Red

   People in Georgia describe their soil as Georgia red clay, even though it resembles orange.
   Once I walked along a roadside lined with the clay. It stuck and lumped against my boots. Walking became a hobble.
    Scraping away the goo was harder than anticipated. I'm a Yankee from up north. Our mud isn't as hard to remove. I got lazy and didn't clean away all the clay.
   Later inside my car, the clay tarnished a floor mat.
   I cursed that Georgia red clay. But not for long.
   Messing up my boots wasn't just a hassle, it was fortuitous. My visit to that state was to scout locations for a novel. (I'm writing it). Now, a character in that novel will contend with a muck of
Georgia red clay. Readers will better envision the setting.
   Authenticity demands more than research, it requires hardship.