12:45 - Governor Riley votes at Hi Pine Fire Station

If there were ever Lucy Baxley signs down here along Clay County's wet roads this morning,
somebody knocked them all down. Riley signs are everywhere, and especially outside the Hi Pine Volunteer Fire Station, where the governor voted at about 11:30 a.m. Bob and Patsy Riley strolled into the fire station and chatted easily with about ten people who gathered inside before sitting down to cast their votes. An awkward silence fell when they sat down to fill in their ballots, and the only sound was Riley whistling an old gospel tune - Beulahland.

Riley's neighbor Milfred was there working the ballot machine - at 77 this is her third election. She's known him for years, and used to work for his parents raising chickens. Linda and Shotgun, Riley's backdoor neighbors, watched their old friend vote as they talked with poll workers. "Patsy may be the first lady, but I'm the first neighbor," Shotgun joked. Peanuts, sausage balls, mints and cheese crackers will hold everybody over until late tonight.

After voting, Bob leaned back in his chair and yawned. "Shotgun!" he said. "Whatch'a been doin'?" Patsy finished just after him. "That was an easy test," she said. The governor and his wife filed the 31st and 32nd ballots at the station this morning, before heading down to Birmingham.

And yes, he had on his boots.