Friday was a much more promising day as we met with Anita Gray, a very
gregarious and helpful agent at Barnes Realty in Ruston. She sat with us
and discussed the neighborhoods in the city (again, drawn on racial lines)
and took us to see a number of new and existing homes, most beyond our
initial $125K limit. We also came to the realization that trying to
buy a new home in two weeks was technically possible, it was probably
not the most sagacious course of action. Although we were unable to close a deal and solve
the gaping question of our ultimate destination, we felt we had found a friend.