Growing up in the Shoals

Earline in Story-Land was enjoyed by many children in the Shoals Area, including myself, for over 22 years.
All I remember about Earline Burns was her television show and where she lived.
Both my grandparents lived in Sheffield, and one of my grandparents went to Church not too far from Earline's house.
We moved to Florence in 1962. Sometimes, when we would travel to Sheffield, we would go by  Earline's house on Hatch Blvd., but most of the time, we would travel down Second Street.
I remember seeing her blue Cadillac Convertible sitting in front of her small pink house, which had been torn down.
My parents lived in downtown Sheffield when they married and moved to Tuscumbia when I was about 2 1/2.
Entertainment was watching a movie on the big screen, either at the Theater or a Drive-in.
I saw many movies at the Colbert Theater, Tuscumbia Theater, Norwood Theater, Shoals Theater, Wilson Drive-In, and Joy-Land Drive-In.
My siblings and I would walk to the Shoals Theater during the summer months and watch a movie for ten cents.
I was always small for my age and could get into the theater for the cost of a child long after I had passed that age.
I remember Buck's night at the Drive-In.
We would go around the neighborhood, filling the car full of neighborhood kids.
We could all get into the movies for one dollar a carload.

I don't remember listening to the radio, but we did own a black-and-white TV.
Dad worked for Mr. Hensley Jarrett, hauling large power poles. Our TV Antenna was atop one of those tall poles. I remember the pole had spikes, and Dad climbed to the top to install the antenna, with wires running into the house to the rabbit ears sitting atop the TV.
We could pick up all the local channels.

We watched shows like Gunsmoke, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Bob Hope Show, Calling All Cars, The Cisco Kid, Death Valley Days, Dragnet,  & The Lone Ranger.
Since I never listened to the radio, I did not know that many of the television shows that I watched were once live radio shows.

Many famous people came to the Shoals in those early years, but growing up there, they were just another face in the crowd.

When I was a teenager, just turned sixteen,  I worked at Shockley's Pancake House, which was across the street from Holiday Inn, where many of the famous entertainers stayed when they were in town.

I served the Four Seasons, and I  had no clue who they were.
As a working girl who never listened to the radio, I had no clue who came into our restaurant.

Now that I am older, I am learning so much about the Shoals Area that I have been a part of.

I walked the streets of Florence, Sheffield, & Tuscumbia, and  I spent many hours at Spring Park.

I remember Dad bringing home a trunk he had gotten from the Helen Keller Home, which had been thrown away.
It had several books inside the trunk; one was a Blue Hardback Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tale Book.
I read that book many times.
When we moved to Florence in the early 1960s, the Fairy Tale Book must have been thrown away because I never saw it again.

I remember going to Spring Park, riding the train, and playing on all the playground equipment, which was like an amusement park.
There was a swimming pool just up the street, and inside the park was a large wading pool.
The park fell into disarray for many years, and its glory days are gone forever.

I remember the Liberty's & A & P Supermarkets where mom shopped, they gave S & H Green Trading Stamps, Plaid Stamps, and Top Value Stamps just for shopping at their stores.
When collected into multiple books, we would take them to the Trading stamp store for merchandise.

So many things we no longer have as time changes.
We now have cell phones, no sharing party lines, and phones hanging on the wall.
We no longer use an outhouse; we now have portlets.
We no longer have to heat the house up to cook; we have a microwave and convection ovens.
We no longer use glass; everything comes in plastic.

Gasoline is no longer 100% and costs 25 cents a gallon.
A new Corvette fully loaded costs over 80,000 dollars.

In the next twenty years, many will be living in Space.

One hundred years sounds like a lifetime.
When I was a kid, I thought 30 was old. Now, one hundred doesn't sound that old.

2017 June 17, Saturday, RC Moon Pie Festival Bell Buckle, Tenessee🌝🍰

Cooked waffles for breakfast, topped with walnuts and Cool Whip.
Loaded the van, programmed the GPS, and began our trip.
We traveled north on hwy 43, turning right onto hwy 64 East, traveling through Giles County, Pulaski, TN, crossing I-65
to 244 northeast, traveling through Lincoln and Marshall counties, Petersburg, & Bedford County, Shelbyville.

Town of Petersburg Library

The Town of Petersburg, located in Lincoln and Marshall Counties, has a population of 580.

Our next stop was Shelbyville, TN, in Bedford County, home to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

Walking Horse National Celebration (Horse farms)
The historic Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville, TN, hosts the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration each year in late summer for 11 days, concluding on the Saturday night before Labor Day.

Veterans Memorial Plaza in front of the Bedford County Courthouse

Shelbyville is the county seat of Bedford County, "Courthouse"

Arrived at Bell Buckle around 10:00 A.M.
We found a closed park, walked up to the stage, and found seats on bales of hay. We sat and listened to music, watching a group of young girls and women clog.

Cloggers (stepping high)

Milking Machine

Railroad Town (several trains came through while we were in Bell Buckle)

We walked around checking out the vendors, where we saw giant corn dogs, funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreos, Snickers, and Twinkies.
We visited Everybody's Antiques and More, Bluebirds Antiques, and the Ice Cream Parlor.
We visited the Livery Stable, now an Antique shop with many rooms of antiques.

The livery stable is now an Antique Shop. 

We saw boxes of strawberry, banana, chocolate, mint, & salted caramel moon pies.
There were Moon Pies and RC Colas for sale everywhere we looked, and prices varied.

Ice Cold RC Colas 

Boxes of Fresh Moon Pies

Uncle Sam is greeting the crowd at the  Parade.

We met a couple from North Carolina who had been to softball tournaments in Birmingham.
We met an older couple who had visited the festival many times.
There were people from everywhere who were still coming when we left.

We ate lunch at Bell Buckle Cafe, where we both ordered a barbecue sandwich and a glass of iced tea.
It was almost time for the parade, so we gobbled down our lunch.
It was the only cafe in the entire area, so the wait was long just to eat lunch.

Standing in front of the Mural of Moon Pies and RC Colas 

We came outside to watch the parade, and afterward, we started home.

Moon Pie Girl in the parade

We took a different route home, riding through Tullahoma, Lynchburg, and Pulaski.
We stopped in Lawrenceburg for gas and to-go meals from Long John Silver's.
We stopped at the fruit stand in Lawrenceburg for vegetables and were home by 5:00 P.M.
We were home for about an hour when my husband got a call from work, so we loaded into the van and headed to Huntsville.
As we were entering the gate, we were in a Jurassic Park jeep with a dinosaur in the back.
\

When the Jeep moved, so did the dinosaur
The Jurassic period relates to or denotes the second period of the Mesozoic era, between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods.

The sun was setting as we traveled home. (around 8:30 P.M.)

🚙2017 June 13, Tuesday, Day Trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky

We left home around seven; it was a great day for traveling.
Hubby and I traveled north on Highway 43 to Murphy's in Lawrenceburg, TN, where we filled up with gas.

We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Spring Hill, where Hubby ordered a big breakfast, and I ordered two slices of sourdough toast, one scrambled egg, and two pieces of bacon with iced tea to drink.

Leaving Spring Hill onto I-65 north, traveling through Nashville to Bowling Green.
You can see the Corvette Museum and Car Plant from the interstate.

We arrived at the Corvette Museum a little before 11 A.M., stopping outside to take pictures of the Michelin Man, Air Tank, and Corvette on display at the entrance.

Designed especially for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA

Michelin Man, Coats Air Gage Tank

Hubby parked, and we went inside the museum, stopping to view a few Corvettes on display before going to the ticket counter.
We were given armbands and then told the plant tour was across the highway.
Our scheduled time to tour the plant was 111:30 A.M
Hubby let me out near the entrance and went to park the van.
I walked up the long corridor to the entrance, and once inside, I got in line for tickets.
I already had our tickets, and I asked for a wheelchair.
The tour is about an hour long and involves a lot of walking. They recommended using a wheelchair if you are having problems walking. (So I said yes)
I was wheeled inside, given a yellow time card, and told that my hubby was on his way.

Bowling Green Plant outside (no electronic devices allowed inside)

We watched a video, and the 11:15 tours were called.
When the 11:30 A.M. tour was called, we lined up.
We had two tour guides, one in front and one at the end of the line.
Before we went inside, we were all given safety glasses to wear.
We followed our guides and were told to stay behind the yellow lines.
We stopped along the way for the guides to tell us about the assembly of the Corvettes.
The tour took about one hour.
We then rode back to the Corvette Museum.

Entrance to Corvette Cafe 

Entrance to Corvette Museum 

Inside the Corvette Cafe, we ordered a bowl of Strawberry Ice Cream from Chaney's Farm, which we shared.
We ordered a Peanut Butter cookie full of peanut butter chips and healthy toffee.
We ordered one Oatmeal Cranberry full of plump cranberries, buttery oats, and Heath toffee.
We also ordered a Snickerdoodle Cookie, a butter cookie topped with Saigon cinnamon, from Christie's Bakery.

Eating Strawberry Ice Cream from Chaney's Farm 

Snickerdoodle Cookie & Strawberry Ice Cream

Inside the Corvette Museum building, there was the Corvette Cafe, Corvette Archives, Corvette Store, and the Corvette Museum.

What a perfect ride

Our picture was taken driving or standing next to a Corvette before we went inside the museum.
We took our time to view the Corvettes (many on loan from individuals).

Picture inside the Archive's 

Mini-Corvette inside the Archives

Our next stop was the Woodland Cemetery in Nashville,  where several famous people are buried.
Hubby took a picture of me in front of "The Possum" by George Jones.
He stopped loving her today around 44:00 P.M.

"The Possum" by George Jones
"The king of broken hearts"
He sang of life's hardships and struggles, somehow lightening our own.
His voice was effortless and unforgettable.
He brought unsurpassed emotional eloquence to every song he sang. 
He was and is the soul of country music. No one will ever fill his shoes. 
He is at rest, but his music is alive and ageless. 
He gifted it to all of us, the joyful and broken 
"Walk Through This World with me!"

Driving through Woodland Cemetery, we stumbled upon the Carper Homestead and the Hospital Water Source.

Hospital Water Source 
Because of the Generous, pure water supply available this spring, the area surrounding it was selected as a hospital site for the treatment of soldiers wounded in the Battle of Nashville, which took place during the War Between the States.

Water Source for the Hospital 

Carper Homestead
Known to be one of the oldest houses remaining from the early American era. Originally located on Cane Ridge Road in Antioch, Tennessee. The materials were removed piece by piece and rebuilt exactly as they stood when occupied by the Carper Generations. 
Donated to Woodland Memorial Park for Historic Preservation by the children of William Washington and Susie Black Carper
William Herman Carper
Ruth Carper Chasteen
Estella Carper Quest
Louella Carper James
Thelma Carper Ellicott
Kathleen Carper Huddleston
Irene Carper Chahoc
Mary Carper Pulliam 
Dedicated 1969

Carper Homestead

We stopped at Panda Express in Spring Hill, Tennessee, around 5:00 P.M.
We ordered Cream Cheese Rangoon, Egg Rolls, Broccoli Beef, and Honey Walnut Shrimp.
We stopped in Lawrenceburg at Mapco to fill up with gas.
We were home around 6:30 P.M.

Another great day of adventures.

🎈🎈🎈2017 May 27, Hot Air Balloon Festival Decatur, Alabama

You must arrive early to see the balloons ascending into the sky.
I hurriedly dressed and left home, right behind my husband on his way to work.
He was going to Huntsville, and I to Decatur.
I took Highway 72 to Highway 101, turning left on the highway, and went past the paper mill (now being torn down) to hwy 20, which took me to Decatur.

The sun was just coming up, and it was a beautiful sight, so I pulled over on the side of the road to take a couple of pictures. 

Traffic was already lined up as we entered the park, which took quite a while. I did get a park in the parking area on the concrete.

Twitty Bird Balloon

People everywhere are waiting for the balloons to ascend into the sky. 

The balloon is filled with Helium.

Preparing the balloons

Walked over to the park and watched the balloons being filled with Helium
I was walking around the park, taking pictures of the balloons, when the announcers announced that the balloons would not be going up due to the weather.

I stopped at McDonald's in Rogersville for a bagel with bacon, cheese, and egg, but since McDonald's no longer serves bagels, I ordered a McMuffin with bacon, egg, and cheese instead.

No balloons going up!!! No bagel!!! Should have stayed in bed!!!

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

2017 June 10, Saturday, Sacred Indian Stone Wall Florence, Alabama Guide Tom Hendrix son

My sister, dad, and great-niece attended the Dennis family reunion at Walnut Grove Fire Department, where we enjoyed a delicious fish meal.
On our way home, we decided to stop and visit Tom Hendrix's Wall.
Tom built this rock wall(which took over 30 years) in honor of his great-grandmother, who was one of many Indians who walked the TRAIL OF TEARS.

I let my dad and sister out at the entrance(my dad is ninety years old and cannot walk very far without his walker) and parked the van.
Dad walked a short piece and sat down on one of the benches.
My sister, great-niece, and I walked the length of both sides.
Dad had walked back up front and was waiting for us, sitting on his walker.

Dad told Tom's son that he had visited the wall many years before and that he knew Tom.
There was a group of people when we arrived, and a couple of people on motorcycles when we left.

Rock Faces 

Tree Roots 

Tom would be glad to know that the Legend will never fade as long as people want to see and hear the story of why he built the wall for Te-lah-nay.

stopping for a picture

Tom's Wall 

Sister and great-niece

Tom's Wall 

Tom's Wall 

Tom's Wall

I was amazed by how cool it was walking among the rocks.
A fantastic place, representing many souls, an echo, and a longing for home!

🚗2017 May 30, Tuesday, "A sportsman paradise" & Pink Palace Museum Memphis, TN

Hubby and I rode to Memphis, Tennessee, which took about three hours.
I had a runny nose, and I sneezed the whole trip.
We stopped at Walgreens in Corinth, MS, and bought some Flonase Nasal Spray recommended by the Pharmacist.

Bass Pro Shop 

Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid on Bass Pro Drive in Memphis was our first stop.
Once inside, we saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Paradise"! A sportsman's paradise!
Swimming in the water below us, we could see schools of a variety of fish and swamp-covered trees everywhere.
We stopped to see the alligators, which were behind glass walls and staring at us.

Swamp Covered Trees & Elevator

We saw a 27-foot elevator that was lit up with red, green, and blue lights.
We paid ten dollars to ride the elevator to the top, where we listened to a pre-recording about the store and caught a big fish.
We exited the elevator into a restaurant, where we were greeted by a hostess. She asked us if we wanted to eat at the restaurant or just take in the breathtaking view of Memphis.
We said we just wanted to walk out onto the balcony and see the view below.

View from Balcony 

Once outside, we could see downtown Memphis, the roaring Mississippi River, Mud Island, the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, and the train bridge. There was another balcony with a view of the Mississippi River, houses, apartments, and piers.

View from Balcony 

We visited the Ducks Limited Museum, where we saw a variety of guns, ducks, and trophies, among other things.
We saw the Big Cedar Lodge, wildlife creations, taxidermy, & aquarium full of fish.
The smell of cinnamon-glazed roasting pecans, cashews, and almonds filled the air.

Our next stop was the Pink Palace Museum.
You can visit the Museum on Tuesdays at 1 P.M. for free.

Hubby and I walked up the grand staircase to the third floor to see the animatronic dinosaur exhibit.
This was an excellent area for children to touch models of dinosaurs' claws, bones, and teeth, play with rubbing stamps, and watch a video.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs

We saw the first Americans, the History of Memphis, log Cabins, slavery, the Civil War, the first automated grocery store (Piggly Wiggly), Yellow Fever, the evolution from saddlebags to science, Clyde Parke's Miniature Circus, cotton, and Thomas Harwell's mummy casket.

It was after 2 P.M., and we were hungry, so we rode to Joe's Crab Shack.
Hubby ordered the Crab Legs bucket, and I ordered fish and chips. We both ordered water with lemon.

Fish & Chips at Joe's Crab Shack, Memphis 

In Memphis, we also rode past several old historic homes, & the Liberty Stadium.
Around 3 P.M., we started for home and arrived around 6:30 P.M.