2022 Nov 7, Early Morning Adventures

Early this morning, it was cold, wet and foggy. We rode to Jack for breakfast, where I ordered a single biscuit and gravy. Hubby ordered the big breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash rounds, biscuits, and gravy. As we rode home, we saw the sun trying to peak out. 

Sunrise 

 Later that morning, we rode to town and stopped at Hobby Lobby (lots of people looking for holiday decorations), Dollar Tree, and Ollie’s then to get our B12 shots. 

We rode to Muscle Shoals, stopped, and ate lunch at the new Highway 55 Restaurant. I ordered a hamburger with the fixings, onion rings, and unsweetened iced tea. I ate about half of my hamburger but all of my onion rings. Hubby also ordered a Mushroom hamburger and onion rings. He ate all his hamburger but not all his onion rings, so we had enough for another meal. 

 Bought gas at Murphy's and stopped at Foodland in Muscle Shoals for crab legs(they were on sale for $15.99 a pound.  Since we were on 6th Street, we headed to Leighton Pond on Fennel Road to see & listen to birds. 

Leighton Pond on Fennell Road 

All we saw was mud and a few fish flopping. Believe it or not, fish were swimming in the pond. If it gets any lower, there will not be any water for the fish to swim in. 

Hubby turned on the GPS System to take us to a different route home. On our way, we saw a small cemetery, the sign said Shaw Cemetery, just off 6th Street. Several of my relatives are buried in this cemetery. I did not take any pictures there. Next, we turned onto Shaw Road, and I said to hubby I wonder who the cemetery and road are named for and that is when we saw a historic marker.

The Shaw Home Colbert County

The Shaw Home Colbert Baldy Shaw purchased this property from the state of Alabama in 1830. In 1844, he constructed this home. Over the years, various property owners made changes and additions to the Shaw Home and its outbuildings. The canning building is directly north of the home and allows for the canning of garden-raised food without affecting the temperature of the main house. Evidence of Fennell Road is directly behind the canning building on the north boundary line of the home. During the Civil War, Fennell Road provided constant access to and from the many skirmishes between the Northern and Southern armies. The Battle of Town Creek was one of those skirmishes. The Shaw Home is currently a working farm with 2 wells and 9 farm buildings and is an existing example of the tranquility of life in the south. The home also serves as a reminder of the past sadness of the Civil War, fought between brothers, families, and states.

 Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage Marker erected in 2013 by Drs. Gerald, and Patricia Miller Murray. 

Bales of Cotton wrapped in pink 

 We also saw hundreds of rolled cotton bales and fields still waiting to be harvested. We road to the Wheeler Dam but had to take a detour for the bridge was out on Highway 101. 

At Wheeler Dam, we saw a few cormorants diving for fish, herons flying overhead, and terns sitting on light poles as we crossed the dam. As we were leaving the dam, I heard several bird sounds. We rode to the park across the highway, where I walked around but did not hear any birds. 

Joe Wheeler State Park on the Lawrence County side is covered in colorful fallen leaves. 

We came back across the highway and road to the overlook at the dam, and that is where I heard a lot of Common Grackles and European Starlings. We rode up to Joe Wheeler State Park-Alabama near the entrance and stopped to listen to bird sounds. 

A couple of Muscovy ducks swimming in Wheeler Lake looking for fish

I walked down to the edge of the water, and that is where I saw several ducks on the other side of the almost dried-up lake. There were a couple of ducks swimming nearby, and I saw a Gray heron in the distance. I heard several red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, American robins, Field sparrow song sparrows, a couple of Muscovy ducks, mallards, and lots of Kildeer. 

Three females standing near Joe Wheeler Lodge 

 We rode to the lodge, stopping near the wooded area, hoping to hear several birds, but we heard none. Then, as we started to leave, we saw a deer. I started taking pictures of it, and then I saw two more. I got out of the car and took several pictures. They were not frightened at all, even posed for me. The day started off damp and gloomy, but the sun came out for a while. It clouded back up but never rained. We did not plan the day's adventures but just let the day unfold. What fun we had!