2022 Dec 4, Tinsel Trails, Christmas Card Lane Ditto Landing & Toyota Field Christmas Lights Huntsville, AL

 Sunday, we stopped in Decatur to walk through the Enchanted Forest in Founders Park, which is a tinsel stroll supporting Leukemia and Lymphoma.

We stopped in Madison for their Polar Express Christmas on Main Street, where their Christmas trees were displayed. 

We stopped at RSA to take coworkers' Christmas Present Presents.

We rode to South Huntsville to Christmas on the River at Ditto Landing. There, we strolled along the Tennessee River Greenway, looking at 4 x 8 plywood custom-designed Christmas cards. 

Grinchmas

It's Not what's under the Christmas Tree that matters. 
It's who's around it. 

We stopped at every card to get a picture, and before we returned, it began to sprinkle. 

We rode to Huntsville's Big Spring Park to walk through the Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail. 

Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail.

We were afraid of getting wet, but the rain had stopped.

Next, we rode to Toyota Field to see The North Pole Rocket City Christmas Light Show and Winter Wonderland.

Which are a mile and half maze of bright dancing and twinkling lights. We tuned our radio to 95.5 to listen to Christmas music.

The North Pole Rocket City Christmas Light Show 

After the drive, we stopped at Toyota  Field and walked through Winter Wonder Land, stopping for pictures with Santa, Trash Panda, and Frosty. 

Picture with Frosty 

We had not eaten since breakfast and were not sure what we wanted. We were tired and didn't want to go into a restaurant and wait, so we decided to stop at Krystal. Believe it or not, their food was good, or we were very hungry. 

A picture with Trash Panda 

I ordered a double cheese Krystal and strawberry Milkshake. 

It was late when we arrived home, and we both were tired from the long day. Put my cameras away for another day to download and went to bed.

2017 April Events

April 1, Saturday -Beaty Walking Tour Athens 10-11AM

Beaty Walking Tour Athens with Billy Ward

April 4, Tuesday, B-12 Shots

On April 5, Wednesday, May brother-in-law passed away (Robert Haddock)

April 6, Thursday, Kept Ava Grace

Ava Grace in PJ's 

Storytime 

April 7, Friday, Took Ava Grace to Story-time at Florence Library 10:30-11:30AM

April 8, Saturday, Houston Walking Tour Athens 10-11AM, Rogers Car Show & Funeral 2:30PM

Houston Walking Tour Athens

April 10, Monday Doctor Appointment 3:50PM

April 11, Tuesday, B-12 Shots

April 12, Wednesday, Full Moon

April 14, Friday, Worked bookstore & Passover Sader Meal

Passover Sader Meal

April 15, Saturday, Church History Walking Tour Decatur

Church History Walking Tour Decatur

April 17, Monday, Kept  Ava Grace

Ava Grace

Covered Bridge Park Cullman

April 18, Tuesday, B-12 Shots & Cullman Covered Bridge Park with Ava Grace

Playtime at Florence Library

April 21, Friday, Took Ava Grace to Story and Music at Florence Library, River Heritage Park, and Chick-fil-A 

April 22, Saturday, Toured the Larimore House with tour guide Billy Warren 

Larimore House 

April 23, Sunday, Athens Character Cemetery Stroll

Athens Character Cemetery Stroll

April 24, Monday, Ophthalmology and swimming pool repairs

April 25, Tuesday, B-12 Shots, swimming pool liner installed

Swimming Pool Liner

April 26, Wednesday, Filled the swimming pool, and kept Ava Grace

April 27, Thursday, Kept Ava Grace

April 28, Friday, Book Talk at Visitor Center Florence with Jerry Masters "Hangin by my knees from a tree. 3-4PM
Florence Library Edwin Bridges talked about his book "Alabama The Making an American State"2-3PM

April 29, Saturday, Decatur Bank Street and Archives Walking Tour Decatur & Dancing lessons

Decatur Bank Street and Archives Walking Tour 

April 30, Sunday, Wished two of my granddaughters Happy Birthday

2017 April 15, Church History Walking Tour Decatur, Alabama ⛪⛪⛪⛪ with guide Phil Wirey

Today I strolled along with several others to listen to Phil Wirey tell the Church history of Decatur.
We meet in the Flower and Butterfly Garden at the Old State Building.

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

Rosalynn  Carter Butterfly Trail
This garden provides host plants, nectar sources, and shelter for butterflies. The mission of the trail is to promote the full life cycle of butterflies common in this area with a special emphasis on the monarch. The trail begins at the home of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter in Plains, Ga.
Join us on the trail!
www.jimmycarter.info

Butterfly Garden

We were introduced to people like Jesse Winston Garth, one of Decatur's founding fathers Decatur.
(2)We saw the Dancy Polk House, the site of (3)Colonel Lawrence Banks's Home that was torn down during the Civil War.
We saw the site of the (4)First Methodist Church and the First City Cemetery also torn down during the Civil War.
(5)The site of the First Presbyterian Church, Owl Drug Store, Tennessee Valley State Bank, and many Jewish storefronts.
(6) We stopped at the Lafayette Street Cemetery to take a few pictures.

 Lafayette Street Cemetery
there are brochures placed outside the cemetery for the taking
1. Cyrus Aiken Banks
2. George Baylor Banks
3. Col Lawrence Slaughter Banks
4. Margaret Jarret Noble Banks
5. Mildred Ann Banks
6. Elizabeth Boyce
7. Elizabethan Brown
8. Sarah Evaline Rhodes Dancy'
9. Thomas G. Marphy
10. Mary Mason Nelson
11. Mary Ann Banks Nichols
12. Eliza Rhodes
13. Francis Alexander Rhodes
14. Lavinia Mason Rhodes
15. Patience Rhodes
16. Sarah Louisa Turner Dancy Sykes Rhodes
17. Alexander Ross
18. Daughter Rutledge
19. Phineas Thomas Scruggs
20. Eliza Lavinia Sykes
21. Sarah Winfield Dancy Sykes

(7) We stopped to visit the Notorious Simp McGee saloons and Dead Man's Alley

Simp McHGee
Simp, a Master Pilot, was as skillful and competent as the best. But in the Spring of 1917, Federal Agents lifted his license for "the reckless shooting of the rapids" near Chattanooga. No longer allowed to pilot his riverboats, he returned to Decatur and died at Miss Kate's house, on June 16, 1917, at the age of 58...

William Simpson McGhee was buried on the bank of the Tennessee River near Guntersville.

(8)We visited the Nungester Drug Store and (9) The United Methodist Church.
(10) We stopped outside the First Baptist Church its third location.
(11) We visited the Carnegie Library and ended our tour at the Decatur Daikin Amphitheater.

Carnegie Library 

Decatur Daikin Amphitheater.

I walked back to the parking lot near the Old State Bank and took pictures of several historic markers.

The Rising Sun Lodge No 29 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons

Dr. Henry Rhodes, for whom Rhodes Ferry Landing was Named, was Decatur's first Postmaster and one of the organizers of the Lodge (Nov. 22, 1826). Chartered in 1827, its first Worshipful Master was Colonel Francis Danny, builder of the Fancy-Polk House. It is the oldest Lodge in Morgan County and the first fraternal organization in Decatur. Early members were the pioneer settlers of Morgan County. Two of Decatur's founders, Isaac Lane and General Jesse Winston Garth., were Masons and Directors of the Decatur Land Company which laid out the city streets. A lodge was built in 1834 with the lower floor used for school and church purposes. Rising Sun Lodge was destroyed by the enemy during the War Between the States (Nov. 25, 1864). In 1873 a Lodge was built on the NW corner of Bank and Pond Streets, across from the Old State Bank, W.W. Littlejohn a Colonel C.C. Harris were Masons and founders of the Decatur Land Improvement & Furnace Company which planned the city of New Decatur (1887). Three members, all doctors in the faithful discharge of their Hippocratic Oath, were lost to the 1888 Yellow Fever epidemic, James McGinnis Brundidge, PM, is the only Mason in the history of the Alabama Grand Lodge to bestowed the title of

'Honorable Past Grand Master'(1899). In 1934, the Lodge moved into the Masonic Temple on Johnston Street, formerly the Cotaco Opera House.

Decatur has pieces of art dotted throughout the historic area.  

Children holding hands in the Decatur Daikin Amphitheater Park 

A pair of Hands 

A rooster in the Gardens at the Carnegie Library 

Blooming Azaleas  

I ate lunch at Jack in Decatur, rode home, and took a long nap.