2023 Dec 14, Christmas Card Lane Ditto Landing, Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail Huntsville & North Pole Stroll Athens took AVA

 Today, we stopped at Jack in Athens for two cheesecake pies and a scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream for Ava. 

We strolled down North Pole Lane to see the Christmas Trees in Athens. 

North Pole Stroll 

We stopped at Murphy's to refuel.

We stopped at RSA so Ava could see the rockets. 

RSA Rockets 

We rode to Ditto Landing to stroll along the Tennessee River and see the Christmas Cards dotted along its banks. 

Ava loves animals. This was her favorite.

Hubby stopped halfway down while Ava and I strolled to the end, stopping to take pictures. 

A few people were walking, while others were riding bicycles along the pathway.

We stopped at Chick-fil-A South Huntsville for lunch. Ava and I ordered a kid's meal with ice cream, and Hubby had a chicken sandwich. 

Our last stop was at Big Spring Park's Tinsel Trail. There are lots of Christmas trees on both sides of Big Spring. 

This is Ava's favorite at Big Spring Park. 

Hubby sat in the car while Ava and I strolled up and down and around the park. 

We stopped to feed the ducks and fish. 

Feeding the Ducks and fish 

2021 Feb 8, Day Trip to Huntsville, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Huntsville today for my entomologist appointment. You know the drill by now. Stay in your car and call the office to let them know you are there. They will call you back when you can come inside. Once inside the building, you will have your temperature taken and be given a sticker to place on your shirt or blouse indicating that you are cleared to enter. Once inside, I checked in; after a short wait, I was called back to the waiting room. The pressure in both eyes was checked, and both readings were 15. The optic nerves in both eyes were also checked, and no changes were noted. I had taken my big camera with me; I wanted to get a few pictures of the waterfowl and colorful fish that swam at Big Spring Park, so that was our next stop. On our way to Huntsville, the thermometer in the car read 35 and showed snow, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining, with little wind and a slight chill in the air. I took my coa,t but never had to put it on.

Canadian Geese 

We then rode to Braham Spring Park, where we saw Canadian Geese, Mallard Ducks, and a few starlings, all eating and swimming. I said, "It's such a beautiful day." Let's go to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. We entered I-565, and not far past the airport, the traffic was bumper-to-bumper because they were working on the road and merging into one lane. We then turned onto I-65 only to find they were working on the interstate, merging it into one lane. We finally made it to our turn-off, and Hubby said, 'What do you think about getting lunch at Libby's in Priceville?' I said that sounded good, for I love old fried catfish. I was not disappointed; I ordered one piece of fillet with coleslaw, hush puppies, onion, baked potato, and iced tea. I could not eat it. I also got a to-go box.

Catfish plate @Libby's in Priceville, Alabama

We then rode to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to see what was left of the Sandhill Cranes, and to my disappointment, there were just a few. The visitor center and the observation building were both closed. There was a wooden wall with holes cut out to view the fields, but no birds were visible. We stopped at Jack's in Decatur for a Diet Coke and two strawberry Cheesecake pies. Our last stop was the Wheeler Dam to see the waterfowl. Saw a few White Pelicans, so we didn't stop. When we got home, I went outside and filled both bird feeders, and I saw more birds there than at any of the places we had stopped. We have Cardinals, Wrens, Finch, Tufted Titmouse, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers, just to name a few of our backyard birds.