2022 Jan 28-30, Focus on Nature Photo Weekend JWSP (3 days)

 Jan 28, Friday

Today, I am going on an adventure. 

My adventure began at River Heritage Park, a park that overlooks Wilson Dam, which is usually flooded with birds, but not today. 

I was not to be discouraged, I adventured across Wilson Dam to the overlook and Rockpile.

It was a bitterly cold day below freezing, and I could see literally 1,000s of pelicans, seagulls, and cormorants (snake birds) sitting on the rocks below the dam.  

There were a few that challenged the north wind foraging for food and a few white pelicans floating down the river. 

Nothing keeps the pelicans from floating down the river, even the turbulent water at Wheeler Dam.

Buttercups 

Rogersville Park is usually flooded with birds today, I saw buttercups reaching up with closed eyes. 

What adventure was waiting for me at Joe Wheeler Lodge? I am joining a group of fellow lovers of photography and nature. 

Tonight, there will be a Horsd’oeuvers of Cheese, crackers, and fruit as we mingle with others. 

There will be a signup sheet for the activities on Saturday.

Alabama weather this time of year is so unpredictable, from 19 in the mornings and 50s to 60s, sometimes 70s during the day. I am going to wait until tomorrow to decide what my next adventure will be. 

Jan 29, Saturday, 

With a good night's sleep and a light breakfast, I was ready for the day. 

We spent the morning listening to Rocky talk about the many facets of the camera and how to use them. 

Many, like myself, were still in a maze of confusion about the camera. We love the auto modes. 

Lunch consisted of a BLT with onion rings.

White Pelicans at Wheeler Dam

& with making new friends. 

At 1pm, everyone met upstairs to disperse into different groups.

One group was going to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. 

Another group was going to Wheeler & Wilson Dams and other local sites nearby. 

The last group was going to watch a falconer release three Harris Hawks into the woods to hunt for food (small animals). 

It was cold but not bitter cold like yesterday, but we were bundled up. 

The groups dispersed in different directions. Ours was inside the Joe Wheeler State Park. 

Before the falconer released the Harris Hawks, he had anyone wearing fur or a colorful hat remove them. The birds may think they are small animals and attack, nor do they like bright colors. 

The birds were released for the hunt, and away we went, following them into the wooded area. 

They didn’t go too far into the woods, but they did stop to watch or even pose for us.

The hawks treed a squirrel, but the squirrel outfoxed them. No catch today for the Hawks. 

Our group walked down to the edge of the Lake near the cabins. We saw shells, fossils, wild mushrooms, and driftwood. 

We saw Spoonbill Ducks swimming in a nearby sewage area, they love the minnows that grow there. 

There was a Bald Eagle in the Day Use, and that was our next stop.

With the camera in hand, we slowly advanced up the hill, stopping for that next great shot.

Bald Eagle with his eyes on us. 

The eagle got wind of us and flew away.

At the lake, we saw a kingfisher, Canadian Geese, and a gray heron.

We sat down at the edge of the lake and watched the sunset. 

What a way to end our hike. 

Lake Wheeler, as the sun goes down
the ripples and different colors upon the lake. 

We enjoyed a seafood buffet as we sat around socializing. 

The falconer returned with one of his Harris Hawks with Q & A time.

Rocky finished the day with a slide show and several stories.

Harris Hawks 

What a wonderful way to make new friends with a keen interest in photos and nature.  

A shadow of friends 

2019 June 12, Day Trip Cooks Museum of Natural Science, Decatur Depot, Huntsville, Athens, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Decatur, where we visited the newly opened Cooks Museum of Natural History. 

There, we walked through a cave, the forest, the Arctic, and the desert exhibits. 

Cooks Museum of Natural History 

We saw live turtles, saltwater fish, live coral, moon jellyfish, river fish, gopher snakes, American bullfrog, American Alligator, and a variety of insects.

We saw a live beehive with thousands of bees that were connected to the outside, where the bees could collect pollen for the hive. 

A meteorite from outer space, a digital seashell generator, a kinetic sand table, and a tree with a rope bridge to climb were just a few of the inter-actives at the museum. 

Cooks Museum is a place where you can touch, feel, see, and hear different species of animals, reptiles, birds, insects, and fish. 

It is a great place for school groups to visit. 

We had a great time. 

Bee Hive 

We were greeted by a well-informed curator at the Decatur Train Museum. 

He told us some of the histories of the museum.

We saw an engineer running a miniature train around the tracks along its path was a replica of notable buildings of Decatur.

We saw The Princes Theater,  the Old Bank building, the Turner-Surles Community Resources Center, The Train Depot, and the Dance-Polk House.

We saw a Coca-Cola engine, Army Supply Train, Orange caboose, CSX Engine, C& X, K Line, Seaco, ADM Box Car, etc. 

Signs along the walls that read SouthernRailway “The Southern Serves the South,” Rail-Road Crossing, & Will not clear man or side of the car.

Decatur Train Depot Museum 

We saw the early Memphis & Charleston Railroad 1869, steam engines, and carriages cars.  We saw an early telephone hanging on the wall, the early Western Union Telegram, maps of early Alabama, and an old Underwood Typewriter. 

On display inside was a Red 1941 Chevrolet 1 2ton pickup truck

On display inside was a Green and Yellow John Deere model “LA” general-purpose tractor 

We shopped at the new Duluth Company Trading Post( located near Intergraph in Huntsville), which had men's and women's clothing.

We ate a late lunch/dinner at Golden Corral. I always overeat at buffets. 

We bought an HP Office Jet 9015 Printer and ink at Office Depot in Huntsville. My old HP had died.

The car was loaded with two cases of water we had bought at Sam's the day before. 

We bought vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, squash) from a local grower on our way to Decatur.

We bought a few groceries from Oldies in Athens.
We bought some baking soda at CE Pool, where we got our pool water checked. 

So, the car was loaded with items to be put away.

I had taken several pictures but was too tired to upload them to the computer. I will do that another day.

Ready for some couch time!

🎄🎄🎄🎄2016 December 10, Saturday Christmas Adventures🎄🎅🏻

I grabbed my purse, camera bag, a blanket, a box of Kleenex, and gloves before I walked outside into the brisk cold. 
Our windshield was covered with star-shaped ice and the leather seats were freezing cold. 
I spread a fuzzy warm blank over my seat while I waited for it to warm up which did not take too long because of the heated seats. 
I had dressed in layers with thermals, jeans, two thermal shirts, a coat, and boots. I was one big bundle of warmth.
I coughed and hacked all the way to Walgreens in Lawrenceburg, where we purchased a bottle of Mucinex Fast-Max Clear and Cool for cold, flu, and sore throat. 
I felt like that Mucinex man had been following me for the last two days. 
I took my first dose which burned my raw throat. We also bought two bags of Ricola Cough suppressants a bag of Swiss Cherry and a bag of Cherry Honey from Switzerland.
We stopped in Spring Hill to fill up at Murphy Gas and Burger King for three French sticks, a piece of sausage, and a cinnamon roll. 

We saw a group of young fiddlers playing Christmas Carols, they were dressed in full-length, white, blue, brown, pink, & red dresses.
Bonnets, caps, or hats covered their heads, and scarves were wrapped around their necks. 
We walked back in time to a Victorian Christmas and as we strolled the streets we met many different characters. We meet Santa Claus, A Victorian Father and Mother Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, The Grim Reaper, the Nut Cracker, Bob Emily & Tiny Tim Cratchit, and Jacob Marley.

Victorian Father and Mother Christmas

Santa Clause

Old Hum Bum himself "Ebenezer Scrooge"
He said I don't like people and I don't like pictures as he posed for his picture. 

Dickens of Christmas Characters

The Nut Cracker and the Frisky Little Mouse 

Group of Dickens Characters

Bob Emily & Tiny Tim Cratchit

Father Christmas

About seventy-five vendors in white tents filled Main Street.

Their booths were filled with heritage crafts, holiday items, and specialty gifts. 

Vendors were encouraged to dress in period dresses to bring out the ambiance.

We saw a horse-drawn carriage, carolers, Charles Dickens characters strolling the streets, and the smell of Victorian food.

One booth was giving free cups of hot apple cider which felt good to my sore throat. 

We saw Booties, Whimsy Wonderland, Country Wood, Boudrcaux Bro Kitchen & Catering, Heritage Foundation Booth, bell ringers for Salvation Army, a sign that said "Franklin Rotary Breakfast will match your donation", Mix 97, Ace's Kettle Corn, Cinnamon Roasted Nuts, Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, locally owned and made Walker Creek Confections, Tennessee Glass Stains, Mix 92.9, Gracy's Farm Fresh Honey, Kaleidoscope Frames, Chocolate Moonshine of Tennessee, Franklin Fudge Factory, Unique Funnel Cake House, Artist drawing a reindeer, Stoney Creek Farm, a blacksmith, a bookbinder, a sock netter, Imagine-box Emporium  Peach-skin Sheets, Colorado Wassail Company, a man playing glasses full of water, Puckett's Trolley, White Mercantile,  The statue guy, & large black furry poodle.

The Thirty-second Annual Dickens of a Christmas Heritage Foundation was a bandstand where groups performed.

The last character we saw was the tormented ghost, damned to wander the earth forevermore as a punishment for his greed, Jacob Marley.

Jacob Marley

As we exited downtown Franklin we felt like we were leaving behind a Victorian Christmas.
Even the Old Hum Bum himself "Ebenezer Scrooge" could not ruin our Christmas. 

🦌🦌🦌2016 November 15,Tuesday, ICE COLD, Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer

Hubby and I stopped at Logan's Roadhouse Spring Hill TN for lunch.
We ordered Roadhouse 'Shroom which are hand-battered fresh mushrooms with Rockin' Horseradish.  I ordered Chips and Cheese dip, creamy white queso cheese with crispy tortilla chips.
For our main meal, we ordered an All American Cheeseburger, with Swiss Cheese, served with sliced lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles on a toasted brioche bun.

Cheeseburger 

Roadhouse 'Shroom 

Chips and Cheese dip

Hubby ordered the Fried Cheese and Bacon Burger, which was fried cheese, thick-cut hardwood smoked bacon sliced tomato, lettuce, red onions, and thousand island dressing on a toasted brioche bun.
We had to get two to-go boxes because we ordered way too much food.

We stopped at Sam's Club in Franklin to purchase two batteries for our RV.

When we reached Nashville our first stop was the Gaylord Opryland Event Center to purchase ICE tickets.
As we walked toward the Event Center we were greeted by a giant ICE sculpture. So we stopped to take pictures.
Next, we purchased ICE tickets! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is brought to life in magnificent sculptures that are hand-carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice.

ICE

Presents under Christmas Tree

Three Snowmen 

There were several TV hanging on an Ice Wall giving instructions before entering the ICE House.

Wall of TVs

When the show ended everyone was given Blue parkas to wear and before entering the ICE were asked if we wanted our picture taken. We said no.
Upon entering the  9 degrees ICEHOUSE we were greeted by a huge ICE Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer.

WITH a dial that said, "Make it glow"!

Inside ICE we saw several Reindeer, Santa, dancing dolls, Cowboys, clowns, dogs, and bears.
The Lion,  King of the Beast was wearing angel wings, and a crown and he was sitting in front of the ICE slides. There were three or four Slide shoots where people could slide down the ice.

We saw a green Christmas tree covered in colorful balls and a gold rope.
We saw elves, a family of deer, Frosty the Snow Man, the Ice Bar, Santa, and his Reindeer.
One scene was five elves and a sign that read: And, at Santa's Castle ... an elf named Hermney didn't want to make toys as the other elves did. He had wanted to be a dentist since he was a kid.

The elf who wanted to be a dentist. 

We saw Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snow Monster. 

Next, we saw Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snow Monster and a sign that read:

What they found was a creature! A giant! A friend! An Abominable Snow Monster who was meaner than mean.
The Yukon Cornelius came 'round the bend. These two lonely misfits had found a new friend. What a mighty swing of his miner's ax, Yukon whacked the ice, which started some cracks. and just as the Bumble got to the bay, the ice broke free, and they floated away.

Santa and his Reindeer

Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, The wise men, Shepards and an Angel 

We exited Ice into the Christmas store and we walked to Gaylord Hotel.
I had my picture taken with Santa.
We spent several hours walking through the Three gardens that were decorated for the Christmas Holidays.
We stopped for a Butterfinger Ice Cream and rested.
We exited the hotel and walked back outside Ice Ring where we watched the sunset.

Setting Sun on the White Christmas Tree.
We traveled to Spring Hill stopping at Panda Express for dinner.

Both of us were exhausted from all the walking and it was still over an hour's ride from Spring Hill to home.

⛴Trip to Cape Cod

September 22, 2012

My daughter and I rode from Newington, Connecticut to Cape Cod, Mass.

We stopped at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and ordered 8 munchkins.

We rode across the Sagamore Bridge, and facing us was the Rotary sign that said, “Welcome to Cape Cod.”

We visited the white and red Bass River Lighthouse sitting among the Townhouse in West Dennis. 

Bass River Lighthouse

We visited the Light House Inn Lighthouse that now sits on top of the Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis.

Behind the Inn was a rock wall that made a circle in the Bass River. We walked along the wall stopping to take several pictures. It was a beautiful place for a wedding. 

Light House Inn Lighthouse

Rock Wall 

We ate lunch at Kreme and Kone's a family-owned clam shack in West Dennis, where we were served the best seafood on Cape Cod

We split a plate of grilled Halibut on a bed of rice with coleslaw and a vanilla ice cream cone for dessert. 

We stopped at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham where we used the restrooms and toured the museum.

The museum had artifacts, photos, and art from the Mashpee-Wampanoag and Aquinnah tribes.

The Visitor Center also had pictures and articles showing the natural and cultural forces that created Cape Cod's beaches. 

I bought a couple of postcards, Nauset Lighthouse and Three Sisters. 

 Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham 

 Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham 

We also stopped in Eastham to take pictures of the Georgian, Late Victorian-style Eastham Windmill.  

It is the oldest windmill on Cape Cod. It was constructed in 1680 by Thomas Paine in Plymouth. 

We visited the 18 century Judith Baker Windmill, in South Yarmouth. The windmill faces west to Bass River, and nearby is a small boardwalk and beach. 

Judith Baker Windmill

In the town of Orleans, we walked along Nauset Beach, where we saw the Three Sister Lighthouses, & Nauset Lighthouse.

Three Sisters Lighthouses 

Nauset Beach 

Nauset Lighthouse

We saw the historic markers: Three Sisters lit the Way; The Nauset Lights, Pushed back by the sea; & The Long, Black Cable. 

The sun was going down behind the large sand dunes, when we reached Provincetown, Ma. My cell phone was about dead, so I did not take many pictures in Provincetown.

We stopped at Far Land Provisions located at 150 Bradford Street Provincetown, Ma 02657.

We saw the Pilgrim monument, founded in 1892, that overlooks the town. It was said that the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring the tip of Cape Cod. 

 Pilgrim Monument

We walked several blocks taking in the sights. We saw people sitting on the benches in front of Town Hall watching the world go by. 

We saw drag queens along the streets inviting us into the drag shows, one had a southern accent. I ask the drag queen where he was from, and he said Georgia. Imagine a southern in Provincetown.

We walked along MacMillan Wharf and back through Commercial Street, where we saw shops, galleries, and a Portuguese bakery. 

We spent the night at South Wellfleet Motel. 

September 23, 2012:

We ate a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs in the Motel’s restaurant.

We walked barefoot along the sandy beaches of Chatham Harbor.

We saw the black and white Chatham Lighthouse.  

Chatham Lighthouse

Chatham Beach 

We saw a white two-story siding house with three chimneys with a red roof sitting next to the lighthouse. It was enclosed inside a wire fence. In front of the fence was the historical marker about the History of Chatham Light.  We also saw the historic marker of The Mayflower Story and The Rescue of the Pendleton. 

Nearby was the Chatham Beach-Tennis Clubhouse. 

We rode past the White building of the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ established in 1720.

The two-decker steeple had a clock face on three sides, of the church.

In Chatham on Seaview, we saw an antique building and in the downtown area, we saw a Corner Toy Store. 

At 3 Rivers Road Orleans, we visited the Jonathan Young Windmill, where we saw the interior workings of a windmill. The wind shaft in the interior is attached to the brake wheel/bull wheel (wooden gears).

Jonathan Young Windmill

We walked along the beaches of Marconi, located six miles north of Salt Pond Visitor Center. 

The waves were high and we saw men wearing rubber suits and surfing. It was too cold for swimming but not for the dogs, we saw happily, jumping into the splashing waves. 

The next morning we bought tickets to take the ferry to Vineyard Haven.

We parked the car and rode the bus to the ferry at Oaks Bluff.  

On the bus we meet a couple, they ask where we were from, and they said that they had family living in Florence on Robins Lane.

ferryboat 

Everyone got off the bus and loaded onto the ferry.

The ferry took us to Martha’s Vineyard. 

In Martha’s Vineyard, we walked to Ocean Park, where we saw a flock of geese.

In the park, we saw a bandstand, some markers, and a statue. September is the offseason and it was getting late so most of the stores were closing or closed. 

We stopped in The Good Ship Lollipop Store, where I bought some animal cookies and a diet Pepsi. 

The store owner's wife named the store The Good Ship Lollipop.  

We saw many store signs as we walked through the town, we saw Ben & Bills Chocolate, Ice Cream, and Candies, Skinn & Fat sandwiches, Bite on the Go, Pirate Jacks burgers, Sharkey’s Cantina, Oldies Memorial Fountain, Laughing bear, It’s me, Murdock fudge, Boat skipper. 

Vineyard and Vines 

We did not want to miss our ride back to the main island so we hurriedly walked back to the ferry station, but the last ferry left at 6:30pm.

We were told to take bus 13 to Vineyard Haven, it had the only ferry going back to the mainland.  

We hurriedly walked toward the first bus 13 but that bus was going in the wrong direction. We had to wait for the next bus 13, which would take us to Oak Bluffs where we could catch the next ferry.

The couple we met earlier was on bus 13.

On the ferry ride, we meet two women that lived in Johnston, RI.

Riding the ferry 

Riding the ferry 

Riding the Ferry 

One of the women said that she worked in the Art and Drama Department at the local college in Johnston and her husband owned a business.

The other woman said her husband was an angler. 

The two women were on vacation together and my daughter talked their heads off. 

We rode the bus to the parking area where everyone got off and went to their cars. 

We rode to Val’s house, he was watching the Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots lost by one point 30 to 31. We spent the night in Johnston.