2018 Dec 15, Leipers Fork Christmas Parade Leipers Fork, Tennessee

Hubby and I rode to Leipers Fork to attend the Christmas Parade, it was one of the biggest crowds I had ever seen.

The crowd at Leipers Fork Parade 

John Snider(Bo Duke) from Dukes of Hazzard was the Grand Marshal. John rode atop a replica of the Bright Orange General Lee #1 from the Dukes of Hazzard Show (1979-85).
Followed by the Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane's Police Car.

John Snider, Grand Marshal 

Kid Rock came riding in a White Car that had a bull horn on the front grill, packing guns on both sides of the car. The backside on the tire covering was Hank Jr. Kick Rocks & Michigan Plates 64 Nudie with shotgun, horses, and horseshoes on the trunk, fenders, and bumper.
The kid was dressed in White, trimmed in gold, and wearing a black hat, drinking a Cooler Light beer.
The guy from American Pickers came riding in the parade in a Polaris Jeep.

Kid Rock and his granddaughter

We saw a Grinch 

Cindy Lou-Who 

Santa Clause in his sleigh with Reindeer 

Hubby and I stopped at Jack's Restaurant in Lawrenceburg for breakfast. I ordered a sausage and cheese biscuit.
Hubby ordered a big breakfast.
We arrived at Leipers Fork around 11:00 AM, set up our chairs, and walked around taking pictures and talking to local shop owners.

Christmas Ball hanging from the ceiling at one of the local stores also in the attic area was a Manger Scene 

People already had a chair set up in front of Pucketts Grocery, a local restaurant. 

fireplace a warm, cozy spot 

Cowboy boot Sign

There were several portlets set up, but not near enough for the crowd.
Where we sat were a couple of firepits with marshmallows and gram crackers to make smores.
It was nice to sit by the fire it was an overcast day with temperatures around 50+ degrees with some sun.
At the portlets, I met a woman who was building a house in the Leipers Fork area. She said we have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and they were renting in the Nashville area but were originally from Atlanta, GA.
I also met a woman wearing a Mad Hatter hat, she was covered in Christmas rope, bells, and balls.
She gave me and the woman next to me a bell. I tied my bell on my tennis shoe, and everywhere I went, I would hear bells, I forgot it was me that was ringing.
I met a family from near Dickson, TN, she said she was an artist, and he was a landscaper (from Nashville until he married). They had two children, and they had never been to the Leipers Fork Parade. I told them they were in for a treat. They were waiting to eat at a local restaurant, and when the parade began, they came and stood nearby. The man said after they ate that, the kids rode horses in the fields, and there they saw Kid Rock.
The little girl said she wanted one of the bears that were going to be thrown out during the parade. Both she and her brother caught two each.
They left after the bears were thrown out.
Hubby and I both made smores, but they sure were messy. The parade began around 2:30PM  and lasted until about 4 or a little after the sun was setting, and it was beginning to get dark. The cleanup crew began to clean up all the debris left from the parade and the crowd. Hubby and I sat by the fire pit as we watched a steady stream of cars leave the grass-filled parking area.
A young man stoked the fire, and we warmed our hands and bodies.
A man with his daughter was warming up at the fire pit. We were talking about the Shoals area that we were from, and the man said that he had a friend who played in a band that played at the Shoals Marriott.
We finally braved the traffic and began our travel home.
At 5:22 PM, we stopped at Panda Express in Sring Hill.

End of the parade, and the sun was setting. 

We ordered broccoli and beef, honey walnut shrimp, orange chicken, chow mein, egg roll, and 3 creams cheese Rangoon.

We ordered broccoli and beef, honey walnut shrimp, orange chicken, chow mein, egg roll, and 3 creams cheese Rangoon.

At 7PM, we stopped at Big Lots in Lawrenceburg for some bread and Archway gingerbread cookies.

(I love me some gingerbread cookies) we bought three bags and a bag of Archway gingersnaps. 

We were home around 7:30, took a hot shower, put on my pajamas, crawled into my warm bed, turned on the TV, and were asleep in no time.
Hubby had a great day; it was a little on the cool side, overcast, and the sun tried to sneak out a time or two. Saw John Snider, Kid Rock, and the guy from American Pickers. Made a few new friends, ate some good food, and had a safe trip home.

2016 November 9, Wednesday, Trip to Bridge Street and NASA

Ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and after breakfast went to CBS. 

After CBS, hubby and I rode to Huntsville. 

We shopped at Toyrus (love that store) (love to shop for little ones at Toyrus) and bought my G. Granddaughter a Dory dress, necklace, and bag. We rode to NASA to pick up the hubby's check and fill it up with gas. We stopped so I could take a few pictures. 

Redstone Test Site

Redstone Test Site

We rode back to Bridge Street to eat lunch at Cantina Laredo. We ordered Mexican chicken feta served with beans, rice, onions, peppers, and sour cream.  

We were also served salsa, & chips. 

Cantina Laredo

Cantina Laredo

Salsa

Chicken Feta

When we finished eating we walked down Bridge Street which was decorated for the Christmas Holidays. There will be a Christmas Lighting on November 11 at 4:30 PM. Their extra-large Christmas tree was already up, extra-large white reindeer were everywhere, Christmas lights were strung and many stores had Christmas window displays. 

White Reindeer

Christmas Tree

Christmas Decorations

We shopped at Old Navy and Cabela's we did not buy anything. We stopped at Kohles on our way out of Huntsville. I bought a new purse, a big red dog, and a Madeline doll. 

Hubby went to Family Vision to get his glasses repaired. We stopped at Aldi's for groceries. They had eggs at 49 cents a dozen, milk at 99 cents a gallon hams at $1.09 a pound. We bought several other items. 

Madeline and the Big Red Dog 

We stopped at Wendy's for a Chocolate Frosty. 

As we started our journey home the sun shone brightly on our faces. Hubby said I cannot get used to this time change. 

Sunset 

I wanted to get into the Christmas Spirit but with this crazy weather, it has been hard. It does not feel or seem like Christmas this year. We could sure use some cooler weather. I like seasonal change, winter, spring, summer, and autumn. 

2014~ Wednesday, August 13, Day Trip tp Cathedral Cavern Grant, Alabama

I went to the YMCA to workout on the machines. We stopped at Aldie for Milk, eggs and other sundries. Then on to Wal-Mart for hot sauce. 

As we were leaving Wal-mart I stopped at Auntie Anne’s Pretzels where I ordered a cup of mouth-watering cinnamon sugar bites with frosting dip. I ate them in the van and had cinnamon sugar everywhere. Yum, Yum!!!!!

We took our groceries home and hubby changed into his walking shoes. We stopped at the post office and then to get our pool water checked. 

We stopped near the Brown’s Ferry turn off to take a picture of the red oak tree stump that was saved after April 28, 2014, EF3 Tornado that hit at the Holt’s home. Sitting in the Holt’s front yard was the red oak stump and it was topped with a wood carving of her Irish setter, Charley.

The real Charley was standing in the driveway, he gave us a friendly bark as if to say, HELLO. 

Charley

Charley

It was after lunchtime so we stopped in Athens, Alabama at Burger King. Hubby ordered two one-dollar hamburgers and I ordered a large onion ring and to drink I ordered large water with lemon. I was not very hungry because I had filled up on the cinnamon bites. 

We traveled down Highway 72 through Huntsville, over Mono Sano Mountain down in the valley of Hampton Cove.

We stopped atop the Scenic Gunter Mountain at the Kate Duncan Smith Daughters of the American Revolution School.

Kate Duncan Smith Daughter of the American Revolution School

I can just imagine sitting in the classroom looking outside and longing to be in the woods below.

There was an overlook, where we parked to take pictures of farmhouse, fields, and the woods.

View from School down into the valley below

This school was built out of fieldstone's, cut sandstone and pine logs in 1924.

The campus has twelve buildings built between 1924 and 1957 and includes about 240 acres.

Kate Duncan Smith Daughter of the American Revolution

Kate Duncan Smith Daughter of the American Revolution School

Kate Duncan Smith Daughter of the American Revolution School

Cathedral Caverns State Park located in Kennamer Cove was our next stop. 

There were a total of ten in our group and each person paid fifteen dollars except our tour guide.  

The massive entrance to Cathedral Caverns is 126 feet wide and twenty-five high.

Inside we saw Big Rock Canyon, Mystery River, and Stalagmite Mountain, Frozen Waterfall, Goliath, huge stalagmite column that reaches the ceiling, the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, Darth Vader’s head, Hurd of elephants butts and many other sites.

Cathedral Caverns

Cathedral Caverns

Cathedral Caverns

Cathedral Caverns

Hurd of Elephants

Darth Vader’s head

Our jolly, funny, tour guide drove a golf cart in and out of the cave.

On the way back my knees were starting to hurt. So hubby and I jumped on board. It was a steep ride out of the cave and we had to hold on tight to keep from being dumped off. 

The walk itself was over two miles round trip up and down a steep slippery walkway.

We thanked our tour guide and headed into Guntersville. We stopped at Wintzells Oyster House where we shared a plate of delicious fried Shrimp and Oysters dipped in cocktail and tarter sauce.

We each ordered baked potato covered in butter, with buttered bread and hushpuppies

For dessert,t we ordered blackberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. Yum, Yum!!!!

Wintzells Oyster House in Guntersville, Al 

Wintzells Motto 
My Town

We stopped in Hampton Cove to fill up with gas. Hubby took the wrong turn and we came out of the Southside of Huntsville instead of coming across Mono Sano Mountain. 

I was so sleepy on the way back and I think I drifted off before we were home.

We were home at about nine pm.  

We had a great day.

Little Spooners

Norman Rockwell the Little Spooner or Sunset was my inspiration to write a story.

Two best friends sitting on a bench looking at the moon recalling their friendship.

Drugged by medication my mind drifts back in time to my youth.

I see myself and my best friend sitting on that old wooden bench which I am sure has long decayed like my youth has faded with old age.

A tiny tear trickles down my cheeks as I remember the crystal blue waters of

the lake and me sitting next to my best friend with his arms caressed with mine as he snuggles close to me.

I lay here in this dark cold room on a bed not my own, looking at the face of the clock hanging on the wall.

I am sure that the clock could tell many stories as he looks at me.

I can see my life in the clocks face just ticking away.

I wish it would stop and smile at me but it just keeps on ticking.

When I was young, I never thought much about time or a clock because all my time was spent with my best friend.

Our love and friendship were timeless.

We shared that same love with Spot.

We found Spot when he was just a pup.

His mother had died during birthing her pups.

The owner had taken the mother and her pups into the woods to leave them to die.

We found the mother and six little pups all dead except one.

We buried all of them and nursed the living pup back to health.

We gave the tiny pup the name of Spot because her coat was spotted with black, brown, white, and red fur.

We shared the love of Spot but Spot lived at my house.

Wherever we went he was there trotting along behind us.

Spot was a shorthaired Beagle.

His ears, head, and back were black and brown, his legs and part of his back and between his eyes were white.

He had beautiful big brown eyes and around his eyes were patches of red fur.

My mind now drifts to our fishing hole and how Spot responded when we would catch fish.

Spot would let us know by barking, that he was ready for dinner for he loved to eat fish but it had to be cooked. 

Sometime we would build a campfire and bake the fish just for Spot.

Sometimes I could see and feel Spot on the bed next to me. I would reach over to stroke Spot’s back but I soon realize that it was just a dream.

It is good to dream it gives us hope of a better day so we can forget about the aches and pains of old age.

My best friend and I built the old wooden bench that we sat on when we were just spooners.

We cut two young saplings for the bench legs and dug two very deep holes to place them in.

We had brought a wooden plank from home to make the seat. The plank was unfinished so we would have to be careful not to get splinters.

It was called our Little Spooner Seat.

We had borrowed a shovel, saw, hammer, nails, and a hoe from my dad’s barn to make the bench.

We had to remember to return the tools or my dad would have had a cow.

It took us all day to cut down the two saplings, dig the two holes, and put together the bench.

We did not mind and time didn’t matter.

We would sit in our special Spooner place and watch the sunset even Spot was silent at this time.

The love we had for each other was eternal and we shared this love with Spot.

Spot lived over fifteen years and it was a sad day we had to put him in the ground as if part of our hearts died that day.

It has been many years since I heard Spot barking.

Thinking back to when I was a girl of thirteen that is when we found Spot.

My best friend and I went to college in our hometown.

It took me four years to become a registered nurse.

My best friend wanted to be a Veterinarian so he had to leave town to attend college for a few years.

We married soon after he returned home but never had any children.

My best friend treated many animals and I was always at his side.

I had trained to be a nurse but went to work for my husband for we both love animals.

Spot had a special place in our hearts because he had been our first pet together.

We tried for many years to have children but finally gave up.

I guess it was just not meant for us to have any children.

We would have had beautiful children for both of us were of Irish descent.

I always had long flowing red hair that I kept platted with a ribbon tied at the end.

I was a tall lanky girl with a freckled face.

My Spooner was a handsome man he had short red hair, a freckled face, and long legs.

He had to wear suspenders to hold up his pants because he had a skinny waist.

If he bought his pants, long enough they were too big in the waist.

I dearly loved my Spooner.

I traveled with my husband to help him take care of other people’s animals and we were both too busy to have any animals of our own.

We both volunteered at the animal shelter helping take care of the unwanted animals.

One summer we volunteered to go to South Africa to help set up a veterinarian clinic and to train the people there on how to care for the wounded animals until a Veterinarian could come and take our place.

I will never forget that adventure.

We had an alligator that had swallowed a log, it was hung in his throat, and we had to remove it. That was a trip.

We had a lion that had been attacked by another lion and left to die.

We nursed him back to life.

We had a giraffe get his neck stuck in the top of a tree.

We had a rhino get stuck in the mud and it took a huge truck to pull him out.

All those memories soon began to fade as I fell into a deep sleep.

My mind seems to come, & go some days life seems so real, and other days like a dream.

Sadly, I no longer have my pet Spot or my best friend who was the love of my life for both left this world many years ago.

I never thought I would outlive my best friend but here I lay in this bed all alone with just my memories and some days no memories at all.

Growing old is not so bad but I sure would be nice to have my best friend at my side.

Little Spooners

Being someone’s first love may be great, but to be their last is beyond perfect.