2021 Feb 8, Day Trip to Huntsville, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Huntsville today for my Opthomologist 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, they take your temperature; you are given a sticker to place on your shirt or blouse that says you are okay to enter the building. Once inside, I checked in; after a short wait, I was called back to the waiting room. The pressure in both my eyes was checked, and both registered 15, The optic nerve in both eyes was checked, and nothing changed. 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 on the car read 35 and showed snow, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining; not much wind, with a little chill in the air. I took my coat 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 eating and swimming at the park. I said it's such a beautiful day let's go to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, so we entered I-565, and not far past the airport, the traffic was bumper to bumper because they were working on the road and were merging into one lane. We then turned onto I-65 only to find out they were working on the interstate and were also merging 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 sounds good, for I love me some good 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 to my disappointment, they were just a few. The visitor center was closed, and so was the observation building. There was a wooden wall with holes cut out to view the fields, but no birds. We stopped at Jack's in Decatur for a diet Coke and two strawberry Cheesecake pies. Our last stop was a 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 saw more birds at home than I did at all the places where we had stopped. We have Cardinals, Wrens, Finch, Tuff Titmouse, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers, just to name a few of our backyard birds.

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!

2018 Dec 18, Christmas Trees, Cards, Cranes and Ducks Athens, Decatur, & Madison, Alabama

Today, Hubby and I visited the North Pole Christmas Tree Stroll at Big Spring Park, Athens.

North Pole Stroll Athens, Alabama 

Mallards, White Ducks, and goldfish greeted me as I approached the pond at Big Springs.

I enjoyed two(Grinch) buttermilk pancakes with a hint of green topped with sweet cream cheese icing and red candy hearts. Crowned with creamy green whipped topping & 2 link sausages at IHOP in Madison.
Hubby ordered fried Fish, shrimp, fries, toast, and a stack of 3 buttermilk pancakes.

Grinch Pancakes 

fish, shrimp, fries, toast 

Hubby drove us through the larger-than-life Christmas Card Lane that is showcased in front of some of the historic homes in Madison along Front and Chruch Streets.

Thank You for Visiting Christmas Card Lane

Magical Christmas Tree Trail Madison, Alabama Different sponsors of Madison decorate a tree, and the trees are located on both sides of the Main Street Cafe.

We rode to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur via I-65 workers working on the bridge over the Tennessee River traffic backup. 

View of Decatur from the bridge where the traffic was backed up 

We walked down to the overlook to see the Cranes and ducks. Not as many sandhills and Whooping cranes as last year.  

We saw thousands of Sandhill Cranes but only one White Whooping Crane
The Whooping Crane, at 5 feet tall, is the tallest bird in North America and one of the most endangered. They are named for their whooping unison calls. 

Our last stop was Founders Park in front of Old Historic Bank to tour the Enchanted Forest Christmas Tree Stroll. 

Enchanted Forest Christmas Tree Stroll in Founders Park, Decatur 

By the time we finished, it was beginning to get dark, but the solar-powered lights had not come on. 
By the time we arrived home, it was dark. Hubby stopped at McDonald's for a hamburger, fries, apple pie, and Ice Cream. I ate a piece of the fish he had left over from lunch. 
Uploaded some of my pictures after I arrived home.

Sunset 

2018 Feb 19-22, President's Special The Inn at Christmas Place Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Presidents Day, Monday, February 19
For breakfast, I cooked bacon, eggs, and toast.
Hubby and I rode to Athens to leave the Chrysler Van for repairs.
Filled up with gas at Murphy’s in Athens.

We rode to Madison to look at an old Fireo.
We stopped at Dollar General for snacks, meat skins, and drinks.
We rode through Jasper, South Pittsburg, White Side, Chattanooga, and Trenton, stopping at Richville Rest Area, where I took pictures of Pushing Forward Knoxville Union Army on the Move.

We traveled US 72 through Huntsville, crossing into Tennessee near South Pittsburg, taking I-24 through Chattanooga to I-75 N to Knoxville, I-40 Knoxville to Kodak, taking 66 to Sevierville, and 441 into Pigeon Forge.

We went to Huck Finn’s for dinner, for we had skipped lunch.
Hubby ordered the small catfish plate with creamed potato and fixings.
I ordered the Cajun Grilled Trout with creamed potato and fixings. (white beans, Coleslaw, onions, pickles, and hush puppies.

Huck Finn's 

We took several pictures at Huck Finn's.
We checked into The Inn at Christmas Place at 4:38 PM for two nights.
We took our luggage to the room and returned up front in time to listen to the Christmas Bells Chime.
We rode through Pigeon Forge to  Gatlinburg, where we saw many Christmas Lights for Winter Fest.
We saw Johnny Rockets, Bubba Gumps, Dicks Last Resort, Dude’s Daiquiris, Texas Roadhouse, Calhoun's, Hollywood Star Cars, and Cooters’.
We came back to Pigeon Forge, where we saw a building covered in green light.
We saw a sign that read Dollywood loves every moment turn here.
We saw a storefront with alligators, sharks, and bear statues.
We rode through the archway at the Old Mill, it was covered in Christmas Lights of red and white.
Hubby took my picture in front of a picture of people skating at the Old Mill.
We bought a bag of yellow stone-ground cornmeal and apple fritter mix.
We rode to Patriot Park, stopping to take several pictures and videos. Stayed on the sidewalk because the ground in the park was still full of water from all the rain.
As we were riding through Pigeon Forge, we saw Arcade lit up in neon lights and a new place called Alcatraz East Prison.

We rode through The Island, where we saw the carousel, fairs wheel, Margaritaville, and Paula Deans's Family kitchen.
We stopped to take several pictures of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Adventures covered in Christmas Lights it was closed for the season.
We also saw the Magic Quest on our way back to The Inn at Christmas Place.
At 7:30 PM, we sat on the balcony at the Inn eating oatmeal raisin, Chocolate, and Sugar cookies served with hot apple cider.
It was a clear and warm night as we watched the flow of traffic and all the Christmas lights that surrounded the Inn.
We retired for the night, for it had been a very tiring day.

February 20, Tuesday
Took showers, dressed, and walked downstairs to the dining room for breakfast.
I got three sausage links and watched the cook prepare my made-to-order omelet.
I chose mushrooms, spinach, peppers, ham, and cheese.
The cook said he loved to cook, and I told him that my middle son loved to cook.
I said you have to have a knack for flipping omelets, but he said it takes a good pan.

It was still a little foggy outside and too early for stores to open up, so we went back to our room. Hubby watched TV, and I wrote in my journal.
Last night, before we went out, we talked to the bellman of the Inn. He said his daughter was the manager at the front desk, and he was a retired Sheriff of 25 years. He still worked part-time to get his 30 years of service. He said that he loved working at the INN.
At 10 AM, we rode to Gloria Vanderbilt and Lees, where we bought hubby a shirt.
We went to the Tanger outlet, where I bought a shirt from Under Armer and a black and white shirt from Nike. (I had only brought long sleeves tops, and it was 77 degrees outside) It is too hot for long sleeves.
We rode to Bass Pro in Kodak, where we bought hubby a couple shirts.
We ate dinner at Uncle Bucks, which is inside the Bass Pro Shops. We had all-you-can-eat shrimp for $9.99.

Uncle Buck's All you can eat Shrimp.

We rode to the Douglas Dam and park, stopping to take several pictures.
We filled up with gas at Murphy’s.
We rode by the Apple Bar, where we saw two geese waddling near Little Pigeon River.
We stopped at the upside-down Museum, Hatfield & McCoys, Hard Rock Cafe, and Titanic to take pictures.
We stopped at Dixie Stampede to take pictures of the horses.
We parked at The Island, walked around, stopped for Ice Cream, and finally sat down to watch the fountain dance to music.

Hatfield & McCoys 

The Island 

Watching Fountains Dance with the Sunset

Margaretville

We walked to Margaretville Hotel, a gift shop, and a restaurant to take pictures.
We rode back to the Inn around 7 PM.
From 8-9PM, we listened to Santa sing Christmas Carols and religious and Country Songs.
After the performance, we enjoyed milk, cider, and cookies.

Wednesday, February 21
Hubby and I enjoyed a nice hot breakfast, packed and checked out of the Inn, and started for home.
We stopped at the Rest Area in Jasper, TN, and Richville.
Hubby dropped me off in Athens to pick up the van.
Hubby rode to Madison to buy that Fireo we had looked at before we went on our trip. It had to be towed home. Hubby bought the Fireo parts for his Fireo.
Today is my grandson’s twenty-seventh birthday, so we are meeting him, his wife, dad, and sister at Logan’s Roadhouse for dinner.
Hubby and I ate hot rolls and fried mushrooms.
I gave my grandson a birthday card with money inside for his birthday. He said they were taking their camper to Fort Wilderness Campground and going to Universal Studios Theme Park for the weekend.

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Complex

Boating 
There are six improved and several unimproved boat launching facilities located on the
Refuge. Improved facilities are those with pad-ed parking and concrete launch ramps. Unimproved facilities are those with dirt or graveled small parking areas and dirt or gravel launch ramps. 

Improved Ramps 
Arrowhead Landing: Located in Limestone County on the west central portion of Limestone Bay. 

Triana: Located south of the town of Triana in Madison County, where Indian Creek flows into the Tennessee River. This is the easternmost boat ramp. 

Hickory Hills: Located in Morgan County on the northern portion of Flint Creek. 
Bluff City: Located in Morgan County on the southern bank of the Tennessee River, approximately nine miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Sharp’s Ford/Cotaco Creek: Located in Morgan County on the western bank of Cotaco Creek at Sharp’s Ford Road. 

Tallulah/Sunnyside Landing: Located in Morgan County on the southern bank of the Tennessee River, approximately twelve miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 


Unimproved Ramps
Arrowhead Landing:# 1 & #2 
Located in Limestone County on the west central portion of Limestone Bay.

Rockhouse: Located in Limestone County on the north bank of the Tennessee River, approximately six miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Flint Creek: Located in Morgan County on Flint Creek near Alabama Highway 67. 
Duncan Hill: 
Located in Morgan County at the Flint Creek/Garth Slough confluence. 

Susie Hole: Located in Morgan County on the south side of Garth Slough. 
Cave Springs Mussel Camp: Located in Morgan County on the south bank of the Tennessee River, approximately five miles upstream from the U. S. Highway 31 bridges. 

Madden Branch: Located in Morgan County at the Madden Branch/Cataco Creek confluences S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Hunting 
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 500 national wildlife refugees. The primary objective of a national wildlife refuge is to provide a habitat for the conservation and protection of all species of wildlife.
Carefully managed hunts are one tool used to manage wildlife 
populations.

Small and large game hunting with bows and flintlocks provides high-quality recreation for many people. Wheeler NWR offers public hunting on approximately 18,000 acres, and hunting regulations are published each year
in the WNWR hunting permit brochure. Hunters are allowed to hunt white-tailed deer, feral hogs, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and quail. 
Waterfowl hunting is not permitted on the refuge.

500+ acres between HGH Road and the Tennessee River are designated as a special access hunting area for disabled hunters. 
Special access permits are available at Refuge Headquarters.

Fishing is a very popular activity at Wheeler NWR, with an estimated 274,000 anglers trying their luck each year in the 18,000 acres of refuge waters.
Many creeks and sloughs adjoin the main channel of the Tennessee River throughout the refuge. Old river channels, open blackwater embayments, and
miles of tree-lined creeks and streams provide excellent fishing opportunities for largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, stripped, and hybrid bass, bluegill and redear sunfish, crappie, sauger, several species of catfish, and a few yellow perch. 

A universally accessible fishing pier is available on Flint Creek across Highway 67 from the Visitor Center. 

A three-acre catfish pond is available for organized events. 
Each year, groups ranging from special needs children and adults to summer
day campers and cub scouts enjoy fishing at the pond. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Water Level Management
Wheeler NWR staff manages impoundment water levels on the refuge to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Impoundments are enclosed bodies of water such as a reservoir. The management of these areas creates moist soil and flooded cropland conditions that produce natural, desirable vegetation and high-calorie food for waterfowl. Impoundments last benefit colonial water birds, marsh birds, and shorebirds. 

To grow moist soil plants, water levels in the impoundments must be lowered in the spring for the germination of wetland plants. The areas are then flooded in the fall just before waterfowl begin to arrive. A lack of water management limits food and plant options for the birds. This management objective is difficult to accomplish when TVA raises and lowers Wheeler Reservoir with a schedule that is opposite to what is needed for sustaining waterfowl. 

Farming 
3.500 - 4,000 acres are cooperatively farmed on the refuge. Cooperative farming is a mutually beneficial arrangement where the farmer is allowed to farm refuge land under certain guidelines and restrictions, including that a certain share of the crop (18-20%) be left for waterfowl and wildlife. It provides food, browses, cover, and nesting areas for waterfowl and other wildlife species. 

Crops grown include soybeans, corn, winter wheat, milo, and millet. Various waterfowl, such as Canada geese, Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and Mallards, feed in the fields during fall and winter. Deer enjoy feeding on corn, soybeans, and winter wheat, while raccoons and squirrels drag ears of corn into the woods and feed on it there. Various species of songbirds feed on these crops also.

Nature interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Water for Life

Life on Earth is dependent on clean water. Water quality is defined as the stability of water for a particular use. A definition of good water is different for drinking water than for a lake. Because water is so important for life, we monitor different chemicals and physical and biological characteristics and work to ensure good water quality. 

Water, Water Everywhere

Water in the ground, called groundwater, is an important source of water on Earth. The ground is different in different places, and some ground materials hold water better than others. An aquifer is an area of ground that holds water well/. Water moves into the ground from rain, snow melt, or other sources. Then it sins until it gets to a layer it can’t move through. This layer might be clay or certain kinds of rock.

Water can fill aquifers, where deep water might remain for hundreds of years, and shallow water can flow to places where it reaches the surface, like ponds, lakes, and springs. 

There is much more freshwater in the ground than on Earth’s surface, and groundwater is drawn out using wells. 

Water Quality=Quality of Life

To evaluate a pond’s ability to support life, we might measure characteristics like the following: dissolved oxygen(DO)-because fish and most other aquatic animals breathe DO: PH-if pHis too far from neutral, either acidic or basic, organisms may be unable to survive; water temperature-warmer water holds less oxygen, so animals might avoid areas of high temperature. In this pond, at certain times, we might also check salinity (the salt concentration).

Freshwater has a salinity of  0 ppt (parts salt per thousand parts water). When Dauphin Island is hit by a hurricane, saltwater may wash over parts of the island and enter the pond or the groundwater. This can affect the island’s human population, who use groundwater in their homes, and also the animals that live in the pond.

These are just a few examples of water qualities that might affect those using the water. 

At Gaillard Lake, you can see where the water table becomes a like surface. When you look at the lake, can you tell oxygen, pH, temperature, or salinity levels? Does the water look dirty?

You may not be able to determine levels by looking, but if you pay attention, you might notice hints bout a lake's water quality. Can you find a diversity of fish, turtles, alligators, frogs, or insects in the water? Are birds feeding from the lake? These signs suggest good water quality, but they are not definitive-sometimes animals are forced to use poor-quality lakes. Water cooler is not a definite marker either - this lake is often a brown color, like tea. This is natural. It is from tannins that leach out of soaking leaves or pine needles.

Aquatic invertebrates are used to assess water quality. Some, like those seen above  (larvae of left to right: caddisfly, stonefly, and mayfly), have a low tolerance for pollution. If they are found in a sample, the water quality is likely good. Others, like the pouch snail and mosquito larva at left, have a high tolerance for pollution. If a sample has mostly animals like these and very few of those from the first group, water quality is likely poor. 

In the U. S., for water intended for human use, there are established standards for acceptable levels of dissolved or suspended matter, like bacteria, heavy metals, and others that are potentially harmful. Our municipal water usually follows a path such as this one: water is withdrawn from a natural source, filtered and sterilized, piped into our homes; flushed down our drains; filtered, treated, and the solid waster is taken to one disposal site, while the water is released back to a natural location. Water used in homes on Dauphin Island is groundwater from the island (it is not piped in). Processed water is stored in the water tower seen at right. 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Nature Interpretive Trail 

Audubon Bird Sanctuary Trail

These yellow sections of the trail to the Gulf and around the lake include several signs to help the visitors better understand and appreciate the unique environment of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

Mike Henderson Project Supervisor. Additional identification by Ralph Havard, McCune Dudley, and John Porter 

Signs construction/installation-Greg Vesely, Candy Ladnier, Anthony Young

Please Help Protect your park

The Dauphin Island Park & Beach and Alabama State Lands 

Department of Conversation and Natural Resources

Funding for this project in part by the Coastal Zone Management Act 1972

As amended, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Foreign Invasion 

Organisms that arrive in an ecosystem where they did not evolve are called exotic, non-native, or alien. Of those, the ones that harm their new ecosystem are invasive. There are several species on Dauphin Island. A few of them are highlighted below. 

Infiltration 

Plants, animals, and other organisms are moved from their native lands in different ways. These pathways of introduction often involve humans who accidentally or intentionally move them.

A few examples include the release of exotic pets, escape from aquaculture operations, spread from garden plantings, transport in ships ballast water, and transport of fruits and vegetables. As humans move more people and goods around the world, there is more potential for moving organisms into places where they cause harm. 

Setting in: Once they are in a new place, some organisms settle in more successfully than others. Certain factors allow an introduced species to become invasive:

They are adaptable-they can survive in a range of climates, habitats, and soil types; they eat a wide variety.

They reproduce quickly and have lots of offspring. 

They spread out to new areas

Few animals will eat them in the new habitat. 

They competed aggressively for resources. 

How does this affect us?

Biodiversity is the variety of life. It can be defined at different levels, from diversity within a species to that in a particular forest to that of the entire Earth. The higher the biodiversity for a given area, the healthier the species or ecosystem because it is more resilient to disease or disturbance, such as fire or flood. 

Humans need healthy ecosystems for many reasons. We are healthier with a diversity of organisms for food and medicine. Functioning ecosystems provide important services such as water filtration, oxygen production, and nursery habitat. 

Invasive species threaten biodiversity either by directly killing native species or by taking resources from them so they die or stop breeding. 

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Reptiles and Amphibians of Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Galliard Lake and Tupelo Swamp

Cottonmouth 

2-4 feet

AKA water moccasin. This poisonous aquatic snake is thick-bodied and will gape to show its white mouth lining when threatened.

Common Snapping Turtle

6-15 inches. 

Often confused with the less-common alligator snapping turtle, these turtles are not aggressive unless removed from the water.

American alligator

4-8 feet 

Individuals of this large shy aquatic species periodically “raft” to the island from the rivers north of Mobile.

Florida Smooth Softshell 

6-15 inches

With its flat, leathery shell, this turtle is easy to dust from others. Its death includes crawfish, insects, fish, and frogs. 

Central Newt

2-4 inches

This reclusive salamander prefers quiet pools without fish. The left, a terrestrial intermediate stage, can be found under rotting wood. 

Pig Frog

2-6 inches

This large frog inhabits permanent bodies of water surrounded by vegetation. 

Their mating call is a distinct, loud, and resonant grunt.

Lists sixes are typical of Dauphin Island representatives

The project was led by Brian Jones, funded by Mobile Bay NEP, and made possible by Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board.

All photographs by Brian Young (“except the alligator photo by Boon Harada) 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island