2023 April 29, Decatur Historic Homes and Garden Walking Tours

April 29: Garden Tour, led by the Historic Decatur Association 

The public is invited to a peak into some of the residents’ private gardens. The tour begins at Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 801 Jackson St, SE.

 We had a large crowd for the Garden Walking tour in Decatur. 

Large Crowd from different towns

Everyone met at the Westminster Presbyterian Church 801 Jackson St SE. Decatur.  

Westminster Presbyterian Church 801 Jackson St SE. Decatur.

We learned the history and architectural structure of several different homes.

We finished our walk at Delano Park where there were beautiful roses in bloom.

After the guided tour everyone disbursed.

Pink roses at Delano Park 

 

This young girl set up a Lemonade Stand.
 It was a hot day and we purchased a glass. 

From 11-3PM, we tour 9 personal gardens. 3 Gardens were on Sherman St., 2 on Gordon Dr, 1 on Jackson St., and 1 on Cherry Street. 1 on Line St. and 1 on Oak St. There was someone at each location to greet us and tell us about their garden.

On the first garden tour, we saw these beautiful red lilies.

Fish Pond 

Beautiful Yellow Flower

This garden was like having a forest in your backyard.
There was a Bird Feeder, a greenhouse, walkways and so much more.

There was a story about how this statue came to this garden but I don't remember 

After the Garden tour, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Mellow Mushroom in Decatur. We ordered a small Maui Wowie on Stone Ground Crust Pizza. It was delicious.

A small Maui Wowie on Stone Ground Crust Pizza.

2023 April 1, Mule Day Parada Columbia and Mount Pleasant, TN. Grill & Museum

 Hubby and I had an excellent April 1st, (April Fools' Day) We stopped at Jacks in Lawrenceburg for breakfast. I ordered their single gravy, sausage, and biscuits. Hubby ordered their big breakfast with pancakes.

We rode to Columbia to watch the Mule Day Parade. Arrived a little early and found a place to sit. There were thousands of people there for the parade and other events. The parade began at 11:00 AM and was over a little after 12.  The Grand Marshall was Mike Wolfe from America Pickers.

At the end of the parade were a couple of big sweeper trucks to clean up all the horse and Mule poop.

Grand Marshall Mike Wolfe 

An unusual float the Solo Cup 

Mules and Horses 

We left Columbia and drove through Mt Pleasant stopping at Mt Pleasant Grill. It didn't appear much, but we thought we would try it. It was a lot bigger on the inside and very nice. The food was great. A little spicy and cooked differently. It was tender, fresh, and delicious. We definitely will eat there again. 

Fried Catfish, Fried Okra, Cole Slaw 

We asked about the museum next door and one of the waitresses said it was worth seeing. So we toured the museum. It was filled with lots of memorabilia about the town. The things you would see in a doctor's office, war artifacts, gowns, dresses, furniture and so much more.

doctor office

I bought several note cards: The Hamilton Place, The St Johns Episcopal Church, Walnut Grove, Rippavilla, and Fountain Creek Mills. (historic homes, church, and mill). The curator tried to sell us a 2023 Farmers Almanac she was telling us about some of the things she had read in it. 

Walked outside to the nearby park where I saw those beautiful tin flowers and 2 blooming dogwood trees. The perfect time of the year to be blooming. We had a great time except for the 30 MPH winds. We saw hats, trash, and cotton candy flying everywhere. One bag blew off the vendor's rack and spooked several horses. All in all, it was a great day.

Dogwood Trees

2022 Feb 1, Day Trip to Guntersville, Alabama

Today the hubby and I are going on an adventure to Guntersville. 

I had been told that there was an eagle nest along Lake Guntersville Park on Sunset Drive. 

We stopped at McDonald's along the way for a couple of apple pies and Diet Coke.

We saw several people at the park with their cameras with large lenses sitting on tripods watching and waiting for the eagle to leave the nest. 

I had to use the restroom and went in search of one but I did not find one so we left.

We rode further down into the park and there we found restrooms. Along the way I spotted several ducks, geese, and seagulls along the waterfront, so we stopped. 

Ducks

People were walking, jogging, and feeding the waterfowl. 

I started taking pictures of the seagulls, geese, and ducks.  I spotted several sparrows scratching in the dirt looking for food. 

One of my favorite birds is the Downy Woodpecker. 

Downy Woodpecker

I  heard a pecking and this downy woodpecker was going to town on the side of a rotten tree. It was hard to get a good picture because he was in the shade most of the time but I did get a couple of good pictures when he stopped pecking right before he flew away.

Hubby spotted a red-headed woodpecker. I was super excited to see a Redheaded Woodpecker for I have only seen one in the wild. 

Red-headed Woodpecker 

I took pictures of the colorful Bluebirds.

You will not see a bluebird at your backyard feeders. 

Bluebird 

I took many pictures today but I didn't get one of the bald eagles. 

That was okay because I got one of the red-headed woodpeckers. 

We rode to O'Bryan's in Hartselle for a late lunch. I ordered steak and sweet potato. 

We also stopped at Krogers where we purchased a few groceries a bouquet of flowers and a potting plant.

The flowers that we bought at Krogers

We looked for hawks and bald eagles along the powerline near the old Papermill. We spotted a couple of red-tailed hawks. Didn't see any bald eagles. 

We stopped at Wheeler Dam where we saw several Pelicans, cormorants, and a gray heron landing at the substation. 

Gray Heron 

2021 April 3, Florence Cemetery Walking Tour, UNA, McFarland Park, Wilson Dam, & Ava Florence, Alabama

The tour will begin at 705 East College Street led by Harry Wallace. The tour of the Florence Cemetery established in 18181 features many unique headstones and famous gravesites among the rolling hills and towering trees. 

The cemetery contains the graves of many early settlers, two governors, prominent leaders and families, and many unknown CSA soldiers.

Harry Wallace our guide

Blooming Cherry Trees 

McFarland Par 

After the walking tour, I stopped at Wilson Park to see the blooming cherry trees. 

Next, I went to UNA to see the newly remodeled fountain. There were people there taking pictures for Graduation. Leo the lion was basking in the sun and he roared several times. Normally he just lays quietly but today he must have been hungry.

LEO the Lion at UNA

Fountain at UNA 

Ava riding her car 

I rode to McFarland Park and stopped for a few pictures. The River was down compared to what it had been but still was peeking at the banks. One side of the park was closed because of flooding. There were a lot of people at the park, people were parked everywhere even on the banks of the road. 

I stopped at River Heritage Park and walked to see the floodgates at Wilson Dam. The Tennessee River was raging through. 

On my way home I stopped to check on my son Mike he had surgery on his back. He was outside with his brother Andy. Ava came outside and was riding her car. Saw a Yellow Monarch Butterfly landing on the yellow dandelions. 

I had a very interesting day.

2021 April 17, Mooresville Walking Tour and Huntsville Botanical Gardens

It was a great turnout at Mooresville for I had to park along the side of the road and walk several blocks.

 We began at the Post Office which closed at 10 AM so if you wanted to go inside you had to be there by 9:45 AM.

 We saw a couple of churches, a tavern, and several homes, and our guide talked about the history of the small town. 

We saw a beautiful little cottage that is now Lyla’s Little House of Mooresville. “All the sweet that’s fit to eat!”

Stage Coach Stop 

Lyla’s Little House of Mooresville

Brick Church

The brick church had been owned by several different denominations but was now owned by the town and used for weddings and town hall meetings. We walked inside the Brick Church the Post Office and the Tavern. Our guide passed out several booklets on Historic Mooresville's Bicentennial Est 1818 but ran out. It was a nice day for the tour a little cool but warmed up quickly. I left before it ended because I couldn't hold it in any longer. I stopped at Cracker Barrel in Madison to use the restroom. 

 My next stop was the Botanical Gardens. I first went to the Butterfly house and saw one butterfly, a few turtles, and several children. I was so thirsty that I bought an orange crush drink and finished it off before I left the gardens. 

 Walked through the Children's Garden to the newly built Birdwatching building. Meet a man there who was building a new home and was getting ideas for his lawn. (shrubs, flowers, and such). Had a nice relaxing visit to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens?

Field of Wildflowers

Squirrel

I strolled through the wooded area along the paths less taken. I saw several Robin Redbreast, rabbits, and squirrels. As I was walking near the pond I saw lots of turtles sunbathing. Yellow and White Wildflowers were blooming everywhere they were so pretty. I also walked through the herb garden.

 I had a great day but was tired from all that walking and I still had to drive an hour or more home.

2019 Jun 4, 💐 🌷Trip to Atlanta Botanical Gardens and the Imaginary World of Alice's Wonderland

Today started out in the upper 60s and cloudy it was a great day for traveling. We were up before the sun and on our way by 5:30AM for a 4 1/2 drive to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. 

We took the scenic route through Huntsville, Scottsboro, and several small towns to Atlanta Ga taking I-75 into downtown. 

 Veteran's Memorial Park Chattooga County Georgia "Dick Dowdy's Park" Summerville, GA
is where we stopped to take pictures of the War Memorials of Chattooga County, Couey's Log Cabin, Summerville's Train Depot, and the turntable.

Veteran's Memorial Park Chattooga County Georgia 

Couey's Log Cabin

Train Turntable

Summersville's Train Depot 

We spent several hours strolling through the botanical gardens looking at all the breathtaking plants and Alice in Wonderland Characters.

We ate breakfast at McDonald's in Scottsboro and dinner at Red Lobster in Oxford Alabama. 

Admiral's Feast 

We also took the scenic route home. From Cullman, we took I-65 to Athens, then 72.
We did stop at Wendy's for a chocolate frost.

Hubby did not want a frosty so we stopped at Dairy Queen for a creamsicle. 

We were home by 8:30PM

We were halfway to Atlanta when I realized I had forgotten to bring my cell phone and my sunglasses at Red Lobster. 
(Valley Head, Alabama where we stopped to take a picture of Valley Head Drug Mural is where I realized I had left my cell phone at home)
I had to use hubby's cell phone to take pictures and airdrop them when I got home. I did go back to get my glasses before we left the restaurant. 

I had a great day.

Imaginary World of Alice's Wonderland 
We were greeted at the Admissions desk, paid our fee, were given a garden map, walked through the double doors, and began our whimsical journey looking for treasures.
We were looking for eleven characters from the Imaginary World of Alice's Wonderland

Our first encounter was PEGASUS the flying winged horse, a child of Olympians & Poseidon.

Pegasus was covered in brown plants, and his wings, tail, and mane were covered in green plants. He appeared to be in a slow Trott.

Pegasus 

At the Kendeda Canopy Walk, hidden by a canopy of trees and shrubs, was the Mammoth.

The Mammoth was covered in Greenery, except for his white tusk, which helped keep him hidden from view

Mammoth 

Earth Goddess was nestled in the Cascade Gardens next to the cascading waterfall.

The Earth Goddess's face and hand were comprised of green plants.

Her hair covered in multi-color plants, flowed down her head onto the ground.

Her eyes were closed and water flowed through her fingers as the serenity of it all touched her soul. 

Earth Goddess 

The Giant Phoenix was perched along the wall of the Astor Overlook. His body was covered in brown plants. The tip of his feathers was covered in green plants, and his wings spread wide.

Eyes of an eagle, hungry enough to eat a man.

Giant Phoenix 

Sea Maid (Mermaid)

Sitting in the fountain near the Rose Garden we saw a beautiful mermaid.
The sea-maid was covered in green plants and her brown(plant) hair flowed down to her waist, her tail folded beneath her.

A trio of camels lined the Anne Cox Chamber Flower Walk.
They were composed of brown bushy plants, with a little greenery on their faces. The mats/blanket upon their backs was covered in multi-colors of green plants
On one of the camels sat a rider his upper body was covered in greenery, his pants a reddish-brown, and his boots matched the matt. 
The baskets the camels were carrying were covered in red, green, and brown plants.

Camels 

The camels were covered with green mats carrying baskets of red, purple, green, and brown.
Stepping carefully along the flower walk.

Dragon

We saw the larger-than-life, fire-eating dragon standing guard over the plants in the Rock Garden, ready to breathe fire on offenders. 
The dragon was covered in a mixture of greens, &  browns with brown spikes down his back. His upper wings were brown the underside green. A fierce creature to behold. 

the White Rabbit

The not-so-white rabbit's body was covered in green plants, his ears, and nose in pink plants, and his boat was covered in reddish-brown plants. Atop the cane in his hand was his tall green hat.

Floating in the pond among the greenery sat the not-so-white rabbit. It was the rabbit that Alice had followed down the rabbit hole.

The Queen of Hearts Chess Game

Within sight of the not-so-white rabbit stood the Three of Hearts, the Ace of Hearts, the chess players on a green and white chessboard lined with heart-shaped green and brown trees waiting to capture Alice but Alice was asleep in the nearby garden. 

The Shaggy Dog is sitting at the Garden House waiting for someone to stroke his long green fur.

Cheshire Cat and Sleeping by Alice 

The Cheshire cat was sitting in the tree watching Alice sleep.
Alice's dress was covered in blue flowers, her hair in yellow flowers that surrounded her face as she lay sleeping in a bed of flowers, grass, and red, yellow, and white mushrooms.
Her face, socks, and belt were covered in green plants.
The Cheshire cat was covered in multi-greens with pink inner ears, big blue/green eyes with a wide mischievous grin that showed his white teeth.

At the Botanical Gardens 

We saw Picture plants Although pretty on the outside, the interior of a pitcher plant is quite sinister for visiting bugs. Once lured into a cup (a pitcher) by sweet-smelling nectars and flashy colors, the insect is greeted with downward-pointing hairs. Insects are captured by slipping and falling off the hairs and into a liquid at the bottom of the pitcher. They die by drowning in this liquid. Acids and enzymes then break down the insect into a soup, which is used by the plant for nutrition.

Picture Plant 

We saw Water lilies, Roses, Catci, tropical plants, and eatable plants. Plants inside hothouses, in a dry climate, in humid climates.

We saw turtles, male California quails, and blue, green, and yellow poison dart frogs. 

We saw trees of different species and sizes, fountains, and several eating places closed except for one.

Chihuly Glass Art

Orchids

Water Lilies 

A couple of pieces of Chihuly Glass Art one hanging in the great hall(greenish-yellow tubular glass shapes) and another atop a fountain (blue swirling glass) in the Rose garden.

The garden's directions were easy to follow, and the foliage & flowers were breathtaking. It was a trip worth taking. 
I took hundreds of pictures and still could not capture all of its beauty.