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.
My Hubby ordered fried fish, shrimp, fries, toast, and a stack of three buttermilk pancakes.

Grinch Pancakes 

fish, shrimp, fries, toast 

Hubby drove us through the larger-than-life Christmas Card Lane, showcased in front of some of the historic homes in Madison along Front and Church 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, where workers were working on the bridge over the Tennessee River, causing 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 

2017 May 16, Tuesday, Day Trip to Huntsville, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Tennessee to buy our bi-monthly lottery tickets. Hubby went inside, scanned his tickets, and came back to the van. 
He said I forgot my wallet. Do you have any cash? I had enough money to buy the tickets for $28
We had an appointment at Champion Chrysler Dodge in Athens to get the oil changed in our Town & Country at 11:00 A.M.
We had to ride back home to get his wallet.
We stopped in Elgin for B12 shots and just made our 11:00 A.M. appointment at Champion.

They finished our van, but the oil light was still on. 
Hubby went back inside and told them they had forgotten to reset the oil. 
The woman came out and tried; she said the floor mat was too close to the gas pedal and wouldn't let it reset. 

Had to sit in the Slingshot sitting in the Showroom 

We rode to Huntsville, and our first stop was the Huntsville Train Depot and Museum. The park area was open, but the museum was closed. 
A school group was visiting the park, and earlier that morning, a Civil War re-enactment Had Taken Place; the tents were still standing in the open field. 
We walked into the Museum store, the Caboose, and the Train Engine.
Huntsville Depot Museum Hours
Wednesday -Saturday 10–3 P.M. 
Gates Open 
Monday to Sunday, year-round, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
As we were leaving, a train came rattling down the tracks.

The Huntsville, Alabama Depot Museum 

Standing in the Engine Room 

Civil War Camps

Passenger Depot
Huntsville Alabama
Built 1860
Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company
Eastern Division headquarters are in this passenger Depot. Adjoining yards and shops were captured by the Union Army on April 11, 1861.
The vital east-west Confederate rail link served, and CSA soldiers were imprisoned here.
The Depot was later used by the Federals as a base for gathering supplies for the Western Theater
military operations. After the Civil War, the company returned to M & CRR Co,
acquired by Southern Railway System in 1898, and has been since 1971
preserved by the City of Huntsville. 

The main reason for coming to Huntsville was to see the newly renovated Big Spring Park.
There is a concrete walkway around the reshaped lagoon, where the water flows, allowing it to clean itself. 
There are park benches along the walkway, but no trees (so it will be hot during the summer).
You can walk right up to the water's edge. We saw children leaning into the pond, feeding the goldfish and ducks. 
We walked along the water's edge, and the fish and ducks followed us. 
I saw a young man feeding the fish.
I mentioned that I was going to buy some food, but my husband didn't have any change. 
The young man gave me a quarter. I thanked him, and I bought a quarter's worth of seeds. 
The fish and ducks gobbled up the food.

Goldfish and ducks are feeding. 

Big Spring Park Oriental Bridge 

Newly reshaped lagoon

Fountain 

Kids feeding fish and ducks

Huntsville Art Center 

We rode south on Whitesburg Drive to Airport Road, then onto Parkway, stopping at 
We went to Rosie's Mexican Cantina for a late lunch.
We ordered a white chip dip and shared a Chicken Fajita. 
Rosie's Mexican Cantina on South Parkway features a beautiful garden filled with blooming flowers.

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden (Singing and playing Minstrels 

Parkway South is under construction (turning it into six lanes).

Road Construction on South Parkway 

Road Construction on South Parkway 

Road Construction on South Parkway 

We rode to Ditto Landing and saw a few geese, boats, and bridges.

Gaggle of Geese

Bridge Closed at Ditto Landing 

We rode down Drake Avenue to the RSA, where we filled up with gas and saw a few geese. 
We were home a little after 5 P.M.
My granddaughter had been texting me all day, wanting to know when we were going to come home.
My granddaughter, her daughter, and a friend came over around 5:30 P.M. to swim.
I did not get into the pool because I was too tired.

🎄🎄🎄🎄2015 ~ December 7, Monday, Christmas & Cards Trees, Library & Space Center

I went to the Chiropractor for an adjustment before beginning my journey of walking in Huntsville and Madison. 

We stopped at Chick-fil-a in Athens for lunch

I ordered some chicken nuggets and a drink. 

We rode through Christmas Card Lane in downtown historic Madison.

List of the Christmas Cards 

• Behold I Bring you good news of Great Joy.
• Birth of Christ Christmas Card
• Birth of Christ  
• Church in the snow 
• Church in the snowy woods
• Happy Christmas
• Joy to the World Let Heaven and Nature Sing
• Let it snow 
• Madison CHY Youth Orchestra
• Mele Kalikimakal Christmas Card
• Merry Christmas ! Madison
• Merry Christmas w/reindeer
• Merry Christmas w/women 
• Merry Christmas, Mele Kalikimaka, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad
• Noel 
• Peace on Earth w/dog and cat
• Peace To all Creatures great and small
• Poinsettia
• Reason for the Season
• Santa and his Christmas packages
• Santa eating cookies and his elves
• Santa Merry Christmas w/santa & reindeer
• Season’s Greetings w/Santa in sleigh 
• Shepard, Angles and Jesus
• Snow globe
• Thank You for Visiting Christmas Card Lane
• Toy Shop
• Truck caring home Christmas Tree
• We wish you a Merry Christmas
• You're Cool Christmas Card

We saw Christmas trees in Madison where people of the community had decorated to express their own creativity or to promote their business.  

We rode to the Huntsville/Madison Library to take pictures of the Christmas trees distributed throughout the library. 

We saw trees decorated with round paper lace cup mats with notes attached, A tree with jester hat, wearing sunglasses covered in cotton, lights, sticks made into Xs, and covered in toys. Another wrapped in green ribbon,and gold bows, with bugles, colored ball lights. 

A Autism Tree full of christmas balls inside picture of a child, puzzle pieces, ornaments, trimmed in red and gold ribbon. A christmas tree covered in hats, gloves and scars. We saw a tree made out of books and another covered in Christmas Cards. We saw a Christmas Tree from Friends of the Library, and Huntsville Herb Society.We saw a completely white christmas tree trimmed with red and gold rope and electrical lights. A tree trimmed with pink, blue, gold ribbons, and balls. There were many more trees that we saw, I could not describe them all.

HO!HO! HO!(Santa resting after a night of delivering presents)

Thank you for Visiting Christmas Card Lane!(Saying good-by to the last Christmas Card)

Christmas Trees of Madison 

MAC Snowman in the Christmas Trees of Madison 

I also stopped to take pictures of the artistic quilts hanging from the second floor. 

I also saw a display of Doctor Who! Doctor was standing next to the Police Public Call Box.

Police Telephone Free for use of Public 

Advice & Assistance immediately officers & cars respond to all calls pull to open. 

 There was a man sitting next to the display and I ask if he knew Doctor Who? He replied WHO?

We rode to Big Spring Park where we walked the Tinsel Trail of over 200 Christmas Trees.

There were a few trees waiting to be decorated while others were getting the finishing touch put upon them. 

Christmas music filled the air, as we walked along the path, while the sun shone brightly but not too hot. 

It was a perfect day for strolling through the park. 

We were greeted by gold fish, ducks and geese wanting to be feed. 

Christmas Tree at Huntsville Madison County Library 

Quilt Display at Huntsville Madison County Library 

The many faces of Doctor Who?

Ducks, gold fish 

Star Wars May the Force Be with you!

Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail of Christmas Trees

Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail of Christmas Trees

We went to the Space and Rocket Center where we saw Science Fiction, Science Future (where I was beamed up into space) Beam me up Scotty! I stood inside a teleportation machine while my husband at the control panels beamed me into outer space. 

We walked through the U. S. Space and Rocket Center’s latest exhibit, the Celestial Dreams, The Art of Space Jewelry, showcased by the artist Kathy Chan. She uses precious gems, minerals and metals to interpret her genuine wonder of the cosmos in her jewelry. Her display will be on display until May 2016.

Last but not least, there was a movie being made with R2D2.

We had been waiting for the movie maker to come out of the room where he was making the move and he ask if I wanted my picture with R32D2 and I said yes. 

I hope to be in the finished production of the movie.

Wow! What a day! 

I said to the movie producer that Star Wars was my middle sons favorite movie. 

There was a man controlling the sounds that R2D2 made, he made the same sounds that he did in the Star War movies. 

The film will be screened at the U.S. Space and rocket Center’s IMAX theater to promote the new Star Wars, The Force Awakens. 

Wow!!!

Beam me up Scotty!

I saw myself Inside the Time Machine

The Art of Space Jewelry

Cosmic Calendar for December

R2D2

88 Buffet Seafood Sushi Hibachi 

88 Buffet Seafood Sushi Hibachi 

We ate dinner at 88 Buffet Seafood Sushi Hibachi, that is an all-you-can-eat oriental buffet with a variety of different meats,seafood, vegetables and you can watch the chef create your dish right before you eyes.

We had a great day, good food, friendly faces, and a beautiful day.