2023 May 26-27, Lawrenceburg, TN. and Decatur, AL. Adventures

Friday, May 26,  we rode Lawrenceburg to Goodwill, where we bought 2 pairs of Niki Shorts.

We rode to the Amish in Etheridge, where we bought a carton of fresh eggs, homemade butter, Homemade chocolate candy with peanuts, and a bag of peanuts. We bought a head of cabbage, some green onions, and two gallons of strawberries.

We stopped at Krogers for 8 cases of diet Mountain Dews, 4 cases of Sprite Zeroes, and a couple frozen pizzas.

We stopped at Long John Silvers for fish and shrimp, which we took home. 

Ate our dinner and put all the veggies in the refrigerator.

Then, I made 17 jars of strawberry Jam.

Strawberries

17 Jars of Strawberry Jam 

Saturday, May 27, we rode to Point Mallard to the Hot Air Balloon Festival. We didn't see any balloons but saw lots of tractors, food vendors, and vendors. It was cool this morning, and it rained a little, but it sure warmed up fast. We talked to a man from Cullman there enjoying the festival. The festival sure was spread out, so lots of walking. We missed the car show. 

The only hot Air Balloons we saw

Tractors 

We rode to Hartselle for lunch at O'Bryan's.

Where I ordered grilled black chicken with a baked sweet potato.

After lunch, we rode back to Decatur, where they were having a scavenger hunt for 10 very small turtles located along Second Avenue.

Hubby parked the car but stayed inside while I searched for the turtles.

I Met a group of six also doing the scavenger hunt and asked if I could join them.

Turtle 2 Loyd 

Scavenger hunt for 10 turtles

Our Group 

Our group had so much fun searching for the turtles and then taking turns getting our picture taken with the tiny turtles. 

We needed a few items from Rural King in Muscle Shoals, so we took Highway 20 to hwy 72 into Muscle Shoals.

Our first stop was to get a vanilla Ice cream in a cone at Jack's.

At Rural King, we bought cat food, bird seeds, Sure-Jell, a Top, and a hose nozzle.

We rode to the Rock Pile with lots of people there, so no birds.

We stopped at River Heritage Park, and the splash pad was running full blast. 

Splash Pad at the Marriott

Home at Last!

2016 October 1, Saturday Banana Puddin' Festival, Car Show and Quilt Show Centerville, TN

I could not sleep and was up at 3AM watching TV and writing in my journal.
Ate a banana and two pieces of sausage for breakfast.
We were on the road by 7:30AM taking our time as we rode to Centerville.
The sun was just coming over the horizon and there was a cloud of mist that covered the ground.

We travel north on hwy 43 turning left on hwy 50 near Columbia.
Vendors were still sitting up at their booths when we arrived.
We walked around the square downtown, stopping and looking inside the old courthouse which housed several vendors.
Outside we stopped in front of the chicken wire MINI Pearl to take a couple of pictures.

Minnie Pearl 

We followed the signs to the open field where the Banana Pudding  Festival was being held.
Inside the gate, we were asked if we were first-timers and were given a banana sticker with first-timers written across the banana. There were several people placing pins on a large map to show where people were from.

Monkey Head

Smokey the Bear

Entering the Pudding Festival 

The woman said we have thousands of people from all over the world that come to our festival. We have a couple that come from Australia every year.

The Cook-off
The cook-off consisted of ten contests, we watched the first five.
Each contest made two of the same puddings, one for the judges to sample, along with samples passed out to the audience to judge.
The first pudding was to be auctioned off.

The first 5 contestants in the Cook-off

One of the contestant's Banana Puddin dishes

At 10AM we were at the Puddin' Path for 10 samples of different banana puddings.

The Puddin' Path Samples 

#1 Moon Pie Banana 

Baked by the Puddin'

Baked By: Bon Aqua United Methodist Church 

#2 The Chisel (Chocolate)

Baked by: Fairfield Church of Christ Youth

#3 White Chocolate & Caramel Banana Pudding

Baked by the Relay for Life: Friends of Hope Team

#4Bell’s Best Banana Pudding

Baked by: Shady Grove United Methodist Church 

 #5Pickadeli at the Hicadeli

Baked by Thomas Hickman Hospital

#6 Pudding & Pearls Banana Pudding

Baked by: Centerville Woman’s Club

7#Caramel Cheese Cake Banana Pudding

Baked by: East Hickman Baptist Youth

8#Party-lIne Banana Pudding

Baked by: Nunnelly United Methodist Church 

9#Classic Southern Banana Pudding

Baked by: Mt Zion AME Church 

#10Cinnamon Roll Banana Pudding

Baked by CrossRoads Cowboy Church

The puddings consist of bananas inside a variety of puddings, from various organizations.
Each organization had baked the pudding to raise money for their cause.
The Pudding path cost was $5 per person.
Once you tasted each pudding you could vote for your favorite with a donation.

We could not eat all the samples, some were very good, some not so good.
My favorite was the cheesecake banana pudding.

We stayed to listen to a couple songs sung and played by a group of three young people from the same family.

We strolled through the park, stopping to examine what each vendor had to offer.
We stopped at the car show and took several pictures.
We saw a replica of Mini Peal riding in a jeep.
From the car show, we walked a few blocks to The First Baptist Church on 123 Church Street to look at the Hickman County Quilt Guild.
The show featured, "Something old, Something new"!
Their mission is to promote an interest in the art of quilting.

Something Old, something new 

Two of the sweet ladies that we met at the Quilt show

My quilt pick!

We rode to Grinders Switch Grinder's Switch
Grinders Switch was the fictional hometown of the comic character Minnie Pearl, created and portrayed at the Grand Ole Opry by comedian Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, who grew up in the nearby Colleyville neighborhood of Centerville.

Watertower at Grinders Switch 

Grinders Switch 1940

Minnie Pearl said, People always ask me, "Where is Grinder's Switch?"

As I grow older, the place is no longer a little, abandoned landing switch on a railroad in Hickman County. Grinder's Switch is a state of mind -- a place where there is no illness, no war, no unhappiness, no political unrest, and no tears. It's a place where there's only happiness --where all you worry about is what you are going to wear to the church social, and if your feller is going to kiss you in the moonlight on the way home. 

I wish all of you a Grinder's Switch

On our way home we stopped at Ponderosa in Lawrence to eat an early dinner and late lunch.
We both ordered a steak and salad.

We still had a couple of hours to visit the Oktoberfest in St Florine.
The tractor was loaded with passengers as we approached.
We loaded into the wagon and rode around the festival.

Riding in the Wagon 

Oktoberfest

The Senior Center building was full of history about the German families that had settled in St Florine.
We walked inside but I stopped at the first display and began talking to one of the family members that lived in the area.
By the time I stopped talking the festival was about over.

Maybe I can return tomorrow

🎈🎈🎈2015 ~ Saturday May 23, Hot Air Balloon Festival Point Mallard Decatur

I got up early this morning and drove to Decatur for the Hot Air Balloon & Tractor Festival.

I was greeted by this beautiful sunrise!

I arrived around 6:45-7:00 and was trying to find a park when the balloons started to ascend into the air, so I pulled alongside a curb got out, and started taking pictures.
Someone pulled out of a parking spot right in front of me so I pulled into it and continued taking pictures a total of 157 just on my big camera.

This one almost did not make it. They had to land and try again right before the grove of trees behind them.

Lots of Hot Air Balloons 

I took a couple of videos on my cell phone.
After all the balloons disappeared into oblivion I walked over to the park and started taking pictures of the crowd, the vendors, and tractors.

People standing in line for breakfast at the Little Red Lunch Box 

Maggie Moos is not open but as the day wears on she will be flooded with people!

I started my trip home and realized that I had not eaten breakfast, so I started thinking about what would be good.
I decided I-Hop!
I pulled into I-Hop and was seated all by myself but that was ok.
I ordered a Belgian Waffle with fresh cream, blueberries, and strawberries.
It was delicious but I could not finish it.

Belgian Waffle with creamy strawberries and blueberries 

They have four different types of syrup Original, Butter Pecan, Blueberry, and strawberry.
I did not use any syrup because my waffle was delicious without it.

Next, I stopped at Office Depot to have a book bound. The employee had a hard time pulling out the staples and getting the paper straight for the book but he did it! I had put the book together with three staples each and four books went into this one.

Next, I went in search of Mt Dews that might be on sale, but the only sodas that were on sale were cokes.
My first stop was Publix, bought several items but no Mt Dew.

Next, I went to Kroger's to buy chicken legs to make chicken stew for Memorial Day but, again no MT Dews.

Should have brought this Mt Dew home with me!

And this Pepsi would have been enough for everyone on Memorial Day!

Even Jammin Jeff was enjoying a Mt Dew and Pepsi (see sitting on his table)

The crowd was enjoying the view of a large Mt Dew and Pepsi.

Called hubby and he said they had Mt Dews on sale at the Dollar General Store, all that was on sale was cokes, two twelve packs for $5.00 so I bought two.

I drove home, I was so sleepy that I almost did not make it, almost hit a big dog, and had to put on my brakes. I cannot stand running over any animal.

Went home and unloaded the groceries that were perishable from my van.
I stretched out on the futon went to sleep and was awakened by a pounding on the door.
It was on the television it was loud so, I got up drank some Pepsi uploaded my pictures to the computer, and started supper.

I cooked corn and corn fritters with fresh vegetables for a salad.
It had been a very trying day trying to find Mt. Dews on sale!