2021 Jan 14, Day trip to Gadsden and Covered Bridges of Alabama

Today the hubby and I traveled US 72 to I-65 to 67 east to Priceville stopping at Morgan County Memorial Park where they had a Hurley helicopter, a T-34Mentor Plane-on loan from Pensacola, FL, and an M60A1 Tank. There were several tall war plaques representing soldiers who had to give their lives. For our country.

 Morgan County Memorial Park Priceville, Alabama 

We stopped at Jack's in Blountsville for lunch. Ordered a kid’s chicken finger meal and a blueberry cream cheese pie. Saw a carved statue in the trees outside Jack's.

Swann Covered Bridge

We traveled to Swann Covered Bridge built in 1933, located, at Swann Bridge Road Cleveland which crosses over the Locust Fork River.

 Easley Bridge

Our next stop was the Easley-covered bridge built in 1927. It was located at Easley Bridge Road Oneonta. We met a couple the man was in the car the woman taking pictures. I asked them if they had been to the Swann Covered Bridge they said not today. We rode to Horton Mill Covered Bridge built in 1934, which crossed over the Calvert Prong Little Warrior River.

Noccalula falls

Horton Covered Bridge 

We filled up with gas at Love's in Sneed. Then we rode another thirty minutes to Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, where we met a man on a motorcycle I asked him if he knew where the covered bridges were at the park. He said you are asking the wrong person I am from New York and I am enjoying this warm weather but I said it gets cold here in north Alabama. He said enjoy your day and rode off. We walked around taking pictures of the roaring falls. The water was too rough for any waterfowl. We started for home the sun was going down and staring us right in the face which didn’t last long. Before we knew I it was dark. We came home through Decatur and the traffic was Heavy. It had been a beautiful day for traveling.

Traveling home

2017 January 16, Monday, Birding Trail Sites #7, #11, #16

Hubby and I traveled to Waterloo in hopes of seeing a Bald Eagle. We meet a couple from Hartsell at birding site number 11, they had binoculars and a camera with a large telephoto lens.
We sighted at least two Bald Eagles, soaring high in the sky, not close enough to get a good picture.

Bald Eagle

We did see a lot of small black ducks and a few cranes.

We traveled back to Florence stopping at Dairy Queen (for the $5 deal) for hamburgers, fries, coke, and ice cream.
I substituted a side salad for the fries and I ordered a banana ice cream with real slices of bananas.
When we finished we rode to the Rock-pile Recreation Area birding site number 7 on the northeast loop which is located at the base of Wilson Dam.

Waterfall

At the Rockpile I walked to the nearby waterfall. Several families and couples were visiting the waterfall.
Near Wilson Dam and along the locks I saw thousands of small white birds.
We saw several families with their children on the nearby playground.

We rode through Muscle Shoals turning left onto the old hwy 20, which took us through Leighton.

William Leigh founder of Leighton 

William Leigh founder of Leighton 

We stopped at the historic marker of William Leigh the founder of Leighton and his gravesite.
The founder of Leighton was named in honor of the Reverend William Leigh, son, and grandson of Revolutionary War veterans. He was born in Amelia County Virginia, Oct 4, 1790, and moved to Alabama in about 1823.
Leigh settled nearby at Jeffers Cross Roads and became a large landowner, pioneer merchant, postmaster, and La Grange College trustee. He was a charter member of Leighton Masonic Lodge No. 43 and served as Grand Master of the Alabama Masons (1833-1835). Leigh was a Missionary Baptist preacher for 63 years and served as pastor and leader in the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association. In 1836, he donated land and helped build a brick meeting house in Leighton for joint use by the Masons. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Cumberland Presbyterians, and others.
William Leigh was the first postmaster of Leighton (1824-1847) and with William Gregg, operated a storehouse at the crossroad under the firm name of William Leigh & Company. He ran unsuccessfully for the state legislature on the Whig ticket in 1840. In 1847 Leigh sold his store, 1800-acre plantation, livestock, and 30 slaves and moved to Kentucky. He soon returned to Alabama, living in Moulton for a few years before moving to Florence where his wife served as a matron at the Florence Synodical College. Leigh died there in Florence, on July 31, 1873, and was buried here in the Leigh family graveyard. The Masons erected a monument at his unmarked grave in 1931. The old brick church that he helped built a century earlier was razed in 1948. 

We rode through several small towns on our way to the Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. Bird Site #16.
We walked down to the view area from the visitor center, where we saw thousands of Sandhill Cranes, and thousands of ducks but only one White Whopping Crane.

Thousands Sandhill Cranes

I was hoping there was an open area to view the cranes but the viewing area was enclosed so all the pictures I took of the cranes and ducks were behind glass.
We walked to the swamp area where we crossed over on a wooden bridge.
We walked to an open field where we watch several Sandhill Cranes fly away into the distance and I took several pictures.

Sandhill Cranes

The sun was setting as we walked back to the visitor center. Inside we stopped to ask questions and to view the animals inside. (nonliving)
The sun was beginning to fade when we left the visitor center and was dark before we arrived home.

We spent the day traveling from Florence to Waterloo, back to Florence, to Muscle Shoals, to Leighton, Town Creek, Decatur, Athens, and back home. We visited three birding trails where we saw a variety of birds. It was a very enjoyable day, perfect weather and we did not rush.

Neither of us wanted to stop for a meal, so we came home and I put on a pot of oatmeal.

2010 March 27, Saturday, Grandkid discovering the Natural Resources of Florence

I took three of my grandchildren to the Hall Memorial Native Plant Garden at TVA.
Where we saw the Iris Crostata, Jacob's Ladder, Bloodroot, Solidago caesia, Sessile Leaf Bellwort, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Columbine, Purple Phacelia & others. 
The grandchildren listen patiently as Mr. Rose told them about all the wildflowers. 
We left the garden and went deeper into the woods to see more wildflowers. 
The grandkids love walking in the woods. I am sure some of the information stayed in their heads.

A group picture at the end of the hike. 

Walking deeper into the woods looking for wildflowers

The grandkids wanted to explore the cascading waterfall at TVA. As we were walking along the banks of the Tennessee River we saw many birds. We could see the TVA Dam,  the Marriott Hotel River Heritage Park, and The tower 380 Degrees Restaurant. 

Standing on the banks of the river

the backdrop of the Waterfall 

We stopped at Domino for a pizza and we took the pizza to Deibert Park. 

After we finished eating we walked the trail where we could learn more about our environment. We stopped at the pond to watch the turtles pop their heads up out of the water. 

Watching the turtles

Watching for the Turtles

We walked deeper into the woods where we saw signs that listed the different creatures, plants, and trees that we might see.

Some of the signs that we saw were: muskrat, loblolly pine, Rufous-sided Towhee, Caroline Wren, ticks, Great Blue Heron, black cherry tree, dogwood tree, bluebirds, sweet pepper bush, cardinal, gray squirrel, and many others. 

The grandkids discovered some of the metal art that was displayed in the park, to bring a bit of culture into the park. 

Discovering Art 

The grandkids enjoyed playing on the train, monkey bars, swings, horses, tire swing, and seesaw.

We stopped at my dad's to wish him a Happy Birthday. It had been a full day for all of us. 

Riding the train 

Swinging 

  

Growing up in the big woods

School Days

When I was two and half years old we moved to Hawk Pride Mountain,

When I was old enough to attend school I went to New Bethel Elementary School.

I went to New Bethel for six years. 

My second sister next to me went to New Bethel from the first to the fourth grade.

My third sister attended New Bethel from the first to second grade.

We would ride the school bus eleven miles to school.

On the school bus we would sing song to pass the time.

Some of the song we sang on the big yellow school bus were Sugar Shack, Hang down Your Head Tom Doodle, Found a Peanut, and Honeycomb.

Bertha Hester taught me in the first and second grades. 

She would start the day by reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag and we would say a prayer. 

We learned how to read from the Dick and Jane books.

Mrs Hester had large cardboard wheel that had beginning to read words on it and we would practice everyday from this wheel.

Recess lasted thirty minutes and most of the time we were outside.

Some of the games we played outside were ring around the roses, drop the handkerchief, and hopscotch.

We also like to swing, turn flips, jump on a jump board, play baseball, and kickball.

I remember one hot day our class came running into the school building from recess and we all lined up at the water fountain and then disbursed to the restrooms.

On this peculiar  day my best friend and I was lagging behind.

So to catch up with the other students we started running down the hall.

I was running down the hall pretty fast when someone opened the lunchroom door.

 Wham! I ran smack into it. 

I did not have time to stop and the lock on the door hit my forehead.

I was knocked to the floor, blood pouring down my face.

I was taken to first aid room where a bandage was placed on my forehead.

I spent the rest of the day laying on a day cot that was in our classroom.

Each classroom had its own cot for when students were sick or hurt.

Some of our school actives included cakewalks, donkey basketball games, and special assembled programs in the gym. 

I played the witness against the Litterbug in The Litterbug Play.

I played the part of an Indian girl in the Indian War Dance program.

Everybody's dresses were homemade from a feed sack. 

Having fun with friends and family 

My favorite television show was Bonanza which aired between 1959 and 1973.

The show was about a rancher named Ben Cartwright and his three sons, Dan, Adam and Little Joe. 

We were pre-teens, so we still like to ride stick horses and we were married to the Cartwright men.  

My neighbor friend Juanita and I liked to play dress-up.

Juanita’s aunt had given her many of her old discarded dress and we loved to dress-up in them.

She had a rainbow of dresses that varied in length, some were pleated while others had straight skirts.

Some of the dresses were covered in pearls, beads, and buttons. 

Some of the dresses zipped up the back while others buttoned up the front or even laced up both front and back.

There were red high hills, black flats, brown loafers, beaded ballerina slippers to put on our feet that matched the dresses.

There were hats of all shapes and sized, some with feathers, some with nets and always one that matched the dress we were wearing. 

There were hats and well as handbags that matched the dresses. 

Most of the dresses that we played in were way too long, we didn’t mind because we were dressed up to paint the town.

One of my favorite shows that aired on television was Adventures in Paradise.

The star of the show was Garner McKay, he was the captain of a large schooner that sailed in the Pacific Ocean. 

Juanita and I would pretend that we were riding on Gardner McKay’s large schooner.

We would place large boards over logs and rock them back and forth. 

Once, I wrote a letter to Garner McKay’s fan club asking for a picture and they sent me one.

I placed his picture in my scrapbook and I still have that scrapbook and his picture. 

Dad made us a swing using a long cable rope that he threw over a huge limb of the oak next to our house. 

Next the took a old wooden plank, which he notched on either side and slid it between the rope for us to sit in.

We lived on the side of a hill and when we swung we thought our feet could reach the big blue sky.

My handy-man dad built us a go-cart. He used on old wagon frame, built a wooden platform atop the frame.

He attached a lawn mower motor onto the back side of the wagon.

The go-cart had to be cranked like cranking a push lawnmower.

Our steering wheel was made of rope.

There was no stop button, we either had to pull out a spark plug or run out of gas. 

It was a lot of fun. 

Sitting in our front yard under the hickory nut tree sat an old car without a motor, it was just a shell of a car. 

But to us kids it was a toy. 

We discovered when we put our legs inside the steering wheel, that we could make it rock back and forth. When we would get out of the car our bodies could still feel the swaying of the steering wheel. 

It the fall of the year we would go looking for hickory nuts. 

We would get the largest paper sack we could find and head to the woods. 

We would fill the paper sack full of a variety of hickory nuts. 

When we had enough we would head back home. 

We would then look for something to crack the nuts open with most of the time it was two fairly large rocks. 

We would have to be careful cracking those nuts between two rocks because some times we would mash our fingers. Boy did that hurt!

We would fill a plastic bowl full of the cracked nuts but still we could not get the goodies out without a pick and our pick was a bobby pin.

This was an all day process. 

Where we lived were just a few houses and woods all around us.

We had to walk quite a ways but behind our home was a creek that winded down the mountain. There were all sorts of rock formation. There was this one rock that we climbed upon that was as large as most peoples living rooms and once on top of it, we could see for miles.

Above the creek was this cascading waterfall, I think about twenty feet tall.

There was a creek above the fall that was filled with moss and it could be very slippery when you got close to the edge. 

The water flowed constantly it never dried up even during the dry seasons.

Below the fall was a pool deep enough for us to swim in and we did on many a hot day.

We even went into the woods when the woods were freezing cold, just to get a icicle from the frozen falls. 

Behind my neighbor’s Juanita’s house was a bluff about fifty feet high that was called Horseshoe Bluff. (Cherokee Indians once lived in this area)

Juanita’s grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee Indian, she lived next door to Juanita.

We were told not to go near the bluff. 

There were many rock formations around the bluff top.

We had  to walk several miles to reach the bottom. 

We found that by climbing down from the top of a very strong tree we could reach the bottom.

People have fallen off that bluff,  I guess they were not familiar with the area.

2010~Saturday March 27, Birding Trails, Wild Flowers, Water Fall & Deibert Park with grandkids

On this beautiful brisk, Saturday morning at 10:00AM I took three of my grandkids on a wild flower hike with Fresh Air Hiking Group.

We saw many different flowers planted in the wildflower beds on the TVA trail.

We left the wildflower garden and went off the beaten path into the woods to see the wildflowers.

Many of the walkers had walking sticks, so Nevada found him a stick. Even thought the day was a bit cool we soon were removing our long sleeves and tying them about our waist.

Wildflower HIke 

We thank our guide, loaded into the car and rode the next TVA trail that was near the TVA DAM.

There are always many species of birds on or around the Tennessee River and we saw many different birds, men fishing, and a waterfall. Kids at this age are like the Ever Ready batteries they can go for miles.

I parked the car and we walked to the waterfall where the kids had to put their hands in the water.

Waterfall at TVA

Waterfall at TVA

Waterfall at TVA

For lunch I ordered a Pizza from Dominos, we took it to Deibert Park to eat.

After we finished the pizza we went on another adventure in the park.

We stopping to feed the fish the bread crumbs from the pizza. We saw turtles sunning along the bank of the ponds, so we stopped to watch.

We stopped to read some of the signs on the walking trail that tells about the different type of trees, birds, & flowers. Deibert park is a great place to walk, in the fall the trees are multi colored, in the winter you can still see the evergreen and in the spring the park is bubbling with flowers, new born birds, it is full of activity.

Looking in the pond at Deibert Park 

Stopping for a poise

Today is my dad's birthday so we stopped for a visit.

After a full day of fun, with the grandkids, I took the boys home and Sierra spent the night.

Having fun on the playground

1996 ~August 31-Sept 2, Trip to Houston, Texas to visit daughter

It was a short trip to Houston but very enjoyable, and a very interesting city. 

It was full of skyscrapers, malls, interstate highway, multi-cultured people, and sites.

I traveled from Huntsville, Al to Houston Texas to visit my daughter, and her boyfriend.

When I landed they were there waiting for me, my daughter’s boyfriend drove he red truck very fast down the interstate back to their apartment.

Bush Intercontinental Airport is located approximately 23 miles north of downtown Houston, near the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8 North)

My daughter had a nice apartment and it was full of new furniture. 

They took me to the Galleria in downtown Houston, to the eighteen-acre park that featured a sixty-four-foot waterfall and out to eat.

We rode in the red truck not my daughter’s Mazda Mitia  

We visited the Waterfall and Fountain in Houston that is located on an eighteen-acre landscaped park.

It is sixty-four foot semi-circular Water Wall, accented with a gabled structure supported by columns.

A total of 11,000 gallons of water per-minute flow over both walls. 

You can see the Williams Tower which is a sixty-four-story office tower located at 2800 Post Oak Boulevard from the waterfall.

The Williams Tower forms a sleek silhouette with its silver gray reflective glass and aluminum anodized skin, accented by columns of bay windows made from non-reflective gray glass.

Red truck & my daughter’s  Mazda Mitia  

Waterfall and Fountain in Houston

The Williams Tower

The Williams Tower and park 

We visited The Galleria which is the cornerstone of the Uptown District shopping Mecca and has been for over 30 years.

It has had several expansions and renovations to make it  “THE mega-mall of Houston.” 

It has Macy's, Nordstrom's, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Versace and 100s of other retail stores.

It has a huge food court of fast food and fine dining. 

There were two Westin Hotels within the Galleria.

In the middle of the mall was an ice-skating rink.

Everything you could want under one roof, shopping, dining, and entertainment and at the end of the day a hotel to rest yourself.

I was in Texas just a couple days not enough time to see everything.

Just a quick weekend visit and back home to work.

Houston Airport 

Houston Airport 

August 31-September 2, 1996 Houston Texas

Leave Huntsville International Airport (HSV) 

Arrive Houston International Airport (IAH)

Leave Houston International Airport (IAH)

Arrive Huntsville International Airport (HSV)

2008 ~ Monday, April 7, Spending time with Grandkids

I went to Teresa Clanton’s to pickup the grandkids, Sierra, Nevada and Montana, I had packed a picnic lunch for I was taking the grandkids to St Florian Park.

I made peanut butter sandwiches, each a bananas, a fruit bowl and each a can mountain dews. 

When everyone finished eating, we started walking the trail when we were about half way round the kids spied several piles of loose dirt and wanted to climb on top and I said ok.

The kids climbed on top and said come on granny you can do it, so I climbed to the top with the grandkids.

Climbing the dirt pile

We walked around on top of the dirt pile, we went up and down several times. 

We again started walking the trail, I took the kids picture standing on a bridge next to a statue of an alligator.

Nevada and Montana pointing to the alligator

We saw sitting on a stump some tin statue-singing frogs, which intrigued the kids, I also had to take their picture there. 

Nevada pretending to blow a horn like the frogs

We walked a little further down the trail where we saw a face carved into a tree, it had large marble like eyes and the kids loved this. 

I took pictures everywhere in the park with the kids. 

Nevada and Sierra posing in front of the tree with a face

We stopped at the playground area where the kids played on the playground equipment.

Taking a break 

Montana pointing to a frog

Sierra posting

Nevada being a frog

Montana Standing on tree stump

Next we went to Deibert park where they played on the playground and we walked in the park reading the animal and plant signs.

Reading the park signs

 We stopped along the fence line to take pictures of the metal sculptures.

Nevada and Montana posing at the metal sculptures

Sierra and Montana posing at the metal sculptures

Nevada and Montana posing at the metal sculptures

Nevada, Montana & Granny posing at the metal sculptures

Nevada and Montana posing at the flower gardens

We saw a family of turtles at the pond.

Turtles walking next to the pond

I took the grandkids to McDonald’s where we each ordered a Oreo McFlurry.

I took the kids to Loves and Fishes in Muscle Shoals where I bought the grandkids five books each and two movies.

We stopped at the Train Tressell, which is along the Tennessee River on the Sheffield side, were we walked to the end and back. 

It must have been a hot day because Montana’s head was wet from sweating.

Walking down the Train Trestle

Our next stop was at Heritage Park located next to The Marriott Hotel in Florence where the kids played inside the castle, on the train and all the other playground equipment. 

Nevada and Montana having fun on the playground equipement at River Heritage park 

Nevada and Montana having fun on the playground equipement at River Heritage park

We stopped in front of the waterfall next to the Marriott Hotel where I made pictures of the grandkids

Montana at the Waterfall at the Marriott Hotel 

Sierra at the Waterfall at the Marriott Hotel 

Nevada at the Waterfall at the Marriott Hotel

Hannah called from school and wanted me to pick her up so I loaded the grandkids into the car and we rode to Roger High School to pick up Hannah.

For supper I made baked potatoes and all the fixings of cheese, bacon bits, sour cream and I made a strawberry pie, Montana ate his fill of strawberry pie. 

Hannah and Sierra rode the scoters. 

Jake came over to get Hannah, I made Jake a potato with all the trimmings. 

I took the grandkids to Ronald’s where Nevada and Montana played with Ronald’s star wars dolls. 

Later that afternoon Charity came to get the grandkids.