2021 Feb 2, Day trip to Guntersville, Alabama & Ground Hog Day

Hubby and I rode to Guntersville via Hartselle. We were in Muscle Shoals, so we took 72 to 157 through Moulton, then turned onto 36 to head to Hartselle. We saw Oh! Bryans is my Hubby's favorite place to eat. We had planned to eat at Libby's in Priceville, but since we had taken a different route and would not go past Libby's, we decided to stop in Hartselle. The food was excellent and reasonably priced. We prefer to take the back roads when traveling, as you never know what treasures you may discover. I loved the way that they had decorated Oh! Bryans. At the front, where you check out, was the front of an old car (a '57 Chevy), and not far away was the back end of two other vehicles used as waiting benches. If you ever are in Hartselle, you need to check out OH! Bryans.

 O'Bryan's Hartselle 

Eating steak, sweet potato, and toast

Salad Bar food

I ordered the sirloin steak with sweet potato and a glass of water with lemon. Hubby ordered a Delmonico steak and baked potato with salad. After lunch, we rode to Guntersville State Park, where we saw several deer. Stopped at the pier in Guntersville, where we saw hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants and Sea Gulls. We stopped at Ollie's in Madison and bought a couple of scissors. We stopped at Russell Stover's in Athens, where Hubby and I both ordered a small waffle cone with ice cream. (Rockie Road). Then on to Aldi for a few groceries, then home. The sun came out, but the temperature hung around 42 degrees all day. After a long, cold outing, I was ready to warm up, so I climbed into my warm bed and fell asleep.

flock of birds

Deer

2020 Jan 31-Feb 2, Woman's Retreat Joe Wheeler Lodge ( 3 days)

 Friday afternoon, check in at the lodge & receive a package for the entire retreat. 

We ate a fried catfish meal with salad for dinner, and after dinner, we walked around the lodge. 

Eating Catfish at Joe Wheeler 

Catfish, baked potato, hush puppies, tarter Sauce, butter, sour cream 

We went back to our room until it was time for our pajama movie, "Steel Magnolias."

There were snacks to eat while watching the movie, but I was too full to eat. 

Could not believe that I enjoyed watching an old movie with a bunch of strangers. 

After the movie, everyone retired to their rooms for the night.

Saturday morning, we had a light breakfast, followed by a painting class from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M.

Hello Spring Painting 

Next, we created a bath balm from 9:45 to 11:15 A.M.

From 11:30 to 12 P.M., we danced.

Lunch was a Taco Salad from the food bar. 12–1 P.M.

Self-defense from 2–3 P.M. 

Pontoon Cruise 2–3 P.M.

The women who had registered for the 2 P.M. boat ride loaded onto the Pontoon boat for a one-hour ride on the Tennessee River, where our guide pointed out points of interest and waterfowl. 

Boats at Joe Wheeler 

Pontoon Boat ride

Self-Defense 4:15–5:15 P.M.  

Went back to our room to rest until dinner.

Roll, Pork Chop, Vegetables

Our guest speaker was Lee Marshall at 7:30 P.M. Kids to love. 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning; the sun was rising, and the waterfowl were stirring. 

Waterfowl at Joe Wheeler Lake 

Waterfowl at Joe Wheeler Lake 

I saw a herd of deer on the road as I was leaving. 

A herd of Deer at Joe Wheeler State Park 

2020 Jan 27, Enjoying a warm winter's day

It was nice to finally see the sun today, despite a nip of cold air still in the air. I haven't been out much due to the cold, rainy weather. 

I rode to the Rock Pile at TVA Dam, hoping to see an eagle and maybe some waterfowl.

I saw a few waterfowl but no eagles. 

I met  Steve Lovell, a great photographer who has a website on Facebook where he posts some of his photographs.

TVA Dam & Waterfowl 

I stopped by TVAM to view the art on display, donated by Wanda and Bill Isom. 

Every room was filled with art that they had collected over the years. One room was filled with Japanese block art. 

The hall was filled with the art of birds. 

The Main gallery was full of large lithographs of birds. 

In the back room, a variety of art was displayed, including a Norman Rockwell and a Van Gogh. 

Loved the displays.

White Muted Swan

Canadian Geese 

Domestic geese

My next stop was Spring Park ( Growing up, I spent many hours playing at this park).

Spring Park has a man-made waterfall that is fed by a spring that flows into the pond below. 

Permanent residents are two Muted White Swans.

Other waterfowl that can be found here are Black Muscovy Ducks, White  Muscovy Ducks, Domestic Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Canadian Geese, and others. 

It's a great place to get pictures of waterfowl. 

We had a lot of rain this year, and Spring Park was flooded. A couple of rides were entirely submerged and are no longer in use.  

My granddaughter-in-law owns a beauty school in Sheffield, so I stopped in to visit with her and my great-grandson. Hayne is just a doll, so cute, lovable, and sweet. 

Big Box of Chicken and fixin' from Bojangles

Hubby would be home from work soon, so I stopped at Bojangles to pick up a box of chicken and the fixings for supper. 🍗

It was a beautiful day, neither too hot nor too cold. 

We hope to have more days like today.

2020 Jan 6, Outing to Decatur, Alabama Birds of Prey, Waterfowl

Owl 

Today, Hubby and I rode to Decatur, where we ate breakfast at IHOP and then went to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, where we saw Whooping and Sandhill Cranes. 

We saw a small group of schoolchildren and several adults with cameras. We watched a 12-minute movie about the Refuge and walked among the Cypress Trees.

Sandhill Cranes

On the Atkeson Cypress Boardwalk, we saw these gorgeous Cypresses submerged deep in the swamp. 

 We stopped at Ingalls Harbor and Rhodes Ferry Park.

Tern Perched on a pole at Ingalls Harbor. 

We ate lunch at Jack's, hamburgers and fried pies.
 We stopped at Wheeler Dam, where we saw hundreds of Terns diving for fish. We also saw hundreds of Terns perched along the entrance to the locks and hundreds of Cormorants perched below the dam. It was a beautiful day for an outing.

At Rhodes Ferry Park, we saw the train lift bridge that once bridged Lauderdale to Colbert County, Alabama. 

At Wheeler Dam, we saw Terns diving into the Swift Tennessee River. 

The Tuscumbia, Courtland, and Decatur Railroad was the only railway line in the country used to transport the Cherokee people during forced removal. 

Linking Decatur to the Cherokee Indian Removal during the Trail of Tears. 
On this river in front of you, 2,300 Cherokee people arrived in waves, forced from their Tennessee Valley homeland from 1837 to 1838. The steamer Knoxville towed flatboats loaded with Cherokee families. Heavy rains soaked their clothes. The cold wind whipped off the water. They survived on cornmeal and flour fried in bacon grease. Once docked here at Decatur Landing, the Cherokee boarded cramped train cars. Their journey west continued along the rails.

✈️✈️✈️2019 Mar 24-30, Trip to Naples, Florida

Sunday, May 24, 2019

Southwest Airlines Flight 1066 

Leaves BNA at 10:15 at Gate C19, boarding group B. Position 3 arriving at FLL at 1:25 A.M. 

Hubby took me to the Nashville airport. We ate dinner at Red Robin Spring Hill at 6:55 P.M. We split a hamburger and fries.

Monday, March 25, 2019

It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Naples, so we arrived at Lora's apartment early in the morning. We both slept late.

For breakfast, I ate a slice of raisin bread and a banana. 

Lora had an infusion in Fort Myers that day, so I rode with her. We stopped at Bass Pro Shops, located just off I-75 at 10040 Gulf Center, Fort Myers.

At Bass Pro Shop, we saw river fish, ocean fish, raccoons, black bears, waterfowl, alligators, and the Everglades.

The bartender said I could come inside and take pictures of the tropical fish and coral reefs in the aquarium. Hanging on the walls, we saw Southern Stingrays, a Great Hammerhead Shark, Sailfish, yellow tuna, and black-tip sharks.

Outside, we saw an old blue Red Head Pickup and a Great Gray Heron Bench where people could sit.

Red Head Pickup 

coral reef in the aquarium

I bought a pair of sunglasses to block out the sun so my eyes wouldn't get fit. 

Lora gave me one of her Zyrtec for allergies and some saline to wash out my eyes. 

She also gave me one of her steroid tablets for the infection. 

At lunch, we stopped at Chick-fil-A. Lora and I split a salad, and each ordered a chicken sandwich with water to drink at location 5825 Airport Pulling Rd, Naples, FL. 

I was so tired from the day's adventures and not getting enough sleep that I fell asleep on the sofa while Lora and Jackie went shopping.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 

Lora had an early morning infusion, so I watched TV until she returned. For breakfast, I ate a banana and a slice of raisin bread. 

For lunch, Lora made a ham, cheese, avocado, and spinach sandwich on toasted bread, accompanied by a fruit salad. 

We rode to Clam Bay Beach, 410 Seagate Drive, Naples, FL 34103, where we took the trolley down the walkway to the beach.

Clam Bay Beach 

Pelican at Clam Bay Beach 

The Park consists of 35 acres of mangrove forest, coastal dunes, and 3,200 linear feet of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. A boardwalk provides access to the beach through a mangrove forest. The boardwalk is about three-quarters of a mile long and can be walked, or you can catch a ride on a free tram that runs continuously throughout the day.

We saw several people on the beach, including boaters and fishermen. We saw waterfowl flying overhead and in the water. A dolphin and a manatee were spotted. We saw children playing in the sand. We saw a couple of children fishing and catching fish.

We saw a sign that read 'Welcome to Clam Pass Park.' A sign that read 'Shells of Paradise Coast' included worm shells, Calico Scallops, Mon Snail, Olive shells, Fighting Conch, Sand Dollar, Lightning Whelk, Starfish, and Horse Conch. There was a sign about Palmetto and Fakahatchee grass.http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/fakahatchee.html

All-day parking was $8.

We rode back to the apartment and walked around the lake, seeing a few birds. 

At 7:30, we rode to Vanderbilt Beach on Pelican Bay to watch a fantastic sunset. 

Sunset on Vanderbilt Beach 

Located at 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, FL 34102, at the end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, Vanderbilt Beach County Park borders the Gulf of Mexico and is near plenty of hotels, shopping, and restaurants. 

We met Jackie and Geo on the beach, with hundreds of people watching the sun melt into the bay.

What a way to end the day! We had pizza for supper, and Jackie's boyfriend spent the night.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Lora and I spent the day at the Naples Botanical Gardens, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112, from 1:00 to 4:40 P.M. The cost was $19.99 each.💐 🌷

We browsed in the Chabraja Visitor Center.

Irma's Garden was complete with various garden plants, including screw pines.

Katharine's Garden was a lush tropical landscape.

LaGrippe Orchid Garden was full of colorful, fragrant orchid species worldwide. 

Botanical Garden 

Orchid Garden

Lea Asian Garden had a Southeast Asian Javanese temple, an ancient blaze landscape filled with Bayan trees, a bamboo grove of established fruits, a lotus pool, and a stepping stone path through the Garden that led to the Gardenalinese Shrine.

Kapnick Brazilian Garden was a garden of people from diverse backgrounds and colors, featuring a colorful wall.

Kapnick's Caribbean garden was filled with towering palms, tropical fruits, and vegetables.

Smith Children's Garden was full of vibrant flowers, vegetables, and butterflies—a landscape for children. We saw a bicycle, a hand pump, and a toilet decorated with flowers. We saw Flo and Joe, flower people, working in the vegetable garden. There was also a large turtle made of seashells. 

Scott's Florida Garden was full of trees, palms, a cascading stream, Lake Topkie, and Deep Lake. Florida was once an ancient seafloor.

There was a 90-acre Nature sanctuary boardwalk, which we did not take.

Water Garden with a lily pool full of lily pads and a boardwalk. 

Reflections on Glass: Frabel in the Garden is on exhibit in the gardens. It features diverse and complex sculptures that sometimes mimic the plants within the Garden. You see parallels between Frabel's pieces and the natural shapes of plants in forms and towering cube structures; each piece inspires viewers to discover the wonders of our living collection.

For supper, Lora and I split a chicken and shrimp Carbonara, breadsticks, and salad at Olive Garden, 1565 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102. We had leftovers. I used my Christmas gift card to pay $23,37.

That night, Lora and I met several of her friends at the Comedy Club, a two-drink minimum.

I ordered two bottles of water for $2.50 each. I was too full from supper to drink, so I brought my water home. 

The show was bashing ex-spouses, which wasn't particularly funny.

I enjoyed spending time with Lora's friends.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

I ate leftovers from Olive Garden for breakfast and lunch.

We rode to the Naples Preserve Boardwalk, corner of U.S. 41 North and Fleischmann Boulevard, where we walked along the boardwalk looking for box and gopher turtles. We spoke with one of the park rangers who was walking on the bare ground, checking for turtles to ensure they were okay.

Inside the center, we saw signs about the Naples Botanical Gardens, Delnor-Wiggins Pass, Rookery Bay, Collier-Seminole, Shy Wolf (including Cardinal and Mockingbird nests), and a boat-tailed cracker nest. Natural Communities of Naples Preserve, Turtle Shells, What's in bloom, butterflies, bugs, Collier County, and Myrtle Oaks.

Tucan Statue

Penguin 

Seal

Our next stop was the Naples Zoo, located at 1590 Goodlette Rd, Naples, Florida 34102.

" Art to Save the Sea" was displayed throughout the zoo, featuring artwork made entirely from garbage collected from beaches. 

The art we saw featured Natasha the Turtle, Priscilla the Faust Fish, Lidia the Seal, Rufus the Tiger Fish, the American Sea Star, Daisy the Polar Bear, Grace the Humpback Whale, Gertrude the Penguin, and Chompers the Shark.

We stood in a long line to ride a slow-moving, tour-guided ferry around Monkey Island.

Very cool, enjoyable, and informative ride about Madagascar Animals

There were signs under a thatched roof telling about Monkey Island: trees like nowhere else, the island of Lemurs, more significant than any dinosaur egg, and the Madagascar Ferna group helps preserve the wonders of a fragile island nation.

We saw signs about Invisible Geckos, Abundant Chameleons, Madagascar burning, and living wonders. 

We saw American Alligators, Giant Anteaters, Cotton-Top Tamarins, Aldabra Tortoises, Slender-Horned Gazelles, Mt. Bongo, Sulcate Tortoises, Gopher Tortoises, and Clouded Leopards.

We watched the giraffes and alligators being fed. Dr. Henry Nehrling, the founder of the Botanical Garden, Henry Badger, Plains Zebra, Feeding the Alligators, Cheetah, Why the Railroad Trestle? The famous toucan sign, "Dead Trees Help the Living," and "Marvelous Marsh" make for fabulous filters. A swamp mystery, planting helps with trees for the future, shade-grown coffee helps farmers, birds, and the land, and you can find all these birds.

Friday, March 29, 2019 

We stopped at Dollar Tree for sunscreen and snacks to take to the beach at Delnor-Wiggins State Park.

Located at 11135 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL 34108

One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand at Delnor-Wiggins has been rated as one of the best beaches in the nation. 

We saw Gray Pelicans perched, swimming, and flying overhead. 

We saw a Fish Hawk Osprey perched in a tree holding a fish.

We saw seagulls and white egrets waiting for a free fish from a fisherman.

This beach was more secluded than the other beaches that we had visited. 

We rode to Naples Municipal Beach and walked out on the long pier to watch the sunset. There were lots of people waiting for the sunset.

 Naples Municipal Beach Sunset

Address 25 12th Av S Naples Florida 34102 

The Naples Pier is a community landmark built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock.

We rode to historic downtown Naples; Lora and Michelle waited in a long line of people to order our ice cream at Kilwins 743 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lora had an infusion that morning, so I spent the morning with Jackie and Geo. We visited North Collier Regional Children's Park, located at 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples, FL.

North Collier Regional Children's Park

Geo enjoyed playing at the Can U Dig It state-of-the-art playground, which features a colorful, modern design and resembles something from the future.  

The sleek look packs a lot of play value. The playground includes slides, swings, and climbing apparatus, but it takes play a step further. Kids can spin themselves dizzy on squiggly poles, climb on boulders that look like they came from the Monument Valley, or become junior archeologists in the covered fossil dig area.

When we got ready, Jackie realized she had locked her keys in her car. She called her boyfriend, and he brought her a spare set of keys.

We rode back to the apartment, and by this time, Lora had returned. 

Lora, Michelle, and I rode to Fort Lauderdale for the rest of the day before my flight. 

We stopped at Quarterdeck Restaurant, located at 300 N Beach Rd, Dania Beach, FL, where we had dinner.

Quarterdeck Restaurant

Quarterdeck Restaurant

We ordered three tacos, smoked shrimp, and smoked fish with French fries, and we all drank water with lemon.

We saw British Airways and Southwest jets fly over, so we knew the airport was nearby.

You can see several towering buildings from Dania Pier in the downtown area.

We saw several cruise ships depart, so it's clear that Fort Lauderdale is a hub port for cruise ships.

Many people were sitting on the beach, a few in the water. The beaches were made of seagrass, more turbulent and less precise than the Naples Beaches.

We watched and waited for a lift bridge to let a sailboat through. The traffic was heavy in the downtown area, so I told Lora to take me to the airport so they could do some sightseeing.

I boarded the flight at 9:30, traveling on Flight 4145, Boarding Group B23, for a one-and-a-half-hour flight.

Arrived in Nashville around 11:30 P.M. Hubby picked me up, and we rode home.

We stopped at the gas station, picked up some snacks, and rode home. We arrived home around 1:30 A.M. 

Had a great time visiting my daughter and all the places we went to,