2009, Tuesday, June 2, Caught in an electrical storm on the Singing River Bridge

I had a dentist appointment at 9:00 A.M.

After the dentist, we rode, so I went to Kohl's where I bought a pair of shorts and a top.  

Next, we went to Sam's Club where we bought two lawn chairs to use at music in Wilson Park on Wednesdays. 

We stopped at Ruby Tuesday, where each of us ordered a rib plate. We had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon.

We went to Lowe's, where we bought a thermal for our swimming pool and two screwdrivers.

I had loaded my bicycle into our Vue and was planning to ride it across the Patton Island Bridge later that day.

Hubby's iPhone issued a weather alert, saying a storm was brewing in Mississippi.

I felt like the storm would not reach Florence until after I had finished riding my bicycle across the bridge and back.

My Hubby unloaded my bike while I went to the park's restroom to change into the shorts and top I had bought. 

It was very hot and clear when I started across the bridge, but by the time I reached the end, it had started to sprinkle.

I don't know what I was thinking —I didn't have my cell phone with me, or I would have called my Hubby to come pick me up. I had forgotten it.

So I turned my bicycle around and started back across the bridge.

I was almost all the way back when the rain started to pour down and lightning was dancing all around me.
I remember looking towards the ldam's locks and thinking to myself, I" sure could use some windshield wipers to clear the rainwater from my sunglasses

"All I could remember was trying to get safely across the bridge away from the storm, but it was too late. I was caught inside the cage on the bridge during an electrical storm and had lost my short-term memory. 

I was lucky that was the only thing that happened to me with lightning dancing all around me. 

It took me about 20 minutes to ride my bike about four miles, which is two miles out and two miles back. 
The storm hit at 12:53. I must have started about 12:33 P.M., and I was at the hospital by 2:30 P.M. 

Later that day, it was reported that a terrible storm had hit the Tennessee River.

I was dripping wet when I arrived back at the park. 

The storm had frightened Hubby, so he drove the VUE across the bridge to look for me, and he saw me coming off the bridge.

I didn't remember riding across the bridge or changing out of my wet clothes at the restroom in the park. 

Hubby said I kept repeating myself all the way home. Where did all those wet clothes come from?

When we got home, I ate a snack bar and drank a can of soda, and I remembered nothing.

Hubby thought I had a stroke, and he said that I needed to go to the hospital, but I kept saying nothing was wrong with me.

Hubby called my daughter; he handed me the telephone. My daughter asked me some questions, and all I could say was, "Give me a minute to think."
My daughter asked me if I remembered riding my bicycle on the bridge, and I said, 'What bridge?' I could not remember anything. 

I had been inside an electric field caused by the lightning.
The lighting hit the cage attached to the bridge where I was riding my bicycle.

Somehow, my daughter and Hubby persuaded me to go to the hospital, and I was seen by Dr. Robert Coble. 

They drew blood, took a brain scan, and checked my urine. The doctor was puzzled by the results. 

He said that the enzymes in my heart were going crazy, and I would have to stay until they stabilized. 

My family stayed while I recovered.
It took several hours, but my short-term memory began to return, and I was released at 7:30 P.M. 

All I wanted to do was go home and go to sleep. 

The next day, I felt a little better, but the right side of my head remained numb.

Information on Lighting:

Lightning injuries are usually the result of five different mechanisms: 

Direct strike — direct strike injuries occur when lightning strikes a person directly

Contact injury occurs when a person touches an object that is part of the lightning current pathway

Side flash (splash), Side flash or splash injuries occur when lightning arcs from the object struck to a nearby object.

Ground current (step voltage), Ground current, or step voltage injuries occur when the lightning current spreads peripherally through the ground from the site of the strike

Blunt trauma, or blunt injuries, occur in two ways. 

In the first instance, the victim's musculature contracts diffusely, throwing the victim a considerable distance from the lightning strike. 

The second mechanism is a consequence of large temperature fluctuations associated with a lightning strike. 

Lightning causes the instantaneous superheating and expansion of the air, which is followed immediately by an implosion as the air rapidly cools. 

The duration of heat is so brief that thermal injuries seldom occur. However, the explosion and implosion of air can lead to blunt trauma of major organ systems such as the brain, liver, and spleen.

Because the duration of a lightning strike is extremely short, little of the massive energy is transferred internally to the victim. Instead, most of the energy flows externally across the victim's body (a "flashover"). 

However, enough energy passes through the body to disrupt and short-circuit its electrical systems, especially the heart, vasculature, respiratory center of the brain, reticular activating system, and autonomic nervous system. 

The primary cause of death in lightning injuries is cardiopulmonary arrest due to asystole. 

However, asystole can be readily converted to a coordinated cardiac rhythm with timely and aggressive cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Why were the enzymes in my heart elevated after being caught in ground current lightning?

Weather observations for June 2, 2009, Muscle Shoals, North West Alabama Regional Airport 

SCT055 means scatter clouds at 5,500 AGL, scattered means 3 to 4 eighths cloud coverage.

BKN090 were broken clouds at 9000' covering 5 to 7 octas of the sky. 

2008 ~ Friday, April 18, Grassmere Zoo with grandkids Nashville, Tennessee

Kids at Petting Zoo

Friday afternoon at 12:00 P.M. my daughter called, said she and the kids were going to Grassmere Zoo in Nashville and ask if I wanted to go with them.

She came to pick me up and we rode to Nashville, Santana was with them.

At the zoo, I had my camera with me, so I was taking pictures while my grandson was pushing his little sister in her wheelchair. 

We went to the Grassmere Zoo at 3777 Nolensville Road Nashville, Tn 37211 615-833-1534.

In the Savannah loop, we saw three African Elephants, giraffes bending down to eat grass, red river hogs, we walked inside the birdhouse at Lorikeet Landing to pet the parrots and to pet the farm animals.

Giraffe eating grass

African Elephants 

In the Central zoo, we saw the beautiful blue Macaw, we saw gibbons at gibbon island, we saw the dens of the meerkats, we visited the seahorses, many other reptiles, and fish at the Unseen New World. 

The kids climbed inside the glass that leads into the middle of the meerkat's dens to get an up-close view of the meerkats. 

The kids stopped to play on the jungle gym and we watched a bird show at the amphitheater

Kids with Meerkats

In the Jungle loop along the bamboo trail we saw a white tiger, a lynx, a red ruffed lemur, a ring-tailed lemur, cougars, a red-crowned crane, a red panda, a porcupines, and tapir, we stopped at alligator cove to watch the alligators, flamingo lagoon was filled with pink flamingo’s where the kids could touch the animals at critter encounters and Kangaroos Kickabout.

White Tiger

We left Grassmere Zoo rode down  I-40 to Opry Mills Mall which took about twelve minutes it was a little over eight miles.

We were all very hungry my daughter parked near the entrance of the Rainforest Cafe at Opry Mills.

We were seated in the Tuki section with the amusing and curious baby elephant which my granddaughter loved, she was mimicking the elephant.

Rainforest Cafe 

My daughter and I split a portabella wrap with tomato basil wrap layered, rolled with spinach, red onions, roasted red peppers, grilled portabella mushrooms, tossed in roster garlic balsamic dressing.

We all shared an awesome appetizer adventure, the idea of two or more featuring Chimi-Cha-Chas, Spinach, & artichoke dip, with tri-color chips, cheese sticks, chicken tenders, served with fresh guacamole, marinara, and coconut curry sauce and for dessert, we ordered an out-of-this-world Sparkling Volcano.

Elephant at the Rainforest 

We walked around the mall looking inside many of the shops, after a very exciting day we started the two-hour ride home, all the kids fell asleep and we were home by 12:P.M.

2015, March 23,24,25 , Spending time with grandchildren

March 23, 24, 25, 2015 Spending time with Grandsons 
I cooked pancakes and fried eggs for breakfast and served them with all-natural blackberry syrup from Carver's Orchard, which I had bought at the Apple House in Cosby, Tennessee.

After breakfast (around 8:00 A.M.), we traveled to Athens, stopping at the car wash to wash and vacuum the van.

We had an appointment at Champion Chrysler Dealership to repair the driver's window control panel and replace the key battery.

While we waited, the boys ate chips, soda, and coffee from the waiting area.

We rode to Decatur to look at a 2007 Honda Van at Honda of Decatur.

My husband made a down payment of five hundred dollars on the Honda, then we rode to Rogersville to get a cashier's check at LECU.
We rode back to Honda of Decatur to finalize the sale. 
We called our insurance company to add the 2007 Silver Honda. 
It was after lunch, and everyone was getting hungry, so we took the boys to eat fish at 
McCallum's is one of our favorite places to eat seafood. The boys had never eaten at McCallum's, so it was a treat for them. 

http://mccollumscatfish.com/contact.html

Montana ordered fried frog legs, fries, slaw, hush puppies, and sweet tea. 
He said he had never eaten frog legs and wanted to try them. I said if you order frog legs, you will have to eat them.
He ate all but two of the frog legs.

Nevada and my husband ordered a plate of shrimp and catfish with slaw, baked potato, hush puppies, and sweet tea.

I ordered grilled chicken, slaw, baked sweet potato, hushpuppies, and Unsweet tea.

We brought home two frog legs and all the hushpuppies.

The food is always good, but it's more than enough for one person; we always have leftovers.

Catfish and hushpuppies

We took the boys to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Museum and the walking trail.

The boys and I walked to the viewing area where we saw a large crane, turtles, several ducks, and either a hawk or an eagle.

Atkeson Cypress Trail 

 We walked the 1/2-mile Atkeson Cypress trail, where we crossed bridges over a swamp full of cypress trees, turtles, snakes, fish, and birds. The bridge is wooden, part of the trail is concrete, and the remainder is a gravel or grass path.

Walking the Atkeson Cypress trail 

Cypress Trees

Grandsons

Birds flying above the marsh 

At the viewing area, we saw an eagle, but it could have been a hawk. The hawk or eagle frightened the smaller birds into the air; he was hunting for food.

We watched the large bird fly, which looked like it was up into the clouds.

In the gift shop, I bought six huge postcards.
The boy picked out some rocks and Indian arrowheads.

We stopped at the birding trail at Wheeler Dam. The boys and I walked along the edge of the Tennessee River, and we saw many different birds swimming, flying, and catching fish for their dinner.

Looking for birds

Looking for birds

Looking for birds

The boys and I enjoyed the day with my husband while he took care of business. 

The boys were with us from Monday through Wednesday.

On Monday, the boys worked in the yard picking up tree limbs and debris., I gave them money for working in the yard.

Tuesday, we had business in Athens and Decatur. On Wednesday, we had business in town, and we took the boys to the Blue Door, where Nevada picked out a pair of shoes and a necklace.

Montana picked out a necklace, wristband, and hat.

We went to Rosie's Mexican Cantina Restaurant for lunch, and the boys said they had never eaten at Rosie's

We started with a large bowl of white cheese dip, salsa, and chips. My husband ordered a large taco dinner,  which consisted of chicken on soft and crispy tacos.

The boys and I shared a lunch of chicken fajitas, served with three homemade flour tortillas, sautéed peppers, onions, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, cheese, Mexican garlic butter, Mexican rice, charro beans, and guacamole.

The boys and my husband ordered sweet tea, and I drank water with lemon.

We finished the meal with a commentary bowl of vanilla ice cream.

We came back home., I took a nap, the boys played outsid,e and my husband watchedTVv.

2015~ March 20-22, Trip to Pigeon Forge, TN with sibling

Day 1, Friday, March 20, 2015
We left home around 11:30 a.m.

Traveled north on hwy 43 through Lawrenceburg to Columbia to I-65 to 840 east to I-40 through Knoxville taking hwy 66 at Kodak and 441 to Pigeon Forge.

We stopped at McDonald's where I ordered an ice cream, and strawberry pie.

My sister ordered a chocolate covered ice cream with nuts, an apple pie and we filled up with gas.

We were stopped at a red light in Pigeon Forge, we both looked to our right, where we both saw a young man dressed as a taco.

He was dancing, trying to attract traffic to stop to buy a taco.

I thought he was funny, he saw that I was laughing, so he put on the show, he was trying to dance backward like Michael Jackson.

I cracked up laughing at him and the more I laughed the more he performed.

We arrived at the condo around 6:30 p.m. unloaded our luggage, walked to our room only to find that our cards would not work.

I stayed with the luggage while my sister went to the condo office to see why our cards would not work. My sister came back laughing she said there was nothing wrong with the cards, it was us!

We both were trying to unlock the door by putting the card in the slot upside down. LOL!

We rode to the LeConte Center near Island for the annual Mountain Quiltfest from March 18-22.

We arrived after the display of quilts had closed, they were now doing the show and tell.

We watched for about thirty minutes, I took a few pictures.

We walked over to The Island, we ate dinner at Margaritaville.

Margaritaville

Margaritaville has three levels, we sat at the top level, at the bar it was going to be a 45-minute wait to dine downstairs.

We could hear a local band playing and singing on the second level.

My sister and I split a cheeseburger in Paradise topped with American cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, and paradise island sauce for $12.99 served with french fries and Ice tea.

Our friends called and said after we finished at Margaritaville for us to come to their condo.

We walked around on the Island where we sampled ice cream, popcorn, and chocolate. I took pictures of the Mellow Mushroom, Zoltar the fortune teller, kryptonite character store, Doc's Magic Shop, The Wheel, and the Arcade.

Mellow Mushroom

We walked to the ticket center where we both purchased tickets to ride The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, that is 200 feet tall which is the tallest attraction in the Southeast, at night it lights up with pink, green, blue and red glowing lights as it turns.

The Wheel

We were in all-glass gondolas with a magnificent view of city and colorful fountain below.

The fountain was filled with many colorful lights as it danced to music.

We took pictures of each other at the Margaritaville fins up, Fins to the left, fins to the right.

We rode to the condo where we met up with our friends and enjoyed talking until midnight.

Day 2, Saturday, March 21, 2015

We slept late the next morning, met with our friends, we all went to Mel's Diner for breakfast where everyone ordered pancakes and fried eggs, with either bacon or sausage.

Everyone ordered coffee except me and I ordered ice tea.

Mel's Diner

http://www.singlepage.com/mels-diner-44/menu?ref=yahoo

We rode to Cosby to visit a quilt shop, to the Apple House where I purchased a jar of blackberry syrup and a pint jar of chow, chow.

I took several pictures of the barren apple trees that looked like something one would see in the movie with Johnny Deb, Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Apple Trees

There were baskets full of several varieties of apples, jars of apple butter, jams, jellies, and chow.

We took the scenic route back to Sevierville, we stopped at the Red Barn quilts where my friend purchased some material with monkeys on the print.

We ate dinner at Cheddars, my sister and I ordered a Santa Fe Country Club sandwich which was loaded with roast turkey breast, and hickory smoked ham piled high with bacon, two chess, lettuce, tomato and their signature pepper jam on toasted bread.

We also ordered Santa Fe Spanish Dip that is chopped, simmered in sour cream, spices and seasonings blended with four creamy kinds of cheese and it is served with fresh salsa and tortilla chips.

Our friends ordered onion rings.

After dinner we rode back to the quilt show, our friend had to pick up her quilt, then we rode back to the condo.

We said goodnight, prepared for bed when my sisters said we have not bought our lottery tickets. We were already in our pajamas, so we just put on our sweatshirts over our PJ'sand went to buy lottery tickets. We stopped at Osh Kosh where my sister bought her granddaughter some overhauls and a top.

Next, we stopped at Kroger for water and yogurt.

Watched some television and tried to turn off the tv with the wrong remote.

Finally, we went to bed.

Day 3, Sunday, March 22, 2015

The next day we again slept late, we had to leave the condo by 10:00 A.M.

I ate one of the yogurts for breakfast.

We said goodbye to our friends, cleaned the condo and was on our way.

We took a different route home, we made several stops along the way.

Our first stop was at Headrick Chapel established 1902 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Headrick Chapel established 1902

Behind the church, we saw a cemetery with many graves, an old barn with a red tin roof that barely covered the roof and in the distance the Smoky Mountains.

We rode past the Zip-lines, horsehides, cabins, moonshine fixings, The River Rat tubs, and Shuttles.

We were traveling 321 south near Cedar Creek we stopped at a wood shop to see all the carved statues that were displayed.

We saw a tree stump full of Eagles, with a nest on top.

We saw dragons, bears with fishing poles, unique birdhouses with green and blue seemed chimneys with ice cream cones for hats.

We saw a life-size statue of an Indian man wearing only feathers in his hair.

We saw a large metal ball with the words Nation Debt plastered across the front.

We saw a bench with at least twelve variety of dogs sitting on it.

Bears using the potty

We saw a male bear relieving himself at a urinal, and a female bear sitting on the pot wearing her house-shoes.

We saw signs that said, Psycho Path, Drive Slow Bear Crossing, Don't text and fly, and life is good and bear production.

In Townsend we stopped at Apple Valley Country Store where my sister bought her granddaughter a black bear with a leash, I bought some apple chow, chow.

We looked around at Country Elegance Home and gifts but did not buy anything.

Our next stop was at Maryville College established 1819, we rode through stopping to take a few pictures.

 Maryville College established 1819

We stopped at Chattanooga's National Cemetery, I took a few pictures, one was of the Andrews Raiders Monument, erected by the state of Ohio in 1890. It is a bronze replica of "The General, the Civil War-Era-Wood-Burring locomotive famous for its great chase of 1862.

Chattanooga's National Cemetery 

We traveled through Chattanooga onto South Pittsburg where we stopped to fill up with gas, my sister went inside the store where she purchased an Apple fritter and a cinnamon roll.

We stopped to use the restroom at McDonald's, we were going to eat there but the place was packed.

It had started to rain, we did not stop again until we reached home.

Had a great weekend spending it with friends and family?

1993 ~June 4-5 Festival of Lights in Nashville, Tennessee

Day 1: Friday, June 4, 1993

We went to the Festival of Lights in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. We met up with some of my husband's co-workers, Nelson Richardson Junior, Phillip Ritter, and their wives. 

We stayed at The Hermitage Hotel in Downtown Nashville, 231 6th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219, (615) 244-3121 which overlooked the Festival of Lights on Church Street.

City of Lights Festival 

Performing that weekend was Alison Krauss with her band Union Station. 

When Alison came on stage to sing a couple of songs the stage was almost blown away by a thunderstorm. 

 Information about Alison Krauss: I found on the internet:

“This was the year that she joined the Grand Ole Opry. She also signed with an independent record label Rounder Record. Performing at the East end of the park is Martina McBride.”

 We walk down Printer's Alley located between Third and Fourth Avenues stretching from Union to Church Streets, the Alley started before the turn of the century as the location of many of Nashville’s first Publishing and Printing Companies. 

Without the Country Music influences that started in the 1930s, Nashville could not have possibly been known as the Printing Capitol of the World. 

Nashville’s first entertainment hotspot has long gone but the World Famous Printers Alley remains, providing a Flair of Bourbon Street for those in search of Wine, Women, and Song. 

Printers Alley

Printers Alley

I took several pictures of Printers Alley, the Capitol Building, and Church Buildings. 

I was wearing a cute white embroidered short set that I bought in Cancun Mexico. 

For dinner we had plans to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory but, it was booked solid.

 History about the Spaghetti Factory: I found on the internet:

The Old Spaghetti Factory is a historic Victorian structured establishment and is filled with antiques from the period.

Classy enough for a business lunch and casual enough for a family dinner. Long Island ice tea flows like water from the romantic bar with love seats and intimate seating for couples. Families can eat an entire pasta dinner with salad and bread for about $8.00 each. Altogether, it is a formula for success even in the touristy climate of Second Avenue. “

 Information about The Music Queen:

“The Music City Queen was a dinner cruise that we had planned to take but minors could not go aboard.  It holds about 250 passengers. The Music City Queen offers exciting and unusual cruises on the beautiful Cumberland River departing from the Nashville Old Steamboat Dock (four blocks from the downtown Convention Center). Nashville is Tennessee's State Capitol. “

To take the dinner cruise you have to be twenty-one and my daughter was only sixteen.

We shopped at the mall and the square downtown.

 “

 The Music Queen

Shopping

Day 2: Saturday, June 5, 1993

We went to the Ryman Auditorium and Museum, which is located at 116 Fifth Ave. North, which was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 until March 16, 1974.

My daughter and I walked upon the stage, where many a Grand Ole Opry Star once stood and belted out singing. 

The seats were empty but that was okay because we were stars in our own right.

Singing at the Grand Ole Opry

We stopped in at Music Valley Village where we saw “The Car Museum” Featuring cars of country music stars including Elvis' Cadillac, Marty Robbins' limo, Louise Mandrell's MG, Webb Pierce's "Silver Dollar" car, Roy Acuff's last touring car, Barbara Mandrell's Rolls Royce, Hank Williams Jr.'s Cadillac and many more - 45 cars in all!  

On June 5, 1993, as we were listening to the radio, the radio announcer said, we are sad to announce that Conway Twitty has gone to meet his maker.  

Conway will be greatly missed and he will live on in his music.