👣👣👣👣 2015 ~ Saturday, April 18, Tuscumbia Civil War Walking Tour and Florence Civil War Trolley Tours

Started the morning with the Civil War walking tour of Tuscumbia. Everyone met at Cold Water Book Store at 10 AM where we were told a little history of Tuscumbia. Everyone walked up the street following our guide. She told us a little history about the early settlers, the train, and the many hotels that were built in Tuscumbia.

This building was once a three-story hotel

The hotels were used as a stopover when someone was traveling by train because at that time there was no train depot to wait in.
We walked up the road to the First Baptist Church the minister was there just getting ready to unlock the door when he asked everyone if we would like to look inside where we were invited inside to look around.  Took several pictures and told about a man who wanted to become a member of the church but when he got up to sing his pants were caught in the crack of the bench. At the end of the service, several men had to sit on either side of him so he could get his pants unhung from the benches. Later he would become a member and buy padding for the church benches.

First Baptist Church Tuscumbia

First Baptist Church Tuscumbia

First Baptist Church Tuscumbia

We thanked the minister who so graciously let us view the church and take pictures.

We saw several old homes and our final stop was the Cooper Rand Home.

Old historic home in Tuscumbia

Cooper Rand Home

The new home to our hostess where she read from a copy of Major Samuel Jones's journal.

Reading from Samuel Jones's journal/diary

The walk spilled over into 11:30 so many people disbursed into small groups and headed back to their cars. I had to be somewhere else so I walked back to my car.
I saw many beautiful flowers in bloom and a Japanese Maple Tree.

Azaleas in full bloom

Azaleas in full bloom

Japanese Maple Tree.

The traffic was terrible crossing the O'Neal Bridge because the bridge was being repaired.

O'Neal Bridge being repaired

O'Neal Bridge being repaired

At 12:30 PM at the Visitor Center, there was another Civil War Tour but this one was on a trolley.

Thank goodness because I had walked many blocks and my legs and knees were beginning to hurt.
We were served muffins, and water while we listened to Lee talk about Florence in the Civil War.

Civil War Leaders 

Everyone got onto the trolley after paying $15 each the money is being used to fund students who are interested in attending UNA to study History. A scholarship fund and the trolley were full I think forty people.
Our first stop was the Confederate Monument in front of the Lauderdale County courthouse, as we rode down Court Street we were told that the original street was 115 feet wide.

Confederate Monument with victims of violent crime crosses all around the monument

Our next stop was the First Presbyterian Church where William H. Mitchell preached and was arrested by Union soldiers and taken to Union POW camp in Alton, Il.

 First Presbyterian Church

Our next stop was the former location of the Presbyterian Female Synodical College which now stands at the US Post Office and Federal Courthouse.
We were told about the Marshal/Campbell house the burying down of the first Florence Lodge and the location of the new lodge.
We stopped at the Wakefield Mitchell the oldest house in Florence.

Wakefield Mitchell

We stopped at the former home of Lawyer Edward Ashbury O'neal.
We stopped at the Simpson House and Courtview Roger Hall both are now part of UNA.
We waved at the curator and Confederate soldier at Pope's Tavern.

 The Confederate soldier at Pope's Tavern.

The driver took us up close to Florence Wesleyan which looks very much like a castle and our last stop was Col Richard Orrick Pickett House built around 1833.

Florence Wesleyan Hall

We rode past a very old home-place near Pine Street but I never heard the name called.

Last stop house

We returned to the Visitor Center and everyone got off the trolley.
I rode back by the last stop to get a better picture then stopped at Dairy Queen for Vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.

Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle Cone at Dairy Queen

On the way home I stopped at Rich's and bought a pound of barbq pork and a tea.
It has been a long day so I lay on the futon and rested.
I finally uploaded my pictures.

2015 ~Sunday, April 12, Spending the day with grandson's at UNA, & Florence Library!

Took the boys with me to church, after church we ate lunch at Zaxby's, I ordered a Zaxby's Snack Meal, with salad no fries, Nevada ordered Kickin' Chicken sandwich meal, Montana ordered hot wings with fries. 

The place was packed, I think everyone got out of the church at the same time even Arby's was packed.

Then on to target we rode to UNA to see the two lions LEO and UNA, where they were resting, they both moved one time and that was to get into the shade.

Leo the male lion

UNA the female lion

I stopped to take pictures of the flowing fountain and historic builds, the colorful tulips, and flowering white & pink dogwood trees.

Tulips

Dogwood Trees

I took the boys to see the new science building at UNA, the building was so big that I could not walk far enough back to get the whole building into one picture.

Science Center UNA

We rode to the Florence Lauderdale Public Library where the boys played on the computer and I listen to James Parker talk about From the Cumberland to the Gulf: Tennessee Troops traversing the Alabama County during the War of 1812.
There were many items about the War of 1812 on display at the library. 

War 1812 Hat

Cup used in war 1812

7th US Infantry Soldier

7th US Infantry Soldier

Sword of Colonel Daniel Newnan Georgia Volunteers

This concluded the series about the War of 1812.

I took the boys home and dropped by to see Mike and Hannah.
For supper, my husband brought home Chinese food from New China Chinese Restaurant.
I ate 2 shrimp egg rolls and a chocolate-covered donut filled with custard. My husband ate sesame chicken, white rice and soup, he had enough leftovers for his lunch.
We spent a quiet afternoon relaxing and watching television.

2015 ~ Saturday April 14, Walking Tour, Car Show, Tuscumbia, Al, Grand Opening at CE Pools, & Krisby Kreme Treats

Cooked pancakes and eggs for breakfast, everyone got ready and we rode to Rogers High School for the cars show.
I thought it started at 8 AM but it started at 10 AM so we rode to Tuscumbia where we rode through the park stopping to visit with Bobbie and Sherry who always walk in Spring Park.
We were still too early for the walk so we rode to the Round House and Train Depot.

We saw this rock face at Cold Water Book Store

I parked and we walked to Cold Water Book Store where the boys bought a coffee, cookie and brownie.

We left on our Civil War tour at 10AM, walking up Main Street to the Courthouse where our guide Buddy Whitlock talked about the Civil War, Colbert County Courthouse, the house across the street from the courthouse made of brick.
He said it was now owned by the adjoining church, it has an underground tunnel leading into the kitchen from the attached outhouse which is still standing.

He also mentioned the Deshler family, the loss of Mrs. Deshler, the loss of his young daughter from an unknown illness, the drowning on one son while attending a military college West Point, and the other son killed during the Civil war both sons attended West Point.
Mr. Deshler built a girls school, with no heir everything he owned he left to the city of Tuscumbia.
There was no room for expansion and so the school was moved up the street to the Winston Family home-place and land were donated to the school.
The school name remained the same "DESHLER".

Picture of Deshler School I took in 2009
This is the Winston House 
We walked to The First Presbyterian Church built in 1827, which is Alabama's oldest house of continuous worship in the Georgian Gothic style

Helen Keller was baptized in this church in 1880.
The former slave gallery is preserved and offers balcony seating.

Mr. Whitlock talked about the history of the church and afterward, we listened to a local artist play Lorena on the banjo.

Lorena is a song loved by both Union and Confederate Soldiers.
Oh, the years creep slowly by, Lorena,
The snow is on the ground again.
The sun's low down the sky, Lorena,
The frost gleams where the flow'rs have been.
But the heart beats on as warmly now,
As when the summer days were nigh.
Oh, the sun can never dip so low
A-down affection's cloudless sky.
A hundred months have passed, Lorena,
Since last, I held that hand in mine,
And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena,
Though mine beat faster far than thine.
A hundred months, 'twas flowery May,
When up the hilly slope we climbed,
To watch the dying of the day,
And hear the distant church bells chime.
We loved each other then, Lorena,
Far more than we ever dared to tell;
And what we might have been, Lorena,
Had but our loving prospered well --
But then, 'tis past, the years are gone,
I'll not call up their shadowy forms;
I'll say to them, "Lost years, sleep on!
Sleep on! nor heed life's pelting storms."
The story of that past, Lorena,
Alas! I care not to repeat,
The hopes that could not last, Lorena,
They lived, but only lived to cheat.
I would not cause e'en one regret
To rankle in your bosom now;
For "if we try we may forget,"
Were words of thine long years ago.
Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena,
They burn within my memory yet;
They touched some tender chords, Lorena,
Which thrill and tremble with regret.
'Twas, not thy woman's heart that spoke;
Thy heart was always true to me:
A duty, stern, and pressing broke
The tie which linked my soul with thee.
It matters little now, Lorena,
The past is in the eternal past;
Our heads will soon lie low, Lorena,
Life's tide is ebbing out so fast.
There is a Future! O, thank God!
Of life, this is so small a part!
'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod;
But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart.
https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=lorena+song+youtube
When the music was over everyone walked inside to get a view of the interior.
There was a woman playing the piano all I could see was the top of her head.
We were told that the pipe organs above us were still used today.

Pipe Organs

Playing the piano

walking down the steps from the balcony

We were allowed to walk up the stairs to the balcony.

In the 1800s Tuscumbia was a thriving town with at least three hotels.
The Pink Palace Restaurant was one of the old hotels that people enjoyed in the 1800s.

The Pink Palace Restaurant once a hotel where people stayed while visiting Tuscumbia.

 We stopped at Krispy Cream for donuts and onto CE Pools for their grand opening where we enjoyed hamburgers, cokes, chips, and Dianne's famous banana pudding. 

donuts from Krispy Kream 

Then onto the car show at Rogers High School which ended at 2 pm and I thought it ended at 3pm. Several cars had already left but we still saw quite a few. 

Montana in the MG

Nevada in the MG

Nevada and Montana got to sit in an MG Sports Car owned by Linda and John McCoy. Thanks, Linda and John for letting the boy set in your car. After a long fun day, we came home the boys on one computer and me on another. 

We had a great day.

2015 ~ Friday, April 10, General Coffee defining moments with Andrew Jackson Florence Library, Florence, Alabama

Attended a one hour talk about General Coffee, his life, and journey during the war of 1812 and the Indian Wars. http://tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/tn1812.htm

The War of 1812 and Indian Wars
http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/exhibits/veterans/1812.htm

Felix Grundy a Nashville lawyer, along with a group of Democratic-Republicans known as the War Hawks, provided the rhetoric necessary to lead the nation into a conflict that many considered unpopular.
War Hawks and set the tone for the War Hawks by proclaiming he would rather have war than further submit to British insults.

Henry Clay, Was the leader of the War Hawk fraction. 

Andrew Jackson, His victory in the New Orleans Battle catapulted him into a national celebrity and was elected the President of the United States

George Washington Campbell, Served as Chairman of the Committee of Military Affairs.

John Coffee was Jackson's right-hand man during the war and he advanced to Brigadier General during the war. 

John Sevier, he headed the Military Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives during the War of 1812. He and Andrew Jackson hated each other.
http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/1812/intro3.htm

Mr. Brown talked about battles at Talluwshatchee and Talladega 
(3 and 9 November 1813)

battle of Emuckfau and Enotochopco 
(22 and 24 January 1814)

Battle of Battle of Horseshoe Bend -the battle that ended the Creek Wars. (27 March 1814) 

On April 1, 1814, John Coffee wrote a letter to his wife, Mary, describing the Battle of Horseshoe Bend:

"I crossed the river with 700 mounted men and 600 Indians and took possession of the other bank to prevent them swimming over the river and escaping – all was executed well, the enemy fought with their usual desperation, but we overpowered them, and after Cannonading them about two hours, we charged their works by storm and put the whole to death but a few that hid under the banks of the river, the slaughter was great we counted 557 dead bodies on the ground beside about 300 that was shot and sunk in the river, making in the whole that we killed from 850 to 900 – and took about 500 prisoners squaws and children – we lost on our part of white men 26 killed and 106 wounded besides 23 friendly Indians killed and 47 wounded . . ."

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/1812/creek5.htm

Meyers Brown was very informative and covered a lot about General Coffee's involvement in the War of 1812, his association with Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, George Washing Campbell, Felix Grundy, John Sevier and many others.

Most of this information can be found at the Tennessee Archives.

Tall tombstone belongs to John Coffee and around our family members
taken September 8, 2010

Brick wall around the Coffee Cemetery

Taking the path to the Coffee Cemetery 

Walmart donated $25,000 dollars to the restoration of the Coffee Cemetery and members of the Historical Society are in the process of cleaning it up and making it a historic site to visit.

Anyone interested in helping contact the historic Society of Florence.

2015 ~ Saturday & Sunday April 4 & 5,Easter Weekend with grandkids

My grandkids came over Friday night one slept on the sofa, two slept on the floor on an air mattress and my daughter slept on the Futon.
Saturday morning around 4 AM we went outside to watch the lunar eclipse and the moon blood moon.

Total Lunar Tetrad eclipse April 4, 2015

Total Lunar Tetrad eclipse April 4, 2015

Total Lunar Tetrad eclipse April 4, 2015

Total Lunar Tetrad eclipse April 4, 2015

I cooked pancakes, everyone dressed, we loaded into the van and my daughter drove us to Birmingham.
The traffic was terrible, it was bumper, to bumper for miles on I-65 so it took us longer than normal.
We stopped at Sneaky Pete's in English Village Lane just a few blocks from the Birmingham zoo then onto the zoo.

Sneaky Petes Hot Dog

2716 Culver RdMountain Brk, AL 35223

(205) 879-8723

I ordered:
 Smoked Sausage

Mustard, Sautéed Onions & Green Peppers & Sneaky Pete’s Famous Sauce, 

Lora ordered:
Junk Yard Dog

Some of everything on it!
Mustard, Onions, Kraut, Beef, Chili,

Pickle Relish, Slaw, Cheddar Cheese Sauce & Sneaky Pete’s Famous Sauce

Madison ordered:
Grilled Cheese

Meadow ordered
Chicken Fingers

Marcus ordered two:
Sneaky Pete Chili-Cheese Dog

Mustard, Chili, Onions, and Cheddar Cheese Sauce 

http://sneakypeteshotdogs.com/menu.php

It was a beautiful day, a bit nippy.
Animals and birds that we saw at the Birmingham Zoo.

2630 Cahaba Rd, Mountain Brook, AL 35223

(205) 879-0409

located in Lane Park

African Lioness
The African lion is one of the four roaring cats. Their roar, which can be heard more than 5 miles away, is used to communicate with other lions and to help mark territory, not to scare prey. The thick manes on adult males serve as protection for the cats when fighting over pride or when defending territory. They spend an average of 15 to 22 hours a day resting and sleeping.

African Elephant
In the wild, African elephants have a life expectancy of 25-41 years but have been known to live up to 60 years of age. An African elephant family group can average 8-10 individuals. In general, older, experienced females, called matriarchs, lead elephant families.

Reticulated Giraffe
Unlike many hoofed animals, giraffes can see in color. They have a very keen vision and hearing. They have 7 neck vertebrae and oversized lungs compensate for the volume of dead air in the trachea. 

Kori Bustard
Bustards have no crop, but their powerful gizzard, long “blind gut” (cecum), and their habit of taking up quantities of grit assist the digestion of the food they consume. Bustards have lost both the hind toe and the preen gland that most other birds possess.

Malayan tiger
In the wild, Malayan tigers dedicate a lot of their time to hunting and can eat over 60 pounds of meat in one sitting.

North American Black Bear

American Flamingo
The beak of the flamingo curves downward. The shape of the beak along with a comb-like organ on its tongue, the lamellae, allows the flamingo to filter food out of the water. Their long legs allow them to wade in the water much deeper than other birds and their webbed feet offer good support when standing on mud or other soft ground. The practice of flamingos standing on one leg with the other leg curled and tucked under their body conserves the bird’s body heat and keeps the foot warm.

Lora rented a double stroller for Meadow

Marcus, Madison, Meadow, and Lora at the Zoo

Marcus the face of the Giraffe 

Meadow, Marcus, and Lora rode the Carousel 

Madison feeding the giraffe

We ate dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory and were home before 8 p.m.

The Cheesecake Factory

236 Summit Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35243

(205) 262-1800

Where Lora and Madison shared a Greek Salad

I ordered a Greek Salad

Marcus orders a four-cheese pasta- Penne Pasta, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheeses, marinara sauce, and fresh basil, served with chicken.

Lora also ordered Avocado egg rolls -Avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro fried in a crisp wrapper served with a tamarind cashew dipping sauce. 

And Crab-cakes served with mustard and tartar sauce.

We ordered three different  slices of cheesecake which we shared

 Madison ordered:
Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel

Original cheesecake, baked apples, caramel, and brown sugar cinnamon walnut streusel.
Marcus ordered: 

The Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake which is a layer of red velvet cake and the original cheese care is covered with their special cheesecake factory cream cheese frosting.

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/desserts/cheesecakes/ultimate-red-velvet-cake-cheesecake/
Lora ordered:

 The Mango, Key Lime Cheese Cake is topped with a vanilla coconut macaroon crust.

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/desserts/cheesecakes/mango-key-lime-cheesecake/