2015 ~ Tuesday, May 5, Day trip to Rock City

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 

We had a great day; we rode to Chattanooga to see Rock City. The last time I visited Rock City, my daughter was nearly walking. Now, I have grandkids who are much older. 

We drove up the mountain around many sharp curves. There were guardrails along the cliffs, many with dents in them.

We approached Rock City, and I captured this site.

The falls, the flags, Lover's Leap, and the overlook

See Rock City
I can remember when you saw "See Rock City & Ruby Falls" on the side or top of every barn.

As we passed on the way to Chattanooga.

We bought tickets at the ticket counter.

Rock City Adult General Admission costs $42.49, which includes tax, for one day.

We had a great time. This was the Hubby's first visit. 
These flowering trees were everywhere, and they were terrific.

Flowering Trees

We walked through many tight spaces between rocks, climbed many stairs, and walked across a swinging bridge, from which we could view seven states from one spot.

There were many tight walkways and many stairs

There were many places where a wheelchair or stroller could not go.
-

There were restrooms, a restaurant, a leather shop, a place to pan for gold, vending machines, and music playing as we walked along.

Panning for gold

We met a couple from Chicago, and the man took our picture in front of the waterfall.
I was using my telephoto lens, and he had a regular lens. We swapped the lens so he could take our picture with my camera. When finished, we swapped lenses; we both were using a Nikon Camera.

There were seven flags to represent the states that we saw:
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama 

Panoramic View of the flags and seven states

We saw a wide range of sizes, shapes, and interesting rocks.
Cool rocks below:

Turtle Shell Rock

A place to rest under the Mushroom Rock

I had forgotten what was here, but I remember the Gomes and the underground display of little people. 

There were gnomes everywhere; this one was working

I don't remember the characters in the nursery rhyme.

Was a little Girl. 

There was a little Girl

There was a little girl 

Who had a slight curl

Right in the middle

of her forehead,

And when she was good,

She was very, very good,

And when she was bad,

She was horrid.

Hubby said this poem suited me to a T.

When we visited the Nursery Rhyme area with the black light, the suit I was wearing glowed.
The suit frightened a woman because she thought one of the characters had come to life, and she screamed out! 
Neither had noticed the suit glowing because we were too busy taking pictures and reading the nursery rhymes.

I looked like I was in the Tron Movie with my orange glow-in-the-dark shirt and pants.

We got turned around after we came back down the mountain. Hubby said they don't need to let old people loose in a big city. We got back onto the Interstate and were looking for a place to eat. 

I saw a Cracker Barrel sign, and I said, " Where here? "There is a Cracker Barrel, and there are other restaurants. We took the" ramp exit at Cracker Barrel, which was where we had one when we left to visit Rock City. 


It was the same Logan's Roadhouse in Chattanooga that we were looking for when we came down Lookout Mountain. LOL

Logan's Roadhouse Chattanooga
The Logan, we decided to eat at, but when we left the mountain, we got turned around. 
Got on the Interstate and then Highway 11, where we saw a Logan's sign.
Hubby said this is where we got off the first time to go to Lookout Mountain.
It was meant for us to eat here.

Sirloin steak with baked sirloin potato

I ordered a 6-ounce sirloin, baked potato, Caesar salad, and iced water.
My Hubby ordered a New York Strip with a baked potato, Caesar salad, and sweet tea.
For an appetizer, we ordered fried mushrooms, and we had two large rolls with butter. YUM!!
We had enough food for supper to bring home!!

We rode through downtown Scottsboro but did not stop.

We stopped at Russell Stover's in Athens, where I got a cookies-and-cream ice cream Waffle cone.
Hubby got a pint of strawberry and French Vanilla Ice cream.
And we bought a large bag of Russell Stover's Candy.
We were both on a sugar high!!

Moonlight

2015 April 4 Blood Moon

2015 May 3 Full Moon Visible 100% age 14 days

May's Full Flower Moon, also called Mother's Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon, marks a time of increasing fertility with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom.

The Full Moon this month takes place at 8.42pm PDT.  The Moon at 13 degrees of Scorpio opposes the Sun at 13 degrees of Taurus this month.  

The Moon is always opposite the Sun at the Full Moon (from Earth's perspective).

2015 May 2 Moon Waxing Gibbous Visible 98% age 13 days

2015 April 30 Moon Waxing Gibbous Visible 88% age 11 days

2015 April 20 Quarter Moon

2015 April 4 Full Moon after Blood Moon

2015 March 30 Moon Waxing gibbous Visible: 79% ↑ Age: 10 days

Our moon comes 

in sections

a quarter, 

half

three quarters

and full

It can be 

white,

blue 

and 

red during 

a lunar eclipse

As the moon 

rises

 it is 

mysterious

As it peeks

over the 

trees

one eye

shining 

bright

It can 

feed the spirit

through the

signs of the 

Zodiac

As daybreaks 

it mysteriously 

disappears

The full-orbed moon with unchanged rays 

Mounts up the eastern sky, 

Not doomed to these short nights for aye, 

But shining steadily. 

She does not wane, but my fortune, 

Which her rays do not bless, 

My wayward path declineth soon, 

But she shines nonetheless. 

And if she faintly glimmers here, 

And paled is her light, 

Yet always in her proper sphere 

She's mistress of the night. 

Henry David Thoreau

Rambling thoughts of the past

Yesterday was Monday, and I worked in the yard raking last year's leaves and removing rocks around our blackberry vines.

Blackberry Vines

I gathered dead grass from the lawn and put it into garbage bags. 

It was very hot, so I decided to swim. I put on my swimsuit and went to our pool.

The boys had swum the day before, so I thought the water could not be that cold. First, I put my foot into the water, then I got onto the float. The water was still pretty chilly, so I stayed on the float.

The sun was hot, so I did not stay in the water for long. I had difficulty getting out because we had not added the ladder.

Today, I walked outside and heard banging. There were men installing guard railings along the side of the new highway. Next door, our neighbor was running his tractor, for he grows corn to sell.

It was hard to have a relaxing day by the swimming pool with all that commotion.

I walked to the garden to see if any of our plants were coming up. The garden was parched, so I watered it.

Garden

We have several bluebirds nesting, and I have been attacked when I get close to their nests.

Today, while sitting on the deck, I can hear birds chirping, feel the wind blowing, feel the sun beaming down, and hear the sound of the turtle cleaning the pool.

Deck and Pool

In the distance, I hear metal against metal as the men install the guard railing. It has taken several years of hard work to lay the foundation for Highway 43. They are in the final stages of converting Highway 43 to a four-lane highway up to Highway 64.

Road Construction

I have spent many days listening to and watching different crews work on the highway. Red clover is planted along the left side of the road, which looks very pretty. Last year, I took several pictures of it.

It will be many years before Highway 43 is completely finished and connected to Lawrence County, Tennessee.

Tennessee has four lanes to the Alabama State line, and this is a jam-packed highway that brings many Tennesseans to Alabama and vice versa.

Alabama is bordered by Tennessee to the North, Mississippi to the West, Georgia to the East, and Florida to the South.

Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida all have lotteries. Mississippi has casinos, and Alabama has an Indian Casino that is controlled by the Indians. It would be nice to have a statewide lottery so Alabama would get the money instead of the states around us.

Today, while sitting on my deck, I am watching the wind blow the tall grass; it makes a rippling sound like the waves of the sea being tossed about.

The trees reach out with their limbs, and their leaves flutter in the wind as if to say, "Shake my hand."

Annoying flies land on me as I try to write.

I hear birds calling out to their neighbors as if to say I am home.

The turtle in the swimming pool slowly creeps along, making several sweeps to clean the pool.

Wind is blowing the trees and grass.

In the distance, I hear cars and trucks traveling up and down the unfinished highway. Some travelers are going home, to work, to town, to the gym, and I am sure most have a purpose. Why would they travel with gas prices so high?

Highway 43 is traveled day and night. It is hectic between 6 and 8 A.M. and between 4 and 6 P.M.

God's beauty is all around, the living trees, trees, grass, birds, insects, and me sitting here taking it all in!!!!!!

The blue sky and the wind you cannot see!

Everything has a cause and a purpose. It is the circle of life.

What is time?

Every minute of every day

is given to us

How we use it

It's up to us,

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/01/09/hand-god-spotted-by-nasa-space-telescope/

https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=god's+hand+reaching+to+man

God reaching out his hand for a man!

If we spend our time

wisely,

We will reap

a reward,
https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=heaven

Stairway to Heaven

If we waste our time,

It will never

come

back

From birth to the grave

Time is not

the minutes

on a

clock

Time ticking away

Time comes from

above

sent here

with

love

Love

Spend your time

wisely,

waste not a

minute

Downtown Disney time well spent

Time spent

is but

the blink

of an

eye!

Just a blink of the eye!

2015 ~ Saturday, April 25, Tuscumbia Oakwood Cemetery Confederate Soldiers Tuscumbia, Al

Today I went to the Civil War Walking Tour of Oakwood Cemetery, where I missed the speech about Colonial Deshler.
I was just in time for the reading about Colonial William Johnson, who served in Rodney's 4th Alabama Cavalry during the Civil War.
William's brother, Major Dick Johnson, was mortally wounded at a battle in Moulton, Alabama.
His brother, JE Johnson, died a POW at Rock Island Prison in Illinois.
William and Dick are buried in Tuscumbia's Oakwood Cemetery, but their brother JE is buried in Illinois.

There are Civil War markers for all three men in this cemetery.

Major Dick Johnson KIA  July 9, 1864, & his brother, JE Johnson, who died  in the Rock Island Prison in Illinois

Three brothers fought in the Civil War, but only one came home. The Civil War caused much grief for the Johnson Family.

Colonial William Johnson Tombstone

Our next visit was to Arthur Henry Keller, Helen Keller's father. He enlisted in 1861 as a private in the Confederate Army.

 He was detailed as a quartermaster-sergeant under Dr. D. R. Lindsay, of Twenty-seventh Alabama, stationed at Fort Henry. 
He had charge of the stores, and after they were destroyed at Florence, he was assigned temporarily to the staff of Gen. Sterling Wood. 

Arthur Keller Family Cemetery, but Helen Keller is buried in Washington's National Cathedral.

In July 1862, he joined General Roddy's cavalry as a private, and in September of that year rejoined his old regiment as quartermaster at Vicksburg, with which he remained until July 1864, when he was made paymaster of General Roddy's division of cavalry, a position he held to the close of the war. 

Captain Arthur H. Kelley, F & S Alabama Infantry in the CSA, born February 5, 1836, died August 29, 1896

It was said that at the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864, Keller was severely wounded in the neck and was almost thrown into a grave, with all the Confederate soldiers that died that day, but someone heard the faint sounds coming from Mr Keller. 
Mr. Keller returned to Tuscumbia and worked at the newspaper in downtown Tuscumbia until August 29, 1896, when he passed away.

This beautiful young woman portrayed Helen Keller.

Arthur Keller and his daughter Helen 

From a distance, it was pointed out that Bob Wheeler, a color bearer, was killed at the Battle of Franklin.

Bob Wheeler CO B 35 Alabama Infantry CSA

Our last stop was the graves of the Unknown Soldiers who were KIA during the Civil War.
So many men lost their lives during the Civil War, and many parents and siblings never knew where the body of their son or brother was buried. So hard to close the book on one's life when we do not know where they were laid to rest or how they died.

Grave of Unknown Soldiers

All the markers have been replaced with new markers and were ordered at the same place as the original markers.

I would like to thank Colbert County Tourism and everyone who took part in all the Civil War Walking Tours. I enjoyed them very much; they bring our past to life. It makes us stop to thank God and our countrymen for the freedom we have today.