2016 April 9, Saturday, Earth Day in Sheffield

I attended the Ninth Annual Shoals Earth Day Fest located on the lawn of the Sheffield City Hall.
I listened to Uncle Shuffelo and his Haint Hollow Hootenanny at 1:30PM

Some of the Green Projects 
Audubon
Climate Change Causes
Defenders of Wildlife
Environmental Education 
Fresh Air Family
Fun and Education Solar 
Healthy Communities 
How to build a raised vegetable garden
Solar Training
Ideas for Green High School
Taking it to the class
the American Solar Energy
the Greens
US Environmental Protection 
Protection of endangered species.

Teaching juggling

Uncle Shuffelo and his Haint Hollow Hootenanny

Sheffield City Hall

Dancing to the music 

Stopped at Ricks Barbecue for a South West wrap

Climate Change: Causes

👣👣👣👣 2016 April 9, Saturday, Historic Walking Tour of Downtown Athens

The guided walks offered by the Athens-Limestone County Tourism included the 

The Historic Downtown Athens Square

Beaty Historic District

City Cemetery 

Athens Veterans Museum

Athens State University

The walks are set for one hour but can last a bit longer, with knowledgeable guides. 

There were four in our group including our guide that took the Historic Downtown Athens Square walk.

Athens-Limestone County Tourism

Our first stop was The Gulf Station, it was one of the full-service stations in Athens. It was owned by Jack Parks and Louis Speaks and was located at the corner of Market and Clinton streets.

The Gulf Station  

Our next stop was Train Depot: 
From the 1850s-1970s the Louisville & Nashville Depot
 located between Market and Washington Streets

Cistern

Our next stop was the Cistern:
This cistern is the last remnant of Trinity School located here 1865-1907. The cistern was used to store rainwater collected from the roof.

No physical evidence remains of the Ross Hotel, the Chapman Quarters, and other buildings on this block, which played an important role in Athens's history.

Trinity, a school for the children of former slaves, was established here, on the old Richardson property, in 1865, primarily through the efforts of Miss Mary Frances Wells, the school's principal and chief proponent.

Trinity Hall was built here 1881-82, as a joint effort by the American Missionary Association and local African Americans who handmade and laid the bricks for the building. It burned in 1907 and was rebuilt the following year on the old Civil War fort site west of town

The Raisler Corner Building 

We stopped at The Raisler Corner building, it was sold to the Hendricks Brothers.

Scenes from Hobbs and Marion Streets

North Side Square

Second Confederate Monument

We stopped in front of the Courthouse and were told the history of the first Confederate Monument:
We were told that the Confederate Monument located on the courthouse lawn, was the second monument made. The first monument, the soldiers did not like because the face on the monument was facing downward-looking like they were defeated so, another monument was made to replaced the first monument. The first monument is located in the Athens City Cemetery.

 UG White Mercantile Since 1917

 Store Fronts on the Square Athens

After we finished the walking tour and we walked back to the Visitor Center where I bought eight Postcards.

Post Cards of Athens 

Post Cards of Athens 

These are the four postcards that I bought:

1. Welcome to Athens Limestone Alabama

2. Confederate Monument a Confederate soldier guards the Courthouse square

3. The Richard Martin Rails to Trails Limestone County

4. Hendrix Building Historic build the former Raisler Building

1. Post Office Mooresville is the oldest Post Office in Alabama that is still in use

2. Newby Gulf Station East Street

3. The Brick Church in Mooresville the Oldest Town in Alabama

4. L&N Depot in Elkmont Alabama is used for town meeting

April 2016 A busy month

April 1 rode to Mule Day in Columbia Tennessee 

April 1& 4 went to Chiropractor

April 2  rode to Columbia TN to watch the Mule Day Parade ate lunch at Jacks Lawrenceburg, TN

April 5 We went on a tour of Tiffen Plant in Red Bay ate lunch Jacks Red Bay, Al 

April 6 CBS classes

April 7 went to Get Dirty at the Library: Landscape Design for Sustainability

April 8 went to Chiropractor

April 8 Took Dad to Dentist & Emergency Room

April 9 went on a guided walking tour of historic Downtown Athens

April 9 Earth Day Sheffield, Al 

April 11 Took Dad to the oral surgeon to get tooth cut out

April 12 We went on a tour of the Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Factory in Elkmont Al ate lunch Preston’s Restaurant Lexington, Al 

April 13 Last Class of CBS 

April 14 Get Dirty at the Library: Growing Herbs

April 16 Walking tour of UNA by Thomas Hale

April 17 Athens Cemetery Stroll 2-5PM

April 19 Started Weight loss Program Took B-12 Shot 

April 21 Get Dirty at the Library: Fighting Invasive Plants

April 22 Jewish Passover Meal at First Methodist Church Killen 

April 23 We went to Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg TN ate lunch Harvey’s Pirate Drive-in

April 25 Took Dad to the oral surgeon he got two teeth cut out

April 26 Took B-12 Shot 

April 26 Went to Florence Ophthalmology PC Doctor Gray

April 28 Went to Get Dirty at the Library: Composting

April 30 Went to Guided walking tour of Athens State University ate lunch at Wildwood Deli 

🐐🐐🐐🐐2016 April 12, Tuesday, Touring the Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Factory in Elkmont, Alabama

We took Highway 64 to Lexington, a beautiful drive up and down hills.
We stopped at Preston's Restaurant for lunch. Hubby was told to arrive before 11:00 A.M.
We both ordered off the lunch menu.
I ordered white beans, turnip greens, meatloaf, cornbread, onion, and tea.
Hubby ordered white beans, turnip greens, pulled pork, cornbread, and sweet tea.
I gave my meatloaf to Hubby. I ate only vegetables.
We both ordered a glass of tea to go.

Preston's Restaurant

We continued traveling 14 miles on Highway 64.
We turned right on Highway 89 for 2.3 miles.
We turned left on County Road 52 for 1.76 miles
We turned left on AL207 for 1.76 miles
We turned slightly right on hwy AL99 for 7.63 miles
We turned left on Salem Minor Hill Road, hwy 21 for .87 miles
We took the first right on Easter Ferry Rd, Hwy 1, 04 for 4.97 miles
We turned left onto Morris Rd, hwy 49 for .06 miles
Stopping at 18849 Upper Fort Hampton Rd. 

I took several pictures of the winding, hilly roads as we traveled to Elkmont.
We saw several planted fields and lots of cows and horses. 
We stopped to take pictures of a couple of historic markers.

Sim Corder/Harrison Mil

Sim Corder/Harrison Mil

Sim Corder/Harrison Mill

Simeon Corder is said to have contracted with George Hamilton to build the mill and operate it for him in 1909. The contract was sealed with no more than a handshake. After Corder died in 1923, his widow sold the mill to Aubrey Todd, who sold it to George Harrison in 1927. Harrison's descendants have owned it since that time. The waterwheel was sold and moved to Anderson, Alabama, in 1939, where it remained until 1996. After many years of deterioration and after major repairs, it was returned to its original position. With a new millrace, the mill was returned to its original appearance. This mill is one of many that once existed along the county's waterways, but it is the only one restored to its historic appearance, thanks to the dedication of its owners.

Sims Settlement 

Sims Settlement

 Sims Settlement 

In the fall of 1806, a group of settlers led by William and James Sims traveled from east Tennessee on flatboats down the Tennessee River and up the Elk River to this area. They landed near Buck Island and spread out into the surrounding countryside, seeking home sites in what they thought was "government" land that would soon be for sale to settlers. The area they settled, which covered several square miles from Elk River to New Garden, became known as "Sims Settlement."

The Federal Government had settled the Cherokee claim to the area north of the Tennessee River in 1805, but the Chickasaw Nation maintained a claim to it until 1816. The settlement by the Sims party and others who continued to come to the area was illegal, and they became squatters or "intruders" on Indian land.

The growing number of white settlers entering the area alarmed the Chickasaws, who threatened war if the U.S. Federal Government did not remove them. To avoid bloodshed and to placate the Chickasaws, the government sent troops into this area to remove the settlers. This first removal was in April and May of 1809. Most of the settlers returned as soon as the soldiers left, and so the problem continued. (Continued on another side)

In response, the government sent an ultimatum dated August 4, 1810, to the settlers, stating that if they did not leave all land west of the Chickasaw boundary by December 15, they would be removed by force. This boundary was surveyed in the fall of 1807, starting at Hobbs Island in Madison County and running diagonally to a point near Maury County in Tennessee. This boundary was the source of all the settlers' problems because they were on the wrong side of it. Faced with the grave threat issued by the military, the settlers took the only action within their means.

On September 5, 1810, some 450 of them gathered at Sims Settlement and signed a lengthy letter or petition addressed to President James Madison and Congress. In it, they stated the honesty of their intentions, the strength of their character, and made passionate pleas for being allowed to stay. Even though they described the terrible condition they would be placed in, especially that of the widows and orphans among them, their entire pleading fell on deaf ears, however. The soldiers who were now stationed at the newly established Fort Hampton set about removing the settlers and burning the cabins and rail fences. This continued until 1817, and in 1818, land in Limestone County was finally offered for sale by the government.

canola fields 

We saw canola fields covered with yellow blooms, so we stopped to take several pictures.


We finally reached the Belle Chevre Goat Factory. The guided tour started at 1:00 P.M. While everyone was registering for the walk, my Hubby and I walked outside. I took several pictures of the three goats that were housed outside. 

I tried to get a picture of the free-ranging chicken, but he was camera-shy.

When the tour began, we were told the history of the building and the three goals, then led into a room to watch a five-minute video.

Our next stop was the cheese-making process. It was one huge room where four women were working.

We saw how they rolled, cut, and mixed the cheese. 

We were given a sample of the cheese from the cheese roll.

Everyone was guided back to the front office, where we all lined up to sample the different cheeses.

Making the cheese

Chevre Cheese that we took home. 

We each were given a sample of the goat cheese on a popsicle stick. We sampled coffee, honey, cinnamon, fig, an original, along with one sample of blackberry and jalapeño jelly atop the cheese on a cracker.

We selected the original and cinnamon goat cheese to take home. 
We thanked our tour guide for the tour and the samples.
I took a few pictures of the surrounding area, and we took I-65 to Athens and hwy 72 home.