Nature interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Water for Life

Life on Earth is dependent on clean water. Water quality is defined as the stability of water for a particular use. A definition of good water is different for drinking water than for a lake. Because water is so important for life, we monitor different chemicals, and physical and biological characteristics and work to ensure good water quality. 

Water, Water Everywhere

Water in the ground, called groundwater, is an important source of water on Earth. The ground is different in different places, and some ground materials hold water better than others. An aquifer is an area of ground that holds water well/. Water moves into the ground from rain, snow melt, or other sources. Then it sins until it gets to a layer it can’t move through. This layer might be clay or certain kinds of rock.

Water can fill aquifers, where deep water might remain for hundreds of years, and shallow water can flow to places where it reaches the surface, like ponds, lakes, and springs. 

There is much more freshwater in the ground than on Earth’s surface, and groundwater is drawn out using wells. 

Water Quality=Quality of Life

To evaluate a pond’s ability to support life, we might measure characteristics like the following: dissolved oxygen(DO)-because fish and most other aquatic animals breathe DO: PH-if pHis too far from neutral, either acidic or basic, organisms may be unable to survive; water temperature-warmer water holds less oxygen, so animals might avoid areas of high temperature. In this pond, at certain times, we might also check salinity (the salt concentration).

Freshwater has a salinity of  0 ppt (parts salt per thousand parts water). When Dauphin Island is hit by a hurricane, saltwater may wash over parts of the island and enter the pond or the groundwater. This can affect the island’s human population, who use groundwater in their homes, and also the animals that live in the pond.

These are just a few examples of water qualities that might affect those using the water. 

At Gaillard Lake, you can see where the water table becomes a like surface. When you look at the lake, can you tell oxygen, pH, temperature, or salinity levels? Does the water look dirty?

You may not be able to determine levels by looking, but if you pay attention, you might notice hints bout a lake's water quality. Can you find a diversity of fish, turtles, alligators, frogs, or insects in the water? Are birds feeding from the lake? These signs suggest good water quality, but they are not definitive-sometimes animals are forced to use poor-quality lakes. Water cooler is not a definite marker either - this lake is often a brown color, like tea. This is natural. It is from tannins that leach out of soaking leaves or pine needles.

Aquatic invertebrates are used to assess water quality. Some, like those seen above  (larvae of left to right: caddisfly, stonefly, and mayfly) have a low tolerance for pollution. If they are found in a sample, the water quality is likely good. Others, like the pouch snail and mosquito larva at left, have a high tolerance for pollution. If a sample has mostly animals like these, and very few of those from the first group, water quality is likely poor. 

In the U. S., for water intended for human use, there are established standards, for acceptable levels of dissolved or suspended matter, like bacteria, heavy metals, and others that are potentially harmful. Our municipal water usually follows a path such as this one: water is withdrawn from a natural source: filtered and sterilized; piped into our homes; flushed down our drains; filtered, treated, and the solid waster is taken to one disposal site, while the water is released back to a natural location. Water used in homes on Dauphin Island is groundwater from the island (it is not piped in). Processed water is stored in the water tower seen at right. 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Nature Interpretive Trail 

Audubon Bird Sanctuary Trail

These yellow sections of the trail to the Gulf and around the lake include several signs to help the visitors better understand and appreciate the unique environment of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

Mike Henderson Project Supervisor. Additional identification by Ralph Havard, McCune Dudley, and John Porter 

Signs construction/installation-Greg Vesely, Candy Ladnier, Anthony Young

Please Help Protect your park

The Dauphin Island Park & Beach and Alabama State Lands 

Department of Conversation and Natural Resources

Funding for this project in part by the Coastal Zone Management Act 1972

As amended, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Foreign Invasion 

Organisms that arrive in an ecosystem where they did not evolve are called exotic, non-native, or alien. Of those, the ones that harm their new ecosystem are invasive. There are several species on Dauphin Island. A few of them are highlighted below. 

Infiltration 

Plants, animals, and other organisms are moved from their native lands in different ways. These pathways of introduction often involve humans who accidentally or intentionally move them.

A few examples include the release of exotic pets: escape from aquaculture operations; spread from garden plantings; transport in ships ballast water: and transport of fruits and vegetables. As humans move more people and goods around the world, there is more potential for moving organisms into places where they cause harm. 

Setting in: Once they are in a new place, some organisms settle in more successfully than others. Certain factors allow an introduced species to become invasive:

They are adaptable-they can survive in a range of climates, habitats, and soil types; they eat a wide variety.

They reproduce quickly and have lots of offspring. 

They spread out to new areas

Few animals will eat them in the new habitat. 

They competed aggressively for resources. 

How does this affect us?

Biodiversity is the variety of life. It can be defined at different levels, from diversity within a species to that in a particular forest, to that of the entire Earth. The higher the biodiversity for a given area, the healthier the species or ecosystem because it is more resilient to disease or disturbance, such as fire or flood. 

Humans need healthy ecosystems for many reasons. We are healthier with a diversity of organisms for food and medicine. Functioning ecosystems provide important services such as water filtration, oxygen production, and nursery habitat. 

Invasive species threaten biodiversity either by directly killing native species or by taking resources from them so they die or stop breeding. 

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Reptiles and Amphibians of Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Galliard Lake and Tupelo Swamp

Cottonmouth 

2-4 feet

AKA water moccasin. This poisonous aquatic snake is thick-bodied and will gape to show its white mouth lining when threatened.

Common Snapping Turtle

6-15 inches. 

Often confused with the less-common alligator snapping turtle, these turtles are not aggressive, unless removed from the water.

American alligator

4-8 feet 

Individuals of this large shy aquatic species periodically “raft” to the island from the rivers north of Mobile.

Florida Smooth Softshell 

6-15 inches

With its flat, leathery shell, this turtle is easy to dust from others. Its death includes crawfish, insects, fish, and frogs. 

Central Newt

2-4 inches

This reclusive salamander prefers quiet pools without fish. The left, a terrestrial intermediate stage, can be found under rotting wood. 

Pig Frog

2-6 inches

This large frog inhabits permanent bodies of water, surrounded by vegetation. 

Their mating call is a distinct, loud, and resonant grunt.

Lists sixes are typical of Dauphin Island representatives

The project was led by Brian Jones, funded by Mobile Bay NEP, and made possible by Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board.

All photographs by Brian Young (“except the alligator photo by Boon Harada) 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

World Coral Exhibit at Cozumel Mexico 2018

World Coral Exhibit 

Coral and Sponges of Cozumel

Brain Coral 

Brain Coral is a common name given to several genera of coral, which are characterized by the spheroid shape of their colonies and by the grooves and channels on their surface, which resemble the folds on the surface of the human brain. Brain coral is in the taxonomic family Faviidae, but not every genus in the family is brain-shaped. 

Brain corals are found in warm-water coral reefs in all world's oceans. They are in a class called "sea flowers", also known as Anthozoa or scientifically, Phylum Cnidaria. 

The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 200 years. 

WHIP CORAL (Eptogorgia Virgulata)

Whip coral has slender, whip-like branches that vary in color from deep purple to yellowish-tan. The long, though branches are covered in coral polyps, which look like tiny white dots against the coral's skeleton. 

Whip Coral can grow to about three feet tall and grows on rocks, reefs, pilings, and other hard surfaces. 

Whip corals are suspension feeders. Each of the polyps covering the coral's skeleton has eight feathery, saw-toothed tentacles that periodically/emerge to sweep plankton and tiny particles into the coral's body.

STAR CORAL(Galaxea fascicularis)

The star coral is one of the hard coral species that contains a stone-like calcium skeleton. Small, oval stubs rise from the yellowish-tan central core, each containing a delicate while star-shaped polyp. The Star Coral is commonly found throughout the Caribbean and the West Indies and usually grows to about 12 inches in height.

ELKHORN CORAL

Elkhorn Coral is a large, branching shallow water coral with thick and sturdy antler-like branches. Colonies are fast-growing: branches increased by 2-4 inches (5-10cm) per year, with colonies reaching their maximum size in approximately 10 to 12 years.  

YELLOW TUBE SPONGES (Aplysina Fistularia)

The yellow tube sponge displays one of the many different body forms typical of sponges. Sponges, considered to be the most primitive of the multi-cellular animals, are represented in the fossil record going back to the Cambrian Period, at least 600 million years ago. The interior body cavities 

Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs are the most biologically diverse marine ecosystem on earth rivaled only by the tropical rainforests on land. Corals grow over geologic time and have been in existence for nearly 200 million years. Corals reached their current level of diversity 50 million years ago. 

The delicately balanced marine environment of the coral reefs relies on the interaction of hard and soft corals, sponges, anemones, snails, rays, crabs, lobsters, turtles, dolphins, and other sea life.

A coral reef is composed of thin plates or layers of calcium carbonate secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny soft-bodied animals called coral polyps. It takes years for some corals to grow an inch and they range in size from a pinhead to a foot in length. Each polyp secretes a calcareous exoskeleton and lives in a symbiotic relationship with a host alga, zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its color.

Zooxanthellae take in carbon dioxide, process it through photosynthesis, and then give off oxygen as a by-product that is used by the host polyp. A million polyps are grown on top of the limestone remains of former colonies to create the massive reefs, yet these tiny animals form the only natural formation.

Corals are divided into two types and both are stationary on the ocean floor. Hard corals such as the brain, star, staghorn, elkhorn, and pillar corals have rigid exoskeletons, or Corallites, that protect their soft delicate bodies. 

Gorgonians, or soft corals,  such as sea fans, sea whips, and sea rods, sway with the currents and lack an exoskeleton. 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

The Cozumel Reef System 

The Great Maya Barrier Reef, also known as The Mesoamerican Reef, extends from the Northern Yucatan to Honduras and is actually the second-largest barrier reef system in the entire world. The 32-km (20 miles) long reef system in Cozumel is located just off the southern Leeward coast. Over the years the Yucatan Current has carved an extensive labyrinth that is unparalleled by any other reef in the Caribbean. 

In 1961, the famous oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau came to Cozumel with his crew on the Calypso to film a documentary. Since the first airing of that film, Cozumel has consistently been on top of many diving lists as a diver's destination.

Through a guided tour of Cozumel's rich underwater topography, it is quite normal to see vast coral heads, brilliant sponges, hundreds of tropical fish, rich ecosystems, and steep walls that sink into the abyss. Tunnels and caves twist through the reef, providing a rich environment for many species.

Most of the diving sites in Cozumel are located within the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, a protected underwater environment covering 29,000 + acres. A voluntary $2.00 US donation/fee from divers was implemented to fund the conservation.

Threats to Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are one of our threatened marine ecosystems

Scientist estimate that unless we take immediate action, we could lose up to 70 percent of the world's coral reefs by 2050.

Nature's Threats: Storms and Predators

Reefs are frequently disturbed by natural events. Hurricanes and tropical storms can reduce reefs to rubble. Diseases such as black band disease, which spreads over colonies, progressively killing the polyps, often affect corals. The Crown-of-thorns Starfish, in the Indo-Pacific, feeds voraciously on coral and if present in large numbers can reduce a reef to amass of dead coral skeletons in just a few weeks. 

Greenhouse Threats

Global climate change, or the enhanced greenhouse effect, may cause increases in sea temperature and sea level, as well as changes in the oceans' current patterns, which could damage coral reefs. For example, corals are very sensitive to changes in temperature. Seawater that becomes too warm causes coral to turn white, or bleach, a reaction that occurs if coral polyps are stressed. Often they recover, but they are also known to die. 

If the oceans warm as a result of global climate change corals may have increasing difficulty recovering from these bleaching episodes.

Cozumel Coral Reef

Although there are more than 30 chartered reefs, and countless sites from which to choose each of those, Cozumel's coral reef can basically be divided into 3 types. 

On vertical walls like Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa, with depths from 40 to 130 plus feet, you’ll find gorgonian and plate coral, enormous colorful sponges, and a splendid assortment of reef and pelagic species. The Palancar Reef was made famous by Jacques Cousteau, which in turn made Cozumel one of the most known diving spots in the world. 

Pinnacles like Punta Sur and Palancar Horseshoe with depths from 40-70 feet are maze-like structures with tall, statuesque pinnacles and wide coral shelves. Here you can swim through tunnels, in and out of caves, and between dramatic towering coral. 

For the less experienced divers or snorkelers, coral gardens make exciting first experiences. These 20-40 foot deep coral patches don’t have the lushness of sponge and coral life found further from shore, however, they are one of the best places to dive or snorkel and experience the rich abidance of fish life which flourishes in these lush waters. The Tormentors Reef has been known to have explosives of colorful sponges and gorgonians. 

Ecosystem Importance

Vast numbers of species inhabit coral reefs, making them second only to rainforests in species riches. This huge diversity is a result of the careful sharing of the reef by all of its inhabitants. More species of fish are found on reefs than anywhere else in the sea, ranging from large sharks to tiny gobies. It is believed that about 90% of all species are small invertebrates yet to be discovered. These, like many of the tiny mollusks and crustaceans that are already known, will never be seen by divers and snorkelers as they are animals that live in crackers and crevices. They are equivalent to the insects of tropical rainforests. The greatest diversity of reef plants and animals is in Southeast Asia, ranging from the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Here, a single reef may have over 3,000 different types of plants and animals. Diversity is lower in the Caribbean, as a result of the geological history of this region, but up to a thousand species may still inhabit the rich reefs. 

Coral reefs are a vital part of an ecosystem. They represent the skeletons of algae and corals solidified into calcium carbonate. There are several different types of reefs, including an apron, fringing, table, and barrier, depending on their relationship to the shore. In terms of the ecosystem, coral reefs support a huge amount of sea life by recycling nutrients in nutrient-low parts of the ocean, therefore providing life and health for the surrounding sea life, while also feeding off of it to produce new reef formations. These also represent home to various types of tropical fish and other sea organisms, such as lobsters and sea turtles. Pollution and the live food fish trade have developed into serious threats to the delicate ecosystem balance that the coral reef inhabits. For example, if a forest is destroyed during coastal construction, the run-off of nutrients can saturate the waters and suffocate organisms adapting to a low-nutrient environment. Similarly, excessive fishing most notably using cyanide destroys the structure of the reef and the organisms it depends on to sustain itself. 

Commerce's Threat to Coral Reefs

Shells on Shelves

Corals and shells are collected all over the world to sell as souvenirs or to make jewelry and other handicrafts. 

Several kinds of the mollusk are now rare on reefs because of over-collecting. In many countries, coral is also minded on the reef and used to build houses and make roads or is burnt to make lime. Where this happens reefs are often stripped bare. Sustainable management of reefs will mean regulation of these industries and better enforcement of existing legislation to ensure that both the resources and the people who depend on them have a long-term future.

A Paradise for Tourists

Millions of tourist visit coral reefs each year and, in many countries, reef-related tourism are now the main source of foreign exchange. But corals are easily broken by trampling when people walk out to the reef; snorkelers and divers may kill polyps simply by touching coral colonies, and anchors and ships grounding can destroy large areas of the reef.

Though tourism can damage reefs if carefully managed it can play a major role in saving them. The tourism industry can promote and assist in the development of marine parks, mooring buoy projects to prevent anchor damage, public awareness campaigns, and local initiatives to promote sustainable coastal management.

Life of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs depend upon mangroves and seagrass for survival. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees with submerged roots that are a nursery and breeding ground for birds and most of the marine life that migrates to the reef. Mangroves trap and produce nutrients for food and habitat, stabilize the shoreline, and filter pollutants from the land base. Seagrasses are flowering marine plants that are an important part of the food web. They provide food and habitat for turtles, manatees, fish, filter-feeding organisms, and foraging sea life such as sea urchins and sea cumbers. Seagrass is a nursery for pink shrimp, lobster, snapper, and other sea life. 

They filter the water of sediments, release oxygen and stabilize the base.

As many as 250 different species of fish can be seen in Cozumel's waters; one of the most spectacular is the Queen Angelfish, possessing bright blue-and-yellow markings and the distinctive blue "crown" on the top of the head. The Splendid Toadfish is found only in Cozumel. Making its home in the holes along the reef, this fish grows from 12 to 16 inches in length.

Besides the Splendid Toadfish, some of the most beautiful and colorful tropical fish can be found in the warm water of Cozumel.

Divers are likely to see grouper, barracudas, turtles, butterflyfish, parrotfish, and stingrays. angelfish, moray eels, nurse sharks, octopuses, snakes, crabs, and huge lobsters.

Coral reefs are located in tropical oceans, typically between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. However, there are exceptions, such as the Florida Keys. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

The second-largest barrier coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize in Central America. Other reefs are found in Hawaii, the Red Sea, and other areas in tropical oceans. Coral reefs including Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Fiji's Barrier Reef, occupy less than one-quarter of one percent of the Earth's marine environment, yet are home to more than a quarter of all known fish species.

Carnival Corporation & Pic Commitment to Our Environment

Carnival understands that our future depends largely on the health of the world’s oceans. The line aggressively seeks both high and low-tech solutions to manage the environmental impact of its fleet and preserve natural resources. Listed below are but a few ways that Carnival manages and preserves this impact. 

An extensive waste-management plan for collecting, storing, processing, and disposing of all waste generated aboard Carnival vessels meets or exceeds international and domestic laws and regulations. Carnival ships are regulated by various international, national, state, and local laws, regulations, and treaties in force in the jurisdictions in which the ship operates. 

Carnival has received certification for its ISO14001 Environmental Management System. The Requirement for Standardization is an internationally recognized standards organization that promotes the development and implementation of international standards, including those for environmental management issues. 

Solid waste is processed and incinerated on board whenever possible. 

Carnival involves its guest in their recycling program by educating and encouraging them to assist in their efforts. Food, glass, aluminum, and plastics are collected in separate bins located in public areas, open decks, steward stations, galley and crew areas, room service pantries, and bar pantries. 

Cooking oil and graces are stored in special holding thanks after use and are used onboard as an alternate source of fuel on all Carnival ships. 

Additionally, a variety of items, such as mattresses, televisions, blankets, and computers that can no longer be used aboard the ships, but which are still in usable condition, are donated by Carnival lines to local organizations in both home ports and ports of call.

Carnival has also formed an alliance with the International SeaKeepers Society and has installed a scientific data-gathering device on the Carnival Trump and Carnival Spirit to monitor ocean water quality. The device tracts a wide range of data, which is transmitted via satellite to various environmental groups, governmental agencies, and universities to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and cyclic weather patterns.

2018 Jan 9, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Sandhill Crane, & other waterfowl Decatur, Alabama

We ate lunch at Wendy’s in Athens. Hubby ordered the four-dollar deal, cheeseburger, fries, chicken nuggets, and drink. I ordered a junior cheeseburger, small chocolate frosty.

Then we rode to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge via I-65 to Decatur to see  1,000s of Cranes and other waterfowl. We saw hundreds of Mallards Ducks and thousands of Cranes with only three white cranes. 

It was cold and wet as we walked to the enclosed overlook. There were three people there one with a telescope and the other two with nice cameras. The young man with the telescope was traveling through Atlanta Georgia to Nevada. He said he was ready for a change in his life. Sounded like he was walking away from personal problems. 

Mallard Ducks

Cranes

Some signs read: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, National Refuge System, &  the do’s and don’t’s on the Tennessee River & Decatur and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. 

We were invited to come back Saturday for their workshop.

We stopped at Flint Creek Trail which is part of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. 

Several men were fishing in the frozen Flint Creek. I was standing on the pier, and I heard something crackling below me. It was the frozen ice breaking up. There were several birds and cranes in the shallow water and along the banks.

Wildlife 
Y.O.U M.A.Y S.E.E
Watching wildlife can be a lot of fun. Many wildlife creatures are elusive and wary so you will need to move slowly and quietly. Early morning and later afternoon are usually the best time to see wildlife. A pair of binoculars is helpful. 

Even if you do not see the animal you may see signs of its presence such as tracks, scat (droppings), or feathers. And Listen...in nature you can hear a symphony of sounds.

Gray Squirrel, Eastern Box Turtle, Downy Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Eastern Gartner Snake, Cooper's Hawk, White-tailed Deer, Common Five-lined Skink

I saw a sign that read: Alligators May live here. This is something you never want to run across while bird-watching.

Alligators may live here
Be Gator Safe:
do not approach, Feed or Harass Alligators
Warning: it is UNLAWFUL to feed alligators!
Feeding, harassing, or the unlawful killing or taking of alligators can result in substantial fines and or jail time. 

Men Fishing in the icy water

Some signs read: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Our History, 1838, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1933 & Present; how can you Help? Flint Creek, Fishing, and Land, Watershed Project; Living in the Water Fresh, Water & Wildlife You may see. 

We also stopped at the Wheeler Wildlife Complex where we saw signs that read: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hunting, Fishing; Water level management and farming; map of the refuge and boating.

Wheeler Wildlife Complex 

We rode thru Decatur turning on the road that once housed the Paper Mill. Hubby said to me we might see a hawk or Bald Eagle. We looked in every tree and on every power line. We were nearing the Paul Bunyan power line and I ask hubby what was that thing on the power pole. We turned around to see a sitting up on top of a Bald Eagle. He gave me a wink as if to say, I am on the watch out for food.

Bald Eagle

We stopped at Wheeler Dam, which is another great place to see lots of birds.  The power lines sitting in the river and the island were covered in white and blackbirds. There were waterfowl swimming, fishing, and flying over the Tennessee River. 

A bird was sitting on most of the light poles, as we crossed the dam

Wheeler Dam and Birds

Powerline and Island full of waterfowl 

Ate dinner at Walton’s Restaurant, and hubby ordered a New York strip, salad 🥗 and baked potato 🥔.

I ordered a Ribeye steak salad and iced tea

It rained on us on our way to Decatur and it was cloudy all day not the best day for taking pictures. We still had a great day and before we arrived home it was dark.

2017 Christmas Letter

Christmas Letter 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Hope this letter finds your family doing okay.

Just a few lines to let you know about the things that happened in 2017.

My sister lost her husband (age 68) in April to a heart attack.

He awoke from sleep, called out to my sister, and said I am having a heart attack and before she could get the help he was gone. He had been having some health issues and had seen a doctor.

He was a retired engineer for the railroad and a farmer. 

Vicki raised vegetables and sold them at the farmer's market. He was very active in farming, raised mules, and was very active in his community. 

December 16, 2016, Dad was admitted to the Hospital Dec 21, 2016, took Dad to Rehab.

Dad stayed in Rehab from Dec 21, 2016, to 11 February. Dad turned 90 this year and could no longer live alone so he went to live with my sister. While Dad was in Rehab a minister came by and talked to him. Dad said that man changed my life, I was saved and have been going to church with me and my sister. 

This year has flown by and Christmas is only a few days away.

I have finished my Christmas Shopping.

I had a total knee replacement in my right knee, at the end of September.

I was in the hospital for two and a half days, six days in rehab, and four weeks of physical therapy.

I still have problems walking long distances. My knee has healed nicely on the outside but will take months to heal on the inside. 

Before surgery I had to wear a leg brace, on my right knee, just to walk. 

In January we went to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to see a flock of Sandhill Cranes before they began migrating north.

At the end of January, we toured the Guntersville Museum and rode around Guntersville Lake. We also stopped @ Buckets Pocket State Park to enjoy the sweeping view of the rugged untouched landscape from atop a large rock. 

We celebrated Valentine’s Day @ Famous Dave’s Restaurant in Franklin, TN. We also visited the famous Bedford Falls Train Display @ Hundred Oaks in Nashville. 

We spent President’s Day in Montevallo @ the American Village, which is a series of buildings where one can journey into America’s past for her independence and self-government.

We also walked through the Festival of Tulips stopping to pick a basket of tulips to take home. 

On March 4, I attended Cooking on the Mountain @ the Burritt Museum in Huntsville.

March 27-29 Hubby and I stay @ the Inn on the River Hotel in Pigeon Forge, TN 

We enjoyed visiting Patriots Veterans Park, visiting the Islands, touring Bush’s Bean Museum, visiting the Old Mill, Applewood Farms Restaurant, Cherokees Veteran’s Park Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and Traveling across the Smokey Mountains.

On April 1, I enjoyed the Beaty Street Walking Tour in Athens, Al 

On April 8, Hubby and I enjoyed the Houston Walking Tour Athens, Al (home of one of Alabama’s governors)

On April 14, I attended a Passover Seder Meal @ the Methodist Church in Killen

On April 15, I enjoyed a Church Walking tour in Decatur, Al

On April 17, Hubby, and I took our great-granddaughter to Cullman.

We bought fresh strawberries @ the farmer's market, then we toured the train depot and the Clarkson Covered Bridge.

On April 23, I enjoyed the Athens Cemetery Stroll where the cemetery comes alive with characters from the past. 

On April 29, I enjoyed the walking tour of Historic Bank Street in Decatur, Al 

May-June We enjoyed music in Wilson Park 

On May 6, I enjoyed a day @ the Strawberry Festival in Moulton, Al 

On May 10, Hubby and I enjoyed Music in Wilson Park 

On May 15, Hubby and I enjoyed a day trip to the Huntsville Train Depot, Ditto Landing, and Rosie’s Cantina

On May 17, Hubby and I enjoyed music in Wilson Park with the Cadillacs 

May 19-20 I attended the Storytelling Festival @ the Shoals Theater. 

On May 27, I attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Decatur

On May 30, Hubby and I toured the Pink Palace Museum and Bass Pro Shops (we rode the elevator to the top where we enjoyed a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River and downtown Memphis).

On June 10, I attended a Family Reunion with my dad, sister, and granddaughter. 

On our return home, we stopped to tour Tom Hendrix's “Rock Wall”. Tom spent thirty years building a walk dedicated to his great, great grandmother an American Indian who walked from Oklahoma back to her home in Alabama. Trail of Tears

On June 13, Hubby and I toured the Corvette Museum and the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, KY.  On our way home we stopped in Nashville @ the grave site of the singer George Jones

On June 17, Hubby and I attended the Moon Pie and RC Festival in Bell Buckle TN.

July 4, Hubby and I enjoyed spending the day @ Monte Sano Park 

On July 11, Hubby and I toured the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park, Museum of Transportation, Pennyroyal Museum, and Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, Ky

July 18, Hubby and I enjoyed a day @ Discovery America Park in Union City, TN

On July 27, My great-granddaughter, and I spent the day @ the newly remodeled Children’s Museum in Florence.

On August 1, Hubby and I toured the James K. Polk ancestral home in Columbia, TN

On August 11, Hubby and I attended the Killen Founders Day Parade and music in Killen Park 

August 18, I rode south on Natchez Trace taking pictures of new markers celebrating Alabama’s 200-year centennial

On August 22, Hubby and I enjoyed the Wild Bird Sanctuary @ Davey Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, TN

On August 29, My sister-in-law and I enjoyed watching the tagging of hummingbirds. We toured the Oakville Indian Mounds and Jessie Owens Museum in Danville. 

On September 4, Hubby and I attended the Sweet Tater Festival and Car Show 

September 8, I attended Oka Kapassa @ Spring Park with my daughter and grandchildren

On September 9, I attended the Baby Shower of my great-niece.

September 14, I toured Helen Keller’s Ivy Green (birth home)

On September 18, I took my great-granddaughter to Walmart to try on Halloween heads

September 20-29, Knee Surgery and Recovery 

Spent most of October doing Physical Therapy 

On October 31, Hubby and I traveled north on Natchez Trace stopping @ Lewis Meriwether Museum/Park, Laurel Hills Park. We ate lunch at Famous Dave’s Franklin Tn 

On November 4, I took my granddaughter and great-granddaughter to Wild Bird Sanctuary @ Davey Crockett Park 

November 14, Hubby and I spent the day shopping @ Opry Mills and walking through the Charlie Brown Ice display in Nashville. 

November 17, Hubby and I attended Little Women Broadway Musical @UNA

November 23, Thanksgiving Dinner with family @ Mikes 

On November 28, Hubby and I went to the Tuscumbia Christmas Parade

November 29, Hubby and I went to Babes in Toyland @ Roxy Theater in Russellville

On December 1, Hubby and I went to Light a Candle for Prayer @ Pope’s Tavern, Christmas Tree Lighting in Wilson Park, and Strolled the street of First Friday in Florence. I went to a book signing by Tom McDonald on Promises to Keep.

On December 2, I attended Sacred Way Horse Sanctuary @ the Visitor Center. 

December 3, After church, I went to see the trees of Christmas at the Tuscumbia Art Museum. From 2-4 p.m., I attended a Baby Shower for my granddaughter's friend.

On December 6, Hubby and I rode to Huntsville to walk the Tinsel Christmas Trail, to Bridge Street and rode through the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights. 

On December 7, Hubby and I attended the Muscle Shoals Parade 

December 9, I attended the Dickens of Christmas Yall Come in Tuscumbia and Poetry reading and music @ St John’s Episcopal Church 

December 10, I Christmas Tree Trail in Athens and Madison I walked thru.

In Madison, I rode through taking pictures of their Large Christmas Cards Display. At 6:30PM we were @ Maple Hill Baptist Church where they had a replica of Bethlehem that we walked through along with a group of other people. 

December 17, We celebrated my sister's 66th birthday at Cracker Barrel which included my four sisters, dad, and two great nieces. 

December 19, Today we are planning a trip to Opryland Hotel in Nashville.     

December 23, Our Christmas with family (Saturday night @6pm)my sister is bringing Dad it will be lots of fun.  

We tried to get in as fun as much as possible during the year but this year we had to scale back because of my knee. 

Hopefully, the coming year will bring better health. 

Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year