2022 Nov 7, Early Morning Adventures

Early this morning, it was cold, wet, and foggy. We rode to Jack's for breakfast, where I ordered a biscuit and gravy. My Hubby ordered the big breakfast, which included eggs, sausage, hash rounds, biscuits, and sauce. As we rode home, we saw the sun trying to peak out. 

Sunrise 

 Later that morning, we rode to town and stopped at Hobby Lobby (where many people were looking for holiday decorations), Dollar Tree, and Ollie's to get our B12 shots. 

We rode to Muscle Shoals, stopped, and ate lunch at the new Highway 55 Restaurant. I ordered a hamburger with the fixings, onion rings, and unsweetened iced tea. I ate about half of my hamburger, but all of my onion rings. Hubby also ordered a Mushroom hamburger and onion rings. He ate all his hamburger but not all his onion rings, so we had enough for another meal. 

 Bought gas at Murphy's and stopped at Foodland in Muscle Shoals for crab legs (they were on sale for $15.99 a pound). Since we were on 6th Street, we headed to Leighton Pond on Fennel Road to see & listen to birds. 

Leighton Pond on Fennell Road 

All we saw was mud and a few fish flopping. Believe it or not, fish were swimming in the pond. If the water level drops any lower, there will be no water for the fish to swim in. 

Hubby turned on the GPS to take us home on a different route. On our way, we saw a small cemetery; the sign said 'Shaw Cemetery,' just off 6th Street. Several of my relatives are buried in this cemetery. I did not take any pictures there. Next, we turned onto Shaw Road, and I told Hubby I wondered who the graveyard and the road were named for. That was when we saw a historic marker.

The Shaw Home Colbert County

The Shaw Home Colbert Baldy Shaw purchased this property from the state of Alabama in 1830. In 1844, he constructed this home. Over the years, various property owners made changes and additions to the Shaw Home and its outbuildings. The canning building, located directly north of the home, allows garden-raised food to be canned without affecting the main house's temperature. Evidence of Fennell Road is directly behind the canning building on the north boundary line of the home. During the Civil War, Fennell Road provided constant access to and from the many skirmishes between the Northern and Southern armies. The Battle of Town Creek was one of those skirmishes. The Shaw Home is a working farm with two wells and nine farm buildings, and is an example of the tranquility of life in the South. The home also serves as a poignant reminder of the Civil War's past sadness, a conflict fought between brothers, families, and states.

 Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage, a Marker erected in 2013 by Drs. Gerald, and Patricia Miller Murray. 

Bales of Cotton wrapped in pink 

 We also saw hundreds of rolled cotton bales and fields still awaiting harvest. We rode to the Wheeler Dam but had to detour because the bridge was on Highway 101. 

At Wheeler Dam, we saw a few cormorants diving for fish, herons flying overhead, and terns sitting on light poles as we crossed the dam. As we were leaving the dam, I heard several bird sounds. We rode to the park across the highway, where I walked around but heard no birds. 

Joe Wheeler State Park on the Lawrence County side is covered in colorful fallen leaves. 

We came back across the highway and road to the overlook at the dam, where I heard many Common Grackles and European Starlings. We rode up to Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama, near the entrance, and stopped to listen to the bird sounds. 

A couple of Muscovy ducks are swimming in Wheeler Lake, looking for fish.

I walked down to the water's edge and saw several ducks on the other side of the almost dried-up lake. A couple of ducks were swimming nearby, and I saw a Gray heron in the distance. I heard several red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, American robins, field sparrows, song sparrows, Muscovy ducks, mallards, and many killdeer. 

Three females standing near Joe Wheeler Lodge 

 We rode to the lodge, stopping near the wooded area, hoping to hear several birds, but we heard none. Then, as we started to leave, we saw a deer. I started taking pictures of it, and then I saw two more. I got out of the car and took several photos. They were not frightened at all, and even posed for me. The day started damp and gloomy, but the sun eventually came out. It clouded back up but never rained. We didn't plan the day's adventures; instead, we let the day unfold. What fun we had!

2022 Sep 3, Sugerfest & Historic Buildings Arab, Alabama

 Today, we rode to Arab to stroll through the park, which was filled with over 100 vendors. Tents were lined up as far as the eye could see, selling items from A to Z. 

Vendor Tents

Santa Fe Food Truck

Petting Zoo

The sweet aroma of baked goods filled the air, making my mouth water. You could almost taste the barbecue, hamburgers, and hot dogs being cooked. There were lines of people at every food truck.

Funnel Cake, Ribbon Fries, and freshly squeezed lemonade were among the food items sold.

There was a petting zoo featuring two large, docile cows, a goat trying to escape its pen, miniature long-haired goats that kids loved to pet, and many other animals.

Pony Rides

1. The Boyd Homestead
Boyd Homestead 1890-2006

Her dad, Matthew Boyd, built the home in 1890 on 160 acres of land in Arab. Ms. Lola was born in 1906 and was the youngest of 11 siblings. She graduated from high school in 1929 in Arab and then attended college, earning her teaching degree from George C. Peabody College in Nashville, TN. 
This home was not built with indoor bathrooms or closets. An 
outhouse served as the bathroom, and a well was located outside the home, providing water for the family. The home also lacked electricity until the 1940s. 
Ms. Lola taught school and never married or had children. She helped care for her parents and was given the Homestead after they passed away. After she died in 2006, the home was bequeathed to the Historical Society. The society moved and restored the house to look like it did in the 1940s.

The Stage Coach INN @Elvin Light Museum 

3. The Ruth Homemaker's Clubhouse
Belonging to the Homemakers of Arab, who hold demonstrations and enjoy activities such as canning, quilting, knitting, and mattress making. 

4. The Phillips Blacksmith

George C. Phillips Blacksmith Shop

6. The Rice Church 
The Rice Church 1910-1950s

They took advantage of Sundays because that was the only day they had time to attend.

7. The Hunt School House
The Hunt School 1935-1952

9. The Smith Country Store 

10. The Smalley Grist Mill 

One was a gristmill where he could grind corn into cornmeal. Since cornbread was such an important food staple at the Great Depression supper table, the Historic Village needed a Grist Mill. Mr. Jerrell Smally bought the Grist Mill from Arab's old Farmers' Exchange and donated it to the Arab Historical Society. The building was constructed from vintage lumber to mimic a 1940s-era structure.
During the Great Depression, everyone grew corn. A large family consumes approximately 300 pounds of corn annually. 
The farmers would gather a portion of their dried corn during harvest and take it to the local Grist Mill to get shucked, shelled, and ground for cornbread. They would pay for this service by leaving a portion of their corn with the miller.

There was a long line for the pony rides. Kids were climbing walls, playing games, swinging, and sliding.

The splash was open for those who wanted to cool off.

Music was playing in the concert area.

People play cornhole and other games.

But we were more interested in the Historic Village area, which we saw. 

Lola Boyd lived her entire 99 years in the Boyd Homestead.

2. The Elvin Light Museum

Inside were cubicles filled with different items from:

Hyatt's Boarding House

Dr. Ellis Porch and Dr. Braxton Smith's Office

Arab Infirmary, Dr. Ellis Porch, and Dr. Braxton Smith

The Thompson Family

Russell Rice, General Manager Est. 1897

People's Drug Store

Reed Pring Shop 

Fleming Barber Shop 

The Stage Coach INN

Another significant business for the farmers was the blacksmith shop, where they could get their tools sharpened and mules shod. Mr. George Phillips owned his own blacksmith shop in Scottsboro, AL, and served as the resident blacksmith at the George C. Phillips Blacksmith shop. Mr. Phillips has since passed away, but his legacy lives on. The Blacksmith Ship is built from vintage wood to mimic a 1940s-era structure. 

The farmer looked forward to carrying his animals to the Blacksmith shop to be shod. This was important for the animals' well-being, but it also gave the farm a break and an opportunity to socialize with fellow farmers.

Today, horseshoeing is done by a farrier who goes to the farm every 4 to 6 weeks in a truck equipped with a forge.

Tractors have replaced the Mule. Therefore, the need for local blacksmith shops has diminished.

5. The Winslett Barn - used for weddings and events

This Church building, originally known as Liberty Primitive Baptist Church, was once located in the Rice Community near Arab. It was donated to the Historical Society in 1993 and restored to represent rural churches from the early 1900s. Today, it is used for small weddings, memorial services, and spiritual needs. The church would hold baptisms, weddings, and Christenings, sometimes all on the same day. Farmers who traveled far to the church would bring lunch for the church and typically stay all day. 

Inside, a woman was playing old-time gospel music on the piano. She said the church I now attend had a piano player, but I got sick and could not play, so the church filled in, which was over 20 years ago. She was a retired teacher and had taught music. Her talent was far beyond that of the previous piano player, and the other players didn't want to come back. She played beautifully.

This two-room school is typical of the schools in Alabama built during the Great Depression: it features high ceilings, a "cloakroom" for each classroom, and architectural details in the actual Colonial Revival style. The Hunt School operated in a small community south of Arab from 1835 to 1952. When school buses became popular in 1952, students were transported to larger schools. The school year revolved around spring planting and fall harvesting since most students lived on a farm. The school went without electricity for the first ten years. There was no water, cafeteria, indoor bathrooms, or library. Children walked to school and washed their hands in a water-filled pan.

 Inside, it was filled with items of a different era. Behind the coal heater, a group sat singing and playing Bluegrass music. We listened to a couple of songs that I had never heard before.

When a farmer and his family would move to a new area, there were two businesses he would immediately look for.

Bird Sounds (Alabama) using Cornell Merlin App Backyard Song Birds

Acadian Flycatcher	Empidonax virescent
American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos
American Flycatch	Tyrannus savana
American Gold Finch	Spinus tristis
American Robin	Turdus migatorius
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica-
Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon-
Black Kite	Milvus migraines
Black-White Warbler	Mniotilta varia
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher	Polioptila cerulea
Blue Grosbeak	Passerine caeulea
Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristate
Brown-Headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater-
Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum
Carolina Chickadee	Poecile carolinensis
Caroline Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus
Chimney Swift	Chaetura pelagica
Chipping Sparrow	spizella passerina
Common Crackle	Quiscaus quiscula
Common Nighthawk	Chordeiles minor
Common Yellow Throat	Geothlypis trichas
Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens
Eastern Blue Bird	Sialia sails
Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe
Eastern Towhee	Pupil erythrophthalmus
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Scalia sialis-
Eurasian Penduline-Tit	Remix pendulinus-
Field Sparrow	Spizella puslla
Grasshopper Sparrow	Ammodramus savannarum-
Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crintius-
Hairy Woodpecker
House Sparrow	Passer  domesticus
House Finch	Haemorhous Mexicans
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
Indigo Bunting	Passerine cyenea
Killdeer	Charadrius Vociferus-
Least Sandpipper	Calidris Minutilla-
Mouring Dove	Zenaida macroua-
Northern Bobwhite
Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinals
Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus
Northern Mocking Bird	Minus polyglottos
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow	Steigidopteryx Serripennis-
Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus
Northern Parula	Setophaga Americana
Purple Finch	Haemmorhous purpureus
Purple Martin	Proven subis
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus
Red-Eyed Vireoo	Vireo olivaceous
Red Shoulder Hawk	Buteo lineatus
Red Tail Hawk	Buteo Jamaicensis -
Red-winged Backbird	Agelaius phoeniceus
Song Sparrow	Melospiza Melodia
Scarlet Tanager	Pirange Olivace-
Summer Tanager	Pirange rubra
Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor
Western Wood-Pewee	Contopus Sordidulus-
White-Eyed Vireo	Vireo griseus
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Coccyzus americanus
Yellow-Breasted Chat	Icteria Virens
White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis-

This are bird sounds that I have heard and recorded on my Iphone.

I grew up on a little creek in Alabama

 I grew up on a little creek in Alabama.

Way out in the country, far from the town

Nothing but family & farmland around

Crickets & mourning doves make their sound

The best people I knew were called Maw & Paw

They owned this land & farmed it all

Paw had a pet goose & rooster named Clyde

Maw taught me not to cuss or ever tell a lie

When I think back, only happiness inside

We called them Maw and Paw.

Come inside and sit a spell, y'all 

Make yourself a plate & some sweet iced tea

Turnip greens, pinto beans, Maw smiles at me 

If I could go back there just one last time 

I would eat from the paws of the Muscadine vine 

Paw was a veteran who served in World War II

He was by far the most intelligent man I ever knew 

Now, Maw loved to needle crochet & sew 

I believe she could do it with her eyes closed 

A horse named Cricket and a catfish pond

Apple trees, watermelons, and far beyond 

How they did it all, I will never comprehend 

They fed family, animals, and friends 

We called them Maw and Paw.

The best people I ever knew.

Cold Banana banana pudding & warm chicken stew

If I could go back there just one last time

I would eat from the paws of the red grapevine 

Blueberries, strawberries, beans & potatoes 

Cherry trees, peach trees, plums & tomatoes

Oh, if I could go back there just one more time

Written by my daughter about her grandparents