Sweet Home Alabama

It was a pretty sweet day today, but before I get into my travels, I have to share a little incident from this morning as I was trying to leave the refuge.  Volunteers come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities.  A couple that I had volunteered with at this refuge last year arrived last night for their three month stint.  I was happy that I didn’t miss meeting up with Katie and Bruce again before I left town.  They are a hard working volunteer couple that are a joy to be around.  Like me, they pretty much mind their own business.  There is another couple here that works hard, but the husband’s mission in life is to get into everyone else's business, and all the politics that are involved in any refuge they are at.  He drives some of us crazy.  I must say he was instrumental in getting my rig out of the campsites this morning.  It took a half an hour, and I would have been more than a nervous wreck if I had done it myself. 

Now for the good part.  As I was out on the entrance road hooking up the toad, Katie and Bruce stopped by to tell me this tale.  It seems as soon as I left the campground, Mr. Busybody confronted Katie to find out what it was in the two little black plastic bags that I had given her just before I left.  You see, the camp dumpster is about a quarter mile away, and I had already gotten rid of my trash last night.  Rather than having to trudge over to the dumpster, Katie had agreed to take Emma’s two little poop bags from this morning for me.  Ha Ha!  Had I known, I could have given Mr. Busybody two gifts from both of us everyday for the last three months!  You can bet I left with a giggle bubbling forth from me as I hit the road.

The 150 mile drive to the Isaac Creek COE campground near Camden, AL, was blissfully uneventful. 

IMG_7795

I had reserved site #17 sight unseen over the internet a while back.  When I arrived, I went inside the entrance booth to register, and after talking to the hosts, they suggested I might want to change my site to #37 right on the Alabama River/Claiborne Lake.  They were so accommodating for me.  As I made the drive around the loop to arrive at site 37, I was happy they had suggested the change. 

IMG_7798

I enjoy woodsy sites, but 37 had shade, a view along the river, and easy reception for my DISH.  For $10/night for water and electric, it doesn’t get much better than this. 

IMG_7799

                               If I sit on the bench at the rear of my site, I have a nice view of the dam.

IMG_7797

The other direction offers a nice river/lake view.  I’ll be here for a week just relaxing and visiting the area.  This place is pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, but with my trucker’s antenna and amplifier, I almost have full bars roaming.  I also set up the DISH for great reception in record time!  It was a sweet day to arrive in Alabama for sure!

IMG_7801

                                                                                    Goodnight all…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Whale Sharks, the Big Friendly Giants

Image
I was always told that seeing a whale shark in the water with you will leave you awe struck and speechless. If you know me in real life, then you know that there are very few times that I am speechless, much to hubs disappointment (especially when he's trying to sleep).  We made great time on our road trip and arrived in Oslob by around 9:30. As soon as you reach the small town, you're bombarded with signs leading to businesses that will take you out to see the whale sharks. I admit that it was a huge tourist trap but sometimes you just have to suck it up, put on your 'I love Cebu' T-shirt and fanny pack and join the other tourists in order to see one of the most amazing things I have ever laid my eyes on. We first had to sit through a five minute safety and informational speech. They explained to us that each day they send boats out that throw small fish into the water to attract the whale sharks. This is yes, for the purpose of tourism, but also so scientists in the
Read more

Yahoo! The sun returned.

Image
There was fog when I woke up this morning, but the power of the sun with no clouds in the sky soon burned it off.  Hot dog!  I hung out a load of laundry, and then got ready to greet my morning visitors. Bridget and John of Travels of John and Bridget….and Fred , finished their camp host volunteer assignment in North Dakota and stopped by for a visit while spending some time in Detroit Lakes.  What a beautiful morning we had for a tour of the refuge. My friend, the young bald eagle, was perched as if on cue by the Chippewa Picnic Area.  I parked the refuge truck, and we were able to walk right under its favorite perch without it spooking off.  It only screamed at us a few times.  We even witnessed a small kettle of northern harriers catching a thermal to spiral up over the Otter Tail River so they could attain altitude to continue their migration south.  It was a stellar morning to be out and about.  We could hear the far off guns of the waterfowl hunters, but we stayed in ar
Read more

"Masterchef " Finalist Tracy Nailor's Haute Dishes

Image
You may know Tracy Nailor as a finalist from Fox TV’s “Masterchef” with Gordon Ramsay. Nailor, a Pediatrician and Atlanta resident is not only a great cook, but she’s so much fun! Last night, my good friend Monique and I were invited by the Concentrics Restaurants group to dinner at the posh, Midtown haute spot Room at Twelve for a sample of Nailor’s creative dishes. We started off with crab cakes before moving onto the smothered chicken over rice. You can say it’s home-style comfort food that makes you want hug your plate. During dinner, Nailor gave a cooking demo on how to make her Caramelized Banana Napoleon. It was pretty tasty, particularly if you like a modern twist on banana pudding. She’s full of terrific recipes that make you remember your southern roots... so when Monique and I show up for Thanksgiving dinner, she shouldn’t be surprised! You can find Nailor’s recipes and others in the Masterchef Season 1 cookbook! What’s your favorite comfort food dish?
Read more