ABC Wednesday, P is for Pepper Jelly Festival

The letter "P" is featured over at ABC Wednesday today, and I bet this is the ONLY blog about the Pepper Jelly Festival in Thomaston, Alabama! 

 The festival was held last weekend at the old Marengo High School. Not only could you buy pepper jelly at the Rural Heritage Center, but music included the Sucarnochee Revue. There were Thomaston barbecue, a domino competition and crafts. Kids had fun making arrowheads the way that Native Americans once did. And little ones enjoyed climbing on the brick base of the flagpole. 

Posted at ABC Wednesday

Calico Fort (That's My World!)

So! It had been 37 years since I last visited Calico Fort, and I am positive there was no bungie jumping then!

Back in 1974, Boy Scouts performed Native American dances, and Kathryn Tucker Windham read her ghost stories to children.  The entertainment has changed!

This past weekend, the Calico Fort Arts & Crafts Fair celebrated its 40th anniversary. The two-day event  is sponsored by the Fort Deposit Arts Council which only has 24 members! So how do they put this fair together? They rely on the town's 1500 residents who work for months to make it successful. Proceeds benefit community projects that have included the municipal auditiorium, volunteer fire department, college scholarships and various cultural events.

The festival is about 30 miles south of Montgomery just off Interstate 65 and located on the grounds where Gen. Andrew Jackson ordered the establishment of a supply fort back around 1813. 

Moving on:

 

 My favorite exhibit was Phillip Adams' Swings and Things. He builds cypress outdoor furniture and bird feeders/houses. Since he lives in Fort Deposit, I won't have too far to travel for my next outdoor swing! We used to have a cypress swing that lasted for years and years and years. I wouldn't mind bringing home a picnic table too.

 

 Okay. Here we are at PJ Crochets. Now, I crochet...or at least I USED to crochet afghans. But Paulette Jones of Cartersville, Ga., uses cotton fabric to crochet purses and rag rugs. Tempting!

Jeff and Jaky Felix of Titus won the Best of Show trophy for their exhibit of fused glass.  You can view more of their colorful and spectacular creations at Joyful Imagination Glass.

 

These metal welcome signs looked so welcoming that I bought one! Made by Thomas and Kathy Rash of Rutledge, there were numerous styles from which to choose, and how I'd love to have some of their metal wind chimes too. (Yes, that's a hint!) Check them out at T&K Sheetmetal Works & Design.

 

And now, here's the dazzling Adams' Glass Studio. Charles Adams of Troy started out with a small hobby shop, but he's since added stained-glass church windows and other ecclesiastical art.  

 

And finally, we actually started our day at The Pig Pit! The barbecue sold here not only benefited our appetites but the fire department too.

While this year's fair had fewer exhibitors (still more than 100 though) than some in years past, the planners go all out to contact new artists and craftsmen with quality products. And, organizers say that "because Calico Fort is planned to present new ideas, it will never grow old."

Posted at That's My World Tuesday

K is for Kudzu (ABC Wednesday)

THE VINE THAT ATE THE SOUTH!

Crawling, crawling like a spider

 Kudzu weaves its web of green.

Creeping, sneaking through the forest,

Trapping trees in each ravine.

              

 Reaching, twisting towards the pavement

Stalking all the cars that pass.

  Can't the gov'ment make it stop?

A'fore it strangles us en masse?

(© The Kudzu Strangler by Rambling Round)

Posted at ABC Wednesday

Shadows of St. Luke's

The shadows of budding tree limbs dance across the facade of St. Luke's Episcopal Church at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.

The 1854 church designed by Richard Upjohn was built in Cahaba,

later relocated and recently rebuilt at the park. 

Posted at Shadow Shot Sunday.

"I" for Idyllic

The letter "I" is celebrated at ABC Wednesday this week, and what could be more IDYLLIC than spring blossoms, a pond and a few waterfowl?

Alabama's State Flower

Soft...rugged.

Delicate...hardy.

Such are the attributes of Alabama's state flower, the camellia.

These pretty petals ably withstand southern winters and bloom from November til March.

While not native to Alabama, the camellia became the state flower in 1959, thanks to the ladies of Butler County who declared that goldenrod (state flower since 1927) was a weed unworthy of such distinction. (Frankly, I love goldenrod and would have used it in my October wedding had the florist not also declared it a weed unworthy of a wedding!) 

Moving on...the year 2005 was declared "Year of the Camellia" in Alabama, and most recently, the city of Greenville (county seat of Butler County) has announced that since it's known as "The Camellia City," there will soon be a Camellia Garden. Then, a new generation can learn how to propagate the shrub and keep both Greenville's camellias and Greenville itself  "alive and growing."

Camellia lovers might enjoy this article written in 1953 for the American Camellia Yearbook pleading the case for why Greenville should be the only city in America known as The Camellia City.  

Posted at Macro Monday

Blossoms at Sunset/Skywatch

When the sky "caught fire" last night, the glow was so bright that it provided an orange backlight through my neighbor's blossoming tree. What a perfect ending to a perfect day!

More skies await you at the Skywatch Friday Meme. 

Weekend Reflections (The Finer Things)

Pardon me while I dust off my jeans and admire the craftsmanship of a few of the finer things!

Such are the exquisite collections that can be seen during the Historic Selma Pilgrimage in March.  

Visit more reflections at the Newtown, PA. Area Photo.

ABC Wednesday (F is for FEVER)

“It's SPRING FEVER....

You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

Mark Twain

(Visit ABC Wednesday HERE.)

 

ABC Wednesday (E for EXHIBIT)

 

 It's ABC Wednesday again, and the letter is E.

E is EASY, because I have lots of pictures to EXHIBIT

for Selma's Historic Pilgrimage that's coming up March 18-19. Pilgrimage EXHIBITS the town's EARLY heritage, so EXPECT to see ELEGANT homes, ENGAGING art, EXQUISITE flower arrangements and EXTREMELY old (antique) cars.

Above is the Brownstone Manor, one of six homes on tour, not including 

Sturdivant Hall, where you see the dining room  below.

 

 In Heritage Village, very cool antique cars will be on display,

and this EVENT is free!

  

Alabama artists and photographers will compete in a juried art EXHIBITION sponsored by ArtsRevive. This year, the show will be at the renovated 1920's Carneal Building by the Alabama River.  (Another free EVENT!)

  

 

 If you enjoy memorabilia, the Burns Home has collections that range from the style of Antiques Roadshow to American Pickers. So, do YOU still have your Beatles lunchbox? How about the old family Victrola? This house does!

 

One of Selma's greatest regrets is the loss of the Hotel Albert, shown in the photo below. The hotel was torn down when it became too difficult to maintain, but oh what a tourist attraction it would be today! The photo is one of many taken by a photographer whose work will be on EXHIBIT at the Old Depot Museum. 

 

During Pilgrimage, look for the Alabama Plein Air Artists! They will EXHIBIT  their talents at various venues, painting the town so to speak! 

Now, there are lots more perspectives on the Letter E over 

at the ABC Wednesday Meme! Have fun!

Cryin' in the Rain

Okay. It can stop raining now.

And a few 75-degree days will be appreciated.

Can’t hurt if the sun shines either — for more than an hour or two.

And if I read any Facebook posts where people say they are thankful for rain because of the flowers it will bring, well…they can just go take a walk in a pasture!

 

  

Let 'em wade through mud up to their knees.

Let 'em drive a truck through the seeps.

Let 'em try to pull an animal out of a ditch.

Let 'em stretch five bales of hay into 50 because it's too cold and wet for grass to grow.

Not only that, but this has been one extended miniseries of a winter!

It all started last year. If those cold rains weren't enough, the rains of this year have been absolutely CHILLING, kind of like Misery, if you know what I mean!

So now we have Cryin’ in the Rain II. 

It’s so wet that farm trucks are covered in mud. There’s no sense washing them, because like determined little boys, they just go right back out and get covered in mud again.

It was so wet last year that ducks and geese turned a nearby hayfield into a habitat. They swam where I have never seen fowl swim before.  

It’s so wet and so gray that for once the groundhog didn’t see his shadow. So maybe, just maybe, spring is coming soon!

But unlike Groundhog Day (the movie), I’m hopin’ next winter doesn’t repeat this winter all over again…and again…and again! 

Posted to Weekend Reflections Meme & Camera Critters

ABC Wednesday, A for ADVICE

After a two-month sabbatical, I'm back with ADVICE from this sign at Highland Church of Christ. "You are not invited to hell, so why go?" That's a good question!

Find more takes on the letter A over at ABC Wednesday.