Looking Up

Take a walk around town, look up, and this might be the view...tall oaks dripping with Spanish Moss.

The Two Bridges

Before the Edmund Pettus Bridge (background) was opened, the Alabama River at Selma had a "horse and buggy" toll drawbridge. This historic marker recalls the days when pedestrians could cross for 5 cents. A two-horse buggy was charged 50 cents. The drawbridge was operated by a bridge tender who lived in the "bridgetender's house," which still stands. Tolls were abolished when the county purchased the bridge in 1900.

The original bridge opened in 1885 and was destroyed prior to christening the new one on May 25, 1940. River traffic could easily pass beneath the modern Pettus Bridge spans, greatly speeding the journey.

Little John's Homemade Root Beer

This photoblog is for those who got thirsty while checking out the "Refreshments" entry of yesterday.

The lemonade and cherry fizz and root beer are special recipes made by Little John's Root Beer in Kansas. I found a website for them. Just click on the green or go to littlejohnsrootbeer.com or email RootBeerPatty@att.net.

(I do not own any part of their brisk business!)

They strictly sell at period festivals and living history events, and according to web reports, make this delicious brew in their basement. The best part: Keep your antique bottle, and next year (or at another event this year) they will give you a refill at reduced cost! I imagine those Civil War reenactors travel from battle to battle with their Little John's bottles!

Refreshment, the Old-Fashioned Way

Ahhh....lemonade the old-fashioned way! Bottles of homemade lemonade and cherry fizz were the refreshment of the weekend at the Battle of Selma re-enactment. When you finish the drink, don't throw away the container! Keep it for a souvenir or in the frig with some ice-cold water come this summer.

Save the Butterfly Day

April 16 is "Save the Butterfly Day" in Alabama, and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was declared Selma's mascot in 1982 and the state butterfly in 1989.
Selma is also the "Butterfly Capital of Alabama."
I took this photo of a swallowtail in my zinnia bed several years ago and was fortunate to capture it with its wings spread across two flowers. It was used in a local magazine article about "Madame Butterfly," or Mrs. Mallieve Breeding. She led a community effort to save the butterflies here.

Believing a garden should be "a thing of beauty as well as a thing of conservation," Mrs. Breeding spoke to civic clubs, schools, the city council and anyone who would listen. She explained that butterflies are a sign of a healthy environment, but pollution, overly aggressive mosquito control and lawn care are some of the means that destroy butterfly habitats.

Today, there is a Mallieve Breeding Butterfly Garden at the School of Discovery. Wildflowers have been planted along U.S. Highway 80, and Mrs. Breeding - now a well-known butterfly consultant - remains Madame Butterfly, even to adults who first heard her appeals when they were school children.

HOW TO ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies need trees, flowers and other plants that support the four stages of metamorphosis from egg laying to food to pollination. They also thrive in areas where they can access water in shallow pans and and stones in sunny areas. Sunlight is necessary for nectar production, and butterflies require warmth to maintain temperature.

Trees in the Selma area include: poplar, ash, crabapple, dogwood, oak, persimmon and pear.
Flowering annuals are: marigold, ageratum, salvia, delphinium, impatiens and pansy.
Flowering perennials: daylily, hibiscus, goldenrod, lantana, periwinkle, zinnia, verbena, butterfly weed, canna and black-eyed susan
Herbs include: parsley, mint, chives, onion and rosemary

Defending Selma

Final preparations are made for the defense of Selma in a re-enactment of the April 1865 battle. Confederate tents can be seen in the background. This photo is from a previous re-enactment.

Bridge to the Battlefield

Battle of Selma reenactors cross the covered bridge into Riverside Park. The bridge was constructed across Valley Creek and leads from a parking area, playground and walking track in Valley Creek Park to the Battle of Selma battlefield. The main battle re-enactment is on Sunday afternoon.

Top Tunes of the 1860s

Music of the 1860s came alive Friday as school children from across the region attended the Battle of Selma Living History Tour. This musician played and sang Ol' Dan Tucker and Goober Peas as students clapped and sang along. Other demonstrations included a spinning wheel, cannon artillery and riflery, a working military campsite and battle flags history.
Living History Tour photo album

Storm Tracking

When the tornado siren blared Wednesday afternoon, I stepped into the front yard - camera in hand - to check the clouds. This ominous appendage drifted around awhile, then (like Carl Sandburg's "Fog") silently moved on. Large hail was reported further north. These clouds were on the southern end of a supercell that formed in West Alabama and hung together all the way to the eastern part of our state.

Dallas County WalkAmerica

This March of Dimes billboard on Jeff Davis Avenue caught my attention since our family has experienced the effects of prematurity. If I could sponsor my own billboard, it might read something like this:

REMEMBER THE BASICS
MOMs: See a doctor; report unusual symptoms.
OBs: Listen to the moms; check out symptoms.
NEOs: Keep in touch with pediatricians once the baby goes home.
PEDs: Listen to the neos. Stay on top of preemie issues.
PARENTs: Seek second, even third opinions from physicians.
NICUs: Please sponsor followup clinics well past age 2.
EDUCATORS: Babies are saved at ever-earlier gestations. Be prepared; you will teach more preemies.
MOD: Thanks for raising prematurity awareness. Remember the BASICS.