Along the Sidewalk

Along the sidewalk between First Baptist Church (Lauderdale Street) and St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a bed of pansies...one of many bright spots during these cloudy and often foggy days of January. Up ahead in the background are the Centre for Commerce and Dallas County Courthouse.

Walking the Track

Cool days tend to bring walkers to the track at Valley Creek Park. Walking and exercising more are among my priorities for this year. Since I was tagged by Chris in Nashville to share four of my New Year's resolutions, here they are: 1) Exercise more. 2) Try a bunch of new recipes. 3) Refuse to take in any more stray cats! 4) Post a new photo to this blog every day. (Not that easy to do in a relatively small town!) As for categories of sticking-to-these-resolutions, I am VERY SERIOUS.

Freeze-Fried Dogwood Berries

These normally red dogwood berries got freeze-fried (or dried?) the other night when temperatures dropped into the teens and never really made it much above freezing during the day. If you notice the right background, one berry on that branch is black; the other is still red. I hope this doesn't mean there won't be as many blossoms this spring. Extreme cold that alternates with unusual warmth really hurts our flowering plants!

Student Civil Rights Tour

Civil rights tours are common in Selma. I was downtown this morning when I noticed this student group from California crossing the Pettus Bridge. Selma police closed one side of U.S. Highway 80 on the bridge to allow their trek. Prior to the walk, they read first-person experiences of the events of March 7, 1965, when marchers were met on the other side by state troopers and a county sheriff's posse. A melee ensued when marchers failed to turn around after being told they did not have a parade permit. Selma was a center for voting rights and civil rights demonstrations and marches in the 1960s and for years after.

Under the Moss Umbrella

Even in winter, some trees in Selma are never completely bare. Instead, they keep some leaves (such as oaks) and bear the beards of Spanish Moss. While the moss makes its own food and is not considered a parasite, it does shade tree branches from sunlight. Still, I think it's beautiful.

Convenient Gourmet

What's for dinner?
If you didn't plan anything, complete meals are no problem in a matter of minutes if you stop by Mark's Mart on your way home. The West Selma convenience store specializes in convenient gourmet foods and invented the popular chicken swirl. That's a quick grill item made of chicken breast meat, stuffed with beef and wrapped in bacon. Perhaps you prefer beef or chicken kabobs, steak burgers or pre-seasoned steaks. Then there's Cajun pork chops along with stuffed mushrooms. Get some twice-baked potatoes, homemade cakes or pies and homemade rolls, and you've got a meal! Choose from hundreds of brands of wine. Pick up a batch of cheese straws. Try Aunt Mae's homestyle cookies or get a jar of Marion Junction honey. Oh yes, you can buy sacks of charcoal, soft drinks and hot dog buns as well!

Smile! You're on an Antique Camera!

One hundred years ago, a camera like this might have made your picture. It's a studio camera made in 1908 by Eastman Kodak and is on display at the Old Depot Museum.

Feet in Motion

Feet, feet, feet! How many feet we meet!
Especially at a gym in January!

Big feet, little feet...fast feet, slow feet!
Treading feet, stepping feet...
Cycling feet, weighted feet...

How neat to meet so many feet with so much in common!
Getting the bodies they carry in shape!

This photo was taken in the gym of the YMCA of Selma and Dallas County. Thanks to the owner of these feet in motion for allowing the photograph.

Foggy Travel

Travel was slow the morning of New Year's Eve when a thick fog settled in until mid-morning. This is the U.S. Highway 80 and Alabama Highway 41 intersection a few miles east of Selma. Head straight to go to the South Dallas Industrial Park, Dallas Public Lake and Six Mile Creek Park. Turn left and you can enter the Craig Airport and Industrial Complex just up the road. The airport serves the Selma area, and since it once served the U.S. Air Force, it's big enough to accommodate jets. About 40 miles further east is Montgomery's regional airport where you can board a passenger jet. Hope you travel safely in 2008!

Jan. 1 Theme Day, Best Photo of 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's Theme Day, and my family said "By the Still Water" was the Best Photo of 2007 for the Selma, Ala. Daily Photo. I have to agree, although this picture was actually taken in Marion Junction about 15 miles west of Selma. The photo was posted May 6, and some commenters said it looked like a painting. I took the photo in late evening with a Nikon D70S, no flash, 55 mm focal length, .005s exposure at f7.1 and 1/200 second. It was made at an outdoor wedding reception.
Other photos that I chose for the Selma blog's Best of 2007 are "Goldenrod," posted Oct. 4, "Caught!" posted Oct. 11, "Bird Bath?" posted April 9, "The Running of the Cows," June 26, "Courtyard Fountain" on May 26, "By the Bridge" on July 15 and "Moo at the Zoo" Oct. 5.

Please visit all the other cities' Best Photos of 2007. They are really fantastic!

Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisaco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USAEvry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USANew York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA
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