The Trumpet's Gate

A trumpet vine blossom dangles across the gate of a pasture

 along U.S. Highway 80 West. The late spring wildflowers are beautiful

 this year and well worth a weekend road trip to see.

 The WORLD'S WIDEST YARD SALE also begins today along Highway 80 

from the Georgia border west through Selma to the Mississippi border.

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs  

All Things Alabama

StreetFest annually features "All Things Alabama" in its arts, crafts,food, produce

 and music. This year, one vendor made these signs in the shape of the state.

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Honoring our War Dead

On Memorial Day, Americans honor those who died in service to their country.

 This monument at Old Live Oak Cemetery lists several from Selma

 in various branches of the military, including Navy Lt. John T. Melvin,

 who was the first American officer to die in World War I. He was aboard 

 the patrol boat Alcedo when it was sunk by a German submarine.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

An American Barn

Carol Henry's painting of a barn with an American flag sure does embody the spirit

 of America! Tomorrow, we honor Americans soldiers who

 gave their life for our country.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Tubing Down the River

If they're tubing down the river, then it must be summer!

Linking to Weekly Top Shot and City Daily Photo Blogs

Silver Lining

These clouds are showing their silver lining!

Linking to Skywatch Friday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Young Lungs at Play

Young lungs are at play at the Bloch Park walking trail and playground,

so no smoking allowed.

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

S is for Stringband

It's "S" Week at ABC Wednesday, and S is for STRINGBAND.

 

The Grasshopper Stringband entertained Saturday's StreetFest crowd

 with down-home tunes on a stage by the river.  The group hails

 from Alabama's Black Belt and is a favorite for area festivals. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Alabama: Here We Stay

"Alabama: Here We Stay" was performed by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra

 and Bobby Horton to highlight StreetFest. 

Horton is an Alabama composer, performer and music historian and worked

 with the Symphony to tell the stories of Alabama Civil War soldiers,

 both Union and Confederate, through music. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs 

What Artists Know

The dedicated artist eventually realizes the truth of Merton's saying.

 This art sign by Kay Jacoby of Montgomery was among the wares

 at Saturday's StreetFest. 

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Strawberry Effect

These bowls were tempting enough at Saturday's StreetFest,

 but fresh strawberries just made this one even more enticing. 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Up with the Roof

The amphitheatre is shaping up!

Roofs are in place with construction of the stage section under way.

 Soon it will look a lot more like the architectural drawing.  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Geraniums

These pots of red geraniums make a striking arrangement in this yard in Old Town. 

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

Signs, Signs, 2013 StreetFest

Come on down to StreetFest on Saturday!

 StreetFest celebrates "All Things Alabama" and includes arts, crafts, children's 

activities, farm-raised produce, a U.S. Farm-Raised catfish fry, live entertainment

 all day (Grasshopper String Band, Morgan students' Harlem Shake, Morgan Singers, 

Providence Men's Group and the Alabama Symphony 

Orchestra with music composer and historian Bobby Horton. 

Admission is FREE!

Linking to Signs, Signs and  City Daily Photo Blogs

REVIVE the Arts

Selma will REVIVE the arts this Saturday with the third annual StreetFest 

 which celebrates "All Things Alabama." That includes arts, crafts, music, 

food and produce! 

I took this photo at last year's festival. which is part street fair, part catfish fry

 and part classy music concert. This year's evening entertainment will be

 the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's "Alabama: Here We Stay" with

 Alabama composer and music historian Bobby Horton. Earlier in the day,

 The Grasshopper String Band will play, and there are many more activities planned

 at the Carneal ArtsRevive corner at Water Avenue and Church Street. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Roseland Office and Apothecary

 

While Sturdivant Hall is the main attraction on the Sturdivant Museum property,

this handsome Greek Revival structure is well worth a visit. 

It was once the office/apothecary at Roseland Plantation near Uniontown 

and was given to the Sturdivant Association for preservation.

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Evening Sun at City Hall

City Hall is dressed its best in the late evening sun.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Steeple Views

The steeples of Church Street United Methodist Church , left,

 and First Baptist Church on Lauderdale Street, right, are impressive

 against the evening sky in downtown Selma. 

Linking to InSpired Sunday, Weekly Top Shots and City Daily Photo Blogs

Kathryn's Quilt

I am pleased as punch to have finally visited the Kathryn Tucker Windham Museum

 in Thomasville! Greeted by librarian, tour guide and KTW Storytelling Club organizer 

Deborah Rankins, who posed in front of "Kathryn's Quilt," I admire

 Alabama's Storyteller even more than before!

Kathryn, (aka The Ghost Lady) was born in Thomasville but lived most of her life

 in Selma. She was a newspaper reporter, photographer, ghost-story writer,

 southern folklore author, editor and renowned storyteller. She captured 

the rural South like no other, and this quilt (made by Dorothy Shepard)

 captures that essence.

The museum is located in the library building at Alabama Southern 

Community College just south of Thomasville on Alabama Highway 43. 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Skywatch Friday, Alabama River Sunset

Guest photographer Jed Kirk captured this beautiful sunset above the Alabama River

 on one of his recent boating excursions. With summer almost upon us,

 the river traffic will increase significantly!

Linking to Skywatch Friday and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Writing on the YMCA Wall

SELMA'S WILBY THEATRE

That's the writing on the walls (in several places) 

at the historic YMCA building on Broad Street. 

But why? Were theatre banners made here, and did the paint bleed through?

 Who remembers?

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Saving the Historic YMCA

 "It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation

 with the present over a mutual concern for the future."

 William J. Murtagh, Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America 

It's  Q Week over at ABC Wednesday, and this QUOTATION about historic preservation works well with the tremendous task of saving Alabama's first YMCA.

Touring the renovation progress with members of the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society is Selma Mayor George Evans, right. The society purchased the 1885 building and is working to stabilize it for further restoration and future use. Donations are welcome!  

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs 

The Summer Porch

This front porch is ready for summertime rocking and relaxing,

 and those red geraniums and cushion in the chair

 just make it even more inviting. 

Linking to Ruby Tuesday, Our World and City Daily Photo Blogs

Yellow Cosmos

It was a dark and almost rainy day, and I was searching, searching 

for a good photo subject without any sun. Then, voila! Thank you

 to the person who planted yellow cosmos in his front yard!

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows and City Daily Photo Blogs

Country Church Pews

These pews take me back to the days when rural families worshiped

 close to home instead of traveling to town. Vehicles and paved

 farm-to-market roads slowly changed the Sunday culture. 

I wonder how many families repeated The Lord's Prayer

 and sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

 from these painted wooden pews. 

Linking to Shadow Shot Sunday, Inspired Sunday,

 Weekly Top Shot and City Daily Photo Blogs

Vine-ripe Tomatoes

Cleckler's Produce on Dallas Avenue has re-opened for the season

 with vine-ripe tomatoes from Florida!

Judging from the looks of the sliced tomato at top, I bought a few!

 Time for a BLT. 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Friday Fences, The Rogers Iron Co.

I do believe this town could host an antique fence and gate tour!

This one was made by The Rogers Iron Co. of Springfield,

 which I assume was the one in Missouri, and patented back in 1881. 

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

Fresh Veggies Coming Soon

It's almost time for the local Farmers Market to open!

Located in Bloch Park, the shed will soon shelter truck farmers who bring peaches,

 corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, potatoes and much more.

 I'm just hoping their gardens got a better start than mine. We are re-planting

 a few things due to an unusually cold ground this spring. 

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs 

May Theme Day, Creative Artisan

It's May Theme Day over at City Daily Photo Blogs, 

and we are featuring creative artisans from around the world!

 I chose to feature POTTERY from just up the road, and that 

works well with the letter "P" at ABC Wednesday. 

Becky Blaylock is the creator of beautifully unique pieces of clay 

at Earthquake Pottery in Valley Grande. While the retired teacher

 claims her first work "looked like an earthquake hit it" 

(hence the name of her business), she soon became skilled

 not only with the technique but with new ideas for incorporating

 God's creations from nature. 

Below, maple leaves soak in preparation for producing a leaf print

 in the plate at bottom. Note the ferns as well.

 Sometimes, Becky teams her talent with Simply Making It of Marion Junction 

to produce soap dishes for Laura Spencer's homemade goat's milk soap.     

 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs Creative Artisans Theme Day

and ABC Wednesday

where the letter of the week is P!