Cat's Day Out

From the porch to the bushes to the sidewalk and grass, this pretty white cat

 followed a bug on a beautiful day in Old Town Selma. 

Linking to Camera Critters and City Daily Photo Blogs

Down Under

At the corner of Water and Broad, take the Songs of Selma Park steps

 down under the bridge. There is a beautiful terrace overlooking the river,

 and you will be standing beneath crepe myrtle branches,  an assortment of vines

 and even a few clumps of four-o-clocks. 

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

Your Speed

School has started all across Selma, and among the new additions for school zones

 are electronic speed limit signs. This one stands near Byrd Elementary, 

and what a help it is for drivers! The sign flashes your vehicle's speed 

as you approach the zone, reminding you to slow down and watch for children.

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Grumbles Alley

Selma is a friendly little city. It really is! 

But visitors might not realize that if they read this sign!

We're featuring the letter G over at ABC Wednesday!

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Melvin Monument

This handsome monument at the corner of Lauderdale Street and Alabama Avenue 

honors Lt. John Tillman Melvin of Selma. He was among the first to volunteer,

 and he was the first American naval officer killed in World War I. He lost his life

 aboard the U.S. patrol boat Alcedo off the coast of France when it was torpoeded

 by a German submarine on Nov. 5, 1917. An inscription reads, "He gave his life

 that democracy and liberty might live."

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Coca-Cola Mural

This is the most refreshing mural in town!

Linking to Monday Murals and City Daily Photo Blogs

Smitherman Historic Building

When you visit Selma, don't miss the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum

 that is housed in the Joseph T. Smitherman Historic Building. 

Located at the end of Alabama Avenue a few blocks off Broad Street,

 the 1847 structure built by Masons has housed schools, hospitals,

 a courthouse and now a museum.  Each of the three floors is dedicated

 to different exhibits with the first housing civil war, slavery and Wilby Theatre 

artifacts. The second floor has a replica of longtime Mayor Smitherman's office

 and other civic rooms, and the third is set up for hospital memorabilia. 

  Columns from the old Hotel Albert are preserved in an outdoor courtyard, 

and there are walkways and a fountain. The building is often used 

for weddings, receptions and other events. 

Linking to Shadow Shot Sunday, Weekly Top Shot and City Daily Photo Blogs 

Weekend Reflections, Selma Interpretive Center

Upper windows of the Selma Interpretive Center were a brilliant blue

 earlier this week as sunny skies moved in. The center, operated

 by the National Park Service,  offers exhibits, a short film

 about voting rights and books. 

Linking to Weekend Reflections and City Daily Photo Blogs

Moss Catcher

I think Selma shall never run out of fences for the Friday Fences blog hop,

 and many of these old iron works of art also serve as moss catchers,

 and that just adds to the southernness. 

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

Don't Walk

STOP. "Don't Walk" if you are crossing Water Avenue

 from the Selma Interpretive Center! 

Wait until the sign depicts someone walking!

 Even then, look both ways!

There are lots of signs to be interpreted in this photo, so I'm linking to Signs, Signs. 

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Last Hurrah

It's a last hurrah of summer for many of our butterflies although 

they will be around a bit longer.  This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

 (our state's official butterfly) feasts upon lantana,

 but soon there will be yellow butterflies

 flitting among spider lilies. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Puttin' on the Dixieland

Water Avenue reverberates with music, music, music during the annual

 Riverfront Market Day in October, and that includes Dixieland jazz 

from The Upper Society of Lower Water Avenue. I pulled this photo 

from last year's festival. Be sure and save Saturday, Oct. 12 for this year's music,

 arts, crafts and food festival! It coincides with the Alabama Tale-Tellin' Festival

 that Friday and Saturday. 

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows and City Daily Photo Blogs

Lavender

So this has been the perfect summer to grow a kitchen garden. Lots of rain

 and cooler temperatures helped this lavender flourish as well as basil, 

white chocolate mint and rosemary. The best part is bringing some

 inside for a kitchen window bouquet!

Oh, and by the way, today our area experienced record-breaking cold!

 The high here was only 72 F in mid-August.

.

How has your garden grown this summer?

Linking to Weekly Top Shot and City Daily Photo Blogs

Washing Windows

Here is the guy who keeps the sparkles in the windows at the St. James Hotel.

Linking to Weekend Reflections and City Daily Photo Blog

Cascade

Purple blossoms cascade across this privacy fence in Old Town,

 and the blue sky sure looks a lot like October rather than August. 

Linking to Friday Fences, Skywatch and

 City Daily Photo Blogs

Side Porch Sandwiches (Signs, Signs)

Diners will have a much easier time finding Side Porch Sandwiches 

 now that this new sign is in place.

The Water Avenue restaurant is located in one of the old riverbank buildings

 along Water Avenue and next to Lafayette Park. 

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Calling the Troupes

Artist Barbara Simpson submitted her work, "Calling the Troupes" to last spring's

 ArtsRevive Art Exhibition, and I just love the mostly joyful faces she put on these

 ELEPHANTS. They remind me of University of Alabama (whose mascot is the elephant) 

football fans getting together to "call the troops" out to support the Crimson Tide. 

 After all, the collegiate season opens Aug. 31 with Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

 in the Kickoff Classic in the Georgia Dome...not that far away! 

And by the way, head on over to ABC Wednesday 

where we are posting things that begin with E.

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Water Avenue Facing West

Here is OUR WORLD along Water Avenue facing west

 from the Washington Street intersection.

To the right is the National Park Service Interpretive Center, and ahead

 at the end of the street is Carneal Arts Revive. Turn left at the 

Broad Street intersection to drive across the Pettus Bridge,

 and turn right to head through downtown. Better yet, park

 and take a walk to see the sights and get a bite to eat!

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Back to School at the Library

School starts this week for many area schools, and soon there will be back-to-school

 programs at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library.

 Check the schedules for stories, music, puppet shows and more!

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Hands at Work

It's all pottery and photography at today's Selma Art Guild

 "Hands at Work" opening reception.

Several local potters and photographers will display their creations

 with the photography depicting  potters at work. Shown is a tray made

 by Earthquake Pottery's Becky Blaylock.  The show is open from 2-4 p.m.

 The show will also be open from 12-4 every Friday and Saturday through August. 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Bienville was Here

Three centuries ago, Selma's bluff was known as Ecor Bienville, named

 for the French colonizer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur De Bienville.

 When he was only 21, Bienville became governor of the colony 

of French Louisiana. He co-founded Mobile and made a friendly visit 

to this area along the Alabama River in 1714. The plaque that was placed

 by the Colonial Dames of America sits in Bienville Park on Water Avenue. 

Linking to Weekend in Black and White and City Daily Photo Blogs

August in Lafayette Park

These fluffy whites are smiling down on Lafayette Park and the Pettus Bridge.

 Honestly, I don't ever recall a summer without haze! We've had rain.

 We've had clouds, and we've had blue sky, but almost daily showers

 have kept the haze away.

Lafayette Park is named for the Marquis de Lafayette, who briefly

 visited here many years ago, and the plaque commemorates 

Selma's first bridge that was built in 1884 and torn down in 1940 

when the Pettus Bridge (background) opened.

Linking to Skywatch Friday, Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

What's in a Name?

The sign on this window attracted my attention yesterday, so I just moseyed 

on over to take a picture for today's Signs, Signs blog meme.

This building at 1201 Water Ave. has been undergoing some sprucing 

up for awhile, and now they are working on the interior.  I'm told

 it's expected to open with an art gallery this fall, and according

 to the website, it is quite a project. Check it out at our literal speed.   

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Down to the River to Fish

Let's go DOWN to the river to fish!

And as Alison Krauss would sing, a little praying wouldn't hurt either.

Earlier this summer, folks took advantage of a lower water level 

to fish from the sandbar across from Church Street. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday where it's "D Week" and City Daily Photo Blogs

Sharing the Highway

When driving U.S. Highway 80 both east and west of Selma, be prepared

 to share the road not only with big trucks but with big tractors.

 Farmers are busy, especially at this time of year!

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Car Tag Art

Talk about recycling...

An artistic vendor at last year's Riverfront Market Day cut up old car tags,

 rearranged them like pieces of a puzzle, and voila!

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows and City Daily Photo Blogs

A Place to Roam

Every once in awhile, the country calls.

It's a peaceful place to roam, whether you're a calf or a person.

Linking to Camera Critters, Shadow Shot Sunday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Summer Sidewalk

Kudos to downtown business owners who plant flowers out front!

 This pretty planter is on Water Avenue. 

Linking to Weekly Top Shot and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Bright Spot

The glorious crape myrtle has been one of the few "bright spots" around town

 this summer as clouds often accompanied by rain have been the norm. 

However, it's good that "global warming" took a break in July.

 Our daytime temps stayed mostly in the 80s. and there is no drought,

 hurricane or extreme heat in sight...yet!

Linking to Skywatch Friday, Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

August Theme Day, Street Lamps

It's August Theme Day over at City Daily Photo, and we are posting images

 of street lamps around the world. Here's one of Selma's newest, a street lamp

 along the recently completed riverwalk. As you can tell, this was another cloudy day,

 but it made for a more dramatic view of the railroad trestle and river.  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs