Festival of Christmas Past

Hub and I spent last week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We love going to the mountains in December, where we see old friends, all the festive lights, and sometimes snow. It was a good week.

One of the highlights of the week was attending the Festival of Christmas Past at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. We have attended this event several times, and we are never disappointed.

The Visitor's Center was beautifully decorated with natural wreaths. With the exception of the red bow, everything in the wreaths came out of the woods.

They had a workshop with raw materials where visitors could make their own wreaths using cedar, pine, holly, ivy, sumac, mistletoe, ferns, and other things.

Outside, rangers and volunteers talked about how toys were made and the rituals that were common to the area in the 1800s. Inside, there was singing, storytelling, and music all day long.

Boogertown Gap Band plays and sings Pre-Civil War music.

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker combines storytelling and music. They were at the very first storytelling festival at the University of North Alabama.

Bill Proffitt and the South of the River Boys entertained us with lively music and some of the old Christmas songs.

More tomorrow.

Comments

100 miles or less: Rattlesnake Saloon

The Rattlesnake Saloon was opened on Labor Day, 2009. Dining there is an unique experience. It is way out in the boonies in Colbert County, Alabama. It is hard to get to, even for locals, but they have had visitors from all over the United States and many countries throughout the world. Sitting comfortably under the huge rock overhang, I couldn't help but think about the people who have sought shelter there from storms or heat. I can imagine the Native Americans using this place for a meeting area or a dry place to camp for a while. Not so many years ago, it was used as a pig pen. They have good food and live music and a hitching post if you want to ride your horse there. Most of us were picked up in a pickup, called the "Saloon Taxi", that runs from the parking lot to the restaurant continuously while they are open. The Rattlesnake Saloon is aptly named. During construction, workers unearthed a mother rattler with twelve babie...

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures. We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything. Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Old Water Tower in Florence, Alabama

So, we have lived in Florence since 1986 and I didn't see this old water tower until last week. Shame on me. It is located on Seymore Street, in a residential neighborhood in Florence. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this tower of native stone was completed in 1890 as the foundation for a wrought- iron tank with a capacity of 280,000 gallons of water. It is 70 feet high and is located on the highest elevation in the city. Water was pumped here from Cypress Creek. It was constructed during the Industrial Boom at which time the population of Florence increased from approximately 2,000 in 1887 to over 6,000 in 1889. It was replaced by the adjoining standpipe in 1935. (from historical marker on site.) I'm sure there was lots of planning, lots of discussion about funding, and lots of joy when this water tower was completed. Not one person who was there to celebrate its completion is alive today, but the water...

Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Search This Blog