Sweet Home, Alabama!

Last evening we attended a $10 per ticket "Cody and Friends" concert at the nearby United Methodist Church.  Cody is the church's Director of Worship Arts and "his friends" included some junior high talent on guitars, drums, piano and vocals.  A young woman in 8th grade nailed Tammy Wynette's "You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man" such that we're sure she'd do well on THE VOICE!

Our week here at Homeport Marina as flown by.  The temperatures were between 35-65 degrees and most days were sunny and pleasant.  Much of our week focused on work (reports, taxes, daily schedules, etc.) and errands (mail, groceries, boat parts, propane, washed clothes) and smaller projects (insenglass treatment, hung a mirror, sewed a tablecloth).  We also took advantage of our location:

The sanctuary of the United Methodist Church
in Gulf Shores, AL

• Spent an overnight on Velsignet in secluded Ingram Bay and enjoyed pelicans, blue heron, terns and dolphins around us.
• Marlys and Glen, Mike's parents, joined us for a steak dinner (and key lime pie!) on Velsignet.
• Walked the beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.
• Lunched with Glen and Marlys and their condo friends at "The Galley" on the Bon Secour River, followed by a car tour of the small and charming towns of Magnolia Springs, Fair Hope, and Foley.
• Attended Cody and Friends concert and making plans to purchase tickets to the concert offering at the Methodist Church NEXT Friday evening!
• Lunched with Glen and Marlys and their condo friends at "The Galley" on the Bon Secour River, followed by a car tour of the small and charming towns of Magnolia Springs, Fair Hope, and Foley.

This week we also hold in memory the life of Greg "Fuji" Lerum of Crookston, MN.  Fuji and Mike were high school classmates.  They played football together.  Our visits to Crookston were made a bit brighter when we got together with Greg. His cheerful and positive disposition was contagious and he made our world a better place.  

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  After our lunch at "The Galley," Marlys and Glen, Mike and Brenda toured the towns of Magnolia Springs, Fair Hope and Foley.  On our way to Fair Hope, we stopped at B&B Pecan Company.

  

  We were fortunate to meet Clarence Bishop, founder of B&B Pecan Company.  Clarence took us on a tour of his Pecan Operation, showing us the various equipment and answering questions about growing pecans.

  
  

  

  It was interesting to learn how the equipment was used to harvest pecans.
  This blue thing sweeps the fallen pecans into windrows.

  
  

  

  The red machine picked up the pecans off the ground and seperated the pecans from the chaff.

  
  
  

  

  It's winter, so the pecan trees are without leaves.  B&B Pecan Company has 125 acres with more than 1200 pecan trees.  Each tree has the potential of producing 250 pounds of pecans.

  
  

  

  Pecans that have fallen long ago.

  
  

  

  There was much to talk about among these farmers!

  
  
  

  

  A license plate on one of the B&B Pecan Company vehicles.

  
  

  

  On our way back to Gulf Shores, we stopped at the old time Stacey's Rexall Drug Store in Foley.
  Notice the old cabinetry that lined the entire store.  The store features a pharmacy, a soda fountain (including a coffee counter--10 cents per cup!), a greeting card rack,