Arab ElectricCOOPERATIVE

AUGUST 2012

ElectricCOOPERATIVES

OF ALABAMA

Hank Williams: Still warming our cold, cold hearts

Kudzu's Southern invasion

2 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Mail order form to: Alabama Living Southern Occasions P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124-4014

NAME: ______________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________

CITY: ___________________ STATE: ______ ZIP CODE: ___________

o CHECK o CREDIT CARD PHONE NUMBER: ______________

Credit Card Number: __ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __

Expiration Date: _____________________ CVV# ____________________

Signature: ____________________________________________________

COOK BOOKS @ $19.95 each _____

CHURCH BOOKS @ $32.95 each _____

TOTAL: ___________shipping included

Southern Occasions$1995

SHIPPED

Alabama Living’s latest cookbookcontaining recipes from four yearsof Alabama Living magazine.

c o o k b o o k

THEChurches

of ALABAMA

$3295SHIPPED

A beautiful pictorial history of Alabama’s churches ranging from small rural

churches to towering urban cathedrals.

Two Exclusives from Alabama LivingORDER YOURS TODAY!

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 3

ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 420,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. AREA cooperative member subscriptions are $3 a year; non-member subscriptions, $6. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.

POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014.

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

AREA PRESIDENTFred Braswell

EDITORLenore Vickrey

MANAGING EDITORMelissa Henninger

CREATIVE DIRECTORMark Stephenson

ART DIRECTORMichael Cornelison

ADVERTISING COORDINATORBrooke Davis

RECIPE EDITOR Mary Tyler Spivey

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

340 TechnaCenter DriveMontgomery, Alabama 36117-60311-800-410-2737E-mail: advertising@areapower.comwww.areapower.coop

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE:

National Country Market611 South Congress Ave., Suite 504Austin, Texas 787041-800-626-1181www.nationalcountrymarket.comwww.alabamaliving.coop

USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

Printed in Americafrom American materials

12 Ol’ Hank hung the moon Writer John Brightman Brock discusses a new book on Alabama’s famed Hank Williams with author Rheta Grimsley Johnson. Her memoir reveals how his music touched her life, and how others feel a similar

pull to the talented singer/songwriter.

20 Cycling the coastOn a bike trip from the Northeast to explore Alabama’s Coastal Connection, Cindy Ross discovers “hurricane balls” and what happens to fish brought up quickly from the ocean.

VOL. 65 NO.08AUGUST 2012 LIVING

DEPARTMENTS

9 Spotlight 10 Power Pack 16 Alabama Bass Trail 22 Outdoors 24 Alabama Gardens 25 Fish&Game Forecast 26 Cook of the Month 28 Worth the Drive 38 Alabama Snapshots

ON THE COVER: Hank Williams is the subject of a new book by southern author Rheta Grimsley Johnson.

10 Bon Secour Wildlife RefugeThe national wildlife refuge at Bon Secour features beach scenery as well as hiking, birding and wildlife photography.

4 AUGUST 2012

Cost

Choosing Your WindowsMaterials Style

Glazing & Glass Technologies

Cleaning & Maintenance

Installation

Look for the National Fenestration Rating Council’s label when you shop.

= ratings may not be on the label, but may be online or from the vendor

For more information

Shoppingfor New Windows?

An important message from the Federal Trade Commission

2012

visit energysavers.gov or e�cientwindows.org

If you're thinking about replacing windows in your home, the choices you make about style, materials, and installation could have a big impact on your energy bill. Here are some things to consider.

Price per window ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on materials, features, and installation costs.

Wood frames o�er good insulation, but are heavy and high-maintenance. Vinyl-frames insulate well and don't need painting.

Single-hung, double-hung, and sliding windows leak more air than casement, awning, and hopper windows.

Some glazes and glass provide better insulation, light, and condensation resistance. Windows with low-emissivity (low-e) coatings often are more energy e�cient.

Some materials and features make windows easier to care for. Tilt-in sashes, for example, make cleaning easier.

If windows aren't installed according to manufacturer's instructions, you might not get the savings or comfort expected.

An Energy-Rating Label to Help You Shop

U-factor: Rates how much heat escapes through a window; most important in cold climates. Range: 0.2 — 1.2

Visible TransmittanceRates how much light comes in. Range: 0 — 1

Condensation ResistanceRates how well a product resists condensation.

Range: 1 — 100

Air LeakageRates how much outside air comes in.

Range: 0.1 — 0.3

Solar Heat Gain Coe�cient: Rates how much heat from the sun is allowed in. This is most important in warm climates.

Range: 0 — 1

Eat locally; save energy

It’s a no-brainer that buying fresh fruit, produce, milk and meat from local farmers helps the com-munity’s economy. It’s also an energy saver.

When you patronize local farmer’s markets and produce stands, you forego the food sold in gro-cery stores, which ship in much of their fare from out of town. The more traveling your bananas, bread and beef have to do before you buy it, the more greenhouse emissions they contribute to the environment.

In fact, some estimate that between 5 percent and 20 percent of the energy spent in the produc-tion of food is for transporting it—sometimes as much as 1,500 miles from where it was grown—to your local grocer.

So do yourself a favor by enjoying fresh, flavor-ful, locally grown food. Do your neighbors a good turn by buying from the food producers in your own community, or at least who grow within a 100-mile radius. And do your small part for the environment by choosing your chow from the many locals who can deliver it to you with a far smaller carbon footprint than stores that import it from far away.

Shedding Light on Energy Savings

By Brian SlobodaThe lightbulb has undergone relatively

few changes since it was introduced in the late 1870s. But new technology that can drastically reduce the amount of energy and money used to light our homes (ac-counting for roughly 13 percent of the av-erage household’s electric bill) has arrived.

Consumers have several options when choosing lights: traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogen incandescent light-bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), regular halogen bulbs, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Most consumers are well aware of the energy savings of CFLs, but some are turned off by their curlicue shape and color of the light they produce. In response, manufacturers are making CFLs that look like traditional lightbulbs. CFLs can be as much as 75 percent more efficient than basic incandescent bulbs.

LEDs are beginning to find their way onto store shelves as well. They can last up to 25 times lon-ger than a classic incandescent bulb but are much more expensive. (Some LEDs are yellow in color even though the light they produce is white.) The key to buying an LED: Find one that has fins beneath the actual bulb to help cool it. LEDs make sense in fixtures like a yard or porch light that stays on eight to 12 hours a day.

Halogen lamps (reflector-based, incan-descent hybrids, and advanced lamps) are another option. They provide excel-lent color quality and can be dimmed. In fact, the dimming properties of halogens are the hardest for other light sources to mimic.

When halogen lamps are dimmed, filament temperature decreases. This

causes the light to change from white to yellow or red-orange. In many environ-ments, such as homes and res-taurants, people have come to ex-pect and appre-ciate this “warm-n e s s” f r o m dimmed lights.

However, after traditional in-candescent light-bulbs, halogen lamps are also the least-efficient and offer the shortest life (only three times lon-ger than a tradi-tional incandes-cent bulb). Recent

f e d -eral ef-f i c i e n c y standards will eliminate most reflector-based halogen lamps from the market beginning in 2012.

Advanced halogen lamps, on the other hand, use IR technology. These products provide a 20 percent to 30 percent in-crease in efficiency but cost two to three times more than standard halogen prod-ucts. Halogen incandescents also remain a good alternative for consumers not ready to make the leap to CFLs or LEDs.

You can also try other simple measures for trimming lighting expenses. Add oc-cupancy sensors to wall switches in bath-rooms, basements, or laundry rooms. These devices will automatically turn lights off when no one is in the room.

Dusk-to-dawn fixtures come with a photo sensor that shuts off a light when the sun comes up. However, if the sensor is positioned in such a way that it is cov-ered by a shadow, or if the sensor breaks, the light will operate during the day. Re-placing can be a fairly simple task, but pay careful attention to all of the safety warn-ings and precautions that come with the new sensor.

Understanding how much energy dif-ferent bulbs consume and replacing bro-ken equipment can be easy ways to save energy while maintaining a home that provides ample light.

Brian Sloboda is a senior program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Additional content provided by ESource.

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 5

Alabama Living

Annual Energy Bill for a Typical versus an E�cient Home

$2,000

$1,500

$1,000

$500

$0

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 2009 Buildings Energy Data Book. Savings are DOE Home Energy Saver estimates.

Lighting

Small Appliances

Large Appliances

Water Heating

Cooling

Heating

Typical Home

E�cient Home

6 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Bringing Home [A Safe] BabyBy Kelly Trapnell

Preparing for a baby—whether you’re a new parent or an extend-ed family member—is no small task. Along with a little bundle of joy comes a big responsibility for feeding, cleaning, and providing a secure environment.

Bumps and boo-boos will be part of a child’s life. But make the effort to keep a baby safe from critical dangers like electricity.

Splish, splash safelyA baby’s first bathtub may be

on a countertop or in the kitchen sink. Be mindful of outlets in the area. Be sure they are special ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets that will minimize

a shock if exposed to water during splashy bath time adventures. Also, set your water heater to 120 degrees or below to help pre-vent scalding and save energy.

While you were sleeping

Sleep may be fleet-ing with a new baby, but there are precau-tions. Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide a larms outside all bedrooms and near fuel-burning heaters. Follow current guidelines on crib and mattress safety and sleep positions.

Techie Baby New and improved

electronics come out every day to make parenting easier, especially for monitoring a baby in another room. Follow manufacturer-recommended safety measures, keeping cords

contained and properly mount-ing gear. Take care not to over-load outlets with new electronics.

Don’t BlinkYour baby won’t be little for

long. Before you know it, he or she will be mobile and new re-sponsibilities arise. You may think a room looks safe, but peer down to a baby’s level to see what else catches your eye. The new per-spective may alert you to outlets, cords, and other hazards within a child’s reach.

You can’t plan for everything, and it may not be possible to test all products and baby items be-fore a baby comes home. Look for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark on home electronics. UL tests items for product safety to give you a degree of comfort in new purchases.

For more advice, visit www.

safetyathome.com.

Source: Underwriters Labora-tories

Kelly Trapnell writes on safety and energy efficiency issues for the National Rural Electric Coop-erative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the na-tion’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric coopera-tives.

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 7

Alabama Living

Extension Cord Safety: A Temporary Fix Is Not a Permanent Solution

The placement of new appliances and electronics in your home can be problematic. You have to figure out how to get electricity from point A to point B. A problem arises when point A is nowhere near point B. Extension cords seem like the practical, cost-effective solution. However, they are designed for temporary use only. They should never be used as a permanent solution.

Overloaded, unapproved exten-sion cords can pose shock, fire, and property damage hazards. According to the National Fire Protection Asso-ciation, extension cord fires outnum-bered fires beginning with permanent or detachable power cords by two-to-one.

The Safe Electricity program offers the following guidelines for the safe use of extension cords in your home:

Check the condition of extension cords. Look for fraying or cracking along the entire length of the cord and for damage to the plug or sockets. Re-place any damaged extension cords.

Make sure the extension cord that you are using has the UL label.

Make sure the extension cord is properly rated for the devices you have plugged into it. Check the pack-aging or the tag on the cord for its rating.

Do not overload extension cords with too many electronics or appli-ances.

If any part of the extension cord becomes hot while in use, unplug it immediately and discard it.

Keep extension cords away from children, pets, and high-traffic areas.

Do not place extension cords un-der carpets, rugs, furniture, or other objects.

Unplug extension cords when they are not in use.

When using extension cords out-side, use only extension cords rated for outdoor use.

If you need a more permanent so-lution to power electronics and appli-ances in your home, contact a quali-fied electrician to help you install the necessary wiring and receptacle out-lets. For more information on electri-cal safety at home, visit SafeElectricity.org.

Look Up and Look Out for Power Lines When Using Ladders

Ladders put home owners and construc-tion workers closer to important tasks that they need to work on, but they also put peo-ple closer to overhead power lines. Many of these power lines carry 7,200 volts of electric-ity. To put that in perspective, the 120 volts of electricity in your home can be fatal. The overhead lines carry 60 times that. While raising and working on ladders, it is easy to focus on the task at hand and the risks of be-ing at elevated heights. Safe Electricity en-courages you to also remember the electrical dangers of overhead power lines when using a ladder.

In a Consumer Product Safety Commis-sion Report, ladders were involved in more electrocutions than any other product. Over-head power lines are responsible for more fatal electrical accidents at work than any other type of electrical accident. Fortunately, contact with overhead power lines can be avoided with the proper precautions.

Safe Electricity offers the following tips to use when working with ladders:

I Look up and look out for power lines.

I Keep equipment and yourself at least 10 feet from power lines.

I Work only when weather permits. Wind could blow a ladder out of control and into a power line. Rain is a good conductor of electricity.

I Never trim near power lines. Call profes-sional tree trimmers to do the job.

I Never use water or blower extensions to clean gutters near electric lines. Contact a professional maintenance contractor.

I Follow safety guidelines whether you use an aluminum, wooden, or fiberglass lad-der. Although some materials are better conductors than others, all ladders require the same precautions.For more information on protecting your-

self from outdoor electrical hazards, visit SafeElectricity.org.

8 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

TFoxFoto / Shutterstock.com

Does your child know the dangers of remaining outside during an electrical storm? Lightning is dangerous and impossible to predict. Teach your loved ones to move indoors before tragedy strikes. Shoot for safety.

TLCTeach what you know.Learn what you need to.Care enough to share it.

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 9

In AugustSpot Light

AUG. 16

USS Alabama marks 70th anniversaryThe public is invited to attend the 70th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Alabama in Mobile on Aug. 16. Battleship Memorial Park has been open for 47 years and has consistently been one of the top tourist attractions in the state. Admission is free all day to Alabama residents with a photo ID. For more information call 251-433-2703.

AUG. 13

Buzz over to Attalla to learn about honey beesHoney bee exhibits and free honey tasting will be part of Honey Bee Awareness Day Aug. 13 at Attalla City Park in Attalla. Attendees may also view and purchase beekeeping equipment. Call 256-538-1872 for more details.

AUG. 25

Folk roots festival planned for late AugustThe Black Belt Folk Roots Festival will be 8.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 25 in Eutaw at Courthouse Square. The celebration will bring together craft persons, musicians, dancers, storytellers, artists and more. Call 205-372-0525 for more information, or visit www.eutawchamber.com.

AUG. 15-SepT. 22

Muscadines ripe for picking in MillbrookStroll through Barber Berry Farm in Millbrook from Aug. 15 to Sept. 22 to pick muscadines and scuppernongs. Visitors can also select from a variety of vegetables growing in the hydroponic garden, which are picked daily and sold at the fruitstand. The farm is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Barber Berry Farm at 256-549-4710.

For more Alabama events, visit page 29.

Watermelon time!Easy carving tips • Have the whole watermelon at room temperature when you carve. The cuts will be easier to make when the watermelon is not cold. You can chill the watermelon in the refrigera-tor after cutting and before serving.• Cut a small, thin, flat piece from the bottom of the watermelon before

carving. This will make a flat base, making the watermelon more stable when carving.• Draw the design on the watermelon rind with a fine/medium point water-proof marker or a sharp pencil before you cut.• After you’ve drawn the design on the rind, insert toothpicks in key

places to use as guides for your cuts.• Use a sharp knife with a pointed tip – the sharper the knife, the easier and cleaner the cuts will be. Be careful!• For better grip and to help protect your hands, use a fresh, new thick pair of gardening gloves with gripper palms. • Be creative and have fun! National Watermelon Promotion Board

PHo

To b

Y M

IcH

AR

E H

AR

E

10 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

power Pack

If you enjoy the out-of-doors and are looking for a family-friendly location offering something for everyone, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, just a few miles west of Gulf Shores, fits the bill. And did I mention it’s free?

The refuge offers excellent birding, hiking, fishing and wildlife photogra-phy, to name just a few of the outdoor activities, but is best known for its miles and miles of white-sand beaches bor-dering the Gulf Coast. When the public beaches at Gulf Shores are packed with people on spring break, the beaches at Bon Secour are amazingly vacant. Near-ly deserted might be a better descrip-tion. And as a result, it’s easy to find your own piece of oceanfront paradise where you can wiggle your toes in the warm sand while your kids play along the shore.

The four marked hiking/birding trails through the refuge include Jeff Friend (wheelchair accessible), Centennial, Pine Beach and Gator Lake. A large, covered wildlife viewing tower over-looks Gator Lake, and yep, there are alligators in Gator Lake, so watch your step if you venture off any of the main paths.

“Gator Lake used to be freshwater,” says Sean Williams, park ranger, “but storm surge during the last few hurri-canes has temporarily turned it to salt-water. The alligators don’t stay in the lake much anymore because of that, but they do come there to feed occasion-ally. Gator Lake will eventually become freshwater again; we just don’t know how long the changeover will take.”

The refuge’s name, Bon Secour, comes from the French meaning “Safe Harbor.” It’s an appropriate moniker, as the area provides sanctuary for mi-grating birds, nesting loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as well as the endangered Alabama beach mouse. Considered relatively small for a na-

tional wildlife refuge, its 7,000 acres of varied wildlife habitats—beaches and sand dunes, scrub forest, fresh and salt-water marshes, freshwater swamps and uplands—is still a lot of land to explore.

But likely the best thing about Bon Secour is that it lets you experience a touch of wild Alabama coast—the refuge has been named one of the ten natural wonders of the state—while at the same time having the convenience of nearby condos, shopping, restau-rants, golf courses, night life and the other activities of Gulf Shores. Like I said, something for everyone. And did I mention it’s all free? Well, at least Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is…

W.H. “Chip” Gross is the outdoors editor for Country Living magazine in Ohio. He and his wife try to visit Bon Secour every year.

Outdoor pursuits abound at Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge

To get thereBon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/bonsecour) is located

about ten miles west of Gulf Shores. From State Route 59 (Gulf Shores Park-way) on the north edge of town, take State Highway 180 approximately eight miles west to the refuge headquarters where you can pick up a free refuge map. To access the beach, turn south off State Highway 180 onto Mobile Street (just past the refuge headquarters) and drive to the parking lot at the end of the road.

By W.H. “Chip” Gross

PHo

ToS

bY W

.H. “

cH

IP”

GRo

SS

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 11

Winning by using lessContests are a fun, creative way to encourage energy efficiency

You might have noticed a new name in the mast-head on Page 3 of this issue. In June, I was honored to join the staff of the Alabama Rural Electric Associa-tion as vice presi-dent for communications and editor of Alabama Living. I say honored because it is indeed a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Darryl Gates, whose repu-tation with AREA is and remains well-known and respected across the state. Darryl and I worked together in the newspaper business, back in the days of IBM Selectric typewriters, waxers and pica poles. While I changed jobs a few times to continue working in the newspaper and public relations

worlds, Darryl found his niche as edi-tor of this magazine. It was obviously a good fit, as he stayed with AREA for the next 30 years, building and shaping Alabama Living into what is now the largest consumer publication in the state. What a legacy on which to build!

While I bring to AREA more than 35 years experience in writing, editing and public relations, I am just getting started learning about the world of co-operatives, and utilities in particular. I am already impressed with the truly cooperative spirit I’ve seen exhibited in our local managers, their staffs, and directors who have welcomed me to the AREA family. As a daily newspaper reporter and

editor, I learned the best way to learn about a subject was to ask questions. And I’ve been asking a lot! I don’t plan to stop, so get ready. I love to meet

people and tell their stories, and I look forward to meeting you, the members of our Alabama co-ops and readers of our magazine, and hearing your sto-ries. You can reach me at lvickrey@areapower.com.

In between magazines, be sure to keep up with what’s happening at Ala-bama Living on our web page atalaba-maliving.coop, and the AREA website atareapower.coop. Both sites have a link to the digital edition of Alabama Living (handy if you’ve misplaced this month’s recipes!). If you’re on Face-book, please “like” us and follow us on Twitter @Alabama_Living and @ALRuralElectric. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Building on a legacy

By Brian Sloboda

Cooperative Research Network

In the U.S., where competition impacts almost every activity, utilities are getting in on the act by creating contests between consumers to see who can achieve the biggest cut in household electric use. But you don’t have to wait for your electric co-op to organize an energy efficiency challenge—you can plan one yourself for your family, neighborhood or a community group.

If you can access your monthly, weekly or even daily electric use through your co-op’s website or a personal energy manage-ment device, then your calculations will be easier. If you can’t, you’ll need to depend on your monthly electric bill.

To compete against your neighbor, both of you must estab-lish an energy use baseline—that’s the number you will compete against. So pick an upcoming month as your baseline, and com-pare your use that month versus the same month last year. The goal will be to record the greatest percentage reduction in electric use from the previous year without spending more than $50.

The secret to winning may involve tapping the amazingly cre-ative imagination of your children. From other contests, kids suggested such winning strategies as:

• Camp outside for a few days

• Cook meals on a grill instead of in the kitchen• Watch less TV, disconnect the video game system, turn off

the computer—which might also have the side effect of creating more family bonding time

• Unscrew some lightbulbs• Unplug battery and cell phone chargers• Cut down on appliance use by running washing machines

and dishwashers only when fullOnce the competition starts, engage everyone in your house to

brainstorm ideas on how to reduce energy use, and have every-one develop a list of things to do. Try to turn everything into a game, such as equipping kids with caulk guns to “shoot” energy leaks around windows.

The best part of a contest like this is that everyone wins be-cause they save energy and money. Electric co-ops that have implemented similar competitions report average household en-ergy savings ranging from 9 percent to 58 percent. Best of all, the energy efficiency steps you take will continue to provide benefits for years to come.

Brian Sloboda is a senior program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Ar-lington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Lenore Vickrey

12 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Syndicated newspaper colum-nist  Rheta  Grimsley Johnson for years dreamed of having the time

to write about Alabama’s Hank Williams, the celebrated country singer whose songs of pain saved her own heart from the love-sick blues.

In her recently published book, Hank Hung the Moon And Warmed Our Cold, Cold Hearts, she paints the pain of a man who, she writes, “fell too fast,” and of her own relationship to his death. In the pro-logue, she sees Hank’s death “on one end of January 1953 - New Year’s Day - and I was born on the other, January 30,” as a “cosmic connection.” The book, she says, “in a way tells my whole life story through Hank.”

The mere mention in her newspaper column of Hank and his soulful sad songs recorded in the late 1940s and 50s would result in a deluge of responses from loyal Hank fans. Yet while the urge to write the book was strong, like most writers, the last thing Johnson wanted to do after writing each day was to come home and write even more.

In 2001, now down to writing only one syndicated column a week, she left Atlanta to write from home in Iuka, Miss. In 2009, she moved her memoir to the front burner and dedicated a full year to working on Hank Hung the Moon.

Now that she was writing something longer than a 550-word column, she had to convince herself that she could be more expansive than she’d been used to with her newspaper column. “It’s hard not to be dis-tracted when you need to write. I had an advantage. My husband was teaching a his-tory course in Colorado Springs, Colo., so I stayed home every day and wrote while he taught. I was able to concentrate and avoid distractions.

“I had all these ideas and thoughts from

the column writing,” she says. While she didn’t plan to write a biography of Hank Williams, or a story about his death, she decided her own memories would tell why his music lives on, 60 years later.

Hank’s music had always been on  the soundtrack of her life,  she  says.  Johnson began gathering information for the book 35 years ago as the basis for her own mem-oir, matching her life in the 1950s and 60s against a template of Hank’s in the 1940s and 50s. Johnson doesn’t remember not hearing Hank’s music. “I was seven when we moved to Montgomery and Hank mu-sic was everywhere - coming out of pickup truck windows, oozing out of businesses, playing on my father’s record player. I imagine the first time I heard Hank music was on my father’s player when I was much younger than seven.”

Cast against Johnson’s yesteryear world of 78-rpm records and 5-cent Cokes, Hank Williams, the singer, the lover, the undeniable  truthsayer, provides his soul-ful soundtrack and wisdom for her 191-page book. Within those pages, the reader can almost hear Hank sing, and the sad feeling the music evokes stays in the gut until you feel comforted by his pain - as Johnson was.

“I’m passionate about Hank,” she admit-ted in an interview about the book. “It was a pleasure to hole up and write the book, and nobody told me to turn down my mu-sic.”

‘HANK HUNG THE MOON’ IS UNFILTERED RHETA

Her Hank book reveals a playful John-son, poking - sometimes all-out jabbing - at her religious roots. “That’s the way I felt,” she says.

Religious references are throughout the book, such as the comical “holy shrine of the outhouse” where her father kept the revered home generator. “So many people remember outhouses. They were embar-rassed by them, then suddenly it was OK. They were part of the ‘club.’”

Pressed further, she clarifies, “I was a Southern Baptist,” emphasizing a past af-filiation, while her religious references seem to continue in her mind, scattered throughout the book like cigarette butts on the floor of a bar room where Hank’s mu-sic would have been playing in the juke-box. She’s thankful for her religious roots, which give her a descriptive platform from which to write about the “Hank that heals.”

“The fact that music helps us through life’s rough patches, this is a good thing,” says the author. “And growing up Baptist is a good thing if you’re a writer, for literary allusion and provocative language.”

Johnson metaphorically sets the scene for Hank’s June 11, 1949 Grand Ole Opry debut, describing his turning “wine from water when he healed the sick of heart and did encore after encore ... A relative few witnessed those miracles, 3,574 to be ex-act,” she writes. After Hank dies, she recalls a popular congregational refrain from an old gospel hymn, “Up From the Grave He Arose.” Johnson says she couldn’t help but think of Hank rising up to take back his

Hank WilliamsBy John Brightman Brock

Memoir tells why the legendary singer’s music lives on 60 years later

PHo

ToS

coU

RTES

Y A

LAbA

MA

DEP

T. o

F A

RcH

IVES

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 13

14 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

place among his faithful.“Hank wasn’t so much a celebrity in our

minds as a distant cousin or close friend who had died far too soon. He spoke our language and knew our secrets and made us feel better about our troubles and foi-bles. He was not so much in the ground as all around, having made that successful transfer to immortal status.”

Johnson’s book was published March 15, and she sold her first copy the day before her talk to an overflow crowd at an  Architreats program at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, in Montgomery. It was her tribute to a still-powerful Hank, and to his often mournful music in a hard-knocks world. As Ala-bama author Winston Groom advanced a fictionalized Forrest Gump rambling through baby boomer lives, Johnson’s mu-sical memoir bonds with readers who may feel it is their own story being told.

“It’s been interesting to tour with t h i s b o ok a n d h e a r fo l k s s ay, often while misting over, that they re-member the f i rs t t ime they heard a Hank song,” J o h n s o n says.

“All of us who string words to-

gether in feeble attempts to tell a story half as well as Hank, all of us think we have something to add to the legend, another way to interpret genius. Mostly we want an excuse to get closer to the music and the man,” she writes. Growing up in his foot-steps, in Montgomery, it was like all the planets aligned,  Johnson says. “To ignore it would have been a sin.”

Hank’s music told family secrets, and so does Johnson’s book, which includes refer-ences to his songs, his Drifting Cowboys band, his popularity and shenanigans. She mentions Hank Jr. and especially Hank Sr.’s “lost daughter” Jett Williams, who was born 24 days before Johnson’s own birth-day in 1953, and is the subject of Chap-ter Three. Unknowingly they “both grew

up good little Alabama girls who wanted to please,” she wrote. “In a region that bronzed its baby shoes and Confederate heroes, we came of age.”

Johnson learned to buck her trendy teen love of The Beatles, among other names that rocked the music world. She opted for Hank. The book cover illustrates that transition with scribblings of “I love Hank,” “Rheta plus Hank equals love,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” The book was written for boomers who share her memo-ry of simpler times ... “when Hank roamed the Earth,” the book jacket says.

A WISE OLD SOULJohnson identifies with Hank, and read-

ers will, too.Her fondness for Hank defines a cul-

ture that can’t shake its addiction to a man whose words still resound in lonesome re-frains in songs like  “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I Saw the Light” or “Kaw-Liga.” Sometimes, she cuts to the core, as when she refers to his drug and alcohol addictions: “Hank, an alcoholic since his teens, had been at least once to a Prattville dry-out sanitarium.”

But love conquers all, and it’s no differ-ent for Johnson, who quips, “Adults called him by his first name, and always added ‘Ol’ in front of Hank, as if he’d been 89 in-stead of 29 when he died. ‘Ol’ Hank’ was, of course, also what Hank called himself, and we all bought it. A wise old soul - that was Hank.”

“Hank lost his footing too soon, too young,” writes Johnson. “I think that with-out Hank we might have lost ours, too.  He lost his life that we might be saved, or something like that. A happy Hank would have been his gain and our loss. A happy man could not have written ‘I’m So Lone-some I Could Cry.’”

She pulls from her own grab bag of memories one telling anecdote that, for Johnson, reveals a Hank whose voice still sings for the unlucky in love.

“I remember one late night when my di-vorce was imminent, headed toward home from some distant (newspaper) assignment, riding alone in a Mustang meant for two. ... I could hear a country station through the static. I could hear Hank,” she writes. “For the first time, I fully appreciated how ol’ Hank articulated loss, better than anyone perhaps save Shakespeare, and in far fewer words. Hank had walked in my shoes.

“Misery not only loves company, she needs for the company to sit up late drinking with her, commiserat-ing, and reciting poetry. She needs for the company to sing her back home.

“And Han k did.” A

H a n k H u n g t h e M o o n … a n d Wa r m e d Our Cold, Cold Hearts is avail-able through your favorite local or online retailer, or from NewSouth  books, 334-834-3556, or at www.newsouthbooks.com. ISbN:  978-1-58838-284-9. Trade cloth, 192 pgs., $24.95. ebook ISbN: 978-1-60306-118-6. $9.99

Rheta  Grims-ley Johnson has covered t h e S o u t h f o r m o r e than three decades as a n e w s -p a p e r r e -

por ter and columnist . Her re -p o r t i n g h a s w o n n u m e r o u s awards, and in 1991 she was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. In 1986 Johnson was inducted into the Scripps Howard Newspapers Editorial Hall of Fame. Syndicated today by king Features, Johnson’s column appears in about 50 papers nationwide. She is the author of Poor Man’s Provence and Enchanted Evening Barbie and the Second Coming , both published by NewSouth books.

PHo

ToS

coU

RTES

Y A

LAbA

MA

DEP

T. o

F A

RcH

IVES

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 15

16 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Lewis Smith LakeLewis Smith Lake snakes across 21,200 acres of Walker, Win-

ston and Cullman counties. Deep, clear and blue, the lake drops to more than 300 feet in places. Just a few yards off some bluffs, water may drop to more than 70 feet.

The lake on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River almost resembles a giant octopus gripping part of the Bankhead Na-tional Forest. Numerous creek arms create more than 500 miles of timbered shorelines where rocks and points provide outstand-ing cover for largemouth and Kentucky spotted bass.

“Lewis Smith Lake is dif-ferent than any other Ala-bama lake,” says Brent Crow of North Alabama Guide Service (256-466-9965/www.northalabamabass.com), who grew up fishing the lake. “It’s a deep, clear mountain lake without much grass or woody cover. In the past few years, it produced at least one 11-pound largemouth and a couple of 10-pounders that I know about.”

Although the lake con-tains an excellent largemouth population, Lewis Smith Lake produced five world-record spotted bass over the years. Phil-lip C. Terry of Decatur caught the current state record spot, an 8-pound, 15-ounce fish, there in 1978.

“From Duncan Bridge back to Cullman is a good place to fish for spots,” Crow recommends. “A shaky head jig with a finesse worm is one of the best techniques to use on Lewis Smith. In the spring, topwater baits dominate. In the winter, a jig with a plastic trailer is one of the best baits.”

Neely Henry ReservoirNeely Henry Reservoir runs more than 77 miles down the

Coosa River and covers 11,235 acres near Gadsden. Created for hydroelectric power in 1966, Neely Henry probably holds more spotted bass in the 14- to 20-inch range than any other Alabama lake.

“Neely Henry breaks down into three portions,” explains Joel Hodges of Lake Neely Henry Guide Service (256-613-9056/www.jspotfishing.com.) “The upriver section is more riverine with

current. The midsection has a lot of ledges and grass. The lower end of the lake is com-pletely different. It’s the wid-est part of the lake with a lot of pockets.”

In a bass tournament, the winner generally needs to catch five bass totaling at least 19 to 20 pounds, Hodges said. The event big bass generally falls in the 5.5- to 6-pound range, but the lake occasionally produces 8-pound largemouth.

“In the summer, Caro-lina rigs work great on the

ledges,” Hodges advises. “Crankbaits are another good option. Around the grass, use frogs or swimming jigs. A lot of people flip the grass and laydowns with soft plastics.”

For spotted bass, most anglers throw soft plastics around river channel ledges or bridge pilings. Shad-colored crankbaits also work well.

“Neely Henry is basically a river with a few backwater creeks,”

The Alabama Bass Trail

More bass trail: Three Alabama lakes offer diverse fishing habitat For more information on the Alabama

Bass Trail, see www.alabamabasstrail.org.

By John N. Felsher

From shallow weed beds to deep rocky points and sheer bluffs, these three lakes in the Alabama Bass Trail offer bass anglers varied habitat to

tempt largemouths and giant spotted bass.

On March 8, Gov. Robert Bentley announced the Alabama Bass Trail to promote 11 of the best fishing waters in the state. This is the third of a four-part series focusing on those lakes and rivers.

Continued on Page 37

Mark Menendez, a professional bass angler, lands a bass he caught.  (PHoTo bY JoHN N. FELSHER)

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 17

While fishing at Lake Eufaula, Sam Williams shows off three bass he caught at the same time on an Alabama rig, which uses multiple baits on a single harness. (PHoTo bY JoHN N. FELSHER)

Kudzu’s southern invasion: Asian vine introduced to U.S. now covers millions of acresBy Emmett Burnett

Tom NelsoN of saralaNd remembers, “wheN I was a kId, The old folks Told me how To plaNT kudzu seeds: Throw IT aNd ruN!”

PLAnT kudzu nEAr your houSE; TWo MonThS LATEriT’S on your houSE. Six MonThS LATEr iT is your houSE.

Back in the 1930s, the U.S. gov-ernment distributed 80 million seedlings of a new Asian “won-

der vine.” Congress believed this vine was the answer to soil erosion and good livestock forage; plus, it was a lovely shade plant. And that’s how we got kud-zu, which we’ve been trying to give back ever since.

Kudzu vines can grow 12 inches a day, reaching 100 to 200 feet long. The tuberous roots reach depths of 12 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. “The weed that ate the South” encompasses one quarter million Alabama acres, thriving on vast rolling hills and urban parks, from the beaches of Gulf Shores to the mountains of Gadsden. It suffocates any other plant life in its path.

“During the 1930s, soil erosion was a huge state problem,” says Stephen F. Enloe, extension weed specialist at Auburn University. “We were looking for anything that could stop it.” Kudzu seemed like a good fit, so the oriental vine soon became one of Alabama’s first Chinese imports.

By the 1940s we were kudzu crazy. Kudzu clubs organized throughout the South. Alabama towns promoted festi-vals complete with “Miss Kudzu” Beauty Queen contests. Seeds were sold by mail order.

As an incentive to plant our new power plant, the government offered $8 an acre for growers to sow their farms in kudzu. By 1946, three million acres

were covered. By the 1950s, Congress, scientists, farmers and others collectively said, “Uh-oh.”

To our dismay, we realized kudzu was the gift that keeps on giving. “What we never learn,” says Enloe, is that “you can’t just uproot a plant (or animal) from its native habitat and transplant it some-where else without consequences.” China has insects, disease and other factors that keep native kudzu in check. The United States does not.

None of the natural enemies of Asian

kudzu accompanied our botanical visitor to Dixie. Once it was planted here, noth-ing held it back. Tom Nelson of Saraland remembers, “When I was a kid, the old folks told me how to plant kudzu seeds: Throw it and RUN!”

Kudzu is a survivor, spreading by seeds when its vines bloom. Tentacles drape over fences, trees, basically any-thing standing still. It also spreads on the ground by vines running along the soil, establishing root crowns that shoot new vines in all directions. It grows in almost

any soil type in any light conditions. And we discovered something about

kudzu the Chinese never told us (they were too busy laughing). Just because the vine is in the garden doesn’t mean it stays there. Yes, it helped prevent soil erosion, but then it smothered every-thing growing on the soil it saved.

Livestock food didn’t pan out either. “Ironically, cattle love kudzu and it is nu-tritious to some extent,” says Dr. Nancy L. Loewenstein, research fellow exten-sion specialist at Auburn University. “But

you can’t bale or harvest it.” The U.S Department of Ag-

riculture banned kudzu in 1962 from the list of cover plants per-mitted under the Agricultural Conservation Program. In 1970, the USDA listed kudzu as a com-mon pest weed. Government offi-cials proclaimed that just as kudzu was introduced to Alabama, it would be removed. Well, how’s that working for you?

But all is not lost. The mean green machine can be stopped. “But it’s not easy,” warns Dr. James H. Miller of the U.S. Forest Service in Auburn. “Ev-eryone in an infested area must work to kill it.” If four neighbors have kudzu and only three remove it, it does no good.

In small yards, kudzu can be mowed, pulled, and dug up. Larger areas require chemical treatments. “But it must be stopped,” adds Enloe. “Kudzu can cut power lines, cover road signs, and ob-scure highway visibility. It must be killed. You cannot ‘cut back’ kudzu.” A

18 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 19

Circling and Cycling theMobile Bay

By Cindy Ross

They (trails) snake through forests of dripping Spanish moss and alligator ponds

20 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

At Wintzell’s Oyster House in Mobile you can have your oysters “fried, stewed, or nude.” We have them

all ways, along with baskets of fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, bread pudding and key lime pie. We’re toasting to the begin-ning of a new adventure: a six-day circum-navigation of the Mobile Bay on bicycles.

Our family is here from Pennsylvania, along with friends from Michigan, and we’re traveling Alabama’s Coastal Connec-tion, a 130-mile scenic byway highlighting the resources and attractions of the south-ern tip of the state. In 2009, it was desig-nated a National Scenic Byway. You can drive it in a car, but we want to savor it, so we’re cycling. The visitor’s bureaus helped us tremendously with arranging our ac-commodations, securing our bikes and put new meaning to the phrase “South-ern hospitality.” We are not roughing it on this adventure, but stay in hotels, condos and inns. Our family’s gear fits in one bike trailer that we attach to a rental bike.

We are not planning terrific miles. Hard-core cyclists can do what we are do-ing in two days. But it isn’t just about the exercise; it’s mostly about the experience. It’s about visiting shipyards and watching them work on the actual Pirates of the Caribbean boat, and stopping in Bayou La Batre, the hometown of Forrest Gump’s buddy, Bubba (where the author lives). It’s also about strolling through beautiful Bellingrath Gardens among 100-year-old azalea bushes in full bloom.

We cross a long bay bridge to get to Dauphin Island and watch pelicans dive straight down like torpedoes to spear fish. On the island are monstrous ancient Indi-an mounds with trails that snake through giant live oaks with weeping moss.   

We visit Fort Gaines and listen to can-

nons being shot by reenactors. We also visit an Estuarium (an aquarium on the estuary), where we feed baby shrimp to the underside mouth of a helmet crab as it slowly pulls it in like a conveyor belt. We stroll in a gorgeous pine forest at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, stop at a road-side stand to eat boiled Cajun peanuts, and cycle along muddy bayous where old boats are turned upside down and swamped with marsh grass growing inside them.

Ferry rides are always fun and the Mo-bile Bay Ferry across to the Fort Morgan Peninsula is no exception. Once there, we hike through beautiful Bon Secour Nation-al Wildlife Refuge and look for rare pitcher plants and dig our toes in sand so white and sugary fine that you need sunglasses.

Lunch is at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, the scene of one of the largest music fes-tivals in the country. We dine on “Cuban cigars” of spicy rolled-up pork, and look at the hundreds of Pez containers, Troll dolls and metal lunch buckets decorating the walls.

There are 11 miles of paved multi-use trails called the Hugh Branyon Backcoun-try Trails in Gulf State Park that are a joy to ride through fast. They snake through forests of dripping Spanish moss and al-ligator ponds. In nearby Orange Beach, we visit the Indian & Sea Museum run by a family of seamen. Half the museum’s contents appear to be items they’ve caught, including what exploded out of 450-pound grouper fish. Our docent says that when they are brought up  quickly, the fish get the bends and

“their stomachs and eyes explode,” so ev-erything they ate and swallowed comes out whole.

We take a few hours off to switch up our sports and kayak in winding Graham Creek, which empties out onto Wolf Bay. A show of six pelicans dive-bomb fish, so close they startle us as they drop out of the sky only a few yards away. We stop for dinner at Tacky Jack’s, and as I eat my grouper’s avocado-encrusted flesh, I won-der what might have been in his gut at the moment of death.

With only two days left until we reach the head of the bay and complete our cir-cle, we admire how prettily tanned we all are, as well as already quite smart about the Alabama Gulf Coast/Mobile Bay. As we begin to complete our circle, we make a stop at the Weeks Bay Reserve to learn about “Hurricane Balls,” massive three-foot long balls of small sticks that cling together during a hurricane (much like tumbleweed) and grow in size as the wind tosses them.

Tonight in the pretty little town of Fairhope, where the downtown trees are completely covered in gold fairy lights, a white-haired man in a long trench coat pulls a pitch pipe out of his pocket and inserts it into his mouth. Suddenly, he belts out an Italian opera at the top of his lungs. We are serenaded throughout the course of our meal at Pinzone’s Italian Res-taurant, and conclude the journey with a toast to yet another successful adventure.

We’re leaving here with not only a vast storehouse of knowledge about

this beautiful and rich area, but also an appreciation for the wonderful people we’ve met along the way. A

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 21

22 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Outdoors

Summertime ideal for froggingBy John N. Felsher

On sweltering summer nights when even the air seems to sweat, hunt-ers armed only with spears and

headlights search the forbidding swamps, bayous, rivers, lakes and ditches of Alabama for bellowing beasts.

Occasionally, lights reflect a triangle of dots along a bare shoreline or vegetation patch where a bellowing predator lurks. On such summer nights, sportsmen pur-sue bullfrogs, cruising waterways while slowly scanning shorelines or lily patches with power-ful lights. When a light beam illuminates a frog, its white chin and eyes typically shine like two dots hovering over a bright cottony throat splotch.

At night, frogs sit on dark shorelines waiting to snatch any prey that might ven-ture too close. They eat almost anything they can catch and stuff into their mouths from insects to crawfish and even small fish or other animals. They even eat other frogs.

Bullfrogs can thrive in even the small-est habitat, as long as it remains reasonably wet with some access to dry ground or structure. Rivers or lake shorelines provide unlimited frog habitat good for hunting the voracious amphibians. Canals and small ditches coursing through agricultural areas can provide outstanding frog habitat. Small streams meandering through upland forests and ponds dotting the landscape can also hold numerous frogs.

Although most sportsmen glide along the shorelines of their favorite amphibian haunts by boat, froggers on foot may still jump into the action. As a boy, I used to walk along roadside ditches near my home -- some barely a few inches deep and dry part of the year. These “neighborhood frogs” frequently hid in pools of slightly deeper water at the base of culverts or

where two ditches intersected.Working in pairs, we caught our frogs by

hand. One person would shine lights into the frog’s eyes to temporarily blind it while the other tried to sneak close enough to grab it. Some particularly wary amphibians immediately jumped into the sanctuary of the culverts as I approached, but I usually caught enough frogs for a few meals.

Sometimes, we could tempt frogs sitting in roadside ditches by “cane poling” with cloth attached to small pan-fish hooks. “Cane pol-ing” for frogs required stealth and teamwork. One person, the “shin-er,” illuminated the frog and stood in front of it to capture the frog’s attention, but not too

close to spook it. Another person, the “an-gler,” approached the amphibian from be-hind with a rod or stick holding a length of fishing line “baited” with a strip of red cloth or string.

The “angler” dangled the hooked cloth a few inches from the frog’s face to simulate a flying insect. Cloth color probably really didn’t matter because a bullfrog can’t resist anything looking even somewhat edible if it appears within lethal range of its tongue. Typically, the green predator slashed out its tongue reflexively to swallow the dangling cloth and hook in one gulp. Of course, people can also use actual bait, such as a worm, cricket or moth, dangled in the same manner.

The state of Alabama does not regulate bullfrog harvests. Sportsmen may catch them by any means, all year long without limit and without buying special licenses. Besides catching them by hand or “cane poling,” many people snatch frogs with spring-loaded mechanical grabbers that grip the amphibians when a trigger touch-es them. Sportsmen may also use barbed

John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer and photographer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He’s written more than 1,700 articles for more than 117 magazines. He co-hosts a weekly outdoors radio show. Contact him through his website at www.JohnNFelsher.com.

Alabama Living welcomes new outdoors columnist

In this issue, Alabama Living welcomes outdoor columnist John N. Felsher. Each month, Felsher will contribute a column describing some aspect of outdoors rec-reation of interest to Alabama sportsmen.

The column may describe a hot saltwa-ter or freshwater fishing technique or des-tination, a preview of an upcoming hunting season, an outdoor adventure tale or some other Alabama outdoors topic. Felsher has already contributed several articles to this magazine describing the lakes of the Ala-bama bass Trail (see page 16). In this issue, he also tells how to catch bullfrogs in his column at right.

originally from Louisiana, Felsher now lives in Semmes where he works as a full-time freelance writer and photographer with more than 1,700 bylined articles for more than 117 magazines to his credit. Upon graduating cum laude from the Uni-versity of Southwestern Louisiana in 1984, Felsher served 12 years as an Air Force offi-cer. Returning to Louisiana in 1996, Felsher served as the outdoors editor for several newspapers in Louisiana and Arkansas. He currently co-hosts a weekly outdoors radio show on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile.

He is a member of the Professional out-door Media Association and Southeastern outdoor Press Association Ducks Unlimited named him its conservation Writer of the Year. The Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation named him their conservation communicator of the Year.

contact him through his website at www.JohnNFelsher.com.

Steven Felsher prepares to gig a frog while walking along a swampy shoreline.(PHoTo bY JoHN N. FELSHER)

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 23

Tables indicate peak fish and game feeding and migration times. Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour before and an hour after. Minor peaks, half-hour before and after. Adjusted for daylight savings time.

Minor Major Minor Majora.m. p.m.

AUG. 17 - - 06:22 07:22 12:52 18 01:22 07:07 07:52 01:22 19 01:52 07:52 08:22 01:52 20 08:37 02:37 02:37 08:37 21 09:37 03:22 03:07 09:07 22 10:52 04:07 03:37 09:37 23 - - 05:22 01:07 10:22 24 - - 06:37 03:37 11:22 25 - - 08:07 08:52 04:37 26 01:07 09:22 10:07 05:07 27 02:52 10:22 10:52 05:37 28 03:52 11:07 11:37 06:07 29 04:52 11:52 12:07 06:37 30 - - 05:37 06:52 12:22 31 - - 06:22 07:07 12:52

SEP. 1 07:07 01:07 07:37 01:22 2 07:52 01:37 01:52 07:52 3 08:22 02:22 02:07 08:07 4 09:07 02:52 02:37 08:22 5 10:07 03:22 02:52 08:52 6 11:22 04:07 02:52 09:07 7 - - 05:22 - - 09:22 8 - - 06:37 06:07 09:37 9 - - 08:07 09:52 04:52 10 01:22 09:22 10:22 05:07 11 02:52 10:07 10:52 05:22 12 03:52 10:37 11:07 05:37 13 04:52 11:22 11:37 05:52 14 05:37 11:52 12:22 06:07 15 - - 06:22 06:37 12:22 16 07:07 12:52 01:07 07:07 17 07:52 01:22 01:37 07:22 18 08:52 02:07 02:07 07:52 19 09:52 02:52 02:52 08:22 20 11:07 03:37 03:37 08:52 21 - - 04:52 01:22 09:37 22 - - 06:07 10:52 03:07 23 - - 07:52 09:22 03:52 24 01:22 09:07 10:07 04:22 25 03:07 10:07 10:37 04:52 26 04:22 10:52 11:22 05:22 27 05:07 11:22 05:37 11:52 28 05:52 11:52 05:52 12:07 29 - - 06:37 12:22 12:37 30 - - 07:07 12:52 06:37

spear-like gigs, archery equipment or nets. The flat end of a paddle can also stun a frog sitting in a weedy patch.

After catching frogs, drop them into a securely tied sack or a locking ice chest. With powerful legs, bullfrogs can jump long distances and may knock the top off an unlocked ice chest. Some people stick frogs on an old pin and hole fishing string-er by puncturing their chins and inserting the metal pin. A Southern delicacy, fried frog legs covered in spices taste so delicious that many restaurants serve them.

To clean a bullfrog, kill it and chop off its legs and feet. Then, remove the skin from the legs, leaving only tender white meat. A note of caution: Carefully remove the white or yellowish nerves that run down the length of the legs. Even severed, these nerves can cause frog legs to jump and twitch. Remember the experiments in high school biology lab?

In some cases, the disembodied legs might actually jump from the frying pan as soon as they hit hot grease. To really see some jumping action, try this trick on your unsuspecting mother or spouse -- but only once! A

Steven Felsher shows off a bullfrog he gigged near a swampy ditch. (PHoTo bY JoHN N. FELSHER)

Although the winter and spring of 2012 were incredibly mild, this summer has had some

scorching moments. That probably should not surprise us—we do live in Alabama, after all—but this summer’s record highs have made it downright dangerous to be in the garden at times. As the summer winds down this month, temperatures are still a long way from dropping, so take precautions if you’re working outside.

The best strategy to beat the heat is to work in the garden early in the day before the heat becomes intense. Working later in the afternoon or early evening is also an option, although the day’s heat may still be lingering that time of day.

During the hottest days of summer, do less labor-intensive chores or find chores that can be done in the shade. Be especially careful if you are mowing or using other motorized equipment because the heat of engines can make you even hotter. And don’t forget to take a break regularly and step inside to an air- conditioned space to cool off.

What you consume can also affect your body temperature. Drink plenty of cool, not necessarily cold, fluids, including good old plain water, water with lemon or cucumber added for some zest, or even sports drinks if you’re expecting to sweat a lot and

possibly lose electrolytes. Cool foods such as raw vegetables and fruit, popsicles and ice cream also can help keep you comfortable.

Wearing cool clothes is another way to beat the heat. That’s not to say you should strip down to your skivvies. In fact, baring too much skin can be dangerous in its own way, resulting in lots of scrapes and cuts, excessive exposure to biting insects or poisonous plants and, of course, UV rays. Instead, wear lightweight, light-colored, breathable pants, shorts and shirts and consider investing in clothes made of UV ray-blocking fabrics. (Don’t forget your sunscreen, either!)

Oh, and wear a loose-fitting, light-colored hat for sun protection. One with a full—preferably wide—brim is better than a baseball cap because it shields more of your skin, but flap hats, which provide a brim and extra material that covers your neck, are especially effective, if not especially fashionable.

Applying water to your skin as you work is another good idea. Keep a spray bottle filled with cold water handy to spritz your face, neck and wrists. Wear a wet handkerchief around your neck as well. And, heck, take a run through the sprinkler if you get a chance.

Most important of all, know the signs of heat stroke: Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches and dizziness are primary symptoms. Getting immediate treatment for a heatstroke can literally be a life or death situation.

In other words, be cool this summer! A

Keeping CoolBy Katie Jackson

katie Jackson is associate editor for the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. contact her at csmith@acesag.auburn.edu

August Gardening Tips

,keep an eye out for insects and disease on all ornamental and vegetable plants and treat for problems before they get out of hand.

,Harvest summer vegetables early in the morning when the flavor is usually at its height.

,Sow seeds of cool-season flowers such as snapdragons, dianthus, pansies, calendulas and other cool-season flowers in flats or in the garden for mid-to-late fall bloom.

,keep garden areas weeded and remove spent vegetable plants from the garden area to keep down on diseases and insect problems.

,Irrigate lawns if rainfall is scarce, using deep, long waterings so the water soaks in completely.

,begin sowing seeds for turnips, rutabagas, beans and peas for fall crops.

,Divide irises and plant new ones.

,Prune away old blackberry canes and add fertilizer.

,Select and begin to order fall bulbs.

,Use mosquito repellant and sunscreen when you’re out in the yard or garden.

power Plants

24 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 25

26 AUGUST 2012 Editor’s Note: Alabama Living’s recipes are submitted by our readers. They are not kitchen tested by a professional cook or registered dietician. If you have special dietary needs, please check with your doctor or nutritionist before preparing any recipe.

Alabama Recipes

Budget Friendly

Cook of the Month: Elouise B. Shaffer, Baldwin EMC

Low-Fat Turkey Basil Fried Rice 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds regular ground

turkey meat 2 cups chopped Spanish

onions 3 tablespoons fresh

minced garlic 2 fresh cayenne peppers,

deveined, seeded and finely minced (may use hot banana or Serrano peppers)

1 teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash

original 2 ½ tablespoons sugar

(may use Splenda but sugar is better)

1 full cup fresh julienned basil

6 -7 cups finished, perfectly cooked long grain white rice

In large skillet on medium heat put oil, add turkey and cook until browned. Add onions and let cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium high, taking care not to burn. Add pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let things on bottom of pan brown well, then add soy sauce, Mrs. Dash, sugar and salt. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add basil, cook 2 minutes. Turn off heat, leave on eye and gently mix in rice. Let meld for thirty minutes, even better for next day. (If at any time the bottom of pan is sticking or becomes too dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or broth. This will cook out without changing the flavor of dish.)

Ramen (it doesn’t get any cheaper than this) Noodles

1 pound ground beef (as we got more prosperous we upgraded to ground chuck)

2 3-ounce packages beef-flavored Ramen noodles

2 cups water Veggies of your choosing

(we like chopped onion, sautéed carrots, can of corn (drained), and small green peas).

However, whatever you like or whatever you have left over in pantry will work.

¼ teaspoon ground ginger (if you like spicy), optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat. Season with 1 packet seasonings. Remove from skillet and heat. In skillet, combine 2 cups water, noodles from both packets (broken up). Cover, simmer for 5-8 minutes or till pasta is done and water is gone. Add veggies, salt and pepper, and remaining seasoning packet. Heat through. Add cooked ground beef. Mix well. Can top with green onion slices before serving.

Joy Steincross, Baldwin EMC

I am always on the hunt for a good bargain. I love the “buy one get one free” items at grocery stores, and I usually read the inserts in the newspaper to see what is on sale before I head out to shop. One day I was in the checkout line and the

woman in front of me in line totalled more than $100 in groceries. Then she handed the cashier a stack of coupons. After a couple minutes of scanning, the woman ended up paying only $23. I asked her how she did it and she told me she works on her couponing

for four hours a day. Maybe I need a class on couponing, because I only saved $7.

Please send all submissions to: Recipe EditorP.O. Box 244014Montgomery, AL 36124

Or e-mail to: recipes@areapower. coopBe sure to include your address, phone number and the name of your electric cooperative.

You could win $50!If your recipe is chosen as the cook-of-the-

month recipe, we’ll send you a check for $50!

Upcoming recipe themes and deadlines are:september microwave meals deadline: July 15october Tailgating deadline: aug. 15November 30 minutes or less deadline: sept. 15

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 27Want to see the Cook of the Month recipe before the magazine gets to your door?Become a fan of Alabama Living on facebook.

Country-Style Ribs with Sauerkraut

1 pack of country-style ribs (boneless and cut pork ribs, usually 4-5 pounds)

1 32-ounce jar of Vlassic sauerkraut

1 16-18 ounce bottle of barbecue sauce, any flavor

Drain sauerkraut. Place ribs, sauerkraut and barbecue sauce into large (6-quart) crockpot and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally, breaking up pork. Serve warm. Serves 6. Dinner costs less than $10.

Angela Jacobson, Dixie EC

Dollar Stretcher Dinner

1 pound ground chuck or deer hamburger

1 onion, chopped 1 head of cabbage,

shredded

3 cups cooked rice Medium or mild picante

sauce

Cook ground chuck or deer hamburger, add onions and cook until translucent. Add cabbage, cover with lid and steam cabbage until desired consistency. Add cooked rice and stir. Serve topped with medium or mild picante sauce. To really stretch the recipe use less meat and more cabbage and rice.

Jamie Petterson, Tallapoosa River EC

Basic Macaroni Salad

4 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

½ cup mayonnaise 2-4 tablespoons pickle

relish ¼ cup onion, finely

chopped

2 tablespoons salad oil 1 teaspoon yellow

mustard 1 small jar pimientos,

chopped salt and pepper to

taste

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Stir well. If you need more juice add 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar. This can be made into a meal by adding 1 cup of cubed cheese, or 1 can of tuna, or 1 can of chicken, or leftover cut-up chicken, or cooked ground beef.

Maxine Day, Covington EC

1 pound ground beef 1 small onion, chopped 4 medium potatoes,

shredded

1 ½ - 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Add onion and cook until tender. Drain meat. While meat is browning, peel potatoes and keep in cold water. While meat is draining, dry and shred potatoes. In same skillet used to cook meat, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add shredded potatoes. When potatoes are brown, add ground beef. Add salt and pepper and stir well. When potatoes and meat are cooked thoroughly, turn heat off and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover with lid to help cheese melt, then serve (note: the cook uses a non-stick skillet for this recipe).

Donna Malone, Marshall-DeKalb EC

Hamburger Hash

1 10 ½-ounce can beef consommé, undiluted

1 10 ½-ounce can French onion soup, undiluted

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

½ cup chopped onion ½ cup golden raisins ½ cup chopped cashews

Combine first three ingredients along with two tablespoons of butter in a lightly-greased 10x6x2-inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed. Sauté onion, raisins, and cashews in 1 tablespoon butter until onion is tender. Sprinkle mixture over cooked rice.

Becky Terry, Joe Wheeler EMC

Rice Casserole

28 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

For the last decade, Barbara Evans has been hosting what many attendees call a “big family picnic.” Big is certainly right. The annual Okra Festival held each August draws

hundreds, even thousands, to a field behind Evans’ art gallery in Burkville in Lowndes County. Last year, more than 800 people enjoyed the event.

Yet it all began as a simple neighborhood party. Evans and her friend Alice Stewart came up with the idea after looking for a way to bring their tiny community together (Burkville’s population is around 300). “Alice loved to cook, and I love to paint, so we de-cided to hold a party that focused on local food and art,” she says. “The first get-together was in 1999, and it just kept getting bigger. We say that the first official Okra Festival was in 2001.”

The “party” kept adding more and more guests every year, and today, the festival is the biggest thing going in the area. “It’s really a celebration of our special little community,” Evans says. “The neatest thing about it is that you see all colors, classes and ages coming together. We eat together, we laugh together and we sweat together.”

She acknowledged the one drawback to holding the mostly outdoor event in August: “It’s pretty stinkin’ hot. But people really don’t seem to mind.” In fact, it was the especially hot, dry summer the year of the festival’s founding that inspired its name. “That year when Alice and I started it, it was boiling hot, and we were in a drought,” Evans says. “Everything around that had been green was burnt brown; the only thing left living was okra. I told Alice, ‘That okra is just like Southern people; it is tough, it keeps going, like the people of Lowndes County.’” Stewart agreed, and the Okra Festival was born.

Stewart passed away a few years ago, a victim of breast can-cer, but Evans has kept things going and growing as the event’s coordinator and host. The Festival takes place in and all around her art gallery, a renovated barn called Annie Mae’s Place. An-

nie Mae is the name that Evans paints under, and the walls of the space are cov-ered in her eclectic, colorful pieces as well as quilts and works by other local talents. During the Festival, artists from Lowndes and sur-rounding counties set up booths, of-fering visitors a true taste of the area’s culture and contrib-uting to the event’s

popularity. Jewelry, paintings, sculpture and more are up for grabs.But the main draw is the event’s namesake: the humble okra.

While our state is no stranger to food festivals (there are dozens held each year), the Okra Festival is a little different, according to Evans. “It is just not as commercial as some others have become,” she says.

Of the pounds and pounds of okra picked, cooked and then consumed at the Festival, most comes from fields right across the street from Annie Mae’s. Everything else edible at the event, whether okra-related or not, is from Lowndes County. Evans has kept it local.

“All of our food vendors are from the county,” she says. “And there’s a ton of food.” Reminiscent of the famous “Forrest Gump” scene, she rattled off a list. “We’ve got fried okra, pickled okra — which goes like crazy — gumbo with okra, okra wrapped in bacon, the okra casserole that Irene Williams makes, and I make okra pie.” Evans’ okra pie is actually okra quiche, but she shared a secret. “If I called it quiche, I don’t think anyone would buy it. Pie sounds better,” she says.

Complementing the okra dishes is a nice selection of South-ern comfort food classics, including barbecue and homemade ice cream. Plenty of children’s activities and live music from local jazz and blues musicians round out the afternoon of food and fellow-ship. “People describe it as a big family picnic,” Evans says. “And people come year after year because it’s laid back and there’s no admission.” Plus, there are no vendor fees; the artists and cooks keep everything they make.

There’s always something unexpected awaiting visitors to the Festival. At press time, Evans still hadn’t made up her mind about this year’s surprise. “We try to do something a little crazy,” she says. “One year we had camel rides, but I’m not sure yet what we’ll have up our sleeves this time.” Guess you’ll just have to go to the Festival to find out — and to eat your fill of farm-fresh okra. A

Worth the Drive

To help celebrate Alabama’s 2012 “year of Food,” each month freelance writer Jennifer kornegay will take you to an out-of-the-way restaurant worth the drive.

Burkville

Go & Eatokra FestivalSaturday, August 2511a.m.-Untilburkvillewww.okrafestival.org

Okra Festival draws crowds to BurkvilleBy Jennifer Kornegay

JenniferKornegay

okra Goes international

Since 2002, Amos kennedy, a famous Alabama poster artist, has been designing and printing posters to promote and commemorate the okra Festival. Each of kennedy’s posters is a unique work of art, hand-printed letterpress on chipboard using oil-based inks that are color-mixed by sight (not a formula), but his okra Fest series garnered a whole lot of attention. A few of the posters have made it to the Smithsonian and even all the way to Europe. kennedy will be at the Festival this year, creating his posters in person.

August18 • Dothan, Dothan Indian Artifact Show WestGate Gym, 501 Recreation Road. Indian artifact vendors displaying pipes, bowls, spears, arrowheads, clothing, jewelry, books and educational displays. Flint Knapping demo, raffle and refreshments. Contact Troy Futral at 334-821-5823 or e-mail dothanshow@yahoo.com www.dothanshow.com

18 • Russellville, Antique Tractor Show in conjunction with Watermelon Festival – 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Trophies and prizes Admission: Free Contact Mike Powell at 256-332-7652

18 • Priceville, Priceville’s Annual Cruise In Veterans Park, 520 Hwy 67 South – 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Family entertainment with Natchez Trace performing, free kids area, food and refreshments. Contact Priceville Municipal Building at 256-355-5476 ext. 102 or kellydean@townofpriceville.com.25 & 26 • Tensaw, 199th Anniversary of Fort Mims – 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. 1813 re-enactments between settler, militia and Indians. Contact Claudia Campbell at 251-533-9024 or visit www.fortmims.org25 • Burkville, Alabama Okra Festival 278 Harriet Tubman Road, Burkville 11 a.m. - until. Family-friendly event with live music, food, local produce and preserves, arts and crafts, kids activities.28 • Troy, A Taste of Pike County United Way Chili Cook-Off Park Memorial United Methodist Church – 5:30 - 7 p.m. Admission: Free; Chili Taster Ticket: $1 (receives bowl of chili and a vote ticket for their choice of the best chili) To enter the cook-off and for additional info contact: Jane Thrash, 334-372-5915 or 334-344-0859

september3 • Ider, Mule Day Ider Park, Hwy 75 just north of Ider 4-way stop. Parade at 9:30 a.m., gates open immediately following parade Mull pull, Draft Horse show, car show, arts and craft vendors, children’s games, food vendors, homemade ice cream, BBQ and much more Admission: $2, Children 5 and under free Contact Town Clerk, Jackie at 256-657-4184 (Mon.-Thur. 8-4)7 & 8 • Cullman, Annual 10 Mile Community Yard Sale County Road 1545 (Goldridge Road) Contact: 256-737-0604 or for a map e-mail: mjhamp5@aol.com. 8 • Rosalie, Old Timers Day 13th Annual Music Festival –10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Handmade crafts, gospel, bluegrass, country and golden oldie rock music. Serving country cooked plates.Admission: Free Contact Wayne Barrentine at 256-605-4991 or e-mail rosaliecommunitycenter@gmail.com. www.freewebs.com/rosaliecommunitycenter

15 • Arab, Arab Community Fair Arab City Park, 232 City Park Dr. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fair is an all-day event with arts and craft vendors, music, performances and food. Admission: Free Contact: Juanita Edmondson at 256-586-6397 or topofthehill@otelco.net www.arabcity.org/historiccomplex.htm

28-30 • Estillfork, 12th Annual Ole Timey Craft & Bluegrass Festival Paint Rock Valley Lodge & Retreat, 4482 County Road 9 Friday, 1-9; Saturday 9-6; Sunday 10-5 Contact Eddie or Vivian Prince at 256-776-9411 or theviv@bellsouth.net.

Around Alabama

To place an event, mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; e-mail to calendar@areapower.coop. (Subject Line: Around Alabama) or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

Fyffe, UFO Days. (Unforgettable Family Outing) August 25

Bring the family for an out-of -this-world experience at the eighth annual Fyffe UFO Days. With live music, arts and crafts, activities for the kids, antique tractors and cars and more, this will truly be an Unforgettable Family Outing. Gates open at 9 a.m. and admission is free, the entertainment is free, even the parking is free. Come out to the Fyffe Town Park located on Graves Street, adjacent to Fyffe School.

The first sighting was on Feb. 11, 1989 with the second occurring the following night. In those two nights in the small town of Fyffe, Alabama, with a population of less

than 2,000, more than 50 people called the police department to report strange lights and shapes in the sky. There was no disputing that the credible witnesses, including the police officers, saw something unexplainable. As a matter of fact, it was so believable that the Alabama Legislature made Fyffe the official UFO Capital of Alabama in April 13, 1989.

The UFO (Unforgettable Family Outing) Days Festival began in 2005 as a way of remembering that pivotal time in Fyffe’s history. It was also brought about as a way to give families an inexpensive way to go

out and have fun together. As the sightings themselves drew a crowd to Fyffe, now so does the festival, having become one of the biggest and best festivals of DeKalb County and Sand Mountain. And you can still see flying objects over Fyffe as hot air balloons have become a vital part of the festivities over the years.

Vendors are welcome. Visit www.fyffecitylimits.com for the application.

Contact Brandi Clayton at Fyffe Town Hall at 256-623-7298 or e-mail fyffetownclerk@farmerstel.com.

Alabama Living August 2012 29

Like Alabama Living on facebook ®

Follow Alabama Living on Twitter® @Alabama_Living

Scan this code with your phone and join Alabama Living on Facebook.

Aug12_Page29.indd 1 7/19/12 1:01 PM

30 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Market place

Miscellaneous

FREE bookS / DVDS – SooN government will enforce the “Mark” of the beast as church and state unite! Let bible reveal. The bible Says, Pob 99, Lenoir city, TN 37771 – thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com, (888)211-1715

cHURcH FURNITURE – DoES YoUR church need pews, pulpit set, baptistery, steeple or windows? big sale on new cushioned pews and upholstery for hard pews – (800)231-8360 or www.pews1.com

PUT YoUR oLD HoME MoVIES, SLIDES oR PHoToS on DVD – (888)609-9778 or www.transferguy.com

SAWMILL EXcHANGE: NoRTH American’s largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations. over 800 listings. THE place to sell equipment. (800)459-2148, www.sawmillexchange.com

TRUE SoUTHERN cookING AT ITS bEST! Southern cooking With Andy bedwell is a cookbook with over 450 recipes passed down from a family of fabulous cooks.  The most unique feature of this cookbook is “Andy’s Notes” about her Southern family recipes.  The cookbook also includes the history and front cover photo of the civil War blount Plantation. This is a cookbook collector’s Dream! $20 per book- $5 shipping - Andy bedwell, 705 coosa Drive, Gadsden, AL 35901 - email:  Andrbdw@aol.com

NEW AND USED STAIR LIFT ELEVAToRS – car lifts, Scooters, Power Wheelchairs, Walk-in Tubs – covers State of Alabama – 23 years (800)682-0658

HANDMADE AMERIcAN GIRL DoLL cLoTHES FoR SALE – (985)641-1512, beloyd@bellsouth.net

18X21 cARPoRT $695 INSTALLED – (706)383-8554

INTERIoR WooDS: cYPRESS, cEDAR, HEART PINE, PoPLAR, ASH - www.howardcustomlumber.net (251)847-2334

DIVoRcE MADE EASY – UNcoNTESTED, LoST SPoUSE, IN prison or aliens. $179.00 our total fee. call 10am to 10pm. 26 years experience – (417)443-6511

METAL RooFING $1.79/LINFT – FAcToRY DIREcT!  1ST qUALITY, 40yr Warranty, Energy Star rated. (price subject to change)  706-383-8554

HELP LINES FoR ALAbAMA FAMILIES - MoRTGAGE bEHIND??? call (888) 216-4173 bANkRUPTcY ADVIcE??? call (877) 933-1139 oWE bAck TAXES??? call (877) 633-4457 DIScoUNTED DENTAL call (888) 696-6814 cREDIT ScoRE coAcH call (888) 317-6625 NoNPRoFIT DEbT HELP call (888) 779-4272 careconnectusa.org A Public benefit org

WALL bEDS oF ALAbAMA / ALAbAMA MATTRESS oUTLET – SHoWRooM collinsville, AL – custom built / Factory Direct - (256)490-4025, www.andyswallbeds.com, www.alabamamattressoutlet.com

AERMoToR WATER PUMPING WINDMILLS – windmill parts – decorative windmills – custom built windmill towers - call Windpower (256)638-4399 or (256)638-2352

cUSToM MAcHINE qUILTING bY JoYcE – bring me your quilt top or t-shirts. Several designs available – (256)735-1543

kEEP PoND WATER cLEAN AND FISH HEALTHY with our aeration systems and pond supplies. Windmill Electric and Fountain Aerators. Windpower (256)638-4399, (256)899-3850

Business Opportunities

PIANo TUNING PAYS – LEARN WITH American Tuning School home-study course – (800)497-9793

START YoUR oWN bUSINESS! MIA bella’s Gourmet Scented Products. Try the best! candles / Gifts / beauty. Wonderful income potential! Enter Free candle Drawing - www.naturesbest.scent-team.com

EARN $75,000/YR PART-TIME IN THE livestock or equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. classroom or home study courses available. (800)488-7570

Vacation Rentals

GULF SHoRES / FT MoRGAN bEAcH HoUSE - 3/3 . A short walk to the Gulf of Mexico - WINTER rental $9oo.oo A Month, plus half of utilities – Summer rental $850.00 a week, sleeps 6 adults – call (251)540-7078.

bEAUTIFUL coNDoS / GULF SHoRES, GATLINbURG AND DAYToNA bEAcH…See pictures and get details at www.funcondos.com or call Jennifer in Scottsboro at 256-599-4438.

GULF SHoRES PLANTATIoN - GULF view, beach side, 2 bedrooms / 2

baths, no smoking / no pets. owner rates (205)339-3850

PIGEoN FoRGE, TN cAbINS – PEAcEFUL, coNVENIENT SETTING – (251)649-3344, (251)649-4049, WWW.hideawayprop.com

oRANGE bEAcH coNDo, 3bR/3bA; 2,000 Sq.FT.; beautifully decorated; gorgeous waterfront view; boat slips available; great rates - owner rented (251)604-5226

PET FRIENDLY PIGEoN FoRGE cAbINS - Affordable prices, great amenities - (865) 712-7633

GULF SHoRES coNDo - 2bR/1bA - AFFoRDAbLE RATES & bEAcHFRoNT - call (256-507-1901) or email brtlyn@yahoo.com

cAbIN IN MENToNE – 2/2, bRoW view, hottub – For rent $100/night or Sale $199,000 – (706)767-0177

GATLINbURG – DoWNToWN LUXURY cREEkSIDE coNDo – 2bR / 2bA, sleeps 6 – aubie12@centurytel.net, (256)599-5552

GREAT LAkE LIVING - 3bR/2bA, 2 satelite TV’s, deep water, covered dock - Pictures www.vacationsmithlake.com. $75 night - (256) 352-5721, annawisener@yahoo.com

PIGEoN FoRGE, TN: $89 - $125, 2bR/2bA, hot tub, air hockey, fireplace, swimming pool, creek – (251)363-1973, www.mylittlebitofheaven.com

kATHY’S oRANGE bEAcH coNDo – 2bR/2bA, NoN-SMokING. bEST rates beachside! Family friendly – (205)253-4985, www.kathyscondo.eu.pn

GATLINbURG ToWNHoUSE oN bASkINS cREEk! GREAT RATES! 4bR/3bA, short walk downtown attractions! (205)333-9585, hhideaway401@aol.com

GATLINbURG / PIGEoN FoRGE – 2 and 3 bEDRooM LUXURY cAbINS – Secluded, home theatre room, hot tub, game room – www.wardvacationproperties.com - (251)363-8576

PANAMA cITY bEAcH coNDo – oWNER RENTAL – 2bR / 2bA, wireless internet, just remodeled inside and outside – (334)790-0000, jamesrny@graceba.net, www.theroneycondo.com

GATLINbURG, TN – FoND MEMoRIES start here in our chalet – Great vacation area for all seasons – Two queen beds, full kitchen, 1 bath, Jacuzzi, deck with grill – 3 Night Special - call (866)316-3255, Look for us on FAcEbook / billshideaway

ALAbAMA RIVER LoTS / MoNRoE coUNTY, AL – Lease / Rent – (334)469-5604

HELEN GA cAbIN FoR RENT – SLEEPS 2-6, 2.5 bATHS, FIREPLAcE, Jacuzzi, washer/dryer – (251)948-2918, email jmccracken@gulftel.com

PIGEoN FoRGE, TN – 3 bEDRooM, 1.5 bath house for rent $75.00 a night – call bonnie at (256)338-1957

GULF SHoRES / FT. MoRGAN / NoT A coNDo! The original “beach House” on Ft. Morgan peninsula – 2bR/1bA – Wi-Fi, pet friendly, non-smoking – $895/wk, (256)418-2131, www.originalbeachhouseal.com

GULF SHoRES - 3bR / 2bA oN bEAcH – W/D, 4 queen beds, sleeps 8 - VRbo#354680 Gulf Shores East – (251)979-3604

AFFoRDAbLE bEAcHSIDE VAcATIoN coNDoS – Gulf Shores & orange beach, AL. Rent Direct from christian Family owners. Lowest Prices on the beach – (251)752-2366, (205)556-0368, (205)752-1231

PANAMA cITY bEAcH: 1bR / 1bA coNDo on Thomas Drive - $500 week – (334)798-4249, orglancer33@yahoo.com

GULF SHoRES coNDo - 4 MILES from beach or outlet mall, 2bR / 2bA, pet friendly, http://www.vrbo.com/396334, (251)213-0688.

GULF SHoRES coNDo – 1bR/1bA, LG pool, beach access, $95/night, $50 cleaning fee, call bernie at (251)404-5800, Email berniebandy@gmail.com

LoGcAbIN VAcATIoN – WEEkEND RENTAL – Hottubs, king beds – Mentone and Guntersville – (256)657-4335, www.mentonelogcabins.com, www.vrbo.com/404770

TWo GULF SHoRES PLANTATIoN coNDoS – Excellent beach views – owner rented (251)223-9248

GATLINbURG, TN cHALET - 3bR/3bA baskins creek – Pool, 10 minute walk downtown, Aquarium, National Park – (334)289-0304

FT. WALToN bEAcH HoUSE – 3bR / 2bA – best buy at the beach – (205)566-0892, mailady96@yahoo.com

PENSAcoLA bEAcH coNDo – GULF front – 7th floor balcony – 3bR / 2bA, sleeps 6, pool – (850)572-6295 or (850)968-2170

oRANGE bEAcH, AL coNDo – SLEEPS 4, GULF AND RIVER amenities – Great Rates – (228)369-4680

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 31

How To Place a Line Ad in Marketplace

Closing Deadlines (in our office):

October 2012 – deadline – Aug. 25

November 2012 – deadline – Sept. 25

December 2012 – deadline – Oct. 25

-Ads are $1.65 per word with a 10 word minimum and are on a prepaid basis

-Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites are considered 1 word each

-Ads will not be taken over the phone. You may email your ad to hdutton@areapower.com or call (800)410-2737 ask for Heather for pricing.

-We accept checks, money orders and all major credit cards

Mail ad submission along with a check or money order made payable to ALABAMA LIVING, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124 – Attn: Classifieds.

GULF SHoRES bEAcHSIDE coNDo available April thru December – 2bR / 2bA, WiFi, No smoking / No pets – call owner (256)287-0368, cell (205)613-3446

ALWAYS THE LoWEST PRIcE $65.00 – bEAUTIFUL FURNISHED MoUNTAIN cabin near Dollywood, Sevierville, TN – (865)453-7715

GULF SHoRES coNDo – 1bR, sleeps 4, Gulf-front – owner (251)342-4393, www.brett-robinson.com, Unit I104E

GULF SHoRES bEAcH HoUSE – NIcE 2 bedroom – Summer $995 week, Fall $800 week – (251)666-5476

MENToNE, AL – LookoUT MoUNTAIN – billiard table, Jacuzzi, spacious home, sleeps 14 – www.duskdowningheights.com, (850)766-5042, (850)661-0678.  

GULF SHoRES / GATLINbURG RENTAL– Great Rates! (256)490-4025 or www.gulfshoresrentals.us, www.gatlinburgrental.us

GULF SHoRES – cRYSTAL ToWER coNDo - 2 bedroom/ 2 bath, Great ocean View - www.vrbo.com #145108 - call owner (205)429-4886, crystaltower607@gmail.com

FT. WALToN, FL coNDo – 1bR, sleeps 6 – Gulfside – owner (251)342-4393, www.seaspraycondos.com, Unit 105A

GULF SHoRES coTTAGE – WATERFRoNT, 2 / 1, PET FRIENDLY – RATES AND cALENDAR oNLINE http://www.vrbo.com/152418, (251)223-6114

MoUNTAIN cAbIN, WEARS VALLEY NEAR PIGEoN FoRGE – All conveniences, 3 / 2 – brochure available – (251)649-9818

GULF SHoRES PLANTATIoN coNDo: 2bR / 2bA, No Smoking / No Pets – $814 / week + $150 refundable deposit – email seelypartners@yahoo.com, (740)815-7768

Real Estate Sales/Rentals

WE PURcHASE SELLER FINANcED NoTES, Trust Deeds, contracts for Deed, commercial / business Notes and more, Nationwide! call (256)638-1930 or (256)601-8146

LAkE GUNTERSVILLE – APPRoXIMATELY 3.25 AcRE LoT IN cEDAR coVE SUbDIVISIoN – deeded enclosed boathouse w/ electric lift and remote control roll up door – on Mink creek and Main River – $115,000.00 or obo – (205)424-5543, (205)565-1545

FoR SALE bY oWNER – oRANGE bEAcH coNDo oN oLE RIVER w/deeded boatslip – 3bR / 3bA, fully furnished – owner occupied, never rented – (256)353-6847 or (256)654-6847 - $329k

412 +/- Ac PRIME HUNTING LAND IN coNEcUH coUNTY - managed Stewardship Forest, good road system, house, barn, pond, 100+ Ac merchantable timber (no contracts) - Inquiries to (334)319-2251 or bobnorman67@gmail.com

GULF SHoRES coNDoS - 4.7 MILES from beach, starting prices $54,900 - www.PeteonThebeach.com, click colony club – (251)948-8008

LAND FoR SALE IN cLARkE & WASHINGToN coUNTIES - 277 acres on dead lake with duck pond/power/hardwood - WWW.SkIPPERINS.coM oR cALL JoE SkIPPER (251)769-8044

Travel

cARIbbEAN cRUISES AT THE LoWEST PRIcE – (256)974-0500 or (800)726-0954

Musical Notes

PIANoS TUNED, REPAIRED, refinished. box 171, coy, AL 36435. 334-337-4503

PLAY GoSPEL SoNGS bY EAR - 10 lessons $12.95. “LEARN GoSPEL MUSIc”. chording, runs, fills - $12.95 both $24. Davidsons, 6727AR Metcalf, Shawnee Missions, kansas 66204 – (913)262-4982

Education

FREE bIbLE coRRESPoNDENcE coURSE – write to 23600 Alabama Highway 24, Trinity, AL, 35673

bEcoME AN oRDAINED MINISTER correspondence study. Founded in 1988. Free info. Ministers for christ outreach, 6630 West cactus b-107-767, Glendale, Arizona 85304. http://www.ordination.org

WWW.2HoMEScHooL.oRG – YEAR round enrollment. Everybody homeschools. It is just a matter of what degree – (256)653-2593 or website

Critters

cHIHUAHUA PUPPIES. TINY, registered, guaranteed healthy, raised indoors in loving home, vet records and references. (256)796-2893

DIXIE k9 – NoW oFFERING HIGH PERFoRMANcE GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPIES FoR SALE to the general public.  Healthy pups from great bloodlines.  Act now! call Danny in Atmore for details: (251) 379-5755

ADoRAbLE Akc YoRkY PUPPIES – EXcELLENT bLooD LINES – (334)301-1120, (334)537-4242, bnorman@mon-cre.net

32 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Market place

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 33

34 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

Our Sources Say

TVA is committed to serving the Alabama region and meeting all its electric power needs. TVA’s service area in Alabama covers 17 percent of the state, providing more than 23 billion kWhs. TVA also has six operating locks serving 60 Alabama ports and terminals. There are multiple generation facilities in Alabama: Wilson, Wheeler, and Guntersville hydro dams, Colbert and Widows Creek coal-fired plants, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, and Colbert natural gas turbine facility.

There are 2,700 TVA employees in Alabama and 4,600 retirees and families. In 2011, TVA paid $116 million in tax equivalent payments, and the Economic Development group helped create or retain 7,300 jobs. TVA purchased close to $200 million in material and services in Alabama in 2011, and partners with its distributor customers to offer various services to their customers, including the Comprehensive Services program and energy efficiency incentives.

Alabama, along with all TVA distributor partners, will reap the benefits of our renewed vision to be one of the nation’s leading providers of low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020. We will continue our efforts to protect the environment, while maintaining a high degree of reliability. Our plan to reach our goal for 2020 will be implemented and monitored by TVA’s Integrated Resource Plan. This plan will guide our power system planning, balance costs and risks to benefit all stakeholders, allow flexible responses to change, and reduce environmental impacts.

TVA has developed a framework for the future which involves increasing our nuclear generation. Watts Bar 2 will add 1,100 MW to the current 6,700 MW portfolio. Construction at Bellefonte will not begin until fuel is loaded at Watts Bar 2, but approximately 550 employees and contractors are already on site. The in-service date for Bellefonte will be driven by customer need. All of the lessons learned and safety modifications from Fukushima will be incorporated at Bellefonte.

John Sevier adds 880 MW of natural gas to the current 3,000 MW combined cycle portfolio, in addition to 5,200 MWs of combined turbine capacity.

Competitive priced renewables also have a place in our framework for the future. By using various sources, including hydroelectric, wind, solar, and biomass, TVA envisions adding a total of 6,325 MW of capacity.

Energy Efficiency and Demand Response (EEDR) is a part of TVA’s vision because it helps TVA and the customer. It is not subject to fuel price risk or carbon control risk. It is clean, and has no potential costs associated with emissions or emission clean up. By investing in EEDR, we are creating jobs and stimulating the local economy. The EEDR programs make economic sense by helping customers manage their energy budget by lowering their power bills.

TVA is committed to providing low-cost, reliable power, and improving the quality of life in Alabama. Together, TVA and rural electric cooperatives are making a difference in the communities they serve. A

Waymon Pace is general manager, customer service of the Tennessee Valley Authority in Alabama.

TVA’s Commitment to Alabama

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 35

36 AUGUST 2012 www.alabamaliving.coop

If you were to ask people what they think the greatest problem facing the world is today, you would get many different answers. If you asked a senior citizen about the future of Medicare, they might answer that health care is the greatest problem. Others might say our government’s debt level is worse. Someone from a third world, central African country would likely say that finding enough for their family to eat each day and using animal dung or wood fires to heat their huts and cook their food would be the greatest problem. Someone who attended the United Nations Environmental Summit in Rio de Janeiro might respond that our greatest problem is global warming caused by anthropogenic (man-made) carbon emissions.

People’s views of problems always come from different perspectives. For instance, global warming is responsible for 27,000 deaths each year if we assume all deaths from floods, droughts, storms, heat waves and freezing were exclusively caused by global warming (which no one does). By comparison, lack of clean drinking water and sanitary disposal of waste kills almost three million people in third world countries each year.

Inhalation of smoke and pollution of dung and wood fires kills another two million people. Another million people die from outdoor air pollution caused by wood fires. In total, about six million people die each year from old-fashioned pollution – more than 200 times as many that die from the worst-case effects of global warming.

Yet global warming gets 100 times more press and notoriety than other types of pollution. The Sierra Club promotes its “Beyond Coal” and “Beyond Natural Gas” campaigns to replace fossil fuel-fired electric generation with much more expensive wind and solar generation. The Obama Administration backed the Waxman-Markey Bill that would have reduced U.S. carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 to mitigate the effects of global warming. Other so-called experts warn that we have reached an environmental tipping point, and the world as we know it cannot survive if we don’t immediately curb our appetites for carbon-based energy.

Celebrity opponents of carbon emissions and global warming offer a more frivolous approach. Al Gore advocates tree planting, properly inflating tires, riding bikes and car pooling as world-saving solutions. Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite singers, says we should limit ourselves to a single square of toilet paper. To be clear, if global warming is truly a problem, inflating tires, planting trees and using one square of toilet paper will not save us.

Why do so many adopt global warming as their issue instead of the health of third world countries? The U.N.’s “Sustainable Energy for All” purports to provide all people of the world access to energy but places most of its efforts on “green” technologies like solar power. Solar power is certainly better than no power at all, but it ends when the sun goes down. Why not consider fossil-fuel solutions to these pressing problems? The simple answer is that U.N. elites don’t consider fossil fuels to be an appropriate solution for third world problems because of global warming. Providing a weak, expensive form of power like solar power when a strong, affordable supply of fossil-fueled power is available is like telling those without bread to eat cake.

Dr. John Christy, the Alabama State Climatologist, a climate scientist, former missionary in Kenya and global warming skeptic, has one of the better statements about the lack of energy, “Without affordable energy, life is brutal, hard and short.”

Finally and more importantly, it is not as much fun to do something tangible for the poverty-stricken people in Kenya as protest for the welfare and health of future prosperous American generations. And doing something for people dying today is just hard work.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great month.

(Ideas for this article came from an article by Mr. Bjorn Lombard published recently in The Wall Street Journal.) A

Our Sources Say

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative

Your Worst Problem?

Alabama Living AUGUST 2012 37

Crow explains. “For spots, I recommend shaky heads or small crankbaits. A jig is another good spot bait. When the water runs through the dam, the upriver parts of the lake can be really good for spots.”

Lake EufaulaDating to 1962, Lake Eufaula garnered

an early reputation as the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World.” Officially dubbed Walter F. George Reservoir, the impound-ment covers 45,181 acres along the Chat-tahoochee River and straddles part of the Alabama-Georgia border.

Over the years, Lake Eufaula produced many double-digit largemouth. It still produces occasional double-digit fish, in-cluding at least one 12-pounder in 2009. Generally, spots comprise about 25 to 30 percent of any bass catch.

In late winter or early spring, fish hang on the creek channel edges. In the sum-

mer and fall, many anglers fish matted vegetation. Later in the summer, tar-get deep creek channels, humps and ledges with Carolina rigs or deep-run-ning crankbaits. In the fall, throw top-waters, spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

“During the spring, the lily pads hold a lot of fish,” says Sam Williams of Hawks Fishing Guide Service (334-687-6266/www.hawksfishingguide-service.com). “Fall is one of the best times to fish Lake Eufaula. When the shad are up, the bass are up. Find bait-fish and you’ll find bass.”

Many anglers fish Cowikee Creek near Lakepoint State Park Resort (334-687-8011/www.alapark.com/LakePointRe-sort). Not far from where Cowikee Creek enters the main channel, the Bird Island area can hold big bass. Some other better creeks include Reeves Branch, White Oak Creek, Sandy Branch, Pataula, Hardridge, Thomas Mill, Barbour, Chewalla and Chenyhatchee creeks.

Since the lake straddles the Alabama-Georgia line, anglers can fish in the main waters with a license from either state. For Eufaula area information, call the Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce at 800-524-7529, or see www.eufaulachamber.com.

For more information on these lakes and others on the Alabama Bass Trail, see www.alabamabasstrail.org. A

Stephen Browning, a professional bass angler, lands a bass he caught near a grass bed while fishing with his son Beau.  (PHoToS bY JoHN N. FELSHER)

Continued from Page 16

Submit Your Images!oCToBer TheMe: We had so many great photos of pooches come in that we felt compelled to run addi-tional images, so October’s theme is “My dog II.” Send Color PhoToS wiTh A lArge SelF Ad-dreSSed STAMPed enveloPe To: Photos, Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL, 36124.ruleS: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos.deAdline For oCToBer: August 31

My dog

1. “roscoe” and “Buddy” admire squirrels submitted by Fred and Sandra braswell, Wetumpka

2. Shelby handley and her pal “gravy” submitted by chris and Angie Handley, clanton

3. Army Specialist Joseph edward and his bulldog “georgia” submitted by Donna Richards, Gaylesville

4. “i got it!” “norma Jean” in action submitted by Wesley Mccravy, Vinemont

5. “ruby” and “Pop” take a nap submitted by Suzanne Palicki, Mesick

6. Madison and “Taco” submitted by Jean Thompson, Greenville

7. “winston” submitted by katie brown, Arab8. “Bo” submitted by barry and Nancy

kimbrough, Mount Hope

Alabama Snapshots

4

1

5

7

2

3

6

8

AREA’s 7th

Quilt Competition

What is it? • Acompetitionforallcooperative

handworkers to make squares for the 7th AREA cooperative quilt

• Wewouldliketorepresentasmanycooperatives as possible.

• Winnerswillbegivenstatewiderecognition and have their square included in the quilt.

PARTICIPATION IS FREE!For information and guidelines,please complete the form below

and mail or fax it to:

Linda PartinAlabama Rural Electric Association

P.O. Box 244014Montgomery, AL 36124

Fax: 334-215-2733

or e-mail: lpartin@areapower.com

or visit the link at www.areapower.coop

Judges for thesixth quiltcompetition

CALLING ALL QUILTERS

I would like toparticipate in AREA’s

7th Quilt Competition.Please send guidelines and information to:

Name _______________________________________

Address _____________________________________

City _________________________________________

State ________ Zip __________________________

Phone _______________________________________

E-mail _______________________________________

Cooperative __________________________________ (Listed on cover of magazine)

The theme for this quilt is‘spotlight on alabama’s official state symbols’