Off The Porch with Judy and Don Self

Birding the Old Lock 1 Park and Bashi Creek Public Use Area, Clarke County, Alabama.

With spring migration winding down and the breeding season in full swing, May is a great time to bird southwest Alabama's floodplain forests.  Two of our favorites are Old Lock 1 Park and Bashi Creek Public Use Area.  Both are maintained by the US Corps of Engineers (384 Resource

Old Lock 1 Park

Old upper lock entrance structures; note vegetation filling the middle of the old meander above the lock

Pavilion and restrooms in the old pecan orchard

Management Rd, Demopolis, AL 36732; phone: 334-289-3540) and both provide excellent access to the backwaters of the Tombigbee River.

Directions to Old Lock 1 Park: From intersection of US Highway 43 and Alabama Highway 69 at Jackson, go north on Alabama 69 for 8.4 miles (mile marker 9.1), then left (west) on Old Lock 1 Road for 3.5 miles to the park entrance; park in the parking area by the pavilion and restrooms.

Description:  The park facilities are located in an old pecan orchard with hardwood swamp on its south side.  Most of the park's acreage is however contained within the core of an old meander north of the old lock and dam structures.  Mature cottonwoods cover much of the meander core while willows and some small cypress occur at the water's edge.  Birding is excellent year round and spring and fall can bring a wide variety of migrants.  White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Yellow-throated Vireos, Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Indigo Buntings, and Orchard Orioles nest in the area around the facilities.  While Yellow-billed Cuckoos, American Redstarts, Prothonotary Warblers, and Northern Parulas seem to prefer the river margin.  Winter brings Bald Eagles, House Wrens, and Orange-crowned Warblers.   Ospreys and Caspian Terns frequently fish the waters below the dam during migration.
 

The birding experience is enhanced by canoeing/kayaking the area behind the old dam, but check the water level before launching.  During periods of low water, powerboat and even canoe and kayak access to this area may not be possible from the boat ramp; however, canoes and kayaks may be launched from the stairway on the east (upstream) side of the old lock structure.  Alligators are common, and can reach impressive size, in the old meander and you're sure to see several as you paddle along the shoreline.  The main channel of the Tombigbee can be accessed year round from the boat ramp and the park could act as a put-in for a short, 1.2 mile paddle downriver to St. Stephens State Historical Park.

The old meander core is open to hunting during hunting seasons.

Site Access: Free; park hours are 6:00 am until 10:00 pm.
GPS Coordinates: N 31° 34.363' / W 88° 01.913'
Amenities: Restrooms, Handicap access, Potable water, Parking, Camping, Canoeing, Boat access, Picnic Area

Bashi Creek looking east from the boat ramp

Bashi Creek Public Use Area:

Directions to Bashi Creek Public Use Area:  From intersection of Old Lock 1 Road and Alabama Highway 69, turn left (north) and go 34.1 miles to Morvin, then left at mile marker 43.2 on Clarke County Road 20 (Campbell Landing Road) and go 5.1 miles to the park entrance.  Continue 0.4 miles on the paved road to the parking area by the public boat ramp.  The unpaved road to the right just inside the entrance leads to the restroom.

Description:  Also known as "Campbell Landing," Bashi Creek Public Use Area provides the birder with access to the floodplain forests along Bashi Creek.  Canoeing/kayaking east up Bashi Creek in the spring and summer lets a birder immerse themselves in excellent riparian habitat; sycamore, oak and cypress forest line both sides of the creek for several miles upstream from its confluence with the Tombigbee.  Watch the banks for Spotted Sandpipers and the hardwoods for Eastern Kingbirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Orchard Orioles.  The understory contains, Northern Parulas, Prothonotary Warblers, American Redstarts, Yellow-breasted Chats, and Indigo Buntings.  All of the herons and egrets may be seen along the river bank.  Swallow-tailed Kites, Mississippi Kites, and Red-shouldered Hawks are among the raptors frequently observed during the summer months.  Alligators are common up the creek in quiet backwaters. 

A Prothonotary Warbler forages just above  our kayaks!

In winter, the short-grass areas around the parking area and boat ramp are a good spot for  sparrows and pipits.

And, just one geologic note: this is the type locality for the Bashi Marl Member of the Hatchetigbee Formation.  The Bashi Marl is±55 million years old and is a  6 to 25 foot thick fossiliferous marine calcareous sandstone that weathers to form large spheroidal boulders that can be seen in the south bank of Bashi Creek

Site Access: Free.
GPS Coordinates: N 31° 57.628' / W 88° 0.3951'
Amenities: Restroom, Parking, Canoeing, Boat access

Off The Porch with Judy and Don Self

Bells Landing Park is another of our favorite places to bird and critter watch.  This is another site along the Alabama River that offers a variety of habitats in a compact area.  It is easily birded on foot, but putting a canoe or kayak into Tallatchee Creek opens the door to some incredible possibilities!  Give it a try in April and May to catch the spring migration.
 

Bells Landing Park picnic area

Directions: From the intersection of US Highway 84 (mile marker 64.2) and Monroe County Road 39 at Claiborne, take Monroe 39 north 8.0 miles, then left (north) on Alabama 41 for 16.0 miles to the intersection of Bells Landing Road (mile marker 71.8), turn left (west) on Bells Landing Road and go 1.1 miles to the park entrance.

Description:  Continue west 0.4 miles to the parking area at the boat ramp and park.  Bells Landing Park's 320 acres contain a variety of habitats, ranging from pine forest atop the uplands at the entrance to river bottom hardwoods along Tallatchee Creek. The road to the camp sites north of Bells Landing Road and the boat ramp parking area make an excellent "trail" to bird.  Walk through the wooden fence on the south side of Bells Landing Road and down the gated gravel road to the camping and picnic area to access more of the stream bank of Tallatchee Creek (please note that this area is subject to flooding during periods of high water in winter and spring).

The Bells Landing boat ramp provides access to Tallatchee Creek about a mile above its confluence with the Alabama River.  Canoeing the creek and its old meanders in spring will provide the birder with an excellent opportunity to see and hear Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Prothonotary Warblers, American Redstarts, Louisiana Water Thrushes and Summer Tanagers.  Anhingas and Swallow-tailed Kites frequently soar above the creek in the spring and summer.  Cerulean and Magnolia Warblers use this habitat during migration.

Watch for alligators in the old meanders and sunning on the banks.  Feral hogs are also a common site when paddling upstream on Tallatchee Creek.

Mosquitoes (Alabama's other state bird) can be a problem, especially after spring rains and the use of a good insect repellant is recommended.

Bells Landing boat ramp can be used as the put-in for an Alabama River paddle to Haines Island/Davis Ferry (7.3 miles), Silver Creek Park (15.6 miles), or Isaac's Creek campground at the Claiborne Lake Dam Site East (18 miles).

Site Access: Free; please note that those parts of the park that are more than 300 feet from park facilities are open to hunting during hunting season.
GPS Coordinates: N 31° 48.228' / W 87° 24.954' (Park entrance)
Contact: US Army Corps of Engineers
1226 Power House Road
Camden, AL 36726
Phone: 334-682-4244
Amenities: Restroom, Handicap access, Parking, Camping, Canoeing, Boat access, Picnic area, Hiking

Off the Porch with Judy and Don Self

 

Alabama birders have long enjoyed birding the Jackson Water Treatment Ponds (see page 65 of A Birder's Guide to Alabama, Porter editor, 2001).  But we only recently stumbled upon two additional gems located just 3.5 miles to the west of the treatment ponds.   Parker Lake and Kimbell Lake are owned by the City of Jackson and provide public access to some of the finest bald cypress and tupelo swamp habitat in the area.

Tupelo and bald cypress in Parker Lake

Exploring among the cypress in Parker Lake

Directions to Parker Lake: From the intersection of US Highway 43 (mile marker 59.6) and Alabama Highway 177 in Jackson go 1.1 miles south on Alabama 177, turn right onto the unpaved road after the Parker Lake RV Park sign, go past the RV park and through the gate to the parking area at the boat ramp.

Description:  Birding around the RV parks and boat ramps in the spring and early summer can be productive, but canoeing or kayaking these lakes will introduce the birder/naturalist to a habitat that most folks never get to visit.  Paddle slowly though the twilight of the dense tupelo and bald cypress swamps that surround these lakes and you'll hear the distinctive songs of Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Northern Parulas, Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers and Common Yellowthroats.

During the nesting season, Red-bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers fill the air with a cacophony of calls and drumming.  Barred Owls, with their "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?" call, may be heard at any time of the day.  And be sure to listen for the distinctive two-syllable "Na-ha" call of the Fish Crow.   

Great Egrets and Great Blue and Little Blue Herons, on the other hand, perch quietly on the weathered stumps and snags of ancient cypress uttering their raucous calls only when your approach forces them to take flight.

Red-shouldered Hawks and Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites may be seen soaring above the lake or foraging for insects and lizards in the tree tops.  While a variety of butterflies, dragonflies, turtles and even alligators are fond of sunning themselves on the roots and buttresses of the trees.

During winter, spring and early summer, it is possible to canoe/kayak from Parker Lake to Kimbell Lake and other smaller lakes.  In late summer and fall and during periods of drought, this may not be possible.  The maze of interconnected lakes can be tricky to navigate, especially on cloudy days.  A compass or GPS is recommended for those who want to explore the more remote areas.

Kimbell Lake is surrounded by tupelo and bald cypress swamp

Kayaking into one of the unnamed small lakes accessible from Kimbell Lake in the spring

Directions to Kimbell Lake: From Parker Lake, return to Alabama Highway 177, turn right (south) and go 0.6, right onto the unpaved road after the Kimbell Lake RV Park sign, go 100 feet and turn right into the RV park.  Access to Kimbell Lake is at the back of the RV park.

Parker and Kimbell Lake Access: Free, open from 6:00 am until dusk

GPS Coordinates:

 Parker Lake N 31° 30.675' / W 87° 55.164'

Kimbell Lake N 31°30.334' / W 87° 54.777'

Contact: City of Jackson Parks and Recreation

PO Box 1096

Jackson, AL 36545

Phone: 251-246-2461

Amenities: Parking, Camping (RV hook-ups), Canoeing, Fishing

 

The south water treatment pond viewed from the parking area

Directions to Jackson Water Treatment Ponds:  From the intersection of US Highway 43 (mile marker 59.6) and Alabama Highway 177in Jackson go 1.8 miles south on Alabama 177 to its intersection with Clarke County Road 15 (Depot Road), turn right (south) onto Clarke 15 and go 1.5 miles to the intersection with Clarke County Road 2 (Gainestown Road), turn left (east) on Clarke 2 and go 0.2 miles.  The water treatment ponds and unpaved parking area are on the left (north) side of the road.

Description:  The ponds are surrounded by a tall chain link fence and a spotting scope is recommended though not a necessity.  Purple Gallinules, Snowy and Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons and Wood Ducks are regulars along the dikes separating the ponds.  Watch the willows in the southern pond for Yellow-crowned Night Herons.  Black Terns and Swallow-tailed Kites may be present in late summer.  American Bitterns are winter residents.  During migration, all of the eastern species of swallows are reported to visit these ponds.

 

Water Treatment Ponds Access: Free

GPS Coordinates: N 31° 29.406' / W 87° 52.785'

Contact: None

Phone: None

Amenities: Handicap access, Parking

 

Off The Porch with Judy and Don Self

For a variety of habitats in a compact area, it's hard to beat the US Corps of Engineers Haines Island Park. Whether you're inclined to drive, hike, canoe or kayak, Haines Island offers a fantastic opportunity to observe nature in a unique setting.  Birding can be spectacular in April and May as Neotropical migrants pause to refuel in the luxuriant hardwoods of the park.  The summer months offer over 100 species of breeding birds. Fall again funnels large numbers of migrants through the park.  And the thick undergrowth along the lake margins shelter large flocks of finches and sparrows in winter.

Directions: From the intersection of US Highway 84 (mile marker 64.2) and Monroe County Road 39 at Claiborne, take Monroe 39 north 8.0 miles, then north on Alabama 41 for 9.2 miles, then left (west) on Monroe 17 for 2.8 miles, then right on unpaved Monroe County Road 49 to Haines Island Park and Davis Ferry and go about 1.0 miles to the park entrance.

Above: View from the overlook atop the Buhrstone Questa across the Alabama River flood plain

Above: A trailhead in the park

Above: Lake between the riverside road and the base of the Buhrstone Questa

Above: Davis Ferry in operation

Description: The entrance to this 480-acre park is located in a pine dominated forest atop the Buhrstone Questa (an escarpment that rises over 350 feet above the surrounding area and extends from Mississippi across western Alabama), park at the playground and picnic pavilion.  From the overlook, scan the Alabama River Valley to the north for soaring Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawks and tree tops below for a variety of passerines.

Continue 0.5 miles northwest down the face of the questa through hardwood forest to the public boat ramp and ferry and park.

Trailheads for three hiking trails are located on either side of the elevated restroom.  The Big-Leaf Magnolia Nature Trail (±0.8 miles) extends across the base of the Buhrstone Questa in the habitat of the threatened Red Hills Salamander (Alabama's State Amphibian).  The Upper Ironwood Trail branches off the Big-Leaf Magnolia trail and provides an additional ±1.1 mile of hiking and birding in mature hardwoods along the questa.  The Lower Ironwood Trail is of similar length and extends down the east side of the lake.  Mosquitoes and tics are common, so precautions should be taken.  Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird and Northern Parula are summer residents.

The riverside road that extends west from the ferry and boat ramp through the primitive camping and picnic area in the lower part of the Park occupies a narrow strip of hardwoods between the Alabama River on the northwest and a marsh and lake on the southeast.  Watch for Wood Ducks, Little Blue and Great Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets and White Ibis around the margin of the lake.   Anhingas may be seen sunning on perches in the lake or soaring overhead.  Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-throated Vireos and Summer Tanagers frequent the picnic area in the summer.  In winter, Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinches and Song, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows are found in the underbrush along the road.  Barred owls are common at all seasons; listen in early morning and late afternoon for their "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all!"

Nutrias, large aquatic rodents introduced from South America, have invaded the lake and are a common sight.

Haines Island Park boat ramp makes an excellent put-in/take-out for paddles on the Alabama River, especially in the spring.  Paddling south to Silver Creek Park (8.3 miles) or Claiborne Lake Dam Site East (10.7 miles), provides birders with the opportunity of observing wildlife along the river and in the backwaters associated with Haines Island, Camp Creek, Cane Creek, Silver Creek and Isaac Creek.  It also makes an excellent take-out for paddlers coming downstream from Bells Landing Park.  Ospreys, Mississippi Kites, Belted Kingfishers and Spotted Sandpipers are birds to look for on these paddles.

Davis Ferry is operated by the State of Alabama and runs on weekdays only from 6:30 am until noon and from 1:00 until 4:10 pm.  It is free and can provide a shortcut to Thomasville and US Highway 43, but mechanical difficulties do sometimes arise.

Site Access: Free; please note that those parts of the park that are more than 300 feet from park facilities are open to hunting during hunting seasons.

GPS Coordinates: N 31° 43.248' / W 87° 27.791' (Park entrance); N 31° 43.473' / W 87° 28.158' (Trailheads)

Contact: US Army Corps of Engineers
1226 Power House Road
Camden, AL 36726

Phone: 334-682-4244

Amenities: Restrooms, Handicap access, Parking, Camping, Canoeing, Boat access, Picnic area, Hiking

Off The Porch with Judy and Don Self

Birding Old St. Stephens

Old St. Stephens Historical Park in northeastern Washington County, Alabama is one of our favorite locales to bird.  No matter what the season, the park always produces at least one avian surprise.

Marsh at the west end of the old limestone quarry, the main lake is in the background

Directions: From US Highway 43 at Leroy, go west on Washington County Road 34 for 6.2 miles, then right on St. Stephens Fork Road for 0.1 mile, then right on Cement Plant Road for 0.6 miles, then right on St. Stephens Park Road for 0.2 miles to the Old St. Stephens Historical Park gate house, then continue on St. Stephens Park Road for 1.1 miles to the entrance to the historical site is on the right and picnic pavilions and parking are immediately ahead.

Description: A variety of habitats are contained in this +600-acre park.  Mixed loblolly pine and hardwood forest occurs on hills west of the old quarry and within the archaeological site. Park at the picnic pavilion and bird this upland habitat.  Then descend toward the old quarry floor, but be sure to check the mature hardwoods around the Indian Baths on the way.  When you reach the old quarry floor, park at the store.  Eastern red cedar covers parts of the old quarry site and there are large areas of lawn around the store and camping facilities.  Extensive marsh in the east and southwest parts of the old quarry, now lake, and cypress swamp southwest of the old quarry will be of particular interest to birders.  Shore birds observed on the margins of the lake include Least Bittern, Sora, Common Moorhen, Least and Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, and Killdeer.  Osprey, Mississippi Kite, and Red-shouldered Hawk are frequently observed around the quarry lake and Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Parula, Yellow-throated, Pine, Prothonotary, and Hooded Warblers, American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat breed within the park.  Spring and fall bring a wide variety of Neotropical migrants and occasional flocks of American White Pelicans.  Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Chipping, Savannah, Song, Swamp, and White-throated Sparrows are common winter residents.

The park is also home to White-tailed Deer and the Gopher Tortoise.

Site 1 Access: $2 for adults, $1 for children over 5, $8/night tent camping, $16/night RV
GPS Coordinates: N 31° 33.068' / W 88° 03.058' (Gate house), N 31° 33.573' / W88° 02.072' (Camp store)
Contact: St. Stephens State Historical Site
2056 Old St. Stephens Rd.
St. Stephens, AL 36569
Phone: 251-247-2622 (Camp Store)
Amenities: Restrooms, Handicap access, Potable water, Food (store), Parking, Camping (RV hook-ups), Canoeing (kayak rentals), Boat access (public boat ramp on Tombigbee River), Fishing, Picnic areas, Hiking Trails, Horseback riding.

with Judy and Don Self

No, not the 4-wheeled kind, the winged, 1/10^th ounce, southbound kind.

 

Fall migration of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds is in full swing.  It began back in late July, but peaks here at Almosta Farm in mid-September.  But those of you who enjoy feeding them are already well aware of this.  Just check how many pounds of sugar you've purchased this month!  Remember, one part sugar to four parts water and avoid the expensive "nectar" mixes and food coloring.

 

Although hummers don't migrate in flocks, there is a well defined, southward movement and, at this time of year, there is a constant turnover of hummers in our yard.  We enjoy watching each wave of migrants arrive, so sleek and slim.  Then in short order they become so plump that they can hardly fly.  In fact last year, one male overdid and, when he tried to takeoff from a low-hanging feeder, crashed on the ground and could not get airborne from that low spot in the grass.  Concerned about fire ants, we gave him a lift up to a nearby limb and with the increased height; this winged butterball was able to resume flight operations.

 

Retrieving an empty feeder is always a bit of an adventure and can be a little scary, especially late in the day when close encounters of the hummer kind are the rule, not the exception.    You find yourself ducking those chattering, squeaky little dive bombers as they pass mere inches from your face!  Then you hear one hovering . . . right beside your ear, peeking over your shoulder to see what you're doing with their feeder.  For the short period of time that the full rack of feeders isn't hanging out, the hummers swarm around the remaining few like bees.  That's when we often see two hummers feeding from each feeder flower!

Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to take a chair and a cup of coffee and have a seat among the feeders.  Hummers are such trusting souls.  We've often been used as a perch.  And when that happens, you learn the real meaning of light as a feather. 

 

In addition to the hummers, this year Judy has made friends with a cute little bumblebee who is always on the feeders and is very reluctant to get off for feeder refilling.  He's even followed her half way to the house trying to get back on the feeder.

 

Soon the number of birds will begin to decline and by the end of October, our last hummer will depart for Mexico.  He'll return in mid-March.

 

But wait!  An increasing number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are overwintering in the southeast!  And researchers from the Hummer/Bird Study Group reported banding small numbers of seven species of western hummingbird here in the southeast last winter!  So, keep at least one full, clean feeder in your yard all winter.  And if you receive a visit from one of these wanderers, contact the Hummer/Bird Study Group to arrange for one of their researchers to come and you're your bird.

By Jon Braun

There's a story or stories of a man that are becoming less of a legend outside of Washington County.   I was fortunate enough to have personally known this legend when I was younger because my father and he were very close friends, but he was widely known throughout the south.  His story is more like many stories, some told by him, and others by the people that were around him.  I'll try my best to tell a few of these stories without rambling like the town drunk, so bear with me.

I knew Mr. Roy as old man in his late eighties and early nineties, but he helped raise my father.  Mr. Roy, as everyone knew him, was born in Ellisville, MS in 1903.  One of his favorite stories to tell was how he put out a major fire at the Hercules Powder factory in Hattiesburg, MS.  According to Mr. Roy had the fire spread any further it would have blown up the entire south.  Another famous story was his first job where he was working as a painter.  Somehow he got the job to paint the hangars for the Tuskegee Airmen.  As he was painting one of the roofs, he spilled the paint and ran from side to side mopping the paint until he had painted the entire roof without spilling a drop.  He took more pride in the fact that he hadn't spilled a drop rather than he had painted a part of Alabama's history.  He also took pride in the fact that, even in his old age, could lift a nine pound sledge hammer from his foot and hold it out from his shoulder parallel to the ground.  This is a feat that I have never been able to master, and I've never seen anyone else do it.

Mr. Roy settled down in Frankville, Al around the late 1940's and took on the profession as a gunsmith.  Mr. Roy enjoyed hunting and fishing.  He also had a great sense of humor.  One day there was a stir in church when Mr. Roy walked through the door with a hat on.  The laughter broke out when everyone noticed the writing on his hat that read "I'd rather be fishing".  While working as a gunsmith, he had become an excellent marksman.  His profession had also damaged his hearing to the point of having to wear a hearing aide.  When he would come to visit he would usually spend the day with my dad, therefore his wife would always call to check in on him.  This bothered Mr. Roy because he felt like he was being treated like a child.  One day after Sunday lunch, Mr. Roy had a call from his wife.  After the phone call he took his seat in our den and continued talking with my father.  We heard this strange beeping noise coming from our kitchen.  My mother noticed that when Mr. Roy had answered his wife's call, he had taken out his hearing aide.  When asked about taking it out he replied, "I listen to it at home, I shouldn't have to listen to it here".  He also said if he ever wanted to get rid of his wife, he would, "push her off in a boat, with the paddle  because she was the worst paddler he'd ever seen".

Making a living as a gunsmith in the late 1900's was remarkable, but it was what he enjoyed and what he knew.  He hand made the rifle my father hunted with while he was growing up.  It is also the same rifle that I hunted with while I was growing up.  My father passed the rifle down to me and was asking Mr. Roy's advice on what he should buy for my two brothers.  Mr. Roy told my father to let him do a little research on the matter.  Within weeks, this man in his late eighties had molded the barrels, hand carved the stocks, and purchased two scopes to complete two more rifles for my brothers.  When asked why he had done this, he told my father that, "there was no need to pay for something that wouldn't shoot true".  People from all over the south would have him site their guns before hunting season opened.  It was an art he had perfected.  According to him, a gun wasn't sited properly until he could pull the trigger three times and make one hole in the target.  When he shot a deer, he would shoot the deer in the eye or when he would shoot a turkey he would use a rifle and shoot them in the neck, as if he had to prove his shooting abilities.  There's one story that comes to mind about one of our annual hunting trips that he was a part of.  Ten men had gone turkey hunting and nine came back empty handed.  When Mr. Roy returned, he had two giant gobblers on the back of his 1942 army truck.  Everyone gathered around and asked what his secret was.  Mr. Roy calmly replied, "you just have to know what you're doing".  That was also about the time that my father noticed the corn that had spilled from the turkey's beak as well as the two empty corn buckets on the back of his truck.  Anyone that hunts knows that it's highly illegal to hunt over feed, but no one ever told him that we knew his secret.
              

I was exploring the back roads of west Washington County when I remembered that right around the corner was one of the most influential people I'd ever met.  One influence being his knowledge of the Bible and the other being he is the reason for my appreciation of the arts.

He was my literature professor in junior college.  I'd heard about how hard his class was and wanted to change, but it was the only one available for my schedule.  The best thing that happened to me that semester was not missing out on that class.  Often throwing in his great sense of humor, he would read some of the more difficult plays aloud so we could get a better understanding of what was going on as well as get a good laugh.  Most memorable was his performance of Moliere's Tartuffe.  The way he got into character when he read has lead me to watch the play numerous times including a wonderful performance by The Alabama Shakespeare Festival.  

I called to make sure he would be at his house and he jokingly replied, "Yes, I'll be at my house, not my wife's house."  Meaning he would be in his sound proof, music shed he'd built behind his house.  He also calls it his "pouting house", where he goes to pout when he's in trouble.  It was filled with guitars, cellos, fiddles, and recording hardware and software.  He invited me in and we quickly caught up on the past eight years.  Most of mine being college and working life and his was his many travels(including how he introduced the skunk to Chicago), recent composures, and some minor health issues that you couldn't pity because of his humorous asides.  He showed me pictures and told me about his book that he's been writing for the past ten or more years; we went through his knife collection and talked about wood working.  When we got off on wood working, he asked me to pick up the fiddle case behind me.  When I opened it there was this beautiful violin that you could still smell the varnish drying.  This was his prize possession.  He went through the entire process of fiddle making including what kind of wood he used as well as where he got it.  He had made his own jig to hold the plates while he fitted his purfling and carved his own tuning pegs.  It was an extraordinary piece but even more extraordinary was the sound that it made.  He played classical, gospel, and even bluegrass without missing a note.  It was one of those moments where you say, "wow, I wish I could do that".  As if I wasn't impressed enough he showed me his recording software.  He had recorded the percussion, bass, lead guitar, lead vocals, backup vocals, and of course the fiddle.  Then he showed me how he had put it all together.  If he wouldn't have told me that, I would have thought it was his band.  I couldn't talk him into burning me a CD because he said he "hadn't perfected it", but trust me it was remarkable.  We listened and talked for another hour or so and the he remembered he had somewhere to be, so we parted ways.    

The whole experience was great.  I was impressed with everything he showed me but most of all I enjoyed the laughing and the music.  Once again our interactions left me with great influence.   It was the best five or more hours of the day.  I left with inspired and with that down home feeling you get when you've just had a few glasses of lemonade with one of the elders of rural Alabama.                 

As I travel around rural Alabama I'm always looking for an adventure.  Not the type of adventure where you would find yourself swinging from your leather, side whip to outrun a boulder, but an adventure more along the lines of a late afternoon fishing trip or a hike across the pasture to take a few pictures of an old barn.  Well, in my recent travels I wasn't exactly racing boulders, but somehow I managed to be face to face with one of natures most feared animals.

I ran into an old friend the other day and he asked if I would like to spend the rest of the afternoon in his twelve acre pond.  Having a passion for fishing of all sorts, I couldn't turn him down.  We set out from his shed where he keeps his 1991 Nissan Pathfinder reserved for fishing and fishing only.  If by some chance you forget any of your gear, you can probably find what you need in the side pockets of the door.  We took the old dirt road from his house through an overgrown pasture, where the grass is waiting to be cut for hay.  The sun was beginning to duck behind the hard wood trees bordering the field, which made it more comfortable to be outside.  The sweet smell of summer was in the air making the perfect setting for a great fishing trip.

Things began to take an odd turn as we launched his small Jon boat and a bass jumped in the boat.  As soon as he had thrown the small bass back into the water, an even larger bass jumped in the boat.  In my twenty years of fishing, I have never seen a fish jump in a boat, much less two fish in such a small time period.  

We paddled across his pond to one of his "honey holes", where he has thrown his Christmas trees for the past thirty years to provide cover for bass.  We made a few casts and caught a few fish, but the best part was hearing his stories of past fishing trips.

The sun was going down and we were deep into conversation.  We failed to notice the curious, seven foot alligator who swam up to investigate our activities.  We decided to call it a day, so I grabbed the paddle and poked it in the water.  My sudden movement startled the alligator, and like his aquatic friends who wanted a ride, he jumped into the boat.  In my fishing experience I've seen hundreds of alligators anywhere from hatchlings to fifteen plus feel long.  We've always coexisted well together because we've always minded our own business.  In this bizarre situation, I was stumped.  I probably wouldn't have been so shocked had he jumped into the vacant, middle of the boat, but he decided he would land at my feet.   I had no idea what to do, and I'm sure alligator didn't either.  I guess it was instinct that put my left foot on his head and my right foot on his tail pinning him to the floor of the boat.  What was going on?  I can handle the fish, but AN ALLIGATOR!?!?!  My friend was as confused as I was.  How did our peaceful afternoon turn into an episode of The Twilight Zone?  I gained my composure and asked for the net.  My friend, calmly, threw me the net and I put it between the alligator and me.  I slowly lifted my left foot off of his head and my right off of his backside, and as swiftly as he belly flopped into the boat he sprung out of the boat.  The drama that lasted less than five minutes but felt like an hour was over.  My friend and I looked at one another with puzzled looks on our face for the last time before we burst into laughter.  We questioned the previous event and laughed all the way back to his shed, where we sat an additional ten minutes to reminisce.  

This is by far the craziest, most adventurous fishing trip I've ever been a part of.  It fits into the same category as when you catch a trophy fish, because you will never forget it.  As I said earlier, these are not the kind of adventures I'm looking for, but as long I can walk away safely and laugh about them, I think I can handle a few more like this.  Maybe I should start wearing an Indiana Jones whip on my side.  Not to avoid boulders, but to avoid fish, alligators, and whatever else the waters of south Alabama throws at me.        

by Jon Braun