This weekend, I was at the beach in Florida with my sisters and other family members. While we were sharing photos, I found, on my sisters flashdrive, some long lost pictures I had taken. This particular photo was taken at the State Capital. Its a photo of a large picture replica of a postage stamp. You know the photo is a few years old, stamps haven't been 34 cents in awhile!

This is a house that is just a few blocks away from all the busy downtown activities. It's on a street that doesn't see much traffic. I have passed by within a block of it many times and never really noticed it. Now that It has caught my attention, I am very intrigued with it. I really love this house and feel it has some kind of great story within its walls. I would love to see inside the house and see the layout. I wonder if anyone has plans to restore this house like so many in the area. It kind of reminds me of that one scary ole house in the middle of a normal suburban neighborhood that I've seen in several movies. I hope to find out more about this house.

A soft drink by any other name is still a Coke.

Here in the South we use the word "coke" to describe any soft drink. "Let's go get a coke" doesn't necessarily mean you have to choose the Coca-Cola brand. I know--its complicated. But, we are also the same people that have "eyes" on our stoves. You know------ the round things on your stove that get hot and you put pots and pans on to cook things------the "eyes" of the stove. Anyway--I took this picture while strolling around in Old Alabama Town

I've neglected my blog-- but hopefully I've found a way to balance my time so I can spend more time here. Also--I am honored to be able to say I was the Guest Host for Skywatch Friday this week!

Old Alabama Town Dr.'s Office

This is the actual medical office of a Dr. Thomas Duncan, who went to Medical School in Mobile Alabama in 1892, before starting his practice in this office in a small town in Montgomery County. He made house calls in his buggy, by horse, and later by automobile. He also served as pharmacist, dentist, surgeon and veterinarian until 1938. From this small office he concocted his own medicines, stored all his medical instruments and supplies and did all his book keeping. This building was moved to Old Alabama Town and restored in 1979.

see my SKYWATCH FRIDAY post HERE

Photo Theme Thursday- Containers

I took this picture in Old Alabama Town, in an authentically restored Dr's office from 1892. These bottles and bowls contained the medicines and other remedies that the Dr. used.

See more Photo Theme Thursday posts HERE

Jefferson Davis

This statue of Jefferson Davis is on the lawn of the State Capitol. The area of the Capitol behind the statue is where his inauguration took place.

Hollywood Isnt The Only Place That Gives Stars To Famous People

Not only did the War Between the States, or the Civil War, begin because of a telegram sent from Montgomery, AL , but the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, was sworn in on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, here in Montgomery The star above is placed into the marble at the spot where Jefferson Davis was inagurated as President.

History Making Telegram

While getting a quick bite of lunch downtown last week, I ran across this historical marker indicating the building where a telegram was sent which started the War Between The States. (The American Civil War)

Peacock at the Zoo

Showing off for us at the zoo. He enjoyed the attention.

See my Skywatch Friday photo HERE

Zoo Guide

The zoo in Montgomery is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Much work has been done the last few years to help the animals feel as close to their natural environment as possible.

This is a little side street with several empty buildings. The City is trying to reviatalize the downtown area and use some of the older buildings for business, including hotels and other things to bring people to this area. Hopefully someone will find a use for these buildings.

This used to be the city auditorium and it is right across the street from the Hank Williams statue. It is where his funeral was held. I hope no one notices I've given up on the ABC thing. And besides real technical difficulties, I've also been playing at the beach in Florida the past couple of days.

Stranded in the Past

The other day I decided to take the afternoon and stroll through Old Alabama Town and take some pictures. Its a fun place to go and see authentic restorations of homes and businesses from Alabama's past. I made it through the homes on display in the "Living In Alabama" section, and had strolled over to the "Working in Alabama" section when it just started pouring down rain. It was a quiet afternoon and besides one tour guide, dressed as a plantation owner in the 1800's, who was in another building, I was all alone. I took this photo while sitting on a bench in front of an old cotton gin, while watching the rain pour down.

HANK WILLIAMS

This statue is in memory of Hank Williams, a legendary writer and singer of country (or "honky tonk") music. Although he was not born in Montgomery, he and his family made their home here when Hank was a teenager. His favorite place to eat was...... Chris' Hot Dogs! He wrote and sang many famous songs, such as, "Hey Good Looking", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Jambalaya", and "I Saw The Light"

He died at the young age of 29 and is buried in Montgomery, AL.

(click on photo to view larger)

Experiencing Technical Difficulties.

I've realised that as many pictures as I have stored on two different computers and on many discs, I really have not taken many pictures of Montgomery that isn't showcasing my grandson or other family members. Most of my pictures are of my travels outside of Montgomery. So, while I am experiencing "technical difficulties" I have no photos to get me by! Enjoying others photos and cant wait to be posting more of mine.

The Governor's Neighbor

(click on pictures to view larger)

This house is right next door to the Governor's Mansion . Unfortunately my pictures dont do it justice. I tried! I love this house with the white picket fence around it, the cute little porch and the nice shade trees all around.

G is for Governor's Mansion

This home is used for the residence of the person holding the title of Governor of the state of Alabama, and his family. The home was built in 1907 for a very prominent Montgomery family. It was bought by the state in 1950, to be used as the Governor's Mansion.

F is for Fountain

(click on picture for a larger view)

The Court Street Fountain was erected in 1885 over an artesian well. It was the original watering site for Montgomery and the surrounding communities. On top of the fountain is Hebe, goddess of youth and cup bearer to the Gods. (Greek Mythology) Her cup is raised welcoming visitors the city of Montgomery.

Behind the Fountain is a view up Dexter Avenue . At the other end of the street is another view of the Capitol Building. Dexter Avenue is also home to Chris' Hot Dogs and the church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached.

Need to do some shopping in Montgomery?

Then head on over to the Shoppes at Eastchase.

Feeling Froggy?

I guess I shoulda had some photo's ready to go before I decided to start posting! The weather and other things have kept me from getting out and taking any new ones this week. So--I'll just post another of my favorite subject for photos. My little stinker. In yesterday's photo, he was testing the waters. Today, there is serious contemplating about taking the plunge!

Today's regularly scheduled ABC's of Montgomery, Letter E installment will have to be posted at a later date , due to rain delays. However, I will be showing a photo I took last year , that was taken in Montgomery. The location of this photograph will actually be featured in an upcoming episode. : ) In the meantime........ This is a shot of my grandson "E"njoying a fall afternoon at a tiny man-made pond with my favorite kind of reptile and amphibian......... the non-real kind!

The Church on Dexter Avenue

A good follow-up to the Civil Rights Memorial picture from yesterday is the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. So, I guess I am getting one last "C "picture in (church) while moving on to "D" (Dexter Ave).

The original church on this property was established in 1877, in a slave traders pen. The red brick building, seen in the photo was built somewhere between 1883 and 1889. It was actually called the Second Colored Baptist Church, but was later changed to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, in honor of Andrew Dexter, the founder of Montgomery.

Martin Luther King Jr was the 20th pastor of this church, and he directed the Montgomery Bus Boycott from his office at this church.

In 1978, the church name was changed to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Martin Luther King Jr's memory.

Civil Rights Memorial

I have taken better pictures of the Memorial, but cannot find my disc. These were taken in a hurry, while a security guard was coming to tell me to move my illegally parked car. Oops! It was a Sunday afternoon, so I thought it would be ok. I don't remember, a few years ago, having security and parking restricted around the Memorial. I read it is to keep people from vandalizing the area.

The memorial was designed by Maya Lin, who also designed the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, DC. The wall behind the memorial has the words, by Martin Luther King Jr (from his "I Have a Dream" speech) , inscribed on it saying , " until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream

Water does actually flow over this entire part of the memorial looking like a fine sheet of glass. Water also flows over the nearby Memorial itself, which is shaped like an inverted cone with a large flat top. On this flat surface are the names of 40 people, who died while fighting for equal rights and the end of segregation.

Chris' Hot Dogs

Ok--there are several good "C" places that come to my mind. So I will spend a few days on this letter. One place I just can't omit is.......

Chris' Hot Dogs. A little hole in the wall establishment , but definitely a Montgomery Tradition. It has been in business, and family owned since 1917. Chris' famous hot dog,
ordered with its special sauce, is also on the 100 Places to Eat in Alabama before you Die list.

Growing up, my parents brought us to Montgomery as much as possible to visit our grandparents. It was always a treat to go to Chris' , where the owner, Mr. Chris, would always remember my dad from when he would hang out at Chris' when he was a teenager. I liked hearing the stories of my parents, back in their school days, going to Chris' after school.

I think almost everyone in Montgomery has a Chris' Hot dog story or memory.

My recommendation? Two Dogs, "all the way" with an order of fries. Then a bottled coke or a chocolate milk to wash it all down.

The Capital of Alabama is Montgomery

"C" is for Capital--the Capital of Alabama is Montgomery. This is the Capitol Building located on an area that is called Goat Hill. The original building, built in 1847, was destroyed in a fire in 1849. The current building was built in the Greek Revival Style and completed in 1851.

This building also once served as the first Capitol of the Confederacy in 1861, before Richmond, Virgina became the Capital of the Confederacy.

B is for Biscuits Baseball Stadium

The Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team(The Montgomery Biscuits) has made its home in Montgomery at Riverwalk Stadium. The facade for the stadium actually used to be a train shed and is on the property were a Confederate prison, used to detain Yankee soldiers, once stood.

A is for Alabama river and Amphitheatre

Montgomery is situated along the Alabama River. Over the last few years there has been a lot of work to develop the riverfront area as well as the downtown area. One of the additions to the area is our new amphitheatre. It can be seen on the right side of this photo right past the riverboat.

A B C's of Montgomery

I'm only 4 months into this whole new blogosphere and I've found something that sounds like so much fun to me. There is a whole group of people, located all around the world, dedicated to posting daily photos of a city of their choosing.

As much as I love to travel and learn about different people and places, I was immediately hooked on this idea. I've decided to start my own Daily Photo Blog and feature pictures from Montgomery, AL. If I'm lucky, my blog will get to be among many other blogs featured in City Daily Photo.

To start out my new little blog, I've decided to have a theme (other than Montgomery) for posting my pictures. I am going to do the A B C's of Montgomery. My first picture will be something featuring the letter A. And then I will move to the letter B. And so on.

OK........ So, here goes.................