Pell City Picture of the Day

For everything, there is a season

2006-07-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

In 1919 family owned Avondale Mills bought the textile mill at the heart of Pell City from the Pell City Manufacturing Company. May 22, 2006 Avondale Mills announced the closing of all their plants. It has been a tumultuous two months for many people.

Avondale Mills owned plants in South Carolina, and Alabama. The Alabama plants are in Pell City, Alexander City, Sylacauga and Rockford. In early June, another textile company agreed to purchase three of the plants. The plants in Pell City and Sylacauga, however, were not sold.

Avondale Mills' involvement in the Pell City community was notable, helping throughout its history including helping to build schools, city water, banking and ball parks.

The mill management applied for federal aid for the employees who would be out of work under a program called Trade Adjustment Assistance. This is a program to help those who lose jobs due to increased imports. The application got a boost in June when Alabama's Governor Bob Riley and US Representatives Mike Rogers and Spencer Bachus were asking for expedited help from from the President and from the Secretary of Labor. Apparently the lobbying helped because the application was approved July 5, earlier than had been predicted.

Avondale had spent millions to update and automate some of its mills. There was pressure from competition, but the decisive blow came in January of last year when a train wreck at Avondale's South Carolina mill killed six mill employees and also killed three others.

There has been help for the employees coming from the federal government, from the state, from Avondale Mills and from other companies. Dozens of companies attended a job fair in Pell City at the end of June designed to help mill employees find new jobs, and some have found jobs.

Many reports have been printed in the newspapers about the people of Avondale Mills. It is worth recognizing how many people speak of their employers and co-workers as family. The company and the employees had a relationship that shows grace even during this trying time. If they could bottle that and sell it, there are a lot of other companies that would benefit.

Today's picture is the Great Seal of the City of Pell City. The plaque is prominent in the City Council Chambers. I took this picture during the Block Party, June 2, after hearing the announcement that Avondale Mills was closing. Having lived in Mill Village for nearly a year, I immediately recognized the sawtoothed roof and tall stack of the mill. There is a lot of growth and jobs surrounding this area, but I doubt that any other single company will ever take Avondale Mills' place in Pell City.

39 Boats

2006-07-24T19:28:00.000-05:00

So, somebody just drove a few of those big transporters into this vacant lot near the Post Office and dropped off 39 nearly identical fishing boats. Apparently, the boats are here for the big bass tournament which will be held on Lake Logan Martin at the end of this month. They all have company sponsor logos. I don't know if they are part of the competition, or just part of the show. Either way, I'd like to see them with their covers off, but I will be out of town that weekend.

Blueberries

2006-07-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

The blueberries have been very good this year, and I have have been fourtunate to get blue berries without having to pick them myself, although that can be fun, too. I think these were picked just off of HWY 231 on Easonville Rd. I highly recommend you try to get some. They taste great, a cup of raw blueberries has only 83 calories and it is about the best source of antioxidants you can find.

Thanks to KEP for the photo and for picking the berries.

Gate House

2006-07-22T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Gate House Market on Cogswell Avenue is a cute place with interesting things. I took this picture outside because I like the pots, but you can see the inside here. Their sign says "Come in and be surprised." I met some very nice people there. I guess that should not be a big surprise in pell City.

That's my reflection in the blue globe.

I wonder if he could pull a skier?

2006-07-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

This red, white and blue entry did quite well, dominating the single operator group.

Oh those wonderful kids in their floating machines

2006-07-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

OK, I like gadgets. So this was my favorite boat at the Cardboard Boat Regatta. The paddles on the sides of the boat are made entirely of PVC including the pedals inside. It was quite surprising how well the paddles worked considering that they are round and not flat. I believe that this was the fastest boat of the day. Unfortunately, it is a little complicated to operate and so it did not beat its competitor. Once the young sailor got it out and away from the rope, he took off!

On your mark, get set

2006-07-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

The youth group prepared to launch their boat.

STS115 ?

2006-07-16T23:39:00.000-05:00

Some of the boats at Pell City's Cardboard Boat Race on Saturday came with a few extras. The wings and rocket engines were removed from this shuttle before take-off.

Row Row Row Your Boat

2006-07-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the annual running of the cardboard boats at Pell City's Lakeside Park. Here is the first of a few pictures. The King crew did well, winning against two other teams.

Correction

2006-07-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

Last January I showed you this picture of some gravel in the gas station parking lot. I thought they were just covering a hole left by an old car wash that was removed. Well apparently it was much more than that. The BP has completely replaced its convenience store by building a new one in the back of the lot, and just this week started demolishing the old store.

I would like to commend the owners of this BP for two things, fresh Krispy Kreme donuts and copies of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the news stand. Oh, sorry, just the newspapers are in the news stand. The donuts are in the warm donut display inside. You probably knew that.

Two wheels

2006-07-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

You don't have to drive a muscle car to appreciate the cars that were parked at Food World on Saturday. One group came by on bikes. The weather was good, so why not?

Neighbors' hoods

2006-07-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

Here is a broader view of the cars parked at Food World in Pell City yesterday. I don't think all these drivers came for groceries.

Shiney things

2006-07-08T23:03:00.000-05:00

The car enthusiasts are back on the pavement just like last summer. (I'll look up the link later.) (OK here it is.) This time they roped off a piece of the parking lot at Food World. Wow, the chrome under the hood of this Z car!

High for this week - about 92 F

2006-07-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

We do get some hot days in Pell City.

The Peppers are In

2006-07-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

A favorite crop for many gardeners, peppers come in a variety of sizes and colors. Here we have chili peppers, jalepeños and habañeros.

Read the writing on the road

2006-07-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what this means. There is a broad white line painted on Hardwick Road. It is real road paint too, not some latex house paint used for a practical joke. It is inside city limits and not at a rail crossing, a street crossing or a school zone. There is a church two lots up on the right. If anybody knows this one I would be interested to find out.

Sorry I missed wishing you all a happy 4th of July. I was out on the road again.

Saturday Car Wash

2006-07-01T18:12:00.000-05:00

Saturday is a great time to drive by Sonic and have someone else wash your car. This picture, taken last Saturday, shows the youths at their fundraiser, for whatever youths raise funds.

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I appreciate all the support I have received while showing you pictures of Pell City. It really is a great place to live and it really is growing. Anyway, as you know, I'm not very good at this. So I plan to continue until July 25th. After that, I'll be stopping for an indeterminate amount of time. In the mean time, if someone wants to give it a try, I'll help you take over Pell City Picture Of the Day.

Thanks
...

Still Field Day

2006-06-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

Pell City had two conspicuous sites where Field Day activities were held this year. This photo is from Pell City Lakeside Park where the St. Clair Amateur Radio Emergency Service set up. They are not really a club, and they do not charge dues. However, they do volunteer to provide communications when emergencies arise. Field Day is a fun way to practice and to get a little public awareness.

If things look a little slow in this picture, it is because the HF Bands die down in the middle of the day.

Next time you pass through Pell Cty (my QTH), be sure to CQ or call N4FCP on 2 meters.

73

Field Day

2006-06-25T08:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the beginning of Field Day, the annual demonstration of emergency readiness of Radio Amatuers. The 'Hams' here in front of Walmart are members of the Coosa Valley Ham Radio Association. They are using some of the newest digital radios available. They will be operating for up to 24 hours and logging there contacts with other operators.

Crossing Over

2006-06-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

This is the view of Pell City from the Talladega County bank of the Coosa River. From here one can get to Pell City by taking HWY 34 and crossing Stemly Bridge. From what I have been told, the bridge is not quite as old as Lake Logan Martin, which was flooded in the mid 60s. I also heard that this bridge is an improvement over the older road a little to the South. Way back when, the automobile traffic could use the railroad tressle, provided of course the train to the quarry was not coming through.
Thanks to TSB for the tip and BJB for the history.

Guess

2006-06-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

Not the Momma

2006-06-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

I think the pin is a reference to St. Joseph, carpenter and foster father of Jesus. It looks to me like a hammer and a saw.

When everything around you seems to be going crazy, it is wise to quote St. Joseph.

PCCC

2006-06-15T05:52:00.000-05:00

This is the Pell City Community Center. It may not look like much from the outside, but there have been some cool things inside. One was a book sale where I bought copies of two of my favorite books One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Fox in Socks.

Block Party 9

2006-06-14T06:21:00.000-05:00

Oops, I thought I posted all the Block Party photos, except for one that I am saving for later. I forgot to mention all the great food. Here is a picture from the back of one of the restaurant booths. I think these folks are from Gadsden, AL. They are cooking onions and peppers on gas burners, and around front they sell sausage sandwiches. There was also pizza, barbecue, funnel cakes and lots to drink.

Bessie the Wise

2006-06-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

Somebody told me, it is not a good time to fish when the cows are laying down. I don't know if that is true, but I need all the help I can get. I wonder if someone could call me when this one stands up.

Sweet and Free

2006-06-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

Blackberries are showing up everywhere. These are a great sweet treat and usually you can find them for free. But if you start walking into the bushes to pick them, watch out for snakes.

Block Party 8

2006-06-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

So this is a rock climbing wall, huh. Man I tell you, when I was a kid we had to climb REAL rocks.

And we loved it.

Block Party 7

2006-06-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

The law was also at the block party. Some of them came on some pretty cool rides. By the way, that's a speaker on the side, not a rocket launcher. It is easier to identify from the side view.

Block Party 6

2006-06-07T06:27:00.000-05:00

Apparently there is no law prohibiting political advertising on the front lawn of the St. Clair County Courthouse. Several of these candidates also had individual booths at the block party. The Primary Election was yesterday, so maybe a few of the signs are gone by now.

Block Party 5

2006-06-06T06:25:00.000-05:00

It's a long way from Chicago, but that did not keep Elwood and Jake of the Alabama Blues Brothers from making their fifth appearance at the block party. The Brothers wanted you to know that if you missed them in Pell City, you can catch them in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York this September.

Block Party 4

2006-06-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

This group of ladies did not seem to mind at all if their booth got a little wet in the rain Friday evening.

Block Party 3

2006-06-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

This is Deputy 5 Band, a regular feature at the Pell City Home Town Block Party. Their fare is down home country music done right. If you ever catch them live, they do requests. By the way, you just might recognize the drummer.

Block Party 2

2006-06-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

The Logan Martin Woodcarvers brought an arry of impressive carvings to the Block Party, along with additional photos and a display of woodworking tools.

Block Party 1

2006-06-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is the Style Band, the first band we saw at this year's Pell City Home Town Block Party. Notice the plastic over the speakers. This band got an early start despite the rain which came down hard and delayed some of the other stage opennings. They played well too.

Got Plans?

2006-06-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

If you are in the area tomorrow evening, and if you don't have other obligations, I highly recommend the Home Town Block Party.

Check it out

2006-05-31T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hey, Folks. We made it back to Pell City and we had to get some stuff. They have got plenty at the Super Wal-Mart.

Stars and Stripes

2006-05-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

I will be away for the long weekend and unable to post. So stay safe and meet me back here next week.

I could not find the official flag etiquette for posting on a photo blog, so I used the guide for displaying inside on a flat wall horizontally.

PS. Congratulations Taylor Hicks.

Don't Tread On Me

2006-05-23T16:54:00.000-05:00

Here's a decent representation of our great county. You can see this if you go down to the courthouse in Pell City. Let's say you want to buy a licence plate for your utility trailor. Not many people do, apparently. But if you did, you would notice that it is hard to park in the front, especially if you go near lunch time. So if you found a parking place in the back and walked around the building, you could go in the side door. Then if you looked down, you just might see this emblem on the carpet as you walked in.

The stars on the map show the two county seats of St. Clair County. I might have mentioned that there are two on an earlier post. The surrounding counties are (clockwise starting with yellow) Etowah, Calhoun, Talladega, Shelby, Jefferson and Blount. Ok, I had to look up two of them. That's Lake Logan Martin between St. Clair and Talladega. The lines crossing the county are Interstate Highways, I-20 through Pell City and I-59 passing Ashville.

So if you find yourself at the door of the courthouse this is where you will be.

Mystery Solved

2006-05-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

Did you ever wonder where they get those gas fireplace logs?

Bark Bark Meow

2006-05-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

The Pell City Animal Shelter is located near the airport. The people there take care of homeless animals and try to find families to adopt the pets. I tried to get you an animal picture, but the folks there weren't too keen on that idea. So you have to stop by sometime yourself.

Shocking News

2006-05-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

May is National Electrical Safety Month! Who knew? I think it is easier to keep up with such schedules when you have school aged children. Never fear. There is still time left this month to press that TEST button on your ground fault receptacles. For even better advice, I recommend this article from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. If that does not satisfy you, try the website of the Electrical Safety Foundation International. Be safe, and call a professional to do that sparky stuff for you.

By the way, I pressed the TEST button pictured above and nothing happened. I guess I'll be calling an electrcian.

Drop In

2006-05-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Ah, lunch at Sammie's. You never know who you will run into.

Fly By

2006-05-18T23:25:00.000-05:00

The calendar said Thursday, but the weather said Windsday. That did not stop some folks from flying in for lunch at Sammie's restaurant at the St. Clair Airport.

Tree Gnome

2006-05-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

By request

2006-05-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

Surely, this house in the historic distric of Pell City would be a great place to live.

Behind Every Cloud

2006-05-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

The weather here is in full Spring swing. Rain and sunshine on any given day.

Sunday Driver

2006-05-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Gladiolus

2006-05-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

I think.

Ophidian

2006-05-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a little creature that we share some property with. Is there anyone who can identify it from this picture? Don't be fooled by the close-up. It is very small.

Return Mail

2006-05-10T17:43:00.000-05:00

No time to be watching videos, you should be taking pictures for your blog.

Collections

2006-05-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Here's another shot from Gossett's. Their cases were always filled with great memorabilia.

Mother's Day is coming up

2006-05-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

May is the month of Mary. In keeping with tradition, flowers are placed by the statue of Mary.

Have you been eating right?

2006-05-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

Three Fingers

2006-05-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

They are laying down on the job now, but soon these poles will carry power to the people.

Shadow

2006-05-03T10:12:00.000-05:00

A picture I took while waiting for the Duran Junior High Band to start up.

duh

2006-05-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

NASCAR Aftermath

2006-05-01T23:44:00.000-05:00

Above is a night shot of the traffic headed West through Pell City after the race at Talladega Super Speedway. These cars, trucks and RVs drove for about 40 minutes to get here from Talladega, but, if they drove as fast as Jimmie Johnson when he won todays race, it would have taken them only about four and a half seconds.
Here is a look at their tail lights from the other side of the overpass. I took these pictures from Wolf Creek Road.

I heard there were about 200,000 people at the race this weekend (which was postponed to Monday due to rain).

Oh, and here's good news for the NASCAR drivers: 'Dega's track is being re-paved, starting tomorrow.

Three in One, Take Two

2006-04-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

It was less than eight weeks ago that I showed you these trees. Here they are again looking a little fuller. It is amazing what a little sun and rain can do.

First Annual

2006-04-28T16:46:00.000-05:00

The Duran Middle School Band performed in their first open air concert on Thursday. The Choir was up next; you can see them in their blue T-shirts listening to the band. The concert was well attended and well worth attending. Both groups were talented and entertaining. I'm sure the spaghetti dinner offered in the school just before the concert had nothing to do with attracting this large crowd.

Zoomer

2006-04-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

It is race weekend once again at nearby Talladega Super Speedway and everybody is getting into the act. If you stopped by the state store* Thursday, you got a chance for a closeup view of Jamie McMurray's No. 26 car.

* In Alabama, hard liquor is taxed and sold by the state in ABC stores.

High Power

2006-04-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

This looks like it could be a very exciting job. I hope these folks don't have too much excitement.

If You Could See What I Hear

2006-04-25T08:14:00.000-05:00

These are the faces behind the voices you hear daily on WFHK AM 1430. Shonda Bowman and John Simpson are the hosts for the Morning News, Trivia Tuesday, the Birthday and Anniversary Club, my favorite: The World Famous Swap Shop and plenty of Country Music.

Be sure to tune in if you are passing through.

Now for something completely different

2006-04-24T22:26:00.000-05:00

Here's something you don't see everyday in Pell City - a Louisiana style crawfish boil. When it does happen, you know somebody's got a camera.
Thanks, KEP, for the picture.

Boom

2006-04-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

This is the new Pell City Home Depot, scheduled to open in about five weeks. Not only will there be new jobs and many new things to buy inside, the store has attracted other business as well. The area beyond HD and to the right is being prepared for more new retail stores. It is tough to see in this picture, but if you ~~double~~ click on the image you will get a larger look.

You know, Home Depot is really big. I know they only sell home pieces, but they have enough room to put entire homes inside.

Hooley

2006-04-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

Last night, visitors to the Pell City Library were treated to the Celtic music of Hooley, a three piece band from nearby Birmingham. That's Darci on the left playing the fiddle and Paul on guitar. Trent played flute, Highland Bagpipes and Uilleann pipes. They were great.
Added note: I assume you are familiar with Highland Bagpipes, here is a link to some information about Irish Uilleann pipes.

Things are looking down

2006-04-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

Some trees did not survive this week's thunderstorms. Often the selection can appear quite arbitrary. The picture above is from the field next to Avondale Mill, below is a green next to Hardwick Road. Overall the damage was minor.

Things are looking up

2006-04-19T20:53:00.000-05:00

We had a Tornado Warning in Pell City today, and, so, well,
this is what it looks like from inside an underground storm shelter looking back up at the entrance.

New Construction Site Number 51

2006-04-18T22:13:00.000-05:00

Did I mention that Pell City is growing? This is the new Walgreen Pharmacy going up on 231, a block North of I-20.

School Busses in the Morning

2006-04-17T21:37:00.000-05:00


Thanks KEP for reminding me:
The greatest natural resource that any country can have is its children.
....Danny Kaye

Happy Easter

2006-04-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church

Man's Best Friend

2006-04-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

This patient dog was waiting for someone outside of K-Marts.

Cherub

2006-04-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

If he's watching over the driveway entrance, he's not being too obvious about it.

Fern Forest

2006-04-11T05:43:00.000-05:00

Hazelwood's nursery is a magical place. here is a peek inside one of the grren houses.

Precursor to the worrld wide web.

2006-04-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

Can you see it?

Est 1889

2006-04-09T23:02:00.000-05:00

A look at the more picturesque of the church buildings at Cropwell Baptist.

day six

2006-04-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

The water in Lake Logan Martin leaves Pell City and passes through the power generating dam at the end of the lake.

So how much energy does a drop of water release when it drops through Logan Martin Dam? To calculate that number, we'll need a few approximations.
First we note that the water level in Lake Logan Martin is about 64 feet higher than the level in Lay Lake, but we will convert that distance to meters since in the US we use the International System of units (Watts = Joules per Second) when we talk about electrical power.

64 feet = 19.5072 meters

Next we will say there are 20 drops of water in a cc (cubic centimeter) and a cc of water has a mass of one gram. Converting that to kilograms gives: 1 drop of water = 0.00005 Kg mass.

So, the energy (in Joules) of a drop of water which has the potential to fall 19.5 meters is given by the formula:
PE = mhg
Potential Energy = mass x height x (the acceleration due to the Earth's gravity (9.8 meters/sec/sec)).

For our drop of water, the energy release is

0.00005 x 19.5 x 9.8 = 0.009555 J

If Alabama Power were 100% efficient getting that drop's energy from the dam to your 100 watt lightbulb, that bulb would burn brightly for 0.009555 / 100 = 0.00009555 seconds.

Wow! Thanks little drop of water, and thanks Alabama Power.

day five

2006-04-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

The rain over Pell City drained into the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake.

day four

2006-04-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Even the Pell City ducks were looking for dry land.

day three

2006-04-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

The rain filled the small streams around town.

day two

2006-04-04T15:41:00.000-05:00

Some of the rain fell on Pell City.

day one

2006-04-03T15:35:00.000-05:00

It was a rainy day over the Southeast.

Sunday, 2 April 2006

2006-04-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

It's a sunny day in April and the Episcopal church has a tree blossoming at the front door.

Cruzin'

2006-04-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

I was distracted when this convertible rode by and almost completely missed getting a picture. Thanks to MSP for helping me out.

Smokin'

2006-03-31T12:07:00.000-06:00

On the way to work I passed a greenhouse. The water vapor was crawling over the top and evaporating in the morning sun.

Can't see the floors for the trees

2006-03-30T05:37:00.000-06:00

I have been saving this photo for a while because I am really looking forward to the completion of this building and I was hoping to get a better picture to show you. This will be the new Pell City campus of Jefferson State Community College. There are a number of colleges and universities within commuting distance, but this is our first local campus for post secondary education.

This is the view from I-20 looking North about 1/4 mile (400 m) West of HWY 231. For now, it is a construction site, but the new school should be open for business in time for the Fall semester. Maybe then you can get a better look.

Fish Habitat

2006-03-29T06:25:00.000-06:00

Some people put old Christmas trees or other bushy plants under the water to attact fish. The small fish try to hide there, and the larger fish come looking for meals.

Location, location, location

2006-03-28T05:19:00.000-06:00

The old Rexall Drug Store building is currently unoccupied. So if you need a good place to start your new restaurant, look no further. May I suggest whole foods with some Cajun items on the menu. Hey, cayenne is a whole food.

Dragonfly

2006-03-27T23:59:00.000-06:00

This fellow seems to be waiting in the shade for the Sun to go down before he takes off.

Kingdom Hall

2006-03-26T22:45:00.000-06:00

Sorry I missed yesterday's post. Here, for Sunday is Kingdom Hall, on the South side of town.

Head of Equine

2006-03-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

A nice drive entrance with statuesque reference to days gone by.

Redbud Tree

2006-03-23T23:59:00.000-06:00

The flowers of the Redbud grow along the branches, not on individual stems.

Can you dig it?

2006-03-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

So, someone was digging here, and they found this big clump of dirt under the ground. No one knows for sure how it got there or how deep it goes. A small observation post has been set up nearby to allow further study.

Set a spell

2006-03-21T21:00:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you look good wearing your dark sunglasses and sitting by the pool in one of these laid-back easy chairs.

Bradford Pear Tree

2006-03-20T23:55:00.000-06:00

I'm not a big fan of Bradford Pear trees, but there are a lot of them in Alabama. So here is a representative from Pell City.

Sunday, 19 March 2006

2006-03-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

This church is centrally located on Martin Street and just North of 78. They have some nice stained glass, but that is harder to photograph.

Gossett Hardware

2006-03-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is the front counter at Gossett Hardware on Cogswell Avenue. Mr. Gossett tells me that the cameras in this case are just the overflow of a larger collection. There are some cool pieces in there. (I wonder if he wants a burned out HP945 digital? Maybe I could trade for a Brownie.)

Gossett's is a family business that, I believe, has sold hardware in PC for about three decades. Now, however, they are closing the hardware store and pursuing other businesses.

So long Gossett Hardware, and good luck in the future.

Tanks for the Memories

2006-03-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

I was lucky to see these tanks making their way through Pell City last week. This is not an every day sight here. We don't use very many of this style tank in PC. Besides, judging from their irregular shape, don't think they would hold much liquid even if filled to the top.

Hey, field

2006-03-16T05:01:00.000-06:00

There is nothing exciting in this picture. It is just a 50 acre hay farm on Hardwick that I pass quite often. This field is up for sale, and from the asking price, it is obvious that the future owners will be planting houses not hay. I cannot complain, I have done nothing to preserve or contribute to the rural beauty of the area. But I can miss it when it passes.

Off the Tracks

2006-03-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

This little gift shop in Eden, the West end of Pell City, is made from a converted railroad car.

Comm Tower

2006-03-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

This communications tower rises behind the St Clair County Operations Center in Pell City which houses the Sherriff's Office, Central Communications and the Emergency Management Agency. As tall as it is, I suspect repeaters are also necessary due to a ridge of several hundred feet which separates Pell City from much of the northern part of the county.