LIFE AROUND RED BAY

Thursday, May 13 – Had some good news today.....we may be getting into the service bay this afternoon or Friday morning....yea!!!! Robert Ruff, a fellow poster on the Tiffin Network website, came by the MH Wednesday afternoon wondering if we would be interested in an appointment slot that a fellow poster was unable to keep. Heck yeah! So Rob did his work and was able to have us “trade into” her appointment. WOW! That is really good news. I stopped in the appointment office this morning and Jimmy Olivier, the service manager, said be ready for a possible spot this afternoon.

Got into the service bay this afternoon. They got 2 windows replaced and then some women came in that didn't get finished yesterday because of lack of parts. We then lost our two service techs. So back Friday morning. The guys said they will finish us tomorrow.....we'll see?????

Earlier this week, we did some looking around Red Bay and the surrounding area. One thing we noticed as soon as we got here was that one of the cemeteries had HUGE, FRESH flowers on the graves. Almost all the grave stones were decorated. We had no idea why, other than…maybe for Mother’s Day. Well, Marsha asked the locals in the office, and they gave her the answer. In the South, each cemetery takes either the first, second or third Sunday in April and May to clean up and decorate the cemetery. It is a very important day for those families that have loved ones buried in the cemetery. Most families clean up the area around the cemetery, decorates the gravesite and then have a family reunion at one of the relative’s home. Norris, the scheduler, was in the office when Marsha was asking the question. He shared that just this past Sunday, his family cleaned, decorated and had a great family reunion. Quite a different approach from up North.

Marsha took some pictures just to show how BIG and beautiful these arrangements are. Most are real flowers and will last most of the summer. She Photoshoped out as much of the stones as possible.

We also visited the TVA Cedar Creek Dam. Cedar Creek Dam is one of four dams that provide flood damage reduction, recreational opportunities, and water supply in northwest Alabama.  Cedar Creek Reservoir, impounded in 1979 as a flood control reservoir, holds 4,200 acres of water at full pool. Located nearly 10 miles west of Russellville in Franklin County, it is one of four Tennessee Valley Authority reservoirs operated by the Bear Creek Development Authority. Camping and fishing provide the main recreational opportunities.

A bit windy!

Marsha had to take pictures of her flowers.

We kept driving. What a pretty drive it was.

Now we have see it all…Coon dog Cemetery.  You can find the Coon Dog Cemetery 7 miles west of Tuscumbia on U.S. Hwy 72. Turn left on Alabama Hwy 247, and travel approximately 12 miles. Then turn right, and follow the signs. What a hoot!

In a small, grassy meadow, deep in the rich, thick wilderness of Freedom Hills, Key Underwood sadly buried his faithful coon dog, Troop. They had hunted together for more than 15 years. They had been close friends. What is a coon dog? Glad you asked….A Coon Dog s a hunting hound specially trained to hunt raccoons. It is an American sport dating from Colonial days and is held at night.

Courteous of website.

Out of one hunter's devotion to his faithful coonhound was born the "Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard," which has became a popular tourist attraction and is the only cemetery of its kind in the world.

Other hunters started doing the same when their favorite coon dogs died. Today more than 185 coon dogs from all across the United States are buried in this spot in Northwest Alabama.

We spent a while walking around and reading the gravestones. Some were really interesting.

This is the memorial to all coon dogs.

Now don’t think you can just bury your coon dog here. There are burial standards…to qualify for burial, there are three requirements.

---The owner must claim their pet is an authentic coon dog.
---A witness must declare the deceased is a coon dog.
---A member of the local Coonhunters’ organization must b allowed to view the coonhound and declare it as such.

So there you have it.

They were all decorated.

You could actually write a testimony for good old Ruff.

We never did find out why some have flags.

Not sure this has been used for a while.

If you are looking for something to do this Labor day, read on…Each Labor Day, the Tennessee Valley Coon Hunter’s Association host a celebration at the cemetery. Entertainment includes music, dancing, food and a liar's contest. Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Official Coon Dog T-shirts (Click to View) and camouflage caps available to purchase.

Here is pavilion they have the celebration in.

Paul didn’t use this but if you look close enough, you may see him behind it.

What a great way to end our adventures in Red Bay.

Thanks for stopping by. Y’all come back soon.