HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Tuesday, July 19 – We parked overnight at Brannon Hutchinson's Custom RV last night so we would be ready for our 7 am appointment this morning. He has 50 amp electric and water available to people waiting for service.

We entered the shop a few minutes early, and Brannon immediately began work on our inverter installation.

We had a 1000 Watt Xantrex Pure Sine Wave Inverter installed to power our refrigerator when we are not plugged into electrical power.

Brannon says we should be able to power our refrigerator easily for six hours without being plugged in or running our generator.

We also had our original six year old batteries replaced with new Interstate Batteries. We had four house batteries and two starter batteries installed.

Gross old ones.

Can you see the bulge between the old ones. Not a good sign.

What a dirty battery bay.

Nice and clean. Ready for the new batteries.

Our last item was the installation of a window awning.

Brannon working on the awning.

The living room window, on the passenger side, did not have an awning over it. Paul believes this is because it is under the main patio awning, but we don't always have the patio awning deployed. We like the privacy the window awnings provide, and the heat blocking factor they provide on warm sunny days like we've been experiencing in Alabama. Now all our main windows are covered by awnings.

We were very pleased with Custom RV. As the saying goes...”They ain't cheap, but they're good.” Brannon is a former Tiffin employee who decided to open his own shop. He is well respected in the Tiffin family of owners and has an impeccable reputation for doing fine work. We'll be back, if we need some custom work in the future. Brannon lived up to his reputation!

By two o'clock, we were re-settled into Site #43 at the Camp Red Bay Service Center. Paul went over and checked on the schedule for finishing up our warranty work. We are still on the list for the middle of next week.....JEESH! At least the work is covered by the Tiffin Extended Warranty!

FLASHBACK: On Saturday night, Janet, Brian, Robin, Paul and the two of us went out for catfish. Brian and Janet said we will love the catfish at Catfish Haven.

Catfish Haven is in Winfield, AL, about an hour north of Red Bay. Paul is NOT a lover of catfish, but said he would go and see what else they offered. GUESS WHAT…we both had the grilled catfish, and it was DELICIOUS!!! Paul had fried oysters, but didn't like them. Marsha had hushpuppies but didn't like them….soooooo….an exchange was made, and we both had an excellent meal.

Counter clockwise: Paul, Marsha, Robin, Paul, Janet, Brian

Brain and Janet left this morning. Tiffin finished working on their motorhome yesterday.  We miss them already. Thanks for all the great happy hours, long talks and lots of laughs!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon Have a great day!

ONE-OF-A-KIND GEOLOGIC WONDER

Friday, July 15 – We went to the Rattlesnake Saloon this evening with our friends Brian & Janet. We had planned on doing this last Thursday but storms popped up and niched that idea.

During the saloon’s three-day workweek, anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 people visit to admire its ingenuity, listen to live music or simply grab some grub along with an ice-cold brew. It is located about 15 miles north of Red Bay in Tuscumbia, AL. To get to the Saloon, we could have walked down the winding road or ride in the back of the truck…we choose the truck. It was an exciting ride to say the least.

It is built under an overhanging cliff.

They have indoor and outdoor seating.

Wonder if this is where they got their name. Marsha loved the ceiling!

There is a huge dance floor, a really good country band was playing, and plenty of seating.

The lady in the middle played a mean pair of spoons.

They have a trail over the Saloon. Janet and Marsha decided to go exploring.

Looking down at another bar and seating area.

Can you see Brian and Paul waaaaaay in the back. Brian has the yellow shirt on.

Beer is served after five o'clock. They have sandwiches with names like the Buckaroo (Ham, Turkey and bacon sub), Trail Dog (Hot Dog), and The Duke (hamburger). We didn't try the Snake Eyes and Tails (Fried sliced Jalapeno peppers tossed in with fried green beans) or the Rattlesnake Eggs (Fried stuffed Jalapeno peppers). We did have the Skunk Rings (Onion rings), Cowboy Buttons (Fried Mushrooms), and Hay Stacks (Fries), Skunk Rings (onion rings), and a few other snacks

We had a great time! It's a place that can be easily missed but DON'T.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT…THE ROSENBAUM HOUSE

Wednesday, July 13 – We drove up to the Florence, AL area today to do some sightseeing at two locations. First stop was the Rosenbaum House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

You actually enter from the back of the home…very different.

It is the only Wright-designed structure in the state of Alabama and has been called one of the purest examples of Wright's Usonian design. Wright’s Usonian style (named for the United State of America) was offered as a low-cost home for middle income families.

The house was build in 1939 for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum, who were the sole owners and occupants of the house until 1999. It is now owned by the city of Florence and has been restored to it's original beauty, and is operated as a museum.

Front of home.

The house is constructed of cypress, glass and brick. The flat roofs and large overhanging eaves, the expanses of glass and the flowing space are all hallmarks of the Usonian style and are found in this house.

Main room. Windows were a big part of Wright's homes.

The eating area was so unique. The table is built in. Dad sat at the head, then the four boys, and mom sat back in the corner. That made her closer to the kitchen.

Typical of many of Wright's projects, the house also includes furnishings designed by the architect. His choice of wood was plywood…very interesting.

The house originally contained 1,540 square feet, but when the Rosenbaum household grew to include four sons, the family called upon Wright to design an addition. In 1948, 1,084 square feet was added, containing a larger work space (kitchen), a guest bedroom, storage space and a dormitory for the boys.

Hallway to addition. All the hallways were very narrow.

Look how narrow the doorways are.

Yes, you read correctly…boy's dormitory. They actually slept in these bunkbeds until they went away to boarding school around age 14.

The front yard, which we thought was the backyard, is lovely.

The every room has an entrance out to the garden.

We were fortunate to have the Museum Director as our tour guide. She was a personal friend of Mildred Rosenbaum and was very knowledgeable about the family and the home. The tour lasted about 40 minutes and only cost $5. It was an exciting tour, and one we would recommend.

We had another fun happy hour.  We sit outside in front of the MH's and everyone circles around…..no campfire though….LOL.   Everyone brings something different each night to share. Marsha is getting a lot of new recipes. YUM!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!