Country Cow Sign

This cute cow sign at the Orrville Farmers' Market

 gives a bit of advice that may not necessarily

 be good advice! Every cow I've ever known

 that got out of a gate got in trouble!

Linking to Signs, Signs

LEAD the Way

A young father LEADS his LITTLE one

 across the narrow swinging bridge at Kenan's Mill.

Linking to ABC Wednesday

 (depicting the Letter L)

Across the Creek

Here is a look at the back of Kenan's Mill. The 1860's gristmill 

sits above Valley Creek, and this view is from the bank

 by the swinging bridge near the charcoal kiln. 

The mill operated until the 1970s, then was restored 

years later and is operated by the Selma-Dallas County

 Historic Preservation Society. Cornmeal was ground here

 during the recent Selma Pilgrimage. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and Tuesday's Treasures

The Sanctuary at Valley Creek

The sanctuary at Valley Creek Presbyterian Church looked splendid

 with its new paint and other renovations. The state's oldest 

Presbyerian church was open March 18-19 

for Selma's Historic Pilgrimage. 

Notice how the pews are divided down the middle.

 Anybody know why?

Linking to Through My Lens

March Camellias

The season's last camellias linger against 

a late afternoon sky at Sturdivant Hall.

 And I believe I see a jet trail overhead! 

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Valley Creek Presbyterian and 10th Blogaversary

Valley Creek Presbyterian Church has the distinction as the oldest 

 Presbyterian church in Alabama, and I chose to feature it 

for this blog's 10th anniversary. 

Yes, Selma, Ala., Daily Photo is 10 years old today, but that

 is just a tad when compared to the long legacy of this 201-year-old church.

 The congregation formed in 1816 before Alabama even became a territory.

 The eight families that founded it hailed from North Carolina,

 and they built a log structure in 1821. It was replaced by this

 Greek Revival building around 1857.

And yes, this church still meets! Although its active membership has dwindled 

to just a few, services are still held the second and fourth Sundays

 at 9:30 a.m., and they sing lovely old hymns from a 1946 hymnal. 

Notice the two floors. You enter on the ground floor which serves

 as a fellowship hall, then climb a couple flights of stairs

 to the second-floor sanctuary. 

 

Above is a plaque in the foyer that was placed by the Alabama Society

 of the Daughters of the American Revolution noting the church's

 distinction at the oldest Presbyerian church in the state. 

Many thanks to the readers and contributors of this blog! 

I have met so many interesting Selmians, researched local history

 and stretched my creative limits to shoot photos of the same subjects

 at different angles, in different lighting and different seasons 

to try to keep a small-town photo blog alive and fresh!

Thanks also to City Daily Photo Blogs which introduced me to this

project and to hundreds of cities and bloggers from around the world! 

Linking to Signs, Signs 

 

The Kenan's Mill Cornmeal Sack

Kenan's Mill cornmeal used to come in a sack like this, and it held 25 pounds

 of water-ground cornmeal. The gristmill on Valley Creek dates from the 1860s 

and operated commercially until the 1970s. That is quite a legacy! 

This sack is on display in the mill house. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday (The Letter K)

Watching the Waterfall

My three-year-old grandson was fascinated by the waterfall at Kenan's Mill.

 Recent rains power-pushed Valley Creek over the spillway,

 creating a great roar as the water headed toward the Alabama River. 

 The 1860's working gristmill was open during Selma's Historic Pilgrimage, and

visitors could purchase fresh cornmeal and tour the rest of the park.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Two Bluebirds and a Bluejay

I don't know where they live, but these bluebirds like to play

 in our backyard most every morning! Then, there is the big old bluejay

 that just gets in their way!

Partly Cloudy at St. Luke's

The side windows at St. Luke's Episcopal Church reflect the partly cloudy skies

 from a couple of weeks  ago. Trees were still bare, but they are beginning

 to bud. St. Luke's Church is located at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park 

near Selma. It was built in Cahawba in 1854,

 moved in 1887 and returned in 2006. 

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Farm Fresh Eggs

There are lots of appealing signs at the Orrville Farmers Market,

 but the egg-shaped "Farm Fresh Eggs" may just be my favorite! 

Linking to Signs, Signs

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Ideas for Infants

Spring and Easter are on the way, and Carter Drug Co. downtown

 is brimming with bonnets, blankets and bunnies for infants and toddlers.

 I just love their baby bed display!

Linking to ABC Wednesday (The Letter I)

Pretty for Pilgrimage

These young ladies are among 15 selected as junior hostesses

 for the Historic Selma Pilgrimage March 17-18. They posed for pictures

 last week at Sturdivant Hall, and their duties will include welcoming guests,

 serving as tour guides and even visiting local nursing homes. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday

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Playing in Butterfly Park

Children, adults and a dog enjoy a chilly day in  Riverfront Park one day

 last week. The new playground is aptly named Butterfly Park

 as  Selma is the Butterfly Capital of Alabama. 

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows

Blue Skies and Redbud at the Park

It's only early March, but redbud blooms against a blue sky

 over the Valley Grande city park this week. 

Linking to Skywatch Friday 

The Hole That was Once a Row

We are back at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park at the site of the town's

 first "row" built in 1822. A row was a predecessor to the shopping center,

 and the big hole behind the sign was once the basement of a building

 that housed eight stores and offices. 

Built by the Crocheron brothers, merchants from Staten Island, N.Y.,

 the row was similar to those in New York City. But before the brothers

 built this "mall," they built Alabama's first statehouse in the center of town.

 This building later became known as "the Old Brick Store."

 Store owners from Cahawba purchased their merchandise from New York

 and traveled to market via the Alabama River to Mobile,

 then by steamship to Cuba and north to New York. 

The Crocheron Columns (all that is left of the brothers' house)

 can be seen in the background along with a more modern river house. 

Linking to Signs, Signs

Black and White in Color

The black iron grillwork on the library balcony works perfectly

 for March Theme Day, Black and White in Color. Selma is endowed 

with beautiful wrought iron, especially its fences around historic homes.  

City Daily Photo sponsors a new photography theme on the first of each month.  

Linking to City Daily Photo March Theme Day

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