April 2026 Franklin EC

With its innovative design, modern comforts, and guest-focused philosophy, American Encore is not just a riverboat, it’s the finest expression of American river cruising ever built. Designed to host just 180 guests, American Encore features more square feet per guest than any other small cruise ship with the largest staterooms globally.

Manager

Mark Stockton

ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 450,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-pro t, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $15 a year for individuals not subscribing through participating Alabama electric cooperatives. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing o ce.

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

AREA President

Karl Rayborn

Editor Lenore Vickrey

Managing Editor

Allison Law

Senior Graphic Designer

Sean Burnley

Art Director

Danny Weston

Advertising Director

Jacob Johnson

Graphic Designer/

Production Coordinator

Brooke Echols

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

340 TechnaCenter Drive

Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031

1-800-410-2737

For advertising, email: advertising@areapower.com For editorial inquiries, email: contact@alabamaliving.coop

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: American MainStreet Publications 1-800-626-1181 www.AMP.coop

www.alabamaliving.coop

CHANGE OF ADDRESS:

For co-op members, contact your local electric cooperative. Non-members, send your address change to contact@alabamaliving.coop.

9

Gone Fishin’

As the temps warm up, more of us are heading out with our shing poles to see what’s biting. Our readers shared their favorite shing photos.

18

Captivating Canyons

Sweeping vistas and glowing creatures await visitors to three of Alabama’s beautiful canyons!

22 The Lives of Lineman Wives

For every lineman heading into the storm, there’s a family staying behind, until he comes home.

30 Harper Lee at 100

Alabama’s own Harper Lee would have been 100 this month. e Monroeville native le behind a legacy unequalled in American literature.

ONLINE: www.alabamaliving.coop

EMAIL: letters@alabamaliving.coop

Alabama

Board of Trustees

John Shewbart President

Steve McGuire Vice President

Bobby Hooper Secretary-Treasurer

Roger Boyd

Donna Hester

Stanley Holland

James McKinney

Jimmy Montgomery

Debbie King Taylor

Headquarters:

P.O. Box 10

Russellville, AL 35653

256-332-2730

District Office:

P.O. Box 386 Red Bay, AL 35582

256-356-4413

When the lights go out, lineworkers are ready to answer the call, day or night, to safely restore power and keep our communities moving forward. They take pride in powering the places we call home. Today and every day, we thank lineworkers for their service and commitment.

Lineworker Appreciation Day April 15, 2026

ReadyWhen i t Matters Most

Summary of trustee nomination and election procedure

The bylaws of the cooperative (which are available to members on request) provide that an annual meeting of the members of the cooperative shall be held on the first Monday in August of each year, at the cooperative’s headquarters and beginning at such hour as the board of trustees shall from year-to-year fix.

The trustees representing District 7, 8, and 9 shall be elected this year to serve a three-year term expiring 2029. They are selected by a nominating committee appointed by the board of trustees, but any thirty (30) or more members of the cooperative, who reside in a particular District, acting together, may make additional nominations in writing over their signatures for a trustee to be elected from their District, listing their nominee(s) not less that fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting. Trustees shall be elected by ballot by the members, or if there is no contest, by voice vote.

list of nominations will be

How Co-ops are Keeping the Grid Secure

By Michael Leitman

The electric grid is the backbone of modern life. It powers homes, businesses and institutions, including hospitals and other critical infrastructure. As the grid becomes more interconnected and digitized, it also faces growing threats ranging from cyberattacks to extreme weather events and wildfires.

Keeping the grid reliable and resilient is essential, and electric cooperatives are actively involved in national efforts to secure the electric grid.

Electric cooperatives, other utilities and grid operators follow standards set by organizations like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which mandate protections for critical infrastructure, including:

• Cybersecurity Measures: Firewalls, encryption and multi-factor authentication help prevent unauthorized access to control systems. Regular software updates and vulnerability scans reduce the risk of exploitation.

• Physical Security: Electric substations and control centers are protected with fencing, surveillance and restricted access. Physical breaches or attacks can be just as damaging as cyberattacks.

• Redundancy and Resilience: Backup systems and redundant lines ensure power can be rerouted during outages caused by natural events or deliberate attacks. This minimizes disruption and speeds recovery.

Each of these standards creates layers of defense, making it harder for any single failure to compromise the entire grid.

As threats evolve, so do the tools to combat them. New tools including drones, remote sensors and advanced controls allow cooperatives to be more effective in monitoring and responding to a variety of grid threats.

Automated sensors and controls allow real-time visibility across the grid and enable rapid response to emergency conditions, either by a human operator or automated settings. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful technology to enhance these other tools, especially in sifting through large amounts of data or imagery to detect irregularities or patterns. But to be effective, AI tools must be well designed, properly trained and incorporated into cybersecurity protections.

Electric co-ops are also making investments to harden their local systems against the growing threat of wildfires, extreme weather events and other natural hazards. These investments include identifying vulnerable parts of the grid, replacing wooden poles with metal or cement poles, burying lines underground or adding enhanced technologies that allow greater visibility and control to anticipate and respond to emergency conditions.

Planning for the unexpected is critical.

Utilities and government agencies conduct large-scale exercises to test their readiness for emergencies. One example is GridEx, a biennial event organized by NERC that simulates cyber and physical attacks on the electric grid. Thousands of participants, from utilities to law enforcement, work together to identify weaknesses and improve coordination.

These drills serve two purposes. They expose vulnerabilities before real crises occur, and they build relationships among key stakeholders. In an actual emergency, rapid communication and collaboration can make the difference between a minor disruption and a widespread outage.

Beyond planning exercises like GridEx, electric co-ops also create plans and conduct trainings to practice their responses to cyber and physical attacks and natural hazards. For example, as wildfires have become more intense and more common over a larger portion of the U.S., many co-ops are adopting wildfire mitigation plans in conjunction with grid hardening efforts.

So, why does all this matter? A secure electric grid isn’t just about keeping the lights on; it’s about protecting public health, economic stability and national security in the co-op communities we serve.

By combining robust industry standards, rigorous training and cutting-edge technology, electric co-ops are helping to build a grid that is not only reliable but resilient today and in the future. Michael Leitman writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56% of the nation’s landscape.

Making an Old House Work for Today

Upgrade for modern comfort while honoring your rural home’s rich past

By Nate Birt

You love your older rural house. And you’re eager to be true to its history while upgrading for modern living.

So what’s a homeowner to do? Start with a mindset of appreciation and plan strategically.

“When you live in a historic home, you really embody a part of our nation’s built landscape,” explains Katie Adams of Adams and Adams Construction, an Asheville, N.C.-based renovation and historic preservation company. “When you look at it through that lens, and not just ‘my old, drafty house,’ what an honor to be a part of something so special.”

She and her husband, Gus, co-own their business and are professionally trained historic preservationists. They’ve found loads of goodies in their 30 years upgrading old homes including belt buckles, boots, plates and other items found buried in old privies and outhouses.

Those stories matter to Katie, Gus and the millions of Americans living in homes built 50 or more years ago — among the key qualifications for listing on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. And modern living matters, too.

Whether you own a century-old farmhouse, a mid-century ranch or something else entirely, here’s what experts say you need to know to upgrade wisely, preserve character and make your home a joy of modern living whose legacy will live on for generations.

Your House’s Bones Honor Its History

As you begin evaluating renovation options, it’s important to start with some appreciation of what you’re working with. See your house’s strengths and limitations as both an echo from the past and a palette for sketching its next chapter of hospitality.

“Old buildings are usually constructed very well. They were built at a time when people understood that the quality of their work was a reflection of their character,” points out Melinda McKnight, CEO of Energy Conservation Services in Port Ewen, N.Y. She and her husband, Bill, own the Building Performance Institute-accredited company and routinely consult on building

science and energy efficiency with homeowners whose properties date as far back as the 1600s.

At the same time, it’s important to recognize there are “some inherent limitations” in older homes. This means modern preferences for features such as open concept and cathedral ceilings might not be a great fit.

“A lot of times, unless (those features are) … done with the guidance of a building scientist, those kind of decisions and improvements can actually cause damage, and they can actually end up creating problems if they’re not really done properly,” Melinda says.

The same goes for tossing out old windows or woodworking without realizing those items might be restored and retrofitted to provide the desired energy-efficiency benefits.

“Tuning up and saving your old windows is really one of the biggest things you’ll hear about in preservation,” Gus says.

Katie adds: “It’s a really big deal to protect your fireplace mantels and any of your fireplace surrounds. Handrails for your banisters. Those are really art, architecturally precious things.”

Other irreplaceable hardware to keep, fine-tune and treasure include old doorknobs, hinges and locks.

Interior Treatments Enhance Energy Efficiency

Plenty of home-improvement TV shows suggest modernizing your home with glamorous color palettes and visually striking details. These experts, though, say the biggest bang for your modernizing buck comes from investing in the hidden details that will keep your utility bills lighter.

“Achieving improved comfort and efficiency in buildings requires air sealing and insulating the bottom and top of the building envelope — the area you pay to heat and cool,” Melinda says. “Begin with the attic and basement or crawlspace. We don’t generally recommend starting with walls and windows. Our goal is always to address the bottom and the top of the building envelope. That’s usually the low-hanging fruit.”

The reason is in the physics of how air moves through a house:

Warm air rises and escapes through the top, while cold air gets pulled into your house through the gaps and leaks located along the bottom.

“Only 30% of net heat gain and loss goes out the side of your house,” Gus explains. “Seventy percent is: heat rises, cool goes down. So, the two most important things, as far as insulation goes, are insulating the attic and crawl space or basement.”

In addition to using the right type of insulation, evaluate other places where cold air enters or warm air escapes and seek to plug the holes. Rim joists are one such example, Melinda says. These are locations where your house’s wooden frame and wooden floor joists meet.

“Wherever wood meets wood, that’s an air leak,” she points out. “It’s important to air seal and insulate that for a couple of different reasons. The first is that outdoor air getting into conditioned space can create condensation, and potentially mold. And, anywhere there’s an air leak, it’s an opportunity for a rodent to make entry.”

For optimal air sealing, Melinda recommends purchasing a can of professional-grade foam, a metal gun that can be used to apply it plus an acetone-based gun cleaner. Avoid foam kits with a plastic straw that can get clogged and prevent you from using all the foam.

“Just spending a little more money at the outset and getting the right materials and supplies will save you in the future,” she says.

Other popular energy-efficiency upgrades for rural homes include:

• Install a mini-split: These units enable you to heat and cool individual rooms in buildings without adequate space to run ductwork according to code, Gus notes. Mini-splits work best in buildings that have been properly and professionally air sealed and well insulated.

• Caulk-fill holes by conducting air sealing: Fill air gaps with caulk or one-part foam. Common areas of air infiltration are around outlet boxes, window trim, around plumbing under sinks and other features located on external walls to avoid air entering or escaping your home, Katie adds.

With these strategies in mind, it’s time to step outside and consider how your older house’s exterior could benefit from some modern touches.

Exterior Investments Should Divert Water

When it comes to preserving your house’s history and structural integrity, water management is everything, Melinda says.

“A common issue that we see is gutter downspouts not being run far enough away from the building so that water is coming back in,” she cautions. A good rule of thumb is to ensure downspouts run at least 8 feet away from your house, if possible.

Also pay attention to your roof. If you spot a leak inside your house, you might think the whole roof needs to go. But you might just need to replace some flashing, which are pieces of metal installed to prevent water entry in your roof.

“If there are roof lines that come together or valleys, you want to have flashing there,” Melinda explains. “You also want to have step flashing along chimneys and stack pipes.”

Other places to examine outside your home include cantilevers, which are sections of floor that overhang your foundation. Melinda provides an example.

“If you put a three-season room on the first floor but you have a walkout basement, and you don’t take care of the underside of that floor properly, that’s an air leak,” she says. “And a source of discomfort and higher utility bills. Raised ranch-style homes that were built in the ‘70s … you’ll have oftentimes a cantilever across the front on the first floor. It could be as little as 1 foot, but that 1 foot cantilever goes across the whole face of the building, that can really be a source of cold floors.”

Do Your DIY and Know Your Limits

There are plenty of tasks a handy homeowner can take on, though it’s also essential to know your limits and the risks you might incur without expert help.

“There is a lot that a homeowner can do to improve comfort and efficiency, especially if you’re handy,” Melinda explains. “Air sealing — sealing up gaps, cracks and penetrations — is more important than insulation. For example, air sealing of gaps around plumbing and electrical penetrations. It’s hard to make a mistake with basic air sealing unless you use the wrong material.”

If you decide to take down trim, scrollwork, windows or other items in the house, don’t discard them, these experts say. Keep them safe in a basement or another location because future homeowners might want to restore those features. Plus, you’ll be keeping those items out of landfills.

For more intensive modernization such as changing a house’s entire electrical system or major plumbing renovations, it’s imperative to hire a licensed and insured professional, Gus advises. That will help you mitigate the risk of a future house fire or water damage, respectively.

Also hire out exterior painting projects to experts who specialize in painting older homes, Katie says. Modern paints can trap moisture, meaning you might end up damaging your home and repainting more often than necessary.

“As a steward of a historic home, treat it kind of like it’s an archaeological site,” Katie concludes. “It’s really important to leave the original fabric with the home because you’re caretaking it for now.”

Understand Your Insulation Options

If your attic or basement remains padded full of fiberglass insulation, you might not be getting much benefit from it. “Fiberglass is air-permeable,” says Melinda McKnight, CEO of Energy Conservation Services in Port Ewen, N.Y. “If it’s not enclosed inside a wall cavity, it will allow air to pass through it in basements and attics. And more importantly, rodents like to nest in it.”

Better choices for older houses according to Melinda include:

• Professional-grade cellulose, preferably infused with boric acid to deter pests.

• Rockwool, which should be paired with air sealing for best results.

• Foam board, such as polyisocyanurate, especially for rim joists and hard-to-reach corners

There are also emerging options for environmentally conscious renovators, such as insulation made from sheep’s wool (Havelock Wool) or hemp. Availability can vary, but they’re worth investigating if sustainability is a priority for your renovation, Melinda says.

Gone fishin’

grandson,

THIS MONTH IN ALABAMA HISTORY

Montgomery’s “Lightning Route” Begins

In 1886, Alabama’s capital city became the first municipality in the Western Hemisphere to electrify its entire streetcar system. This feat of technological innovation helped Montgomery grow.

J.A. Gaboury’s Capital City Street Railway Company received a contract to lay track in Montgomery in 1885. Later that year, Gaboury met Belgian inventor Charles Van Depoele, who was marketing an electric-powered streetcar. Gaboury enticed him to Montgomery to modify his mule-powered streetcar line.

With the city’s permission, Van Depoele oversaw the work of erecting power poles along the downtown routes. When new streetcars equipped with electric engines arrived, a delighted local newspaper editor proclaimed the city would soon have a mode of transportation “powered by lightning.” The name stuck.

Van Depoele tested his system by moonlight. By day, the company worked to dispel any public fears about the machines. There was more danger “in a Texas mule’s heels than in all the electric motor system,” an industry expert said assuredly. Electric railway service began on the morning of April 15, 1886, on three downtown streets and eventually expanded to some 15 miles of track.

An 1888 powerhouse fire stalled the company’s progress. With most of its electric fleet damaged, they relied again upon mules. By the time full electric service was restored in 1894, fierce competition from other streetcar companies led to years of gamesmanship. In 1923, Alabama Power acquired and consolidated several Montgomery streetcar companies, operating the system for more than a decade.

In December 1935, regular public bus service began in Montgomery. Within a few months, electric streetcar service had ended. Today, visitors to Montgomery’s Riverwalk can view one of the restored streetcars that once traversed the long-gone tracks of the famed Lightning Route.

— Scotty Kirkland

Whereville, AL

Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the May issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, 340 Technacenter Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117.

March’s answer: This is part of the statue dedicated to the life of Helen Keller, a native of Tuscumbia who overcame deafness and blindness to become a renowned speaker, writer and advocate. Some readers thought it was located at the Keller birthplace, but this statue is on the Capitol grounds in Montgomery and was dedicated on Oct. 24, 2025. (Photo by Lenore Vickrey of Alabama Living) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is fourth-grader Lily Scott, whose class saw the statue on a visit to the Capitol (submitted by her mom, Mary).

Find the Hidden Dingbat!

Our hidden dingbat for March, a four-leaf clover tucked amongst the foliage in a photo of Tom’s Wall on Page 27, proved to be a challenging but enjoyable hunt for more than 300 of you who wrote to us. Sharon Gardner of Elberta, a Baldwin EMC member for 55 years, wrote that she “would have been very upset had I not been able to find the Dingbat this month. All my life I have been able to find four-leaf clovers. As I child I would seal them with a heated iron and wax paper. As the years progressed I would laminate them. And when my mother passed and I was going through her books I was amazed how many fell out that I had pressed between the pages.” April Battle wrote us that she usually doesn’t enter the contest but she wanted to this time because it was more difficult than previous issues. “I have been reading Alabama Living for 10 years and absolutely enjoy it. I really enjoy that it still comes in actual paper form and not emailed out, or just something to look up online. That is a practice sadly ending, but there is nothing like turning a page. So thanks for keeping up the magazine as long as you can.” We agree and plan to, April!

Congratulations to our randomly selected winner, Linda Barefoot of Salem, a member of Tallapoosa River EC. She told us she was singing, “I’m looking over a four-leaf clover, that I overlooked before,” while hunting for it. This month we’ve hidden a golden Easter egg. Remember: it won’t be in an ad or pages 1-8.

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.coop

By mail: Find the Dingbat

Alabama Living 340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117

Sponsored by

Letters to the Editor

Alabama’s mirthful monikers

E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop

I enjoyed the article (“From Random to Roosters,” April 2026) very much. It made me smile the whole time I was reading it. One of my favorites was missing, however. That would be Opp, Alabama. While I know “historically” it was named for Henry Opp, a lawyer of German descent and former mayor of Andalusia

Take Us Along!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving.coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo. We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.

 Preasha and Ronnie Smith, members of Black Warrior EMC from Romulus, spent nearly three weeks traveling through Holland and France with their Alabama Living.

 Siblings Judy Burnham and Dennis Fell visited the Todai-ji Buddist Temple in Nara, Japan. They are both members of Baldwin EMC.

or write us at: Letters to the editor 340 TechnaCenter

from 1899 to 1906, a funny story says it was originally named “Opportunity,” but after many years of nothing really happening, it was shortened to just “Opp.”

That may have not been appropriate for the article but funny, nonetheless.

David Cunningham,

From another bridge-named town, Bridgeport

 Berry, Natalie, and Marshall Nall of Atmore, members of Southern Pine EC, traveled to the Colosseum in Rome to celebrate Berry’s 50th birthday.

 Debbie Frazier of Mentone, a member of Sand Mountain EC, traveled with her three daughters to La Gaviota Tropical Boutique Hotel in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

 Susan Knight of Marbury made sure to take her copy along when she departed on a Disney cruise out of Port Canaveral, Fla., She is a member of Central Alabama EC.

 Nancy Jo Adams and Richard Holt, owners of Life in Camo Media, LLC, traveled to Cazapampa in Argentina to hunt red stag. Residents of Banks, they are members of the South Alabama EC.

 Scotty

a

 Sissy Henderson of Andalusia, a member of Covington EC, visited Gatlinburg, Tenn., with her magazine.

 Belinda Lee of Georgiana, a member of Pioneer EC, took her copy to Clewiston, Fla., her hometown where she traveled to visit family and attend the annual “Clewiston Sugar Festival” celebrating the end of the sugar crop.

 Carol and Andy McRae of Clio took their magazine along on the Norwegian Bliss Cruise to Alaska. This picture was made in the Glacier Bay. They are members of Pea River EC.

 Daniel and Linda Thomas of Orange Beach traveled to see the windmills in Kinderdijk, Holland. They are members of Baldwin EMC.

Tourism ALABAMA’S

INDUSTRY AIMS TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE

‘Destination

Verified’ North Alabama leads the way

BY COLETTE BOEHM

The accessible travel market is a large and rapidly growing sector across the U.S. and the Alabama tourism industry is poised to welcome and accommodate an increasing number of visitors with varying abilities. The market includes travelers with mobility, sensory, and cognitive challenges who, along with an aging population, are creating the need for a variety of accommodations at lodging properties, attractions, and other businesses.

Travelers with disabilities reportedly spent nearly $50 billion in 2024 and, according to Open Doors Organization data, that number climbs to $100 billion when including companions. Despite its size and spending patterns, the market continues to be underserved due to accessibility barriers.

In North Alabama, the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association is aiming to remove those barriers and lead the way to accessible travel through encouraging and enabling its industry partners to move beyond compliance and to create new inclusive offerings for visitors. State Parks, from the mountains to the gulf, are also providing more options for visitors of varying abilities, from lodging to trails to the state’s number one tourism attraction, its beaches.

“At the Lodge, we have a boardwalk with a ramp and a track chair and beach wheelchair that guests can check out at no charge to get them out on the beach,” says Chandra Wright, director of environmental & educational outreach for the Lodge at Gulf State Park, located directly on the beach in Gulf Shores. “We strive to provide all of our guests access to make those lifetime memories that will keep them coming back for years to come.”

Through AMLA’s efforts, North Alabama is equipped to provide those memories as well. The region has become the state’s first “Destination Verified” area recognized by Wheel the World, a global leader in accessible travel. The status identifies venues that have undergone a third-party accessibility verification, a process which included visits to dozens of businesses, attractions, restaurants, airports, and

hotels throughout the region. AMLA has also coordinated training through Tourism ALL-a-Bama, a program of United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville and Tennessee Valley, intended to serve individuals and families traveling with sensory sensitivities or who are on the autism spectrum.

The AMLA initiative has trained hundreds of employees on accessibility and, through grants and partnerships, provided three dozen wheelchairs to its tourism partners.

“Accessibility is more than a project, it is AMLA’s mission,” says the organization’s President/CEO Tami Reist. “We are committed to ensuring that North Alabama is not only beautiful and adventurous but also inclusive, inviting and accessible. By equipping our partners with tools, strategies and best practices, AMLA is ensuring that North Alabama can welcome visitors with disabilities with the same warmth and hospitality the region is known for.” The organization has launched a new website, accessiblenorthal.com, offering visitors a comprehensive hub for accessible travel information.

Ashlee Crosby is the general manager of SpringHill Suites Huntsville Downtown and has, along with her staff, been through the verification process and the sensory training sessions.

“We had the team sign up to have the ALL-a-Bama training for autism,” Ashlee notes. “Each hotel got sensory kits. When the ALL-a-Bama reservations come through, we know who they are. We know when they’re checking in and their needs. But we have this kit that’s available to us 365 days a year,” she said, noting that more and more travelers have special requests. “We get people in and they need a sound machine in their room, or they need the weighted blanket, and that’s in the bag. We’ve had that a few times.”

Crosby relates to the special needs of travelers in a personal way, as she has a seven-year-old daughter, Samone, with limb differences. “She only has one full limb, and that’s her left arm,” she explains. “We have a wheelchair, but that’s basically used for more distance, getting from one place to another. Once she gets there,

she typically likes to be out of her wheelchair. For me, when we travel, cleanliness is really big, because she walks on one hand on the floor most of the time and climbs up on things. So, our accessibility is different.

“ That’s why I like the training we use,” she says. “This accessibility training explains that it’s not one size fits all.” She recalls a wheelchair user who recently checked in and did not want a roll-in shower. “Just because she’s in wheelchair, she doesn’t have to have it. Getting our people to think about that, to have these things available, to have the knowledge of how they work and how to offer them, but to know it’s not one size fits all. Sometimes you have to make adjustments for the person.”

Parks offer options

Alabama’s state parks are offering a variety of options for access to the outdoors for those with mobility issues. With grant funding, AMLA donated a state-of-the-art Terrain Hopper to Joe Wheeler State Park, in northwest Alabama. The device allows individuals with mobility challenges to explore rugged trails, scenic landscapes, and lakeside views more easily than ever before.

Alabama State Parks Deputy Director Chad Davis is also AMLA’s Chairman of the Board. “We’re incredibly grateful,” he says. “This device opens trails and outdoor experiences to guests of all abilities,” calling it “a great addition to our state park’s outdoor mobility device fleet. It’s a powerful step forward in our commitment to accessibility and inclusion across Alabama’s State Parks.”

Oak Mountain, Monte Sano, Lakepoint and Gulf State Parks each have mobility devices. Options vary between parks and include all-terrain track chairs, stabilized wheelchairs, carts to assist hikers, and devices that double as a cart and a stand-up assist for golfers. Visitors to state parks can reserve the motorized devices online at alapark. com/outdoor-mobility-devices. “Once you reserve the device and arrive at the park, you can head to the designated facility to pick it up and start using it,” Davis says.

Some parks have wheelchair-friendly trails, as well. Lake Guntersville is home to the paved Benny Bobo MultiUse Trail, which gives visitors a view from the Mabrey Overlook. Gulf State Park is the heart of the 28-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, which extends beyond the park into Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Win this sensory sensitivities kit!

Our friends at Tourism All-A-Bama and Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association have put together a helpful travel backpack filled with items designed especially for individuals with sensory sensitivities. Inside the kit are sensory items such as ear protectors, fidget devices, sunglasses and more! If you’d like to win one of these backpacks, email your name and address to contact@ alabamaliving.coop. We’ll draw a winner from all the entries!

“Our award-winning Backcountry Trail provides miles of paved and boardwalk trails for a variety of abilities,” Wright notes. “Each trailhead has a post providing trail users with useful information such as length, elevation change, grade, and type of surface, so everyone can determine if that trail will meet their needs before they start down it.

“At the beach pavilion, we have wheelchair mats on the beach,” she continues. Beyond having accessible rooms at the Lodge, the park also has specially equipped cottages and cabins on the shores of Lake Shelby. “Our Learning Campus also has accessible accommodations in our bunkhouse and our boardwalks and ramps, there and at the Nature Center and Interpretive Center, allow our guests to participate in our great immersive educational programs.”

Crosby is happy to see many businesses and attractions, beyond the parks, making accessibility a priority. She noted recent visits to Imagination Place Children’s Museum and Noccalula Falls, where her daughter was able to enjoy the attractions fully. That type of access is important to Crosby because travel and the experiences it brings are opportunities she wants her daughter, and others with varying abilities, to benefit from, wherever they go.

“We travel,” Crosby says. “I’m in hospitality. She goes and travels for different sports camps and things. So, we fly and we go all over the place. My most important thing, from my daughter’s side of it, is independence. I will not always be here with her. I want her love for travel to go forever and ever. What can we do to prepare for that?” 

Memorable summers ARE WORTH PLANNING EARLY.

Along Alabama’s Beaches, time slows down just enough to savor it all: long walks, unhurried meals, and days shaped by sunshine instead of schedules. Plan ahead to experience time well spent with the people who matter most.

Exploring AlabAmA’s Canyonlands

Take in some of the most beautiful views our state has to offer

BY AMBER LANIER NAGLE

From the sweeping vistas and rim-hugging trails of Little River Canyon National Preserve, to the glowing creatures living in Dismals Canyon, to the behind-the-falls view at Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve, northern Alabama is home to three canyons that captivate adventure seekers, nature lovers and restless souls alike.

Canyons and gorges refer to deep valleys with sheer sides that are formed by erosion, geological uplift and melting glaciers. The terms are used interchangeably, though gorges are typically steeper and narrower than canyons.

Geology aside, these three natural destinations offer heaps of outdoor adventures, history and some of the most breathtaking views in the Southeast. Prepare to be mesmerized!

Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve Tuscumbia

Where water meets stone over millions of years, nature sculpts some of its most spectacular masterpieces. For eons, Cane Creek relentlessly cut through the sandstone and shale layers of the Little Mountain region, shaping a canyon with a dramatic 350-foot elevation drop. Over time, the creek’s erosive power created near-vertical walls and 15 — sometimes more, depending on rainfall — picturesque waterfalls.

Today, the 693-acre preserve stands as a testament to both geologic forces and human stewardship. Jim and Faye Lacefield purchased an initial 40 acres in 1979 and gradually expanded the property, creating hiking trails throughout these canyonlands. In 2023, they donated their life’s work to the Land Trust of North Alabama, ensuring permanent protection of this ecological treasure hidden in a remote region of the state.

“And because of its secluded nature, the property was once used by bootleggers,” says Abigail Harrison, marketing director of the Land Trust of North Alabama.

During and after Prohibition, uninvited visitors would not have been welcome here. Today, the canyon invites outdoor enthusiasts to explore more than 25 miles of marked hiking trails — both easy and strenuous — each weekend.

“We are one of the only sites in Alabama with French’s Shooting Star,” says Harrison. “Primula frenchii is a rare, protected wildflower that blooms in the spring and grows under the sandstone shelters here. We also have dismalites and occasionally host night hikes to see those.”

The visitor support station at the entrance stocks maps of the preserve. Harrison suggests the short but scenic hike to Lacefield Falls, with water plunging 60 feet into a bouldery pool. “For more experienced hikers, a sevenmile loop winds by the falls, then to an overlook dubbed Lacefield Point, then down into the canyon and over to Karen’s Falls,” she adds.

Learn more: landtrustal.org

Dismals Canyon

Phil Campbell

Dismals Canyon is privately owned — a nature conservancy that earned the designation of National Natural Landmark in 1975 — and Kevin Cheek, its chief operating officer, calls it “the only natural arboretum in North America.” Tucked into the northwest corner of the state, 85 acres of ancient forestland descend 80 feet into shadow and stone.

Three hundred million years ago, this was a primeval swamp, lifted skyward by tectonic shifts, and later carved by water into a labyrinth of sandstone grottoes, waterfalls and natural bridges.

Amid moss-covered boulders, wanderers relish the rich diversity of native plant life here, including a stand of oldgrowth virgin timber of hemlock, tulip poplar, sweetgum, bigleaf magnolia, and beech. But the real rock stars of Dismals don’t come out until after dark. Deep in the gorge, in places like the Witches Cavern, tiny bioluminescent creatures called dismalites emit a blue-green glow.

“ They are cousins to the rare glowworms found in Australia and New Zealand,” says Cheek. “They require precise conditions — humidity, darkness, stillness and surfaces for their webs — and Dismals has it all. When they gather on the vertical rock walls, there are so many that they look like constellations of stars.”

Reservations for small, guided night tours to see these spectacles are only available by phone starting on the Sunday before each tour. By day, visitors arrive from

1) Hikers explore the cascading waterfalls at Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve—some viewable from behind a curtain of falling water. 2) Water tumbles over layered ledges at Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve, a 693-acre property near Tuscumbia that features dramatic cliffs and waterfalls galore. 3) The trail along towering walls of Dismals Canyon guides visitors past moss-covered boulders and into a lush gorge sheltering an old-growth forest.

across the world to walk the mile-and-a-half loop trail that takes two hours because the beauty of the gorge is so lingerworthy — a “perfect setting for forest therapy,” according to Cheek. The gorge floor typically runs 10 degrees cooler than the surface, which is another welcome surprise for summertime adventurers.

After their descent into paradise, visitors stop in at the oldfashioned soda fountain for a taste of nostalgia before leaving. And one final note for this year’s travelers: Dismals cabins are closed for renovations this year, but there are plenty of lodging opportunities within 30 minutes of the park.

Learn more: northalabama.org

Little River Canyon National Preserve

Fort Payne

Perched at the southern edge of the Cumberland Plateau, Little River Canyon National Preserve cuts more than 600 feet into the flat top of Lookout Mountain, making it the deepest canyon system in Alabama.

“The Appalachian Mountains are part of the oldest range in the history of the world,” explains Christian Braswell, a science educator at Jacksonville State University Field School, a partner of the National Park Service. “It was here that tectonic plates buckled and rose over 400 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs. The Little River, flowing atop the eroded mountaintop plateau, has spent hundreds of thousands of years sculpting this remarkable gorge — and continues its work today.”

The canyon’s ecosystems support remarkable biodiversity. The green pitcher plant, a carnivorous wonder on the endangered species list, produces nectar that lures insects into its tubular leaves, where they are digested by enzymes. Tiny blue shiners swim in what Braswell calls “some of the purest water in the state.” Green salamanders inhabit the cracks in the canyon walls.

Fossilized imprints of ancient plants appear in the sandstone, evidence of the forests that existed here before humans walked the earth. As for more recent history, the canyon witnessed more than 1,100 Cherokee and Muscogee people cross Little River (near the present-day Highway 35 bridge) in 1838, during the forced Indian removal, also known as the Trail of Tears.

Within the preserve, there are numerous hiking trails, rock-climbing and rappelling opportunities and even a blue hole for swimming. The eleven-mile drive along the Little River Canyon Rim Parkway (Highway 176) offers eight scenic overlooks where visitors can pull over, eat a snack, watch waterfalls tumble over the rocks, and witness eagles and hawks ride the thermals — and all while standing at the edge of something larger than themselves.

Whether seeking a challenging hike, a peaceful retreat or simply a chance to ponder geological heritage, northern Alabama’s canyonlands offer unforgettable experiences for travelers of all ages.

Learn more: northalabama.org 

The Lives of Lineman Wives

BY LENORE VICKREY

When an ice storm snaps power poles, a tornado tears down miles of power lines, and hurricanes plunge entire communities into darkness, thousands of families wait for the lights to come back on.

But in homes across Alabama, another kind of waiting begins. For every lineman heading into the storm, there’s a family staying behind — a wife putting children to bed alone, a mother checking the outage map, a phone lighting up in the middle of the night. They know the routine. When disaster strikes, their husband or father may be gone for days, sometimes weeks, helping strangers get their lives back.

In recognition of Lineman Appreciation Day, which Alabama celebrates April 15, we talked to wives of eight linemen from our 22 Alabama rural electric cooperatives, to learn more about the challenges of managing life at home when the head of their household is gone.

Chelbie Mobley, a high school science teacher, has been married to her husband, Dylan, a lineman at South Alabama EC, for seven years. Although he’d been a lineman for a few years before they married, she remembers vividly the times when he’s had to be gone from the house, including when she was pregnant with their first child, Mary, and another when she’d just given birth to their second girl, Mabry. That was in September 2024, when Hurricane Helene, the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005, slammed into the Florida panhandle.

She was home with newborn Mabry, only about two weeks old, when he called her from work: “Hey, there’s a hurricane. You care if I go?” Knowing that her parents were nearby for support, and that the extra money would come in handy, Chelbie agreed he should go. “Obviously he did not have to go, it wasn’t a requirement, but when you look at just having (had) a baby, and the money, and all the things, it’s really hard to turn it down.”

D ylan joined crews from 19 Alabama cooperatives in a massive mutual aid effort to restore power to rural areas of Florida’s “Big Bend,” which took weeks. “It was complete devastation,” says Chelbie. “Most of the places they went to, he was gone for a week, then came home, stay a week, and turn around and go back the next week.”

It becomes your lifestyle

Emily Varner, a dental hygienist in Greenville, knows what it’s like to have her husband away from home, especially during special family times. Ty Varner, a journeyman lineman, has been with Pioneer EC for 12 years. During the fall of 2020, when it seemed like one hurricane or severe storm after another battered Alabama and the Gulf Coast, he had been working in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura, when their daughter Raegan was born six weeks early on Sept. 9.

“He got home the night before I went into labor,” Emily remembers. “What a way to be introduced to being a lineman’s daughter, being born at the tail end of a storm!” When they brought their newborn home after a week in NICU, Hurricane Sally was

wreaking havoc along the coast, Ty got a call from the co-op. “They said, ‘We know you’re bringing your daughter home, but we might need you. So in two or three hours, he was out working again.”

A year later, Ty would miss Raegan’s first birthday party when he was called out to work another storm. “I’m telling you,” says Emily, “she has been a lineman’s daughter since she came into this world.”

Living a small community like Greenville, the Pioneer linemen and their families are close, she adds. “You build relationships because you’re all in it together. A lot of us have kids around the same age, a lot go to the same schools, we ride in the Christmas parade together. It’s like a little family which is really sweet.”

Being married to a lineman also means you learn a lot of the lingo, Emily notes. “So when he calls me and says, ‘I’ve got a broke pole,’ I know what that means, that it’s going to be like three hours. There have been several times we’ve gone out to eat and he gets called out and we have to leave.” Often they take two vehicles, just in case. “It just becomes your lifestyle.”

A sense of pride

Kaitlyn Dillon, whose husband, Trey, has been a lineman at South Alabama EC for 10 years, knows what it’s like to adjust your home life around dad’s work duties. The couple lives in Honoraville with their three young sons, and Katelyn works as

an esthetician in Montgomery. Trey takes their youngest, sixmonth-old Woods, to day care in Troy, but if he’s called out on a job, it changes everything. “It’s definitely hard,” she says. Thankfully, she has family members nearby who can help.

Still, when the phone rings in the middle of the night “and he has to jump up, get dressed and leave,” it’s an anxious time. “I feel like I’m constantly looking at the phone to see where his location is, to see when he’s on his way back,” she says. “And I always have the outage map up to see where the outages are.

“I hate it when he’s called out, but then I know how much he means to the families he’s going to help, especially when he’s going to work like the disasters and the hurricanes. There’s a sense of pride with that.”

In February, Matt Moody, a lineman at Tombigbee EC for 17 years, was among the Alabama linemen who were gone for three weeks helping restore power during the ice storms that hit Mississippi. The work was some of the most dangerous and difficult he’d seen, with power lines embedded in frozen ponds as the storm destroyed more than 8,000 power poles and 4,700 miles of power lines.

But back home in Hamilton, his wife, Mandy, a nurse, was going through a trauma of her own. He had not been gone a week when she was hospitalized with dangerously low potassium levels, later found to be caused by her acid reflux medication. She was in the hospital three days until her levels stabilized, and Matt managed to get back to see her briefly before heading back out. Normally, their son, Brodie, 19, would be at home to help with their 10 beef cows, but since he finished high school last year, he works on the road as a welder. Mandy was responsible for the home front and their farm.

“I hadn’t been in the hospital since I had Brodie,” recalls Mandy. But she understands how important her husband’s job is especially since he’s a senior lineman at Tombigbee EC. “He’s seen so many ice storms and damages over the years, but he said he’d never seen an ice storm like this one.”

Like Emily, Mandy can explain to others why it sometimes takes a long time to get power restored. “I can talk power lines with the best of them because I’ve been around it so long,” she says.

Dawn Perry’s husband Phillip has been a lineman at Dixie EC 26 years, most of their married life. Their children are now grown, but when he first started as a lineman he would have to dash out whenever he was on call, sometimes missing family time, Dawn recalls. Once at Christmas, the phone rang when their children were seeing what Santa Claus had brought them. “You have to answer that?” she asked him. “Yeah, I’m outta here,” he replied. Their kids would be crying and asking ‘why is Daddy leaving?’ but they survived.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, “she says, “It was hard, but you just pray, pray, pray.” Phillip “loves his job,” she adds. And if he’s not out working an outage, he’s at home worried about all the guys who are out there. “They’re like brothers.”

‘What

he’s meant to do’

While the unpredictability of a lineman’s schedule can make it hard on his family, for Stephanie Christensen, whose husband, Stephen, has been a lineman at Baldwin EMC for 20 years, it has become normal. “This is what they’ve grown up with. They know that their dad might miss birthdays or holidays, but they understand why. I feel like it’s actually taught them a lot about serving others and taking responsibility, especially when they were younger.” They have a son, 26, and daughters ages 17 and 9. “Being the family of a lineman, it’s a family commitment, because when he’s called out, sometimes you don’t have much of a warning. We just hold things together back at home because we know that he’s doing what he’s meant to do.”

As a OB-GYN nurse practitioner for the underserved community, Stephanie knows what it’s like to serve others, as her husband practices that daily. “He’s so humble and quiet. He never makes a big deal about what he does,” she says. “It’s so cool as a wife to watch him quietly serve others. It’s just powerful to me.”

Moriah Miller, a career tech teacher at Albertville Innovation Academy, has been married for 10 years to Joey, a lineman for Marshall-Dekalb EC for 20 years. “He tried to forewarn me when we were dating” that his schedule could be unpredictable, she says, “but you don’t know until you get married and you’re living that day-to-day life.” She and their six-year-old son, Jesse, count the days until Daddy’s home and they can resume playing his favorite pastime, building LEGO sets.

Even local events can separate Joey from his family, such as when a car hits a power pole, or house fires when firefighters need power lines to be de-energized.

“The weekend before he left (for Mississippi) there was a car wreck and he left around 8 or 9 that night and they didn’t get done until about 6 the next morning. They had to work all night.”

In the early days of their marriage, she says, “It was challenging, because you’re not used to having another person there, and then you’re getting woken up in the middle of the night.” But she’s learning what every lineman family eventually learns.

“It just comes with the territory.” 

Like many of the wives we talked to, Moriah keeps up with her husband’s location on her phone and checks the cooperative’s outage map. If linemen post photos on Facebook, the wives often share them, especially if they gone out on storm restorations. “Then we all kind of compare notes,” she says.

Newlywed Kamryn Hill has only been married to her Clarke-Washington EMC lineman husband, Cody, for a year, but even while they were dating, she got a taste of what life would be like with him being gone. He was sent with crews to help respond to storm-related outages in Georgia and Florida, and then most recently, Mississippi.

“For the first few days, it’s kind of nice because you can watch what you want on TV, and you don’t have anybody interrupting you. But then it kind of gets lonesome and you’re like, ‘When are you coming home?’” Kamryn, who works as a corporate accountant, tries to Facetime with Cody every day when he’s out of town, and if she needs anything, her parents live across the road in Grove Hill.

Cartersville’s museums are full of wonder, and during Sensory Friendly Mornings, they’re also designed with comfort in mind. At Tellus Science Museum and Booth Western Art Museum, visitors can enjoy reduced noise levels, quiet spaces, and supportive sensory resources while exploring exhibits, art, and hands-on discovery throughout the museums.

BY MYLES MELLOR

EVENTS Around Alabama

APRIL 11

Pike Road, Pike Road Lions annual yard sale, 7 to 11

a.m. at Pike Road Town Hall, 9575 Vaughn Road. DJ, door prizes, free eye screenings and refreshments available. More than 70 families from the River Region will be selling new or gently used items. All proceeds promote the Lions’ charitable efforts, including vision, diabetes, childhood cancer awareness, environment and hunger. Search for the Pike Road Lions page on Facebook.

APRIL 11

LaFayette, 30th annual LaFayette Day for Valley Haven School. Arts and crafts, antique cars, children’s games and rides, a motorcycle ride, live family entertainment, food and more. Free. For information or to register for craft show or car show, call 334-756-2868 or 334-219-1890. Email valleyhaven@valleyhavenschool.org

APRIL 12-13

Loxley, Baldwin County Strawberry Festival, Loxley Municipal Park. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Car and tractor shows, a carnival, food, live music, more than 180 crafts vendors and of course, the famous strawberry shortcakes. All proceeds benefit Loxley Elementary School and the ARC Baldwin County, Inc. baldwincountystrawberryfestival.org

APRIL 18

Fairhope, Blooms and Brews SpringFest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Weeks Bay Plantation. Live music, craft beers, cocktails, exotic petting zoo, vendors, food trucks and kids’ zone, with bounce houses and activities. Bloomsandbrewsfest.com

APRIL 18

Thorsby, Chilton County Strawberry Festival, Richard Wood Park. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Local makers, food vendors, farmers and creatives. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

APRIL 18-19

Waverly, 25th anniversary of the Old 280 Boogie at Standard Deluxe, 1015 Mayberry Ave. A festival of art, food and Southern culture. Live music all day, with performances by Shovels & Rope, The Heavy Heavy, The Band of Heathens, The Last Jimenez and more. StandardDeluxe.com

APRIL 18-19

Guntersville, Art on the Lake, Guntersville Recreational Center. More than 80 fine artists and craftsmen from across the Southeast will display their unique creations. Food vendors, outdoor games and rides and a bake shop. $3 ages 13 and older. Artonthelakeguntersville.com

APRIL 18-19

Cullman, Bloomin’ Festival, St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School. More than 100 artists and craftsmen, music, demonstrations and festival food at this family-friendly event. Bloominfestival.com

APRIL 23-26

Union Springs, “Silent Sky,” Red Door Theatre, 101 N. Prairie St. In this play written by Lauren Gunderson, protagonist Henrietta Leavitt wrestles with the pull of family, love and ambition, while she maps the stars at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s. For information and tickets, call 334-738-8687 or email info@reddoortheatre.org

APRIL 24-25

Montgomery, Hot Air Balloon Festival, Blount Cultural Park. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tethered balloon rides, live entertainment, craft and retail vendors, festival-style food and kids’ zone fun. Search for the event’s page on Facebook for ticket information.

APRIL 24-26

Huntsville, Panoply Arts Festival, Big Spring Park in downtown. A celebration of art and music, the festival offers three days of live music, shopping, demonstrations, hands-on activities and two nights of fireworks. Day passes are $15; weekend passes $20 for ages 13 and older. Artshuntsville.org

APRIL 24-25

Cullman, Alabama Strawberry Festival, Depot Park in downtown. Plenty of strawberries, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, a kids’ area with games and inflatables (fee charged), live music and other events throughout the day. Local farmers will be on hand selling produce. Free. Cullmanstrawberryfest.com

APRIL 25

Sheffield, 57th Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Swampaversary fundraiser concert, featuring Christine Ohlman, the Pine Hill Haints and Katlyn Barnes. 6:30 p.m., 3614 Jackson Highway. Presale tickets are $45 and available at muscleshoalssoundstudio.org

MAY 1-2

Moulton, 11th annual Strawberry Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, Moulton Park and Recreation Center, 13550 Court St. Family-friendly event with a variety of vendors, festival foods, classic car show, cornhole tournament, entertainers, master gardeners’ showcase, mud volleyball tournament, pony rides, inflatables and meet-and-greet with veterans. Strawberryfestivallawrencecountyal. com

MAY 1-2

Crane Hill, Fire Tower Camp grand opening, 1024 County Road 351, Crane Hill, AL 35053. Ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. May 1 with the Cullman Chamber of Commerce. Open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 2; tours of the fire tower, cabins, treehouse, pavilion, swim pier and hiking trails. Free burgers and drinks. Firetowercamp.com

MAY 9

Tuscumbia, Belle Mont Celtic Fest, 1569 Cook Lane. Belle Mont’s sweeping lawn is the setting for performances of the music of Scotland and Ireland by acclaimed Celtic musicians. Arts and crafts, life skills demonstrations, food vendors, children’s activities, Celtic merchandise and more. Bellemontcelticfest.godaddysites.com

MAY 16

Scottsboro, annual Catfish Festival, beginning at 8 a.m. Car show, food trucks, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, free fishing for kids, free pony rides, train rides and inflatables, as well as entertainment. 256-609-1409 or email vlhastings12@yahoo.com

MAY 23

Cullman, Smith Lake Park Memorial Weekend Festival, 403 County Road 386. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Live entertainment, food trucks and arts and crafts vendors throughout the event area. Search for the venue’s page on Facebook.

To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, 340 TechnaCenter Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

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Centennial: Celebrating 100 Years w Harper Lee

BY SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

The youngest child born to Monroeville, Alabama, attorney A.C. Lee and Frances Finch Lee arrived on April 28, 1926. They named her Nelle, a reverse spelling of her maternal grandmother’s name. Her middle name, which years later she would use for her byline, was an homage to Dr. Harper, a local pediatrician.

The world knew precious little of Nelle Harper Lee in her first few decades. She left home in 1944, first for a brief stint at Montgomery’s Huntingdon College and then on to the University of Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, she wrote for campus publications and raised eyebrows for her sometimes nonconformist habits of dress and decorum. She left with an education, but too early for a degree, in 1949. She was 23 years old and determined to become a writer in New York City. “I do believe I can make a living at it,” she told her family. Time proved her quite correct.

Our National Novel

A long decade of writerly toil separated Lee’s Manhattan arrival and success. In 1956, two of Lee’s friends who recognized her talents, Michael and Joy Brown, presented her with a lifechanging Christmas gift: a yearlong stipend to “write whatever you please.” Lee took the Browns' gift and returned it to us all with the 1960 publication of her Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird Young narrator Jean Louise “Scout” Finch takes readers through Depression-era Maycomb, a thinly disguised version of Lee’s hometown, in a coming-of-age story about racial justice and fairness.

Writer Casey Cep says that Mockingbird “somehow managed to be both urgently of its time and instantly timeless…speaking in the register of the eternal.” We are charmed by the unmanaged childhoods of Scout, Jem and Dill, drawn to admire the quiet dignity of the mournfully condemned Tom Robinson, curious about reclusive Boo Radley, steadied by headstrong Calpurnia. Even mean old Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose wriggles her spiteful way into our hearts.

Then there’s Atticus. In her portrait of local attorney Atticus Finch, Lee created one of the great characters of modern American literature. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view,” Atticus tells his daughter Scout. At moments when it mattered the most, the principled attorney lived up to his own teachings.

The author soon saw her characters brought to life on the silver screen, through memorable performances by two young Alabamians portraying Scout and Jem alongside Gregory Peck, Robert Duvall and Brock Peters. People are perennially drawn to the film, as well as a popular stage play at theaters large and small, including an annual production in Monroeville.

Onto the scene decades later came Go Set a Watchman. Published in 2015 by HarperCollins in unrevised form, just as Lee had submitted it decades earlier. It was not Mockingbird’s sequel, but rather an earlier version that was set in the mid-1950s and told from the perspective of an adult Scout. When Lee submitted it, her editor Tay Hohoff suggested a rewrite focusing on the childhood flashbacks; Mockingbird was born. God bless editors.

Since 1960, Mockingbird has sold more than 40 million copies and has been translated into dozens of languages. And yet, it is more than a mere book, a collection of some 360 pages. Oprah Winfrey once called Mockingbird “our national novel.” When he bestowed upon Lee the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007, George W. Bush said Mockingbird had “influenced the character of our country for the better.”  Its simplicity helps keep it fresh in our minds, not unlike the songs or scriptures of our youth. It is elemental, eternal.

Owl in Daylight

A few scattered articles flowed from Lee’s pen in the years that followed. She labored on a second novel based on the real-life story of an Alabama minister accused of killing several family members. But the book never came. Years later, writer Casey Cep picked up that story in her own book, Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee (Knopf, 2019).

Public events were few. In 1983, Lee reluctantly agreed to headline Eufaula’s History and Heritage Festival. Like a literary Woodstock, thousands would claim to have been in attendance. “I let my sister talk me into this,” she nervously proclaimed backstage, “and I feel like an owl out in daylight. Never again!” She avoided mockingbirds and Maycomb that day, delivering instead an appreciation of early Alabama historian Albert Pickett’s romantic prose. Pickett wrote history “composed of small dramas within a huge drama,” Lee said, leaving little wonder why she was drawn to his work.

ERIC DRAPER

PHOTOCOURTESYTHEWHITEHOUSE,

“I am still alive, although very quiet,” Lee wrote to her agent a decade later. She traveled from Manhattan to Monroeville as she pleased. Quiet, yes; but content in it. Interview and speaking requests were generally refused. A stroke in 2007 brought Lee back to Monroeville for her life’s final chapter. Much of what we know from these years comes from eminent Alabama historian Wayne Flynt. In heartfelt books Mockingbird Songs (Harper, 2017) and Afternoons with Harper Lee (NewSouth, 2022), he recounts the long friendship he and his late wife Dartie shared with the writer. In those pages we see how thoroughly Lee lived out the words she wrote to a Mobile friend in the 1960s: “People who have made peace with themselves are the people I most admire in the world.” Nelle Harper Lee died in Monroeville on February 19, 2016, a few weeks shy of her 90th birthday, at peace with a world made better because she lived in it.

Now, a decade since her passing, readers are treated again to material from Lee’s hand. The Land of Sweet Forever (HarperCollins, 2025) is a small collection of previously unpublished stories written in the 1950s. Many await completion of an announced authorized biography by Casey Cep, which will assuredly draw from sources in the family’s possession. Like the knothole in the old oak where Boo Radley left his treasures, these closely held archives may soon offer additional glimpses into the life of one of Alabama’s greatest writers.

Still, if we never received another word from Lee, if the pens of her friends and biographers fell forever silent, what we are left with might still be enough: Her immortal characters. Her unchanging Maycomb. Mockingbird’s ageless message, in the end, might be enough, indeed. 

TOURABLE ALABAMA

Take a tour and learn more about the Heart of Dixie

BY AMBER LANIER NAGLE

Agroup congregates at the front of the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion, their eyes scanning the porch columns, the ornate trim work and the belvedere positioned at the top of the structure. This Tuscaloosa manor is one of the finest remaining examples of Italianate architecture in the South.

Wearing comfortable walking shoes and speaking into a red bullhorn, historian Will Hawkins addresses the attentive crowd.

“ The mansion was completed in 1862 and was quite technologically advanced for its time,” says Hawkins, executive director of Historic Tuscaloosa. “It had a fully functioning bathroom original to the house — the first in Alabama to feature a built-in bathtub and indoor plumbing with warm water.”

Hawkins’ roadside speech turns to the family lineage, starting with the original owner, Alabama state Sen. Robert Jemison. Jemison’s great-grandson, Dr. Robert Jemison Van de Graaff, born in the mansion in 1901, became a worldrenowned physicist and invented the Van de Graaff generator.

“ Tuscaloosa is full of history and stories like these,” says Hawkins. “Our walking tour gives people an opportunity to get outside and explore a few of our city’s landmarks while learning about the architecture and our rich history.”

Many places across Alabama invite guests and locals to slow down and experience the soul of their cities through tours, both self-guided and expert-led. City by city, step by step, these pedestrian adventures offer an immersive perspective impossible to capture from a car window. Here are a few.

Tuscaloosa

Guided

History comes alive with this free 90-minute walking tour on Saturday mornings in April, beginning at the Jemison-Van De Graaff Mansion and winding down Greensboro Avenue, University Boulevard and Queen City Avenue. The tour is limited to about 20 participants, and interested parties must call Historic Tuscaloosa to reserve spots in advance.

The group strolls to the Bama Theatre, The Murphy-Collins House (home of the Murphy African American Museum), Battle–Friedman House and several churches along the route.

“We stop at the University Club — once the Governor’s Mansion,” says Hawkins. “It’s a Greek Revival-style

home built in 1834, and people love to hear that Francis Scott Key (who wrote the poem that would become America’s national anthem) stayed here one time. Down the road, the seven-story Alston Building was Tuscaloosa’s first skyscraper and known in 1909 as America’s ‘tallest building east of Chicago on a dirt road.’ There’s so much to see here!”

Martin Luther King, Jr. Street

Selma, self-guided

Known for “Bloody Sunday,” when peaceful protesters were brutally attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and the spark that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“The Martin Luther King Jr. Street Walking Tour is one way to absorb that history on foot,” says Sheryl Smedley, executive director of the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce. “There are a series of interpretive signs along the route that provide historical timelines and connect the sites to the Selma marches.”

This free self-guided tour begins at the Centre for Commerce (where maps are available) and winds past 13 stops including the First Baptist Church, which served as Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee headquarters during the Selma Campaign; the George Washington Carver homes; the Martin Luther King Jr. monument; and Brown Chapel AME Church, the Romanesque Revival landmark built in 1908 that served as the starting point for the marches.

“ Those who would rather learn from a personal tour guide can call the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce,” Smedley says. “We can direct them to tour guides — some with connections to Selma foot soldiers.”

For those sightseers with mobility issues and concerns, the buildings and monument along this city block are easy to see from the comfort and safety of a car.

Downtown Mobile Alliance Tour

Mobile, self-guided

As Alabama’s oldest city, founded in 1702, Mobile carries layers of French, Spanish and Creole heritage that are impossible to absorb in a single visit, which is why the Downtown Mobile Alliance created a self-guided tour spotlighting 50 landmarks — easy to navigate via an online map (at downtownmobile.org) for a halfday, a day, or even a weekend visit. In recent years, Mobile has invested in street and sidewalk improvements to make its historic downtown more walkable and accessible to all visitors.

The tour begins at the Daniels, Elgin & Co. Building (circa 1860), whose prefabricated cast iron façade — modeled after 15th and 16th century Venetian waterfront palazzos — miraculously survived scrap-metal drives during various war efforts. Nearby, the Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa (circa 1852, rebuilt in 1906) charms visitors with an interesting acoustic and architectural feature on its second floor.

“ The Battle House Hotel has a whispering arch, where visitors can whisper on one side, and people on

the other side can hear them,” says Fred Rendfrey, the Alliance’s President and CEO. “It was used for eavesdropping.”

Further along the mapped route, the Creole Fire House No. 1 (circa 1872) tells a fascinating story of Mobile’s Creole community, whose founding fire company operated much like an insurance company.

“Like insurance, it only provided (fire protection) services to paying members,” Rendfrey says. “The building has changed hands and been different things over the years, but the fire pole is still in there. I’ve slid down it myself.”

Historic Twickenham Huntsville, guided Erica Matthews, Tourism Sales Manager at the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), says that Huntsville’s historic districts are best experienced on foot. Since 2003, the CVB’s complimentary guided tours have taken place every Saturday in April at 10 a.m., winding through neighborhoods like Old Town, Five Points and the Twickenham Historic District, one of Alabama’s most significant architectural and political areas.

“Our tours typically last between one and two hours, and they are familyfriendly for all ages and even welcome leashed pups,” says Matthews. “Most groups draw an average of around 10 participants, though a few have had close to 200. Our tours are extremely popular, and we usually have a great turnout — a mix of out-of-towners and locals alike.”

Founded in 1814, Twickenham boasts the state’s highest concentration

of antebellum homes, showcasing styles ranging from Federal and Greek Revival to Queen Anne and Bungalow. Beyond its architectural beauty, the neighborhood holds deep political significance. In 1819, 44 delegates gathered here for Alabama’s first constitutional convention, deliberating the state’s future in the very homes that line these streets.

This tour departs from the Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and winds eastward, passing places like the Weeden House Museum (the oldest house in Alabama open to the public) along sidewalks and pavement areas that are wheelchair- and mobilityassistive device accessible. After taking in Twickenham, hungry sightseers are encouraged to stay downtown and try out one of many lunch spots.

Gadsden

greatergadsden.com/events/april2026-gadsden-walking-tours/ Greater Gadsden Area Tourism hosts free guided walking tours each Saturday in April. Visitors are asked to meet at the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism Visitor Center at 9:45 a.m. for a free, guided one-hour walk through beautiful downtown.

Monroeville

chamberorganizer.com/Calendar/ moreinfo.php?eventid=542400

Every Saturday in April, the Chamber of Commerce presents free walking tours of downtown Monroeville. Meet just before 10 a.m. on the steps of the Monroe County Museum to participate in the 45-minute tours. 

WHAT IS AL SMP?

The mission of the Alabama Senior Medicare Patrol (AL SMP) is to help Medicare beneficiaries prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, abuse, and errors. Federally funded through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), AL SMP is comprised of dedicated staff and volunteers who respond to reports of suspected Medicare fraud and determine next steps.

1. Conducts Outreach and Education. AL SMP provides educational materials, displays exhibits at events, and works one-on-one with Medicare beneficiaries. 2. Engages Volunteers. Protecting older persons’ health, finances, and medical identity while saving Medicare dollars is a cause that attracts civic-minded Americans. 3. Receives Beneficiary Complaints. When fraud is suspected, AL SMP makes referrals to the appropriate federal agency for further investigation.

• Review your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) and/or Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) • Access your Medicare information at Medicare.gov • Report suspicious Medicare activity by contacting your local AL SMP that offers FREE and CONFIDENTIAL services

More Alabamians Now Qualify for Prescription Drug Savings

There’s good news for Alabamians living with limited income and resources. The Medicare Extra Help program—also known as LIS—expanded in 2025. If your income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, you may now qualify for full Extra Help benefits. This means you could pay lower or no premiums, reduced Part D drug copays and reduced or no Part D deductible for your prescriptions. Many people don’t realize they’re eligible—so it’s worth checking.

For example, in 2025, individuals earning less than $23,475 per year (or couples earning less than $31,725 per year) may qualify as long as your assets are below the specified limits. You could save hundreds of dollars each year on the medications you rely on!

To see if you qualify for Extra Help, call: The Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778

Choose a Medicare plan with confidence.

Medicare can be complex, and it’s normal to feel uncertain with so many parts and plans to consider. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama understands this and offers Medicare plans grounded in decades of experience and trust. For generations, Blue Cross has been a steady partner for individuals and families, providing coverage that gives you confidence and peace of mind as you navigate your healthcare choices. With a name you can depend on, you can feel secure making important decisions about your health.

How to Choose the Right Plan for You

Selecting the right Medicare plan is a crucial decision, and it’s important to consider several factors to ensure the best fit for your needs. Here are some considerations to help you decide:

Is your doctor in the plan’s network?

What will your prescription costs be?

What are your overall monthly expenses?

Designed for Alabamians by Alabamians

Are you covered when you travel?

Are there extra benefits like dental, vision and hearing?

Simplified Plan Options

Understanding that every individual has unique healthcare needs, Blue Cross offers a variety of plan options to ensure that you find the right fit:

• A Part C Medicare Advantage plan

• Offers all-in-one coverage

• Combines medical and prescription drug benefits with extras like vision and dental

With 90 years of experience, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama offers trusted healthcare coverage. Our extensive network includes 90% of doctors and 100% of hospitals in Alabama,1 providing access to top-tier care statewide. We offer comprehensive plans that cover medical expenses, prescription drugs and include additional benefits like dental, vision and hearing.

Our commitment to quality is reflected in high customer satisfaction and ratings, with Blue Advantage plans earning 5 stars for “Member Experience with Health Plan” and 4 stars overall in 2025.2 Our emphasis on customer service ensures you’re never alone in navigating your healthcare options.

Choosing Blue Cross means peace of mind, with local resources and straightforward plans designed to make your Medicare journey simple and easy.

• A Medicare Select Plan or type of Medigap Medicare Supplement plan

• Provides fewer out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-covered services

To get more information or talk to a local advisor, call 1-855-978-5194 (TTY 711) or visit BCBSALMedicare.com/BA1, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. CST.3

• A Medicare-approved Part D plan

• Pairs with C Plus or Original Medicare

• Helps pay for prescription drugs

Poisonous Plants of Alabama: What Gardeners and Outdoor Lovers

Should Know This Spring

Spring in Alabama invites gardeners and nature lovers back outside, but it also brings renewed growth of several toxic plants that can quickly spoil the season. A little plant awareness is all it takes to avoid painful rashes, stings, and unwelcome surprises. Here’s a friendly guide to the plants you’re most likely to encounter.

Poison Ivy: The Springtime Scourge— Leaves and Vines

Poison ivy is one of Alabama’s most common irritants. Its “leaves of three” may appear smooth or jagged, often with a reddish spot at the base of the lower leaflets. All parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil responsible for the infamous itchy, blistering rash.

Also important to know — poison ivy’s vines are just as irritating as the leaves. As the vine matures, it develops dense, hairlike roots that cling to trees and other surfaces. These “hairy vines” contain the same rash-causing oil and can trigger a reaction even if touched accidentally. Vines can become thick and woody, making them easy to grab by mistake when clearing brush.

Poison ivy thrives along forest edges, in wooded areas, and even in urban green spaces, making spring a prime time for accidental encounters.

Poison Oak: A Fuzzy LookAlike

Poison oak closely resembles poison ivy but has rounded, oaklike lobes and often fuzzier leaves. It also grows in clusters of three and contains urushiol. Instead of climbing, it typically grows as a small shrub and tends to favor drier, sandy areas such as pine woods and scrub habitats.

Poison Sumac: A Wetland Threat

Unlike ivy and oak, poison sumac doesn’t have clusters of three leaves. Instead, it features seven to 15 smooth, elongated leaflets arranged along a central stem. It grows

as a shrub or small tree in wetlands like bogs and swamps. Contact can result in a more severe reaction than either poison ivy or oak.

Stinging Nettles & Spurge Nettle: Pain Without the Rash

Stinging nettles and spurge nettle or “tread softly” aren’t chemically poisonous, but their fine, needlelike hairs deliver a sharp sting that can lead to redness, burning, and temporary swelling. These plants are common along woodland edges, sandy openings, and disturbed sunny sites — places gardeners and hikers frequent in spring.

Controlling Poisonous Plants: A Quick, Practical Guide

While poisonous plants can sometimes be left alone in low traffic areas, they become a problem when they grow near homes, gardens, or spaces used by children and pets. Here’s a simple overview of effective control options:

• Herbicides are the safest and most reliable option. Products containing glyphosate or triclopyr work well on poison ivy, oak, and sumac. They’re most effective when applied during active growth — usually spring through summer — and may require repeat applications.

• Mechanical removal requires extreme caution. Since urushiol is present in leaves, stems, roots, and even dead vines, pulling or cutting plants can easily cause exposure. Poison ivy’s hairy vines are particularly hazardous. If removal is necessary, wear heavy protective gloves and clothing, wash tools afterward, and launder clothing separately.

• Never burn plant material. Burning can send urushiol into the air, creating dangerous fumes.

• Prevent regrowth by managing site conditions. Monitor fence lines, tree bases, and shady edges regularly. Maintaining healthy groundcover and reducing soil disturbance can help discourage these plants from reappearing.

With a bit of awareness and some basic identification skills, you can enjoy Alabama’s beautiful spring season while avoiding the itch, burn, and irritation these plants can cause.

Outdoors

Practice Capturing Nature & Wildlife With a Camera

“People could get a very advanced point-and-shoot camera for about $1,000,” Tes says. “These ‘bridge cameras’ have many features. One good thing, people don’t need to swap lenses. These cameras come with a fixed lens that shoots from wide angle to telephoto. They are easy to carry and make super starter cameras.”

As people become more skilled, they might want to upgrade to better quality equipment and accessories. Buy an upper end camera body with several detachable lenses. A lens that goes from 18 mm to 300 mm can suffice for most photography situations. Nikon, Canon and Sony make the best quality cameras. A Nikon 18-300 mm zoom lens costs about $600.

photographer

Practically everyone carries a camera nowadays. Even into the bathroom! Cameras on high-end smart phones can take amazing photos, but some photographers want to do better than that.

An award-winning photographer from Tuskegee, Tes Jolly and her husband Ron with Jolly’s Outdoor Visions travel the country shooting photos and videos. Ron filmed hunting videos for Primos Game Calls among other things. Besides photography, they raise money for wild turkey conservation through Turkeys For Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow.org).

“The technology today is so advanced that anybody who wants to take the time to learn their equipment can take terrific photos,” Tes says. “Now, it’s better, smaller and lighter. People don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get into photography. I still use my cell phone camera for many things.”

To start getting into wildlife photography, Tes recommends getting “a point-and-shoot bridge camera.” Bridge cameras are versatile digital cameras that “bridge” the gap between simple point-and-shoots and advanced DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. With such a camera, people just need to point it at their subject and press the button. The camera does the rest.

“The lens is the critical part of a camera,” Tes says. “Get lenses with the best quality glass possible. Something that goes from wide to telephoto is a good starter lens. People can do just about anything they want with it. Photographers can get good deals on slightly used equipment from B&H Photo Video (bhphotovideo. com) in New York. I have purchased several items from them.”

With good equipment in hand, practice, practice, practice. The best thing about digital photography, photographers don’t need to buy film or pay to develop it. Keep shooting photos multiple times of each subject and simply delete the bad images.

“If people really want to get into wildlife photography, find someone who does a great job and get on their social media or webpage,” Tes says. “People can learn a lot from such people. I recommend Steve Perry with Backcountry Gallery (backcountrygallery.com). I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Even with high-tech equipment, people must still practice their wilderness skills to take fantastic photos. Learn as much as possible about the subject. For instance, to take photos of whitetailed deer, learn its habits and habitats. Get as close as possible without disturbing the subject. Go to places like preserves and parks.

“Go places where people can encounter wildlife,” Tes says. “A lot of great photos come off public lands where animals get slightly habituated to people. Good places include parks and campgrounds. Above all, respect wildlife. Don’t make an animal do something or scare it just to get a photo. Do not stress the animal or the subject. Get that photo, but don’t disturb the animal. That takes patience.”

Fortunately, Alabama photographers can visit many public places all year long where animals become accustomed to people. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge near Decatur provides an excellent place to photograph waterfowl and other birds, such as bald eagles or sandhill cranes. Many refuges and sanctuaries create viewing areas specifically established for wildlife watching and photography where people can hide and view nature without alarming the animals.

“Any state park could offer great places to get wildlife photos,” Tes says. “Most parks have good wildlife populations. DeSoto State Park offers beautiful scenic views and wildlife. Oak Mountain State Park is another good spot. Even in city parks with ponds, people might be able to shoot photos of waterfowl and other birds or small animals.”

Sanctuaries, such as the Robert G. Wehle Nature Center (alabamaforeverwild.com/wehle-tract) near Midway make wonderful places to take photos of various wildlife species, especially birds. In southern Alabama, visit the Environmental Studies Center (mcpsesc.com) in Mobile.

“I don’t go anywhere without a camera,” Tes says. “When someone goes into the woods, they never know what they might see that day.” 

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Alabama Recipes

CHEESE, please!

OChicken, Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

3/4 cup elbow macaroni

3 cups broccoli, chopped

5 slices bacon

1 pound chicken breasts, cubed

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

1 tablespoon garlic minced

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

11/4 cups Half & Half

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the broiler to medium or low setting. Cook elbow pasta in water with a pinch of salt according to package directions for al dente. During the last few minutes of cooking, add chopped broccoli. Drain and set aside.

In a large, oven-safe skillet, cook bacon. Drain and set aside to crumble when it cools. In the same pan, add chicken breasts that have been cubed into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken with half of the teaspoon salt. Cook in the pan drippings over medium heat until chicken has browned. Add minced garlic and cook a minute more, stirring often to prevent burning.

Add in the turmeric and cook a minute more. In a large bowl, mix another half teaspoon of salt, Half & Half, chicken broth and flour. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken in skillet. Season with pepper. Increase the heat to a soft boil and boil a few minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in half of the cheese and spread evenly in the pan. Top with the other half of the cheese and reserved bacon. Broil on low to medium until bubbly and slightly brown.

ne of the most nostalgic foods for me growing up is my Momma’s Mac and Cheese. She made this luxurious roux base and it always had lots and lots of CHEESE! I decided to take that basic, yet perfect, recipe and add a bit more to it. I love to play with spices and this one has a special spice to make it even more delicious. Not to mention that adding bacon and chicken takes this from a delicious side dish to a full meal. For more recipes like this, visit us at thebutteredhome.com.

Cook of the Month

Laurie Myer, Southern Pine EC

Cheese is near and dear to the heart of Laurie Myer, who was a dairy farmer along with her husband, Norman, for several years in Lottie, near Atmore. Now retired from full-time teaching at Perdido Elementary School where she still substitutes when needed, she enjoys cooking and especially likes making her prize-winning “Baked Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole.” “I like to make it on the weekend, then bake it on Monday,” she says. “It lasts a long time.” Laurie, a New Jersey native who lived in Pennsylvania before moving south, says she came across the recipe probably on Pinterest and tweaked it a bit. Using cubed ham and chicken makes it easier than the traditional cordon blue recipe which requires pounding chicken breasts flat and wrapping them with ham and cheese. “It uses a lot of cheese, but us being former dairy farmers, it was a good promotion for our industry,” she adds. If you don’t have a cooked ham at home, you can also use deli ham (she recommends Boar’s Head), and for the chicken “I always use chicken breasts.” The cream sauce blends deliciously with the Swiss cheese, and panko crumbs on the top give it “crunch.” Laurie says she’s made this casserole for friends who were sick, and others who’ve had a death in the family, and it’s always appreciated. The name “cordon blue” is French for “blue ribbon,” and in this case, it perfectly suits our winning recipe! -Lenore Vickrey

Baked Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

2 cups ham, cubed

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

Cheese sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

11/4 cups Swiss cheese (5-ounces), shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Panko topping:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13-inch pan. In a saucepan, melt the butter; whisk in the flour until mixture gets dry and clumpy. Whisk in milk slowly. Add the mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt. Simmer for 3-5 minutes whisking until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese. Layer the cooked chicken on bottom of pan, then ham on top. Pour cheese sauce over top of layered chicken and ham. Pour 3 tablespoons melted butter over panko breadcrumbs. Combine and pour over casserole. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then serve. Goes well with rice or pasta.

ENTER TO WIN $50 Cook Of The Month Prize!

Red, White and Blue Party Food

Celebrate 250 years of our great nation with red, white and blue foods and treats or your favorite 4th of July dish!

July theme: enter by May 1, 2026

WEBSITE: alabamaliving.coop or scan here:

EMAIL: recipes@alabamaliving.coop

MAIL: Alabama Living Recipes, 340 Technacenter Dr., Montgomery AL 36117

Please include the name of your electric cooperative

Brie in a Bread Bowl

1 16- ounce round Brie cheese

1 round bread loaf

1/3 cup savory jam (onion, fig, tomato, etc.)

Olive oil

Topping:

2–4 tablespoons butter

1 medium purple onion, diced

½ cup dried cranberries, or cherries or any dried red fruit

1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup pistachios, chopped (substitute pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Slice the top off the bread loaf, then scoop out enough of the inside so that the Brie fits in snugly and even with the top, then take out the Brie. Reserve the chunks of bread that were removed.

Spread your favorite jam around the bottom and sides of the hole. Cut slits around the top of the bread about two inches down from the top then put the brie back in. It is not necessary to peel off the white rind which is edible and quite tasty.

Put the Brie bread bowl in the hot oven. Take the reserved bread from the top of the loaf and cut it into two-inch chunks. Put that and the chunks you cut out from the inside of the loaf into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat and lay in a separate lined sheet pan. Toast the bread cubes in the same oven while the Brie heats.

Cook time is about 20 minutes. The Brie should be soft all the way through and bubbling around the edges. Toss the bread chunks so that they brown evenly.

Topping:

Saute’ the onion in the butter until pieces are soft and clear. Add the remaining ingredients except for the pistachios, and cook until syrupy, stirring frequently.

When done, take the brie out of the oven and let it sit for ten minutes. Add the onion topping over the brie and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Pull off a chunk of the loaf, or dip with the toasted chunks.

Gretchen Mayer Baldwin EMC

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Dip/Spread

1½ pounds ground beef

1/4 cup Heinz 57 sauce

1/3 cup kosher dill pick le, chopped

2 tablespoons pick le juice

16 ounces Velveeta cheese

Shredded lettuce, for topping

Fresh tomato, chopped, for topping Hawaiian Buns, toasted, or tortilla chips, for serving

Cook and scramble the ground beef. Drain well. Add the chopped pickle, pickle juice, Heinz sauce and Velveeta cheese. Heat and simmer until the cheese is melted. When ready to serve, pour into a service dish and top with the shredded lettuce and chopped tomato. Serve with toasted Hawaiian buns or tortilla chips.

Note: Dip warms great in slow cooker for transporting and tailgating. The lettuce and tomato can be served in separate bowls.

Joy Griswold Dixie EC

Confetti Cheese Ball

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

1 cup medium cheddar cheese or Colby Jack (your preference), finely grated

1 large can chicken, well-drained

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon everything bagel

1 tablespoon dried chives

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1-2 cups pecans, finely chopped (reserved to roll your cheese balls in)

In a large bowl, dump everything together and mix with your hands. Mix well to incorporate all the seasonings, nuts and cheese. Once thoroughly mixed, divide mixture into two portions and roll into two balls. Roll each cheese ball in the finely chopped pecans, pressing firmly so that the pecans stick. Immediately wrap in clear plastic wrap very tightly. Let the cheese ball sit 4 hours to overnight. Serve with crackers.

Aprille Thompson

Central Alabama EC

Laurie’s Olive Cheese Balls

8 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter

2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated 11/4 cup (8-ounces) flour

36 pimento-stuffed green olives, juice drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat or in a medium mixing bowl in microwave and remove from heat. Stir in flour until well-mixed. Grate cheese into mixture. Stir to mix into dough. Divide it into 6 equal portions. Beginning with one portion, divide it into 6 bits. Form each one around an olive, concealing it with the dough bit and placing it on a greased or parchment-lined jelly roll baking pan. Do similarly with the other 5 portions, arranging the olive cheese balls with some space around each, so that all 36 are baked on the same pan. Bake 20 minutes or until they become light golden brown. Let sit a few minutes before transferring them to a platter, but they are best served while still warm. If smaller appetizers are desired or a bigger crowd anticipated: Start with more olives and portion dough accordingly. I’ve stretched it to nearly 5 dozen.

Laurie Klaas Baldwin EMC

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order of 5 coins

Your Lawn Care

Electric lawn equipment has seen drastic improvements in cost, motor efficiency and battery power in recent years. From hedge and string trimmers to leaf blowers, chainsaws, and push and riding mowers, there are lots of options for electric lawn equipment.

Electric equipment is quieter than its gas-powered counterparts and typically needs less maintenance. There’s no more mixing fuel, changing spark plugs or worrying about gas going bad over the winter. Advances in rechargeable battery technology eliminate having to lug around a heavy extension cord to get your work done. Just pop in a battery and go.

Most popular lawn equipment brands offer batterypowered options, along with newer brands that specialize in electric tools. If you need multiple tools, buying the same brand with the same battery type allows you to swap batteries between different pieces of equipment. That also means fewer battery chargers to store or keep on your workbench.

Opt for equipment with brushless motors. They are more efficient, more powerful and have a longer lifespan than traditional brushed motors. A brushless motor typically costs more but is worth the improved efficiency. A brushed motor transfers electricity using physical brushes, which can wear down over time. The friction caused by the brushes makes equipment run hotter and noisier. A brushless motor uses electronic commutation with less friction, which makes it more powerful, extends the lifespan and allows you to get more done on a single charge.

Just as gas-powered lawnmowers require safe storage and handling of gas and oil, battery-powered equipment requires proper care for maintenance, charging and disposal. Always use the manufacturer’s original charging equipment, charge batteries on hard surfaces away from anything flammable, and store chargers in a cool, dry place.

Most manufacturers recommend charging batteries only until they reach full capacity instead of leaving them on the charger until you are ready to use them. This helps prevent damage to the battery from overcharging and heat buildup and reduces potential fire hazards. Unplug chargers when not in use to avoid energy waste.

Similar to gas and oil, old or damaged batteries should not end up in household garbage and landfills, where they can ignite fires and leak toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater. Instead, recycle them at a big-box store or at a county or city waste management site.

If you’re looking for a quieter, more efficient, lower maintenance lawn care routine, rethink your equipment options and consider electric models. If you decide to make the switch, check with your electric utility or state agency for potential rebates. 

Safe,

Just

Economical

Compact

Avoid moving or renovating. Live independently and comfortably right where you belong.

It’s Never Too Soon

Install now or plan ahead. A Stiltz Homelift keeps your home ready for the future.

Installed by certified experts from the world leader in home elevators.

INSIDE TVA’S POWER SERVICE SHOPS:

Meet the Machine that Helps Keep the Valley’s Power Plants Running

Imagine a machine so big that it needs 12 million pounds of concrete to hold it in place. That’s what TVA just installed at our Power Service Shops in Muscle Shoals. The Pietro-Carnaghi Vertical Turning Lathe (VTL) isn’t your average piece of equipment. It’s one of only five machines of its model and size in the United States (the other four are at Cape Canaveral working on aerospace projects). In case this word is new to you, it’s pronounced like ‘layth’ – rhymes with bathe – and is built for precision on a massive scale.

So why does TVA need something this big? The answer is simple - because it helps keep the lights on. The VTL can handle enormous components that are essential to maintaining TVA’s power plants. Before now, machining parts this large meant sending them to outside vendors. With the expanded facility and this new technology, TVA can perform critical work in-house, saving money and reducing downtime. Those savings help keep electricity reliable and affordable for the 10 million people TVA serves, including 1.2 million Alabamians.

TVA’s new PietroCarnaghi Vertical Turning Lathe, one of only five in the U.S. of its model and size, is ready to tackle the biggest jobs in power generation.

The numbers behind this machine are staggering:

• 33-foot swing

• 26-foot table diameter

• 16-foot turning height

• 200-metric-ton table capacity

• Foundation reinforced by concrete pilings resting 50 feet into the earth

Installing it was a feat of engineering. Construction began in April 2024 and required a foundation made of 3,000 cubic yards of concrete, about 12 million pounds. The VTL foundation was also tested to ensure it could handle one million pounds before the machine was installed. The equipment itself traveled from Italy by barge in 15 shipping containers before arriving in Muscle Shoals on 10 semi-truck loads.

For decades, TVA’s Power Service Shops have been the backbone of keeping power flowing across the Valley. The high-tech hub - staffed on average with up to 700 skilled craftspeople and support professionalsmaintain and refurbish TVA’s diverse generation fleet, including three nuclear plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, and multiple coal and natural gas facilities. Equipped with advanced tools like laser-guided scanners, 3D metal printers, laser ablation technologies and water jet cutters, the shops can fabricate or repair parts that are no longer available from original manufacturers. When unexpected issues arise, TVA crews can mobilize within 24 hours.

For folks across north Alabama and the region, this investment means confidence that TVA will continue to deliver on its mission to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy to the Valley. 

Closing Deadlines (in our office):

June 2026 Issue by April 25

July 2026 Issue by May 25

August 2026 Issue by June 25

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Cup o’ Joe

As The World Book Turns

They were glorious, still beautiful after all these years in their red-and-gold bindings. They stood proudly, even if it was on the shelf of a thrift store. Most people under the age of 50 probably wouldn’t even know what they were, but I recognized them immediately.

That’s because when I was a kid, they were my Google, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Wikipedia. They were a middleclass status symbol. They were World Book encyclopedias.

A set of World Books contained basic information across a wide range of topics, arranged alphabetically. There were only 20 volumes, partly because certain paltry letters, like U-V, and X-Y-Z were combined into a single book.

Growing up, we had a complete set displayed proudly in a bookcase in the corner of our den. I had no idea where they came from or exactly when we got them. My guess is that my mother bought them in the early 1960s from a door-to-door salesman armed with a high-pressure pitch and a healthy dose of parental guilt about doing right by her four children.

They weren’t cheap. A full set cost around $180, almost $2,000 today, which made them one of the most expensive things in our house, right behind the television and the refrigerator. Fortunately, you could make manageable monthly payments of about $10 a month until the debt was finally paid off. I’m sure Mom bought them to help us with our schoolwork because my father wouldn’t spend that kind of money on books unless they included tips on improving your golf game.

Once I reached school age, they became an indispensable homework resource. It was as if we had a tiny library in our own home. If you needed to know something about almost anything like, volcanoes, Abraham Lincoln, or

the mating habits of penguins, the answer was somewhere on that shelf. Of course, finding it required some effort: pulling out the correct volume, flipping through it, and hoping your younger sister hadn’t spilled mustard on the page you were looking for.

Naturally, they had their limitations. In order to keep the encyclopedias current, annual updates were required, updates Mom never quite got around to buying. As a result, some of our information was outdated. When I did a report on Alaska, for example, the World Book explained that soon it would become a state. Looking back, World Books were a good investment because I read them constantly. Boredom often led to pulling one off the shelf and flipping through pages, discovering facts I hadn’t been looking for and didn’t particularly need, but somehow couldn’t stop reading. In my mind, this accumulation of random knowledge was going to pay off one day, hopefully on that new game show, “Jeopardy!”

Mom also supplemented our reference book collection by taking weekly trips to Kroger. That is not a typo. In the mid60s, a low-end knock-off of World Book, called Golden Book Encyclopedias, was distributed in grocery stores throughout the country. Every week, a new volume showed up at the checkout, and if you spent 20 bucks on groceries, for 99 cents it could be yours.

That just didn’t seem right. After all, we don’t go to Barnes & Noble to pick up a gallon of milk. And I just can’t see my Dad saying to Mom, “Hey honey, when you head down to the store, make sure to get a bottle of ketchup, and bag of potatoes. And for God’s sake, don’t forget to pick up Volume G of the Golden Book. I’ve heard it’s full of golf tips.”

Like Google, encyclopedias allowed you to tumble down rabbit holes. At the time, my only interest was rockets and propulsion. By cross-referencing topics, I learned that the Chinese had invented crude rockets using gunpowder as a propellant. That discovery eventually led to the ingredients, and the proportions. Soon I was making gunpowder in the basement with drugstore supplies and charcoal from my dad’s grill, perfect for my clandestine backyard experiments with homemade missiles.

And now, years later, reference books have been replaced by a phone that fits in your palm. There’s a infinite amount of information available in seconds literally at our fingertips. That’s progress. I’m not ashamed to say that a lot of the background information on this column was sourced with the help of Google Gemini. Ironic? Yep.

But for all the access to information we gained, something has been lost. Sometimes I miss feeling of the weight of an encyclopedia on my lap and the anticipation of what was on the next page. The books didn’t buzz, beep or chirp. They just waited to help someone complete a project, or a curious kid with some time to kill. 

Our Bone-ified Best Blade

My friend Sergio is a mixed martial arts fighter. His shoulders are broad. His muscles have muscles. He’s not the kind of person you want to be on the wrong side of.

This manly man has a saying about being tough: You should either know how to fight or look like you do.

The message is simple enough. People spoiling for a fight usually don’t pick the biggest guy in the bar. If you look like someone who shouldn’t be messed with, you likely won’t be. With our Blue Bone Bowie Knife on your hip, that’s exactly the message you’ll send.

As beautiful as it is functional, this knife is 10" overall and features a high-quality 420 surgical stainless steel blade with a serrated spine. The handle is constructed of genuine natural bone with redwood spacers. On the handle you’ll find design work that’s carved by hand, a testament to its craftsmanship.

This knife is stick tang, meaning it won’t wimp out when you need it. This knife also features brass hand guards and brass spacers with file work, so you won’t lose your grip. For easy carrying, it comes with a genuine tooled leather sheath. CALL NOW! If you’re one of the rst 700 587 callers for this ad, we’ll throw in a pair of Stauer Pocket Binoculars — a $99 value

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Walk around with the Blue Bone Bowie Knife and you’ll feel a lot safer. I know I do.

Knife Speci cations:

• 10" overall length

•420 surgical stainless steel and stick tang construction

• Genuine natural bone and redwood hand-carved handle

• Genuine leather sheath included

Blue Bone Bowie Knife

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