Tuesday, April 18, 2017

2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - TUESDAY, APRIL 11TH, 2017

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017


Heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I forgot to make note of the time we left our hotel and the odometer reading.  I am still half asleep but the coffee is waking me up.


11.31 a.m. and we have just finished our first meal of the day in Chattanooga.  It was a nice stop at a restaurant called the Blue Plate near the waterfront, but someone looked a bit bored don't you think?   No, I'm not bored, I'm just sleepy.  This sweet thing looks bored.


1:50 p.m. we have driven 808 miles since we left home. 


4:31 p.m. we are leaving the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, after having a lovely walk around the Japanese Garden.  We weren't there all that long but what we saw was lovely.



I saw a Mockingbird as we entered the garden, it hopped into the undergrowth very quickly and with purpose. I lined up a shot with my zoom, a bit blurry, but I saw a dark little shape scurrying away.  Curious, we walked over, scared the bird away, not on purpose, and as my eyes adjusted I spotted what I thought was a tiny mouse, and then another.  I had saved them from the bird who kept trying to make off with one. It is the first time I have actually seen a mouse and okay, strange to some but I was delighted.  They were tiny, about an inch-and-a-half long.



(Later I felt that my ID wasn't quite right, as when I had a chance to look at my photos that night on the larger screen of my laptop, I thought it might be a vole. Please let me know what you think.  If he is a mouse he has very small, almost invisible ears!)


Another critter I spotted on our way back to the garden entrance.  A frog jumped and I noticed its movement as we sat on a swing bench for a few minutes.  Cute little thing.  I had also disturbed his meal, as tons of ants were crawling around our feet.  We quickly left him to his dinner.


I was wondering how many flowers would be blooming and saw these at the main entrance.  


We started off in the Japanese Garden.  


Always very pretty.


There is no charge to go into the garden. It is also next to the zoo. There were signs on the walking path pointing that way. But we are now in the car heading for Meridian, two-and-a-half hours away.  


About 60 miles east of Meridian as we drove along, I could have sworn I heard a faint humming and low melodic singing. You know how different road surfaces change and you feel it, hear it?  This was like someone singing, or humming and the tones went up and down the scale. We were on this particular surface for several miles, and we were looking at each other a bit quizzically, checking to see if we had left the radio turned on, trying to hear where the sound was coming from. No it wasn't the radio.  We decided it was the combination of the the surfacing on the road and the wheels driving over it. Then all of a sudden we were on a different road surface and the singing disappeared.  Neither of us have experienced anything quite like it. 

10:32 p.m. We are in our hotel at Meridian.  Across the street we saw a Bed Bath and Beyond. I asked Gregg if we could stop there to replace our water flasks. I had left them at the last hotel and was way down the road before I remembered them, when I actually reached for water.  They didn't have the same kind but we chose a larger one and it will serve us well. We really missed our cold water on the drive today.  We fill them every night and pop them in the fridge to get nice and cold.  The flask keeps them cold all day, even when we have left them in a hot car for a few hours.  The previous hotel called us to let us know they had found them, and we have arranged for them to be sent home.  I must let our house sitter know that a parcel will be on its way.

We are heading for Lafayette, Mississippi tomorrow.


46 comments:

  1. Looks like a beautiful garden! I always carry water in the car too.

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    1. Thank you Linda, it was a lovely garden indeed. I get so thirsty at times, can't do without my water.

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  2. Love the pretty Japanese garden and all the sweet critters. It's amazing how much life is all around us when we take the time to look around! Safe travels! x Karen

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  3. How nice that your flasks will be at home waiting for you.
    I always love Japanese gardens. I suspect that was a vole rather than a mouse.

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  4. Gosh, for a minute I thought you were here in my country: Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which we have, the red bridge (Japanese?) which we have, mice which we have, the latter being Charlie the Cat's favourite prey. We don't have a singing road, though. I can see you are having a lovely time, Denise.

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    1. It would be lovely to go to your Botanical garden Valerie

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  5. Hello, I think your little critter is a vole. I have seen them in my yard. Lovely images from the garden. I like the cute frog and dog too. Wishing you safe travels, have fun! Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!

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  6. What a wonderful post for this morning!! Your pictures are great, and like a awesome documentary. This little cutie...I did a bit of research on Google, it might be a vole. If he has big feet for digging, he is a mole. But I think he is definitely one of them. So cute!! And I adore the gorgeous orange flower!! What a great picture of that dog, he is the very picture of boredom!! I love the sweet red bridge and the stripped toad. How I would love to walk through here!! We always carry a water bottle even if we are not driving very far.

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    1. Thank you Ginny. I looked again at his feet after you mentioned them.

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  7. 808 miles of PHUN, the voles are adorable and love that frog.. so precious... that is a really pretty bridge to... I am enjoying your trip through your camera lens. I would love to eat where they allow dogs

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  8. Beautiful...

    I've seen mice, and in the house, and then they aren't so cute. But yes, that is a vole. :-)

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  9. Beautiful photos, Denise! The Pitbull is adorable! And I love the photo of you drinking some coffee. :)

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  10. Well, if it is a vole, I must then say that I have never seen one in person.

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    1. Me neither Gigi but the general census seems to be it's a vole :)

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  11. wow so nice garden thanks for sharing photos. Love from snowy Europe

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  12. I was born in Alabama...not raised there but have lived there a few times. I have always felt it was home. Been to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens...it's lovely! Loved your photos! I think that's a vole, by the way. So cute. Looks like you had an amazing trip!

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    1. That makes me feel so good that you have been to the botanical gardens Marie. Thank you for the ID on the vole. It is an amazing trip :)

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  13. such a cute pooch! you're so sweet to save the vole. we just saved one not so long ago. I posted about it. it was the sweetest little thing and he enjoyed us holding him as much as we enjoyed it. :)
    have fun and be safe! you're so lucky!
    hugs,
    Marie

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    1. I would like to take a look at your post on the vole. Thank you Marie, I do feel lucky I am on this trip. Hugs, Denise

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  14. We forget to carry water. We are getting better, but need to get even better.

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    1. I have a story about not carrying water Linda, more to follow in a few posts :)

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  15. Bet that coffee tasted good!
    I love the style of that red bridge.

    All the best Jan

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  16. Interesting about the tires singing...I love the doggy....I would to see the Japanese garden. Fun traveling with you, Denise.

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  17. Trying to catch up with you as I got a bit behind in the last few days. Really like this post but the I like anything that has animals in it. Take care Diane

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  18. Hi Denise and another wonderful and interesting post. Some great images, love the mouse and the green lizard is really striking, Great to watch your holiday on the blog with a blow by blow encounter, All thee best to you both, have a good time. John

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  19. I've never seen a vole, cute! Though probably not so cute if infesting one's yard. So glad they hotel is returning your water flasks! Lots of pretty flowers to see.

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    1. First time for me Patti, no I don't suppose they would be welcome in any one's yard. Thank you :)

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  20. Wow, this is quite a trip! You guys are really getting around. I think it's a vole. Very cute, as long as it's not in your garden! They dig a lot of holes.

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    1. Thank you Janie, much better to see them in their own habitat :)

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  21. Fascinating to see your post and the strange little animals you found! and the lovely dog. Gorgeous scenery and gardens. That must've been a funny experience about the road noise/singing... much better than the usual sounds! Some clever folk came up with that idea :D)
    Thanks again for sharing!

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    1. Thank you Sue, wouldn't that be a good idea :)

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  22. I love any sort of botanical garden although I hardly can identify dandelieons.

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    1. Gardens are one of my favorite things to do but I'm still learning on those flowers.

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