Alabama 2019 - Days 7 & 8 : Speedy and Dirt Cheap

Thursday 28 November - Thanksgiving

Breakfast is pancakes and bacon, which makes a change from porridge.

All is quiet, on the walk this morning we saw more people than we have seen on any previous morning.  It is like Christmas day, lots of people out walking. After breakfast I took Robbie and Mady up to the end of the road on their bikes.  Robbie is just learning and seemed to enjoy it, although every time he stopped he took his helmet off.  Mady was having fun some of the time, but I don't think she really understood why we were 'going nowhere'. Karen and Robert are busy preparing for the evening Thanksgiving meal.  Most of the stores are closed today.

Lunch is rice, beans and salad.

After lunch Robbie takes us for a walk around the lake.  He is a good guide.  There is a bird that he calls 'Speedy', we haven't identified it for sure yet, we saw one of his 'cousins', we also saw a turtle, and spent a while watching a grey heron fish.

Grey Heron Hunting

Turtle

Speedy

Jo + Robbie watching the Heron

Robbie in front of the Park sign.

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We bought an acorn back from the walk that Robbie really wanted to open.  When he did, with Robert's help, all he found was grubs.

Too much food is kind of a theme for Thanksgiving.  Robert and Karen worked hard to provide an over the top meal.  Robert has a smoker and smoked a turkey - it was delicious.  Karen had prepared other traditional dishes and made two pies - pumpkin and peanut butter, both in gluten free bases.  We were all soon very very full.  As ever there was lots left over, so more of the same for dinner tomorrow - can't wait (weight?).

Friday 29 November - Black Friday 

We went to a store called 'Dirt Cheap'.  Boy did it live up to its name.  We were looking for a Christmas Tree (fake).  There were loads, most of them too tall. All the boxes were open, all had either mixed content, missing content or broken content.  We did not find one that was complete and working.  All they have at the store is salvaged goods, which they presumably get for next to nothing.  There is Christmas tat all over the store, all for a dollar or three.  Its hard to work out the prices because the label says $2, then you have to find the discount code - typically 60%, so the price is $0.80.  Then there is extra discount if you shop between certain hours. I hope I never go back.

Then onto the park with two very nice play areas.  Here we are 'selfie style' enjoying the park, but one of us not enjoying having our picture taken, which is why I am pointing, so that he will look at the camera.

We were not there long when Karen got a message that her parcels had been delivered.  She was worried that it would be left on the doorstep, and sure enough it was.  Delivery is no better in the USA than in the UK, perhaps its even worse here.