A servant’s heart

from June 2022 South Alabama

Junior’ Madison’s life of service to SAEC and his community

Most people see the range of someone’s life and notice the dates at the beginning and the end. They think of how long or short that life was, what the world was like when that person entered it and how it had changed by the time they left. But when Jessica Madison looks at her father Nathan Madison Jr.’s life, from his birth in 1950 to his passing earlier this year, her focus is on what’s in between.

“For me, the most important part is that dash between the years because that’s where the work is,” she says. “And my dad had an amazing dash.”

Known as “Junior” to his colleagues and friends, he was recognized throughout the community for his job at South Alabama Electric Cooperative. To him, it was part of his calling to serve people and help out wherever he could.

“People were always saying, ‘That’s the light man.’ That was how he was known out in the community,” Madison says. “Even people I didn’t know who knew him were always telling me about how he helped them with this or did that.”

That was exactly how his fellow lineman Dewayne McGhee knew Junior before joining the cooperative. McGhee first saw Junior when the veteran lineman would come to his parents’ house to restore power. When McGhee graduated high school in 1989 and was working as a substitute bus driver, Junior approached him about working at SAEC. Since then, McGhee has put in more than 30 years with the cooperative and risen to the role of construction foreman.

“The biggest thing I learned about Junior over the years was that he didn’t just want to come here to live and die,” McGhee says. “He wanted to make an impression on somebody else and leave his legacy for someone else to go on. And that’s what he did.”

Co-op crash course

Junior joined SAEC in 1972 after two years of service with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam and a stint at Luverne Slack Factory. His first job was on a construction crew in Troy before he became an assistant to Serviceman Ed Stroud in Crenshaw County.

The two of them were responsible for outages, bill payments and just about any member issues that might come up in the area. And, because the cooperative didn’t have much in the way of formalized training at the time, Junior had to be a quick study. “Back then most of what Junior learned and his knowledge of how the system worked was picked up on the job. He really had to apply

A SERVANT’S HEART

Junior’ Madison’s life of service to SAEC and his community

himself to learn everything and how to work with electrical equipment safely,” says former General Manager Max Davis. “In fact, he was way above average in learning the business and looking at problems from other people’s standpoints.”

Years later, when Stroud retired, Davis had no doubts about who should fill the position.

“I think Junior would have been successful in any business. But being in a cooperative, where your members are the real reason for being there, Junior’s success was just automatic,” says Davis. “He had a way of calming people down and working through whatever issue they might have.”

In the early 2000s, those skills earned Junior another promotion to general foreman, where he was responsible for managing the cooperative’s rightof-way operations, overseeing contractors and continuing to work face-to-face with members across the whole system. But no matter how his responsibilities changed, he always maintained his dedication to helping others at every opportunity.

“He listened to people and

Left: Junior joined the cooperative in 1972, working his way up to roles as a serviceman and general foreman. The community knew Junior as someone always ready to help, whether with the lights or a kind word.

would always help them, even if it wasn’t explicitly part of his job,” says General Manager David Bailey. “Those are attributes that are not as prevalent as they used to be 40 or 50 years ago. I always said he had a servant’s heart.”

A lasting legacy

One of Junior’s favorite ways to help others in his community was by opening doors to opportunities at the cooperative. He always encouraged new graduates to join the SAEC team, just as he did for McGhee, and would put in a positive word for candidates he knew would be a good fit.

“Many of the employees at SAEC today were based on recommendations from Junior Madison. Sometimes I’d ask him if he knew someone who applied and he’d always say yes because he knew just about everybody,” says Davis. “He was really interested in having young people from our community join the co-op because it was a good job.”

His advocacy for others didn’t stop there. Junior was dedicated to giving the linemen around him the training he didn’t have starting out. Over the course of his career he personally trained more than half a dozen linemen, including Jeffrey Eiland, Tony Greer, James Horn, Billy Ray Lester, Jason Sipper, Jeff Wilkerson and Jay Adair. Many of them have since gone on to serve in leadership roles at the cooperative or achieve A-class lineman status.

In honor of those achievements, SAEC recently announced it will be offering the Nathan Madison Jr. Electric Lineman Scholarship each year to send an aspiring minority lineman to a lineman apprentice school.

“That’s an imprint on life when you have something that remains after you. Not everybody leaves this world with their name attached to something in it,” says Madison. “It’s a testament to my dad, his hard work and the impact that he made that people recognize it.”

She was especially moved that SAEC General Manager David Bailey, Office Manager Mark Hill and Manager of Accounting and Finance Elizabeth Stough were able to visit her father the day he passed away. Bailey told Junior about the scholarship and the legacy he would leave behind.

“For that to be something he was able to hear and understand on Earth before he left really meant a lot to me,” says Madison. “I feel like it was something that probably helped him to release. To realize his work was done is a beautiful thing to me.”

A family affair

For all that Junior Madison gave to the cooperative and his community, members of his family were also asked to give of themselves. Born after her father started working at SAEC, Jessica Madison says it will be strange not having that constant connection to the cooperative.

“I don’t have a memory of my father where SAEC is not involved,” she says. “Where we didn’t hear the radio going off while he was on call, or have a truck of some kind in the yard. We knew how much he lived it.”

No one understands that connection to the work better than the people who did it with him. McGhee also recognizes the sacrifices it required of the other people in Junior’s life.

“I’m thankful to his family for letting us as a brotherhood here at the Cooperative have the time that we got to spend with him,” he says. “SAEC was his heart, it was what he loved, and this was where he wanted to be. So I want to thank them for letting us borrow the time that we did have with him.”

As challenging as those late-night departures and long hours may have been, Madison has no doubt it was all part of her father’s calling. Watching him, she and her sisters learned everything they needed to know about serving their community and putting their faith into practice.

“Getting those calls at 2 in the morning was just something he lived for in a way that I can’t even comprehend myself,” she says. “It was how he tended to the community. Giving them a word, speaking to them, sharing with them, buying them food, whatever it might be. He truly had a servant’s heart. It wasn’t just a job to him. He knew he was going to touch somebody’s life in some way just by being there.” 

Left: There were few things Junior loved more than being on call to make repairs during major outages.

| Alabama Snapshots |

Golden anniversary

Don and Jenny Westbrook’s 50th wedding anniversary, December 14, 2021. A surprise celebration given by their children and grandchildren. From left, Lige Wyatt, Donny, Paula, River, Boone, Jenny, Don, Luke,

Bennett, Beverly and Carter Westbrook. SUBMITTED by Jenny Westbrook, Wetumpka.

Jimmy and Bobbie Pugh’s 66th wedding

anniversary. SUBMITTED by Linda Casey, Montgomery.

John and Louise Bensinger. SUBMITTED BY Beth Mclarty, Arley.

Jack and Diane Harden celebrated their 50th Anniversary in Decem-

ber 2016. SUBMITTED by Allison Peacock, Ariton.

Jerry and Renee Redd celebrating their 50th anniversary on October 18, 2020, with a gifted beach photo

shoot. SUBMITTED by April Redd, Coker.

Kenneth and Jimmie Pell celebrated 50 years of marriage in August 2021, pictured at their farm in

Sylvania. SUBMITTED by Leslie Harris, Rainsville.

August theme: “My boat”

SUBMIT to WIN $10!

Deadline to submit: June 30 RULES: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best

Online: alabamaliving.coop Mail: Snapshots P.O. Box 244014 match our theme of the month. Photos may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-ad Montgomery, AL 36124 dressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.

North Alabama highlighted in new Agriculture Adventures Trail

‘The Miracle Worker’ play begins this month

Explore the rich and diverse world of farmers, growers and makers in north Alabama with the Agriculture Adventures Trail, a new initiative to bring visitors to the area while providing family-friendly activities and supporting local businesses. The trail was unveiled in May at a ceremony at Sullivan Creek Ranch in Vinemont, a 300-acre cattle ranch that is also open to RVs and campers. The new trail includes orchards and farms, wineries, a farmers’ market and agriplex, agritourism-related festivals and craft breweries and distilleries. For a free travel planner, visit northalabama.org or call 800-648-5381.

1818 Farms in Mooresville is one of the members of the North Alabama Agriculture

Adventures Trail. PHOTO COURTESY 1818 FARMS

‘The Miracle Worker’ is performed on the grounds of Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. PHOTO COURTESY OF COLBERT COUNTY TOURISM

The drama “The Miracle Worker,” the award-winning play that recalls the childhood of Helen Keller, will be performed at the outdoor theater on the grounds of Ivy Green, Keller’s historic birthplace, on several days in June and July.

Keller, who was left deaf and blind after a childhood illness, learned, with the help of gifted teacher Anne Sullivan, to read several languages in Braille. She went on to attend college, wrote 11 books and numerous articles and lectured in 39 countries on five continents.

She became known as “America’s First Lady of Courage” and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Ivy Green is now a museum dedicated to her memory, and thousands gather for the annual performances of the play at the home. The play will run June 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, and July 8-9 and 15-16 at 300 North Commons W., Tuscumbia. For tickets and more information, visit helenkellerbirthplace.org.

Letters to the editor

E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Barbershop memories

I just read your excellent story (“Hardy Jackson’s Alabama”) in the April 2022 Alabama Living and wanted you to know that it put a smile on my face as well as conjuring up my old memories of my own barbershop experiences throughout my 72 years.

I have been otherwise enabled (I prefer that to disabled) for more than a decade and it was uplifting very nice to read your storytelling article this afternoon. So THANK YOU for that meaningful story, perhaps we’ll meet in a barbershop some day.

Steven Schwartz, Decatur

Your column brought back memories from a simpler yet wonderful time. My best memory from the old barbershop was the day I no longer had to sit on the board across the arms of the barber chair. I had “grown up.” The second and less pleasant memory was the day I decided to change my “hair style” from a GI cut to a flattop cut without consulting my Daddy. Judging from his reaction, you would have thought I was a “back from the future” refugee from Woodstock. It was a tense couple of days for me, but a source of great amusement in later years. Thanks for bringing back great memories.

Merrill Shell, Brewton

Disappointed in circus column

It is standard practice in circuses to hit, beat, shock, chain, and whip elephants, lions, tigers, and other wild animals behind the scenes in order to scare them into performing pointless and dangerous tricks. Animals used by circuses spend most of their lives in cages or chains. They are often forced to perform while injured or ill. Being a journalist, you can discover all these claims true and learn why Ringling Brothers circus was finally put out of business due to dwindling profits because people do not want to support the cruelty. I enjoy reading your articles, but your pro-circus article (March 2022) is very disappointing.

Kathryn Dalenberg, Valley Head

Hardy Jackson replies: Thank you for writing. Your point is well taken. The column was written through the eyes of a child who did not know what was going on behind the scenes. Happily, today the care of animals is more carefully controlled and from what I found out, circuses today (what few are left) are better regulated.

A great role model

Hardy, I so enjoyed your article about Coach Prim (May 2022) and his nickname for you. It brought back fond memories of HUP as the football players called him when I was in high school. I can still picture him standing in the hallway of CCHS wearing his white, short sleeve (even if it was 20 degrees) starched shirt, tie, khaki pants and his trademark saddle oxfords. Most of the time he had a toothpick in his mouth. It was rumored that he liked to watch “As The World Turns” during lunchtime as many of our mamas did!

Coach Prim was a kind, wonderful man who cared about all of his students and was a great role model for his football players. Thanks for sharing this story about his influence on you. I always enjoy your stories and especially the ones about Grove Hill.

Jackie Gibson Summers, Huntsville

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.

Rebecca McCarter of McKenzie took her Alabama Living along on a recent trip to Vermont where she visited the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT (“The Sound of Music” tells the story of the Von Trapp Family Singers). She’s a member of Pioneer Electric Cooperative.

Terese Goodson of Montgomery, a member of Dixie Electric Cooperative, enjoyed a trip to Opatija, Croatia, and had this photo taken in front of the Operetta across from the botanical gardens.

Dr. Tib Parnell shares his Alabama Living with his great-grands Mason, Heidi, Pierce, and Banks, while vacationing in Seaside, Fl. Dr. Parnell lives in Orange Beach and Laton Hill. He is a member of Baldwin EMC and ClarkeWashington EMC.

Bob Cooper of Cullman EC served with a volunteer team from Alabama Southern Baptist Disaster Relief in Romania in April helping feed and shelter Ukrainian refugees. This photo was taken on the border near Siret, Romania.

Ron and Olivia Smith, members of North Alabama Electric Cooperative, traveled with their magazine last September to Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

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 July issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.

Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Send a photo of an interesting or unusual landmark in Alabama, which must be accessible to the public. A reader whose photo is chosen will also win $25.

May’s answer: According to the historical marker near the bridge: This reinforced concrete river bridge, thought to be the first in Alabama, was erected over Pea River in 1920-21 at a cost of $92,108.97. It was dedicated on Aug. 3, 1921 as a memorial to the 57 men from Dale County who lost their lives in World War I. The bridge is on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. (Photo by Mark Stephenson of Alabama Living) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Karen Milton of Pea River EC.

Find the hidden dingbat!

Our motorcycle-loving readers had no trouble finding the cycle we’d hidden on Page 26 in the May magazine. Look between the curtains and you’ll see it in the photo, just like Roxanne Riddle of Opelika, a member of Tallapoosa River EC. Roxanne was one of several readers who enjoyed the scene, “since my husband and I enjoy our Harley. We even rode it to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park!”

Our randomly drawn winner, Dale E. Arbush of Montgomery, a member of Dixie EC, is another cycle rider who spotted the bike: “I got my first scooter in 1960 and have had many cycles over the years,” he wrote. “I still ride and have a Harley Davidson Heritage shorttail. So, I am really glad I found the motorcycle on page 26 out in the yard through the curtains.” We also enjoyed hearing from Arina Ellard, 14, of Foley: “Now that I’ve taken time to find the dingbat,” she told us, “I should probably start on my homework.”

This month, we’ve hidden an airplane, so take your copy on your next plane trip and use that time between stops to find the dingbat! You might be our next winner of a prize package from Alabama One Credit Union!

By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Awaiting your exploration

During the day, visitors explore at their own pace. For most people, the 1.5-mile walking trail can be accomplished in two hours. No experience is necessary. There is no rock climbing, but paths are on uneven terrain, so watch your step.

Side trails and maneuvering among sandstone fissures are downright fun. First timer Joseph Glasgow of nearby Red Bay says, “One of my favorite parts of the walk was squeezing through two giant boulders. It was impressive now that I’m through.”

From the Canyon House, one descends the stairway outdoors into the Paleozoic Era. Light diffuses and dimly filters through lush treetop canopies shrouded in mystery. Even the name, “Dismals,” evokes mystery. Two theories prevail:

One: The name derives from Scotch-Irish settlers, after a spot in Scotland with the same title – Dismals.

Two: Visitors named it after some of the paths, dark, foreboding, and dismal.

Deep in the canyon, on the canyon floor, you’ll find the geological and biological splendor that makes Dismals Canyon worthy of its National Natural Landmark designation. At right, this 138-foot tall Eastern Canadian Hemlock is one of the largest in the world.

Rainbow Falls contradicts the latter. When sunlight hits just right, the falls become a liquid prism, throwing rainbows on everything around it. The Dismals are dismal no more.

In the 1800s, area churches baptized members in a pool at the falls’ bottom. By contrast, 1800s outlaws also hid just down the path to evade capture.

Other bluffs, caves, and boulders are experienced throughout the journey. Grottos formed 10,000 years ago by earthquakes await exploration.

Temple Cave is one such beacon of investigation. Paleo Indians found shelter here centuries earlier. They used a large rock to grind corn. It is still here.

Dismals Canyon also houses sadness. Weeping Bluff has a nature-carved likeness of an Indian maiden’s face. Rain or shine, water streams from the bluff which legend says is canyon tears shed for Chickasaw Indians.

In 1838 U.S. troops rounded up the Chickasaw and held them captive in the canyon before herding them to Muscle Shoals, where they began the Trail of Tears. Over 90 percent perished during the journey. The bluff cries in their memory.

Over 350 types of flora and 27 species of trees including hemlock, tulip poplar, sweetgum, big leaf magnolia and beech are on the path. Ferns and moss carpet everything adding a green coating to towering stones.

A Champion Tree is here. At 130 feet tall and about 400 years old, it is one of largest known eastern hemlocks in the world.

The almost unblemished canyon owes its untouched existence to the massive stones that are more than majestic. They are guardians. Through decades, loggers tried to harvest the canyon’s old growth trees but reluctantly gave up. The terrain was too rugged and inaccessible for wood cutting machinery. Thank you, boulders. You rock.

Above: Water roars into the canyon at Rainbow Falls. Below: The entrance gate welcomes visitors to the Dismals Canyon on Highway 8 in Phil Campbell, Alabama.

PHOTOS BY EMMETT BURNETT

In addition to walking trails, site offerings include cabins/ camping, a country store and night tours (to see glowing dismalites). However, like everything else in the world, before visiting, check the site’s website – dismalscanyon.com – for the latest COVID-19 compliance status.

The canyon is not a national or state park, but privately owned. In 1975 it was designated a National Natural Landmark, administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Allow at least a half day to visit and take your time. There is no need to hurry. Dismals Canyon will wait, just as it has for 300 million years.

Left: The exterior of one of the cabins on the property. It appears rustic on the outside, but inside boasts luxury and privacy. Above: the country store features a comfortable gathering area. Below, a 1.5-mile hiking trail on the canyon floor follows a stream through boulders, past waterfalls and into a secret world filled with ferns and giant trees.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS GRANGER/ALABAMA TOURISM DEPARTMENT

Explore state’s natural beauty

Alabama is home to a rich landscape of geologic treasures, of which the Dismals Canyon is but one. During 2022, the National Parks Service is celebrating the International Year of Caves and Karst, making it the perfect time to get out and explore the terrain of our state by visiting a cavern, canyon, cave or karst (land formation formed by the dissolving of limestone) location near you.

And June 5-11 is National Cave Week, with some venues planning special events and discounts during that time. Among them is Majestic Caverns in Childersburg, formerly known as DeSoto Caverns which will kick off its name change celebration June 3-6 (see “Around Alabama,” page 29, for details).

More information is available at northalabama.org or alabama.travel.

Country comedian Steve Hall’s

legacy lives on

Two friends continue cooking up fun on “Shotgun Red” show

At top, comedian Steve Hall with his stuffed sidekick, Shotgun Red. The wise-cracking puppet was Hall’s co-host on the TV talk show “Nashville Now” from the 1980s through 1993. Shotgun Red had a role in another show Hall created, called “The Shotgun Red Variety Show,” co-hosted by “Miss Sheila” (Sheila Keeton). Below, Keeton and friend Jennifer Bruce currently star in “Cooking with Shotgun Red” on the show’s YouTube channel.

PHOTOS COURTESY SHEILA KEETON

By Jennifer Kornegay

From 2014 to 2018, Sheila Keeton could often be seen joining her fiancé, musician and comedian Steve Hall, at the end of his cooking show, “Cooking with Shotgun Red.” He’d offer her a bite, and she’d happily taste whatever Hall had whipped up, be it a homemade chocolate malt, a frozen lemonade pie or a Tex-Mex tater tot casserole.

Then, in 2018, Hall passed away. Keeton, who lives in Red Bay, Alabama, and is a member of Franklin Electric Cooperative, knew Hall, the consummate entertainer, would want the show to go on. So, she asked their friend Jennifer Bruce to join her, and the duo decided to keep the oven on. “I just knew he’d want the show to keep going; he was so proud of it,” Keeton says.

In 2018, the “Cooking with Shotgun Red” had 116,000 YouTube subscribers. Today, it has close to 400,000, and both Bruce and Keeton credit this success to their adherence to Hall’s no-fail recipe for a successful show: Mix equal parts food and fun. The two ladies are always laughing, and every episode has a friendly, almost festive feel.

Fun was an integral ingredient in everything Hall did, including the creation of his stuffed sidekick, Shotgun Red. Starting in the early 1980s, Hall’s wise-cracking, joke-telling puppet was a fixture in the country music world. Hall happened upon

Comedian Steve Hall loved cooking for others. After making a few videos for Alabama-based Buckmasters, Hall created “Cooking With Shotgun Red” that featured his country cooking.

the puppet that he turned into Red in a hobby store. He bought him, put a cowboy hat atop his head, and created (and voiced) the Red character to help his band at the time stand out.

“He wanted to have something to get them some attention, to be different,” Keeton says, “so he’d do these little comedy bits with Red. People loved it.”

Red was funny enough to get himself and Hall noticed in a “battle of the bands” competition, which earned Red the co-host spot on The Nashville Network’s television talk show “Nashville Now” from 1983 to 1993. Hall and Red also made regular appearances on “Hee Haw.” On a country music video show that Hall hosted called “Country Clips,” Red often conducted the interviews, chatting with crooning legends like Garth Brooks and Randy Travis.

Hall then created another program to showcase Red as well as other talent, “The Shotgun Red Variety Show,” which Keeton, called “Miss Sheila,” co-hosted. It aired for four seasons, until 2014. For 15 years, amid all the TV shows and appearances, Hall and Red also did their musical comedy act aboard the “General Jackson Showboat” in Nashville. Bruce was a vocalist in the Shotgun Red Band and managed “The Shotgun Red Variety Show.”

From the small screen to the computer screen

While Hall loved making folks smile with both his music and Red’s humor, he also loved to cook for others. “Sharing his food with people was truly one of his favorite things to do,” Keeton says. Plus, he was an avid hunter and fisherman. So, when Jackie Bushman, founder of the huge Montgomery, Alabama-based hunting brand Buckmasters, asked Hall and Red to make a few cooking videos for his television show, Hall was excited to oblige. That experience sparked the idea for a new venture, and “Cooking with Shotgun Red” was born.

In 2014, Hall created the show’s YouTube channel, and for four years, he walked viewers through his favorite “country cooking” dishes, filming and airing more than 300 episodes.

Keeton felt the work and devotion Hall had put into the show deserved to be honored. “We started it all from scratch, and I helped, so I didn’t want to let it go,” Keeton says. “I wanted to carry on his legacy.”

“And people were asking for it,” Bruce adds. “They were fans of the cooking and of Sheila too.” Bruce brought her years of friendship, her background in music and video production and her own cooking skills to the table to help. “I just felt like it was a great way to honor Steve,” she says.

Together, they are continuing to share Hall’s food, using some of his recipes, some of their own and some from family and friends. They’re also paying attention to what their audience wants and giving them more of what really resonates. “We recently did a slow-cooker lemon chicken and got more than 100,000 views in the first week,” Bruce says. Another popular show featured chicken-fried chicken with homemade gravy.

The first 307 episodes, all featuring Hall, are still available on the channel, and show him making his greatest hits, like rabbit stew, seared flat iron steak with butter, beer-battered onion rings and his take on how to make copycat McDonald’s French fries, which now has more than 3.5 million views.

No matter where each recipe originated, Keeton and Bruce ensure Hall remains a focal point. “We’ve heard from viewers how much they love still feeling like he is a part of it, so we make an effort to do that,” Keeton says. “He always told stories and jokes while he cooked, so we do that too, tell his tales and his jokes.” But Red is now retired. “Shotgun Red is our mascot, but we didn’t feel it was right to have him back on the show,” Bruce says.

“Steve was Red,” Keeton adds.

Today, fans can find more than 430 episodes, and the number keeps growing. “We put a new episode up pretty much every week,” Bruce says. And they feel that they’re continuing to grow too. “It’s rewarding to try and make every show better than the last for our viewers. That keeps us going, and the comments we get from them, telling us how much they love the recipes and just the show itself, that’s very rewarding,” Keeton said.

Hall actually makes an appearance at the end of each episode, signing off with his signature line: “Is this the best? If it ain’t, it ought to be!” According to Keeton, keeping Hall’s memory alive, and sharing his zest for life with the world, is the best part of her work. “He loved this show so much, and we feel his presence every time we film,” Keeton says.

Chicken fried chicken with homemade gravy, one of Hall’s creations for the show.

Tune In

You can watch “Cooking With Shotgun Red” any time by visiting the YouTube channel at youtube.

com/c/CookingwithShotgun-

Red/featured. And, if you want more, visit shotgunred.com to check out the two “Cooking With Shotgun Red” cookbooks. Both are filled with recipes featured on the show, including appetizers, burgers, entrees, desserts and even some wild game recipes.

Nature’s classroom

From left, Lakyn Weems, Hogan Williamson, Judy Snead and Eli Snead have fun feeding some of the chickens at Snead’s farm.

PHOTOS BY TONIA R. WILLIAMSON/LIFE IN THE SHUTTER PHOTOGRAPHY

City girl turned full-time farmer shares passion for animals and education

By Jennifer Crossley Howard

On a recent cold spring day, goldenrod glowed against dull, gray skies and porch swings floated idle on the county roads that lead to Snead’s Farmhouse. Judy Snead – farmer, educator, animal wrangler – walked to the side of her house and greeted her flock.

“Mama’s here!” she called with glee as she opened the gate. On command, a menagerie of chickens, pigs, ducks, peacocks, roosters and white turkeys came running with the enthusiasm of puppies. Every creature is welcome at Snead’s Farmhouse, amongst the crowing, oinking, cackling and mooing, and whatever sounds an alpaca makes.

These farm animals educate their Cullman County community and beyond about how they grow, and what it takes to run a small farm. So many of these species thrive together rather than being segregated, a typical farm practice. The notion of inclusivity, along with teaching and sharing the pleasures of how such a farm works, is what led to Snead reaching out to the public and schools.

Snead’s Farmhouse, a member of Cullman Electric Cooperative, is a 501C3 nonprofit educational farm that sits down many a winding road between Old Highway 31 and Alabama 157. It sprang unintentionally, and in Judy Snead’s case, in the middle of a pandemic. Her husband, a welder and carpenter, was transferred from Stapleton to north Alabama. Snead’s stepdad was sick and moved with the family in April 2019.

When they arrived at their new homestead deep in the woods of Cullman County, Snead was out of her element. “I am not a farmer,” she said, dressed in a barn coat and thick-soled boots. “I grew up in the city. I was in sales and wore heels.”

There was a simple wooden chicken coop behind their house that hadn’t been touched in a minute.

“I didn’t know anyone, and I couldn’t leave the house because of care taking,” Snead says. “I was depressed, and my husband said, ‘Why don’t you get some chickens?’” She asked him why she’d want to do that, and he told her fresh eggs.

“I said, ‘I’m not eating any eggs that come out of a chicken’s butt — mine are clean and come from (the grocery store),’” Snead says, laughing.

She has since eaten her own words, in a sense.

“I think I’m going through a midlife crisis. Most people get a Corvette. I got a farm.”

Farm animals find homes at Snead’s

It was the pale pastel blue-, gray- and clay-colored eggs that drew her to invest in more chickens, to expand her palette of eggs. Discovering fuzzy-footed chicks with huge hair didn’t hurt. “I thought, ‘Oh dear Jesus I’ve got to have that,’” Snead says, laughing. That led to collecting more species of chickens including Silkies, Tolbunt Polish and Cuckoo. “The more froufrou the chicken is, the harder it is to raise,” Snead says.

Then she decided she had to have a rooster. Then her husband’s

cousin gave her Dexter, a Hereford British beef cow, and he had to have a mate, named Dei Dei. Then Penny Lane the duck came along, followed by exotic white turkeys and peacocks. Her husband built a fence at some point, she said, indirectly egging on her collection. Later came Leroy Brown, a mischievous donkey that trots around the pasture not unlike a dog, and a couple of alpacas and goats.

Snead visits schools and gives tours to schools all over the state, including ones from Hartselle, Cullman and Tuscaloosa, Pleasant Grove and Adamsville. She educates her young students about egg incubation — sponsored by Chambers Farm and Garden Supply — and hosts home school classes and field trips for mentally ill and terminally ill adults.

“It’s just fun, and they’re all so excited,” Snead says. A script for a traveling puppet show written by Troy University theater students is in the works.

In the beginning, Snead grasped to find what she wanted the farm’s mission to be. “What do I teach kids?” Snead says. “I can’t be a petting zoo. I’ve got to teach them something.”

The multitude of farm animal personalities live in harmony, not despite of but perhaps because of their differences. Penny Lane, a disabled duck, hobbles about, and Susie Q the chicken flies to Snead and in return Snead sings her lullabies when it’s time for sleep. The animals even help raise each other. A duck sits on a chicken’s eggs, and a baby goat stays with a mother alpaca during the day and goes home to nurse with mom. “She encourages her independence,” Snead says. “Our job is to love.”

Organic growth

The farm’s first visitors came in March 2021, and outside interest seemed to follow an organic growth. At first, short tours of the small farm helped pay for upkeep. Later, other sponsors, including two feed companies, covered $600 a month feed bills and $160 a month for hay.

Chris Chambers, co-owner of Chambers Farm & Garden Supply in Cullman, decided to sponsor Snead for a few reasons. She is a customer, and the sponsorship allowed him to encourage use of a northern seed company not as commonly used in Alabama. She organized Chambers’ Fall Festival last year, and he admires her mission to educate.

“You can learn anything at any age,” he says.

Yet not everyone was a fan. Some local farmers and others from online farm message boards Snead looked to for advice often gave her one response — don’t.

“I’m breaking the rules about having chickens and people on my property,” Snead says. But because she isn’t farming for food, she invites people to tour and learn. Criticism led to tears, but her husband told her, chin up.

“I didn’t plan this, God did,” Snead says. “So I stood up, brushed myself off and kept going.”

It’s her husband, Shane, who Judy attributes to making Snead’s Farmhouse possible. “My husband is my biggest supporter,” she says. “This is what I cherish the most,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “When I’d bring home a new animal, I’d say, ‘just trust me.’ He allowed me to be me. This is me.”

Shane Snead, with his firm handshake and John Deere hoodie and cap, seems equally at home on the farm. “We have to tag team,” he says. The days of vacations away are over for now. Getting animals ready for bed takes a small village.

“It’s worse than a full-time job,” Shane Snead said, grinning. His wife said he soldiered through after a hernia surgery and tolerating new furry family members.

“It usually takes about three days before I realize and ask, ‘where did that come from?’” Shane Snead says.

Some elderly visitors come to settle into rocking lawn chairs that overlook the animals and just watch. The pigs are so used to playing chase with children that they skip over to visitors teasing them to run.

Perhaps the most apparent personality on this farm is Judy Snead herself. Flame-haired and enthusiastic, she dreamed of being a Broadway dancer growing up. These days her stage is a vast green field in Cullman County, and her audience is loud, furry and quite adoring.

“My kids are in shock,” Snead says. “I think I’m going through a midlife crisis. Most people get a Corvette. I got a farm.”

She said showing her young adult children the result of hard work is worth it all. “They know I’ve finally found my purpose.”

Hefty sandwiches

hallmark of thriving beach deli

Story and photos by Jennifer Kornegay

The pandemic caused massive suffering and countless hardships all over the globe. But, as is the case with so many dark clouds, there have been silver linings. One of them glints brightly in Gulf Shores: The Beli.

The outside of the The Beli, with its rainbow-lettered sign and cute cottage-like style, will make your mouth turn up in a smile. The action inside The Beli will make you glad too; this time the happiness happens to your taste buds, with the small kitchen turning out hefty sandwiches stuffed with creative combos of super-fresh ingredients that are big on taste, like the Big Momma, a behemoth of provolone, feta, turkey and jalapenos smothered in raspberry jam and hot sauce.

But if not for COVID-19, The Beli likely wouldn’t exist. It opened in April 2021 and is the result of a series of “right place, right time” moments. Owner Anna Beth Ryan grew up in Gadsden, Alabama, and after college, went to culinary school in New York City. After graduation, she went to work for famed chef Tom Colicchio at his restaurant Riverpark in Manhattan. All was well, with her cooking career moving along.

“And then 2020 happened,” Ryan says. Everyone at the restaurant got laid off, but everyone involved believed it was temporary. The 28-year-old came home to Gadsden, and then with her grandmother and other family members, decided to quarantine at the family’s beach house in Gulf Shores. “I thought I’d be down there for about two weeks,” she says.

Four months later, she was still in Gulf Shores and getting restless. A small turquoise building was being constructed down the street from her family’s house, and she stopped in to ask what it was going to be. “It was near us, and I was just curious,” she says. “The owners told me they wanted it to be a restaurant, and then they asked me what I thought it should be.”

Ryan quickly walked them through what she would do with the space and explained exactly how she’d do it. “I said it needed to be a sandwich shop; there aren’t many down here, and while seafood is great at the beach, sometimes, you do want something else.”

They ate up everything Ryan said, and not much later, called

Anna Beth Ryan, owner of The Beli, is serving big, savory sandwiches in Gulf Shores.

Ryan and said her concept won. “I didn’t know that was what was happening when I was talking to them; I was just sharing my thoughts,” she says. “They’d already heard from a few national chains but thought my ideas were better, and here we are.”

The Beli’s name is a mashup of “beach deli,” and its firm foundation is Ryan’s basic food philosophy: Simpler is better and fresh is everything. “Fresh ingredients are so key to good food. You just have to care enough to build your food around that,” she says.

And build is an appropriate verb to use. The Beli’s huge sandwiches are not made, they are constructed. The Miss V, with thick smears of spicy pimento cheese, mounds of sliced turkey and rounds of salami topped with lettuce, tomato and chive mayo on toasted sourdough, weighs in at almost a pound. The afore-mentioned Big Momma is large and in charge too. According to Ryan, it’s her in sandwich form. “All of my sandwiches are named after friends and family. It’s either kinda who I think they are or made up of their favorite things,” she says. The Dave-O (a breakfast sammy with spicy pimento cheese, a fried egg and bacon on toast) is Ryan’s cousin.

The Nut-Ella (also on the breakfast menu) is a cook she worked with in New York City. “She always made us melted Nutella sandwiches when we got home really late after work,” Ryan says. The Miss V is a combo. “It’s my grandmother’s feisty dog and an old friend Victoria who loves pimento cheese,” Ryan says. It and the Big Momma

are usually the best sellers. The food is the main draw, but the location is prime too. “I absolutely love this spot,” Ryan says. “The only thing that would make it better is if my deli was right on the beach.” A little over a year since it opened, The Beli is already expanding, adding more seating and room for live music. And Ryan is determined to get her food “right on the beach,” too, with plans to do some bike deliveries to the area’s West beach. While Ryan hopes The Beli diners taste the fresh difference and feel satisfied enough when they leave to plan a return visit, she also wants them to engage with her enthusiasm for serving her guests well. “I want you to love the food, but I want you to know how much I want you to love it,” she says. “I want you to taste that passion and want to come back for more.” She’s formed a hospitality company, Mouth of the South, and has plans to open additional restaurants in the future. “I want to get this running right, then be able to do some other ventures, but that is a few years off,” she says. For now, she’s happy in Gulf The Beli 408 West Beach Blvd. Shores. The next time you’re visiting Alabama’s beaches, make your way to The Beli. Your belly will be happy, too. Gulf Shores, AL 251-224-1053 thebeligs.com Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-3pm

The Beli is a casual, open-air “beach deli” that also offers outdoor seating. Gulf Shores l

Faster processing of disability claims for people with Alzheimer’s disease

Currently, more than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Since the onset of Alzheimer’s can occur in people before they retire, it may strike during an individual’s working years, preventing gainful employment as the disease progresses.

As a result, people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers must figure out how they’ll pay for care. Our benefits and services are vital to people with early-onset Alzheimer’s who are unable to work and have no other source of income.

For more than a decade, Social Security has included early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in our list of Compassionate Allowances program. The program identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions so severe they meet our disability standards. Compassionate Allowances allow for faster processing of disability claims for individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders.

You can read more about our Compassionate Allowances program at ssa.gov/compassionateallowances. To learn more about how Social Security disability insurance works and to apply for benefits, visit our disability page at ssa.gov/disability. Please share these resources with friends and family.

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

June crossword by Myles Mellor

Across 1 One of father’s roles for the wife and family 6 Give a title to 8 Sharing pronoun 9 Hole in one 10 We make them for trips to the grocery 11 Shirt part 12 “___ alive!” 13 Dad in slang 15 Drink that could be a Father’s Day gift 16 Surprised expression 18 “Bald” bird often seen in Pickwick, Wheeler and Guntersville lakes 20 Paths for family outings 21 “Father of the National Parks” John ____ 22 Forthright and truthful: great attribute for a father 24 Gulf Shores beach features 27 Where dad often cooks the BBQ 28 Den is often one for Dad 29 Short form of Dad 30 Cancels, with “out” 32 Delicious 33 A child might make this type of drawing of the family for Dad Down 1 Bread-winner 2 Gumbo vegetables 3 A good father sets a good one for his kids 4 Classic Father’s Day gift 5 Good dads are great ___ models 6 Tough love from Dad 7 Shrubs for father’s garden 14 Indian dress 17 Diligence, 2 words 19 Caves 20 Educates one-on-one 21 Alabama neighbor, abbr. 23 High strength adhesive used in many of dad’s DIY projects 25 Hidden money 26 See 31 Measurement of distance, abbr.

Answers on Page 53

Guntersville Lake HydroFest brings the tradition of powerboat racing to Marshall County.

PHOTO BY CHRIS DENSLOW

25 Clanton 2022 Chilton County Peach Jam Jubilee, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Clanton City Park. Free event with live music from Drake White and Kasey Tyndall. Arts, crafts and food vendors, with kids’ activities and inflatables. 205755-2400 or email info@chiltonchamber.org

25-26 Guntersville Guntersville Lake Hydrofest. Watch today’s fastest boats race four and five wide on an oval course at speeds of 200 mph. Two days of competitive racing as drivers vie to take home the Southern Cup title. For ticket information, visit ExploreLakeGuntersville.Com

JUNE

3-4 Haleyville 9-1-1 Festival. Country music star Sara Evans will play at 9 p.m. Friday; Saturday events begin at 8 a.m. Arts, crafts, merchandise and food vendors, free kids zone, cornhole tournament, 9-1-1 and First Responder Awards, open mic Saturday featuring local artists and groups, car show and parade. Event commemorates the first 9-1-1 system, which was launched in Haleyville in 1968. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

3-4 Bessemer QuiltFest 2022, presented by the Birmingham Quilters Guild. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bessemer Civic Center. Judged quilt show, 300+ quilts, vendors, guild boutique and more. Silent auction benefits Lakeshore Foundation. Bhamquilters.com or 985-788-3015.

3-4 Georgiana 2022 Hank Williams Festival, Hank Williams Music Park. A full schedule of musical artists, including headliners Gene Watson on Friday and Neal McCoy on Saturday. Arts, crafts and food all weekend. HankWilliamsFestival.com

3-6 Childersburg DeSoto Caverns will change its name to Majestic Caverns with a celebration featuring live entertainment. The three-day event will kick off National Cave Week and National Cave Day on June 6. Online tickets are half off when using the promo code Majestic. Parking is free; ages 3 and under are also free. MajesticCaverns.com

4Alabaster Alabaster CityFest, Thompson High School, 1921 Warrior Parkway. Event is celebrating its 20th year with musical entertainment, classic car show, hands-on arts and crafts, inflatables, children’s activities and more. Free. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close after the last act. AlabasterCityfest.com

4Orrville BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike) tour of Old Cahawba, 10 a.m., $8. Old Cahawba is Alabama’s most famous ghost town, and in 1819 was the state’s first capital. 9518 Cahaba Road, Orrville. Bring water and snacks. For more information, visit ahc.alabama.gov or call 334872-8058. 11 Oneonta 20th annual June Fling, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 100 booths, a cruise-in for all kinds of vehicles, a Kidz Fun Zone, live music and entertainment on two stages all day. Free. OneontaBusinessAssociation.com

11 Fort Payne 9th annual Bluegrass on the Rim, Little River Canyon Center. Several performers, including Three on a String and Foggy Hollow. Bring folding chairs and blankets; pets and coolers welcome. Barbecue and other vendors on site. Adult tickets $25 in advance, $30 day of show; student tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the gate. See the event’s page on Facebook.

11 Bessemer Central Alabama Caribbean American Association (CACAO) annual carnival, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Debardelaben Park. Parade, music, food and fun. 205-683-5324 or cacaoonline.org

17-18 Marion 27th annual Marion Rodeo, Perry County Cattlemen’s Ralph Eagle Memorial Arena, highways 5 and 14 in Perry County. Gates open at 6 p.m.; mutton bustin’ at 6:30 p.m.; little wranglers at 7:15 p.m.; main event at 7:30 p.m. Produced by 3R Rodeo Company of Jemison with announcer Jerry Byrd and rodeo clown TJ Williams. 334-410-0748.

18 Brewton Blueberry Festival at Jennings Park, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Arts and crafts and food vendors, blueberry ice cream, cobbler and crunch, blueberries and blueberry bushes for sale, antique/classic car show, free children’s fun section, live entertainment and more. 251-8673224.

18 Foley 6th annual Corn Festival Car Show, hosted by the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermans Market. Charity event benefits Camp Seale Harris Southeastern Juvenile Diabetes Education Services. Free for spectators. 251-284-1223 or visit gulfshores.com

JULY

3-4 Grand Bay 48th annual Grand Bay Watermelon Festival, Grand Bay Odd Fellows Festival Park. 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. On Sunday, there will be vendors, rides and entertainment and a non-denominational worship service about 6 p.m. On the Fourth, there will be free all-youcan-eat watermelon, children’s entertainment, a car show and “pretty baby” contest. GrandBayWatermelonFestival.org

4Henagar 40th Annual Sand Mountain Potato Festival, Henagar City Park. Parade begins at 10 a.m. at Limon’s Restaurant in Henagar. Festival includes live entertainment, craft vendors, food vendors, and game vendors for the kids. Free entry and entertainment. Fireworks display at 9 p.m. 256-657-6282.

4Cullman Smith Lake Park Fireworks and Music Festival, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 403 County Road 386. Arts and crafts, food, live music, golf cart parade and fireworks. The park will have putt-putt, beach area, pool and kayaks, canoes and paddle boards for rental. $5 per person. Search for the event on Facebook or call 256739-2916.

4Gulf Shores Independence Day Celebration, Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier, 20800 E. Beach Blvd. Pier will close at 7 a.m. for fireworks setup; fireworks show begins at 9 p.m. Free. 251-967-3474.

21-24 Union Springs “Honky Tonk Laundry” at the Red Door Theatre. Featuring the songs of country music’s most famous ladies, the musical tells the story of Lana Mae and Katie, who turn their good ol’ laundromat into a bootscootin’ honky tonk. 334738-8687 or visit RedDoorTheatre.org for ticket information.

Call or verify events before you make plans to attend. Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some events may change or be canceled after press time.

To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; 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.

Leading the Guard

Major General Sheryl E. Gordon is the first female to become adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard, having been named to the position in 2017. She advises the governor on military affairs and commands the Alabama Army and Air National Guard and its more than 12,000 citizen soldiers and airmen. Gordon, who holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Auburn University Montgomery and the Army War College, was commissioned in 1981 through the Alabama Military Academy. She became the Alabama National Guard’s first female general officer in 2009. She previously served as Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of 62nd Troop Command in Montgomery, and has been awarded numerous medals and badges. Gordon was kind enough to answer a few questions for Alabama Living. – Lenore Vickrey

Tell us about your growing-up years, where you went to school, and a little about your family.

I was born and raised in Selma and graduated from Selma High School. I come from a family deeply rooted in the military and later married into a family with deep military roots. My father and brother were both officers in the Alabama National Guard — my father, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard and my brother, a brigadier general in the Army National Guard. So, of course, I had to become an officer too. My husband is a retired lieutenant colonel.

How did your years as a high school chemistry teacher and vice principal prepare you for your career in the Guard?

The most rewarding part of my journey has been witnessing the military, civilian, and personal successes of young soldiers and airmen. It is very similar to my experiences as a high school teacher and administrator. You are always pleased to see that your students have become confident and productive members of society. I view my job now, just as I did in education, to provide the soldiers and airmen the proper training and opportunities for them to excel in their lives.

I believe it is important that everyone have a mentor and be a mentor. I had several mentors guiding me along the way. As a current Guardsman, retired high school teacher and administrator, I’ve always considered myself a mentor for our younger generation.

What is a typical day like for you?

I start early. This is the best time to exercise, catch up on reading, and plan the day. Many of my days consist of meetings and calls. The best days are when I visit our Guardsmen training in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia or overseas performing a mission.

In an interview in 2017, you said the biggest challenge for the Alabama National Guard was readiness. Is that still the case?

Readiness is central to the Alabama National Guard vision, mission, and priorities. This means people first. I said it in 2017 and it is true today, if you don’t have the personnel, your training plan can be great, but if you don’t have anyone to train, it doesn’t make a difference.

Because readiness is about our people, it is important to care for the things that matter most to them. For example, we remain committed to taking care of our soldiers, airmen, families, and civilian employees. We do this by listening to their needs and when possible, providing new opportunities and benefits. When soldiers and airmen know the family is taken care of, we can focus on living the Army and Air values, training for state and federal missions, and strengthening our alliances and partnerships to sustain long-term success in wartime and peace.

What’s the most important thing about the Guard that you want the people of Alabama to know?

I want the community to understand that the guard is there to support them on a state and national level. Guardsmen volunteer their services; yes, they get paid, but first they must be willing to raise their right hand and take an oath to preserve and protect. When Covid-19 hit, soldiers and airmen worked together in rural communities giving vaccines to those in need. Guardsmen assisted in nursing homes, at the same time they responded to Hurricane Ida and held a presence against civil unrest. The most important thing for the people of Alabama to know about the Guard is we are always ready and always there.

How do you decompress after a week at work? What are your hobbies?

I enjoy decompressing at the lake, Orange Beach, most anywhere there is sun and water. Although I don’t get to do it as often as I would like, quail and deer hunting are hobbies I learned while growing up in Selma. I also enjoy reading, cooking and flower gardening.

Ask for help with vacation-proof gardening

It’s gardening season. Yay! And it’s vacation season. Also, yay! But as much as we look forward to both seasons, their overlap can pose a dilemma for us gardeners.

Left unsupervised, gardens, landscapes and houseplants are at risk of withering away or running amok, and no one wants to come home from a relaxing holiday to find dead or dying plants or a vegetable garden filled with overripe, rotten produce. Thankfully there are ways to have our vacations and our gardens, too.

The most foolproof option is to engage a garden sitter. Much like house or pet sitters, garden sitters are part of a lucrative and growing service industry that’s especially popular among folks who take long-term seasonal trips (snowbirds who fly south for the winter and north for the summer, for example).

But even short-term travelers can benefit from having boots and gloves on the ground in their absence, whether it’s an experienced landscape manager, a reliable high school or college student in need of summer work or simply a fellow gardener who’s willing to help out. (Some sitters may also be willing to pick up mail, newspapers and packages, keep an eye on the house and even pet sit as well.)

Figuring out how much to pay a sitter JUNE TIPS depends on the level of expertise and fre• Plant sweet potatoes as well as beans, quency of visits needed and will add to corn, melons, peas, okra and other the cost of a vacation. But you can make summer vegetables. it more affordable if you tap into local re- • Fertilize most shrubs, newly planted trees, sources. For example, if you already have annuals and perennials. a landscape maintenance company on • Keep bird feeders and baths cleaned and your payroll, they may be willing to do a filled. • Repot houseplants. • Stake tall flowers and vegetables. • Keep an eye out for disease and pest issues. • Keep weeding!

few extra chores for a little extra pay. Or consider bartering a deal with friends and family willing to be paid with all the produce, herbs or cut flowers they can gather in your absence. Another idea is to arrange a sitter swap with your gardening pals — they’ll help you while you’re away if you’ll do the same for them.

To streamline the process for your sitter, develop a list of chores you want completed and walk through the list and your landscape a few days before you depart to show them the lay of the landscape including where tools are kept and any special techniques you want them to use. You can also improve efficiency for them by doing things like grouping potted plants close together to make watering easier.

If engaging a sitter isn’t possible, there are ways to leave your plants on their own recognizance.

Here are a few tips: • Water outdoor plants deeply and slowly and mulch them to retain water and suppress weeds. • Put houseplants in cooler indoor rooms and/or place them on damp towels in a tub or sink. • Move outside containerized plants to cooler, shadier locations such as under an awning or covered porch. • Use timers on hoses and irrigation systems, though it’s a good idea to let a friend or neighbor know you’re going to be out of town in case an obvious leak occurs. • Pick all ripe and nearly ripe produce right before you leave. • If you know well ahead of time when you’re traveling, consider staggering planting dates for annual vegetables to time their maturity around your return. • Thoroughly weed and An irrigation system with a timer is one way to ensure proper watering when mow just before you go. you're away. Lots of additional tips and details about vacation-proofing your plants and landscape are available online or check with your local Cooperative Extension office, Master Gardener association or garden center experts. Then do your best to relax and rest up for the rest of the gardening season and year. Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at katielamarjackson@gmail.com.

Fit bits An occasional feature focusing on healthy habits, gadgets and recipes. Send comments or ideas to contact@alabamaliving.coop

Seven simple steps to a healthier lifestyle

• Get active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, spread out over several days. • Eat better. Make sure your diet is colorful and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. • Maintain a healthy weight. • Cholesterol control. Adding color to your diet, exercising more and eating smart can help lower cholesterol levels. • Control blood pressure. • Blood glucose (sugar) control. Cut added sugar by checking nutrition labels and reducing sugary drinks and sweets. • Stop smoking. Smoking puts you at risk of multiple diseases.

Aloha Chicken

Cooking spray 6 skinless chicken thighs 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons garlic powder ¾ cup sweet barbecue sauce 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons pepper 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained 2 cups sliced red pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and set it to the side. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken on both sides with the mixture and place the chicken on the sheet. Top the chicken with barbecue sauce and spread the peppers and pineapple around the chicken. Bake for 40 minutes or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Try serving over cooked whole-grain rice.

Recipe courtesy of Live Well Alabama, a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAPEd) initiative developed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University. Learn more at LiveWellAlabama.com Courtesy of heart.org, via the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is growing at an alarming rate, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Ten percent of people over the age of 65 have the disease, and two-thirds of them are women. Someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s every minute.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Learn more about the “go purple” movement and how you can raise awareness at alz.org

What you need to know before going solar

Q:I am considering a solar array on the roof of my home. What steps should I take with efficiency and energy savings in mind?

A:When I tell people I work in energy efficiency, one of the first responses I hear is, “Oh, I’m thinking about getting solar installed on my house.” I hear it around campfires, meeting other parents at the park and on the ride to the airport.

Most people don’t realize solar is not energy efficiency. Solar is generating energy. Energy efficiency is finding ways to use less energy. I can see the association because both are thought of as beneficial to the environment and a way to save money.

My follow-up question is, “What are your motivations for installing solar?”

In my experience, people are motivated by saving money, concern for the environment or both. Focusing first on energy efficiency addresses both motivations.

Here are considerations if you are interested in installing solar.

Before adding a solar array to your roof, make sure you take into account energy efficiency and cost-savings.

PHOTO COURTESY MIKE TEEGARDEN, PIONEER UTILITY RESOURCES

Energy consumption

Solar systems are sized based on a home’s energy needs. The larger the system, the higher the cost. Before installing solar, make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible. That means it will use less energy and allow you to install a smaller solar system—which will save money and reduce your home’s environmental impact.

Verify the efficiency of your lighting, HVAC systems and insulation. A fully insulated and air-sealed home uses less energy, and those measures are less expensive than solar panels. Finish these energy efficiency projects before installing solar.

Affordability

Consider your overall out-of-pocket expenses. The expected lifespan of a heating and cooling system is 15 to 25 years. Check the age and condition of your HVAC equipment and consider the expenses of replacement. If something happens, will you be able to afford to fix or replace it?

Maintenance

A solar system doesn’t last forever. Lifespans range from 25 to 30 years. As systems degrade over time, they produce less energy. Maintenance and repairs may be needed.

Electric bills and storage

Solar is not “off the grid.” Unless you plan to disconnect from your electric co-op, you will still receive a monthly bill.

Solar panels only produce power when the sun is shining. If you want power to your home at other times, like after dark, you need to be connected to your electric co-op or invest in battery storage system — that comes at an additional cost.

During power outages, don’t assume solar panels will supply you with power. Typical solar interconnection to the grid requires the panels to shut down during a power outage. This protects lineworkers from injury while making repairs.

Contact your electric co-op

Solar contractors often work in several utility service territories and may not be familiar with your co-op’s offerings, rate structures and interconnection agreements.

Before signing an agreement, check with your electric co-op for local information rather than relying on what the contractor says.

As with any other system for your home, I recommend getting bids from three contractors to compare equipment and pricing.

Another option may be community-owned solar. Many electric co-ops offer community solar programs. You may have an option to enjoy the benefits of solar without the responsibilities of ownership and maintenance.

Understanding these considerations before installing solar will ensure you meet your money-saving and environmental goals.

Roofing

Consider the age, orientation and shade of your roof. It is more difficult — and expensive — to reroof a home with solar panels. Will the roof need to be replaced before the solar panels need to be replaced?

The best orientation for solar panels is south facing to receive direct light throughout the day. A shaded roof helps keep your home cool in the summertime but reduces solar energy production.

Miranda Boutelle is the director of operations and customer engagement at Efficiency Services Group, which partners with electric utilities to provide energy efficiency services to members. She writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

Enclose your yard to keep dogs safe

Afew months ago, I got a call from a concerned woman near Atlanta. She said that her elderly uncle lives near us and his two dogs escaped. We posted pictures on our FB page immediately. In about 3 hours, she texted us saying that they found them; someone had shot and killed both dogs.

I have had farmer clients who said when they see dogs in their cow pasture, these dogs tend to get a “heart attack.” The casual nature of these statements shocked me.

About four years ago when we were just starting out here, a group of young folks drove up. They said they were thinking about getting a new dog as theirs had recently been hit by a car. I tried to bring up the concept of a fence. They said they do not believe in keeping dogs enclosed as dogs are supposed to be free. I was dumbfounded as they had just told me that their last dog had been killed because he wasn’t contained.

Just last week our employee’s second dog was attacked and killed on her property by the neighbor’s dogs.

I can go on and on. Almost every week I hear a direct or indirect horrid experience with dogs that are not restricted to their properties.

When we moved here from Oregon, we used to stop when we saw a dead dog on the roads to look for any identifying tags to notify the owners. After nearly seven years, we got jaded and realized that there will not be a microchip or owner’s telephone number on these poor dogs. We do not stop anymore.

As you have guessed, I am trying to encourage everyone to keep their dogs restricted to their property. I think the best way to do this is to have a physical fence. Chain link fences are expensive. A much cheaper alternative is a combination wood and T-post four- to six-foot sheep and goat fence with barbed wires on top to make it higher. A very rough estimate to enclose a ¼ acre property (the boundaries being about 400 feet) can be somewhere around $800 if you are willing to do the work yourself. I priced things at Lowe’s. I am sure that you can shop around and bring the cost down.

I think radio collar fences like Invisible Fence are also a viable alternative in many cases. The idea is to bury a wire along the perimeter of the area you want your dog to stay in. Although it isn’t as secure as a proper fence, it’s a great option, especially for little dogs. There are many other brands in the market.

Now going down to less desirable but still better than being hit by car category:

Think about an overhead-trolley exerciser or aerial-tie-out cable. The next thing to consider is just a tie out with proper shed and shelter and access to water.

This is not the best choice, but a far better option than being run over or getting shot by a farmer for bothering his cows.

Now let me get back to my “broken record” plea. Imagine a scenario where the county has kind and wise animal care officers who are paid handsomely from the annual licensing fees the county collects from the numerous dogs in our communities. Anyone who has an intact dog over a certain age will be paying a slightly higher licensing fee. The breeders will obtain a breeding license and the premises will be inspected to keep up to date to USDA standards.

I realize this is all a dream, but these measures are not draconian infringement on personal rights – they’re an encouragement to people to be socially responsible. I heard one of the local mayors say that they are not particularly moved by animal welfare issues but tired of getting phone calls about loose dogs. The primary elections are over, but runoffs in many counties and municipalities are possible. Please choose a candidate who will support pet-related legislation, and proper enforcement.

Goutam Mukherjee, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (Dr. G) has been a veterinarian for more than 30 years. He owns High Falls Holistic Veterinary Care near Geraldine, Alabama. To suggest topics for future discussions, email him at contact@alabamaliving.coop A well-built, permanent enclosure can protect your four-legged friend.

Electric co-ops are building toward an EV mobile future

By Derrill Holly

With dozens of new electric vehicle models being released over the next few years, public charging availability will be more of an issue for consumers, especially in rural communities where stations are scarce.

PHOTO COURTESY TODAY’S POWER, INC.

With dozens of new electric vehicle models, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans, being released over the next few years, public charging availability will be more of an issue for consumers, especially in rural communities where stations are scarce.

Utilities, including electric cooperatives, will be serving new electric vehicle (EV) load and extending the reach of public charging networks now under development or proposed for major transportation corridors.

“Electric vehicles are evolving rapidly and, as they do, use and charging patterns are shifting and consumers are getting a better understanding of how they can use the vehicles,” says Brett Smith, director of technology for the Center for Automotive Research. The non-profit organization conducts independent research on behalf of the global mobility industry.

Still, one of the major challenges facing market acceptance remains a lack of charging infrastructure in many parts of the country. As of December 2021, there were about 113,000 charging ports available at 46,090 public charging stations nationwide.

“You’re going to see the need to really invest in infrastructure over the next five to 10 years,” says Smith, adding that some buyers who have the option of home charging have not reached the comfort level essential to use EVs for longer trips. “They don’t see the infrastructure out there. You’re probably at some point going to need to make it seem like overinvestment, because you have to make the consumer comfortable.”

The federal government estimates that 500,000 public chargers will be needed by 2030, and it is currently investing $7.5 billion to help build a network of public chargers along major highways and in rural areas. The funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress and signed into law last November.

According to the Department of Energy, the majority of ports now being deployed for public use are DC fast chargers that provide 60 to 80 miles of range for 20 minutes of charging time, compared to four minutes at the pump for most gasoline-powered vehicles.

Smith said it may be feasible to charge EVs up to 80% of capacity in about 15 minutes.

“Whether that’s perfect for everybody or not, if it becomes a standard or an accepted practice, I think people could become comfortable with that,” he says.

The Joint Office for Electric Vehicle Charging and Infrastructure operated by the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation is developing a grant program to help states and local partners, including electric co-ops, develop public charging facilities.

“NRECA and electric cooperatives formed the Community Approach to Vehicle Electrification funding interest group. This group of co-ops is focused on using their detailed knowledge of local needs to address vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure,” says Brian Sloboda, NRECA’s director of consumer solutions.

Across the U.S., many electric cooperatives are already in regular contact with their state departments of transportation (DOTs) to discuss current and proposed Alternative Fuel Corridors. These corridors will be the areas eligible for federal funding. State DOTs must submit an EV infrastructure plan to the federal government by August 1, 2022.

“Electric co-ops can help their (state) DOTs by identifying areas of the service territory where EV charging infrastructure could be placed in an economic manner that overlap with current or proposed Alternative Fuel Corridors,” says Sloboda.

Under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, public EV charging infrastructure should be located every 50 miles along major travel corridors, and no more than 1 mile from the highway.

“The focus on local needs will ensure that the college tailgate parties, national parks, highway interchanges, local businesses and county fairs are adequately represented,” says Sloboda. “They will place the infrastructure where the people and local businesses are.”

The DOE’s Alternate Fuels Data Center has developed a Station Locator Tool (SLT) mobile app. During the government’s 2021 fiscal year, the SLT site attracted 6 million page views and topped 3,900 downloads. According to the DOE, the site provided more than 1.3 million searches for EV charging stations for the fiscal year.

Drive Electric Alabama promotes EV usage

In Alabama, a program called Drive Electric Alabama is the official statewide initiative coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) designed to educate consumers, utility regulators, and government officials about electric vehicles. ADECA has developed a statewide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (EVIP) to guide the deployment of state resources for an EV charging infrastructure. In June 2021, the state combined funds appropriated by the legislature with Volkswagen settlement funds, and ADECA awarded 18 grants totaling more than $4.1 million to finance the installation of several charging stations to be installed in 2022. The EVIP notes that this will more than double the number of publicly accessible fast charger locations statewide. Locations are predominantly along the I-20/I-59/I-459 corridor between Tuscaloosa and the Georgia state line. For more information, see driveelectric. alabama.gov.

Electric co-ops face challenges, opportunities as power generation evolves

By Michael Leitman

As the economy continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy sector is still experiencing lingering impacts to fuel markets and sources for power generation. In the coming years, however, it is expected that the industry will normalize back to recent trends and the pre-pandemic trajectory.

At the height of the pandemic, in 2020, national retail electricity sales declined by 2.5%, accompanied by a shift in demand patterns and in generation mix. As people spent more time at home due to social distancing measures, U.S. residential sales rose by 1.7% while commercial and industrial sales fell by 5.4% and 4.3%, respectively. With demand for natural gas declining, generators took advantage of low fuel prices and the share of power coming from gas-fired resources increased for the third straight year, while the share from coal continued to decline.

In 2021, the economy started to reopen, and demand recovered, but natural gas production was slow to ramp up, leading to increased fuel prices. As a result, the share of U.S. electricity powered by natural gas fell in 2021, for the first time since 2017. This drop was offset by an increase in coal-fired generation, bucking a multiyear trend that saw the use of coal for electricity declining every year since 2014. Though natural gas remains the dominant fuel source in the U.S., the share from non-hydro renewables, primarily wind and solar, has steadily increased for the last several years.

Going forward, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the share of coal and natural gas in the electric generation mix will decline as the rapid growth of non-hydro renewables, especially solar, continues. According to EIA’s projections, renewable energy sources will surpass natural gas as the largest source for generation by 2030.

Nevertheless, natural gas is expected to remain an important fuel source for electric power, due to its abundant supply. Perhaps more importantly, gas-fired units can respond more easily to changes in system conditions, which is crucial for maintaining reliability of the electric grid, as the fuel mix transitions to higher penetrations of wind and solar resources that do not run all the time. Batteries, which have become cheaper and more powerful in recent years, will also play an important role in supporting renewable resources.

In recent years, severe weather events have highlighted the need for fuel diversity in maintaining system resiliency. That is, if one source of power is constrained during a storm, having others available to fill the gap can provide stability and keep the lights on. But as the generation mix shifts away from conventional fuels, additional changes will be necessary to accommodate the upcoming changes and ensure both resiliency and reliability. Modernizing the national grid with new technologies can offer a variety of solutions during the energy transition. The use of advanced data, two-way communications and digital software enable better and more efficient management of the electric system. Although traditional, hands-on roles are still crucial for electric operations, there will be a need for new expertise to integrate and utilize these new technologies across the entire energy industry.

Through the evolution of the power generation mix and the electric sector in general over the next several years, there will be a number of challenges and opportunities for electric cooperatives as they continue to provide safe, reliable and affordable power to the local communities they serve.

Modernizing the national grid with new technologies can offer a variety of solutions during the energy transition.

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.