Happy Birthday America! Lake Wedowee Life July 2013

Happy Birthday America!

July 2013 • www.LakeWedoweeLife.com • Free

July 2013 Vol. 6 No. 5

Table of Contents Special Features 16 My Lake Wedowee Shal Patel 18 Faces of Wedowee Ron Young 20 Faces of Wedowee Lavoy “PaPa” Caldwell 29 Ice Cream Contest The Coolest Treats in Town 35 Movie Time Five Picks for Summer Flicks 46 Days By Gone By Camping Out on the River

In This Issue

Contributors Lynn Amason Lavoy Caldwell Tracy Carpenter Bonny & Wendell Huddleston Brian Morris

Charley Norton Shal Patel Andy Petty Tom Scott Dorothy Tidwell

8. Letter from the Editor 10. At a Glance 12. Hooked on Lake Wedowee 14. Charley’s Treasures 22. Creative Crafting 31. What’s Cooking 32. Southern Living House Plan 40. Not Too Shabby 38. Chamber Chatter 42. Lake Wedowee on Instagram 44. Where in the World is Lake Wedowee Life?

Lake Wedowee Life

877.959.LAKE (5253) 18285 Highway 431 Wedowee, AL

www.LakeWedoweeLife.com On the Cover Our cover girl Ryver McEwen loves her firework stand her dad Chris made for her. It has been used as a kissing booth, as well as a lemonade stand.

Lake Wedowee Life magazine is published six times a year and available around the Lake Wedowee area which includes Randolph and Clay Counties in Alabama as well as parts of West Georgia.

All content in this publication is protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, or otherwise published without the prior written permission of Neighborhood Publishing. Š 2008-2013 Neighborhood Publishing

General Manager

Editor

Writer/Photographer

Advertising Sales

LEISEL CALDWELL info@lakewedoweelife.com

KELLY CALDWELL news@lakewedoweelife.com

AMANDA CAUSEY info@lakewedoweelife.com

LAVOY CALDWELL ads@lakewedoweelife.com

Lake Wedowee Life 7

Celebrating Family Milestones The Caldwell Clan loves a reason to celebrate.

And beginning in a few short weeks, we will be preparing for party overload and this year most of them are significant milestones.

Older sister kicks things off on July 13 (But I think she would kick me if I said her age…) But its baby sister Mary Lee that really gets things going on August 7. She turns 30. She doesn’t want a huge fuss made over her for it, but surviving this bunch for 30 years is a huge accomplishment…

Then, my awesome parents (yes I believe that) celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on August 11. They were babies when they tied the knot and while they admit it hasn’t always been shiny happy like this magazine, they do say it’s never been boring.

On August 19, my daddy, known to the world now as PaPa, celebrates his 60th year on this earth.

He is one of the most generous people I know and the world has definitely been made a better place because he has been in it.

The party continues in September with brother in law turning 40. He has been part of my family since older sister was 16 (still not telling you her age…) and I couldn’t ask for a better brother.

The celebrations for the Caldwell Clan conclude in October when my nephew turns 10… That milestone is probably the strangest for me considering I still remember vividly getting the phone call that older sis was going to the hospital. We waited for a long time to welcome our next generation into the Caldwell Clan and I will never forget the joy we shared when brother in law came in the waiting room and announced he had a son. (They opted to keep the gender a surprise until birth so Luke had a lot of yellow and green clothing for the first few weeks of his life…)

I look forward to party overload and I am thankful our family is close. But, I may need to take out a loan to pay for all these gifts… Or sell a lake house!

Until next time...

Enjoy Life!

Kelly Caldwell

upcoming events To get more information about upcoming events visit LakeWedowee.mobi and click on ‘Events’

July 4th Boat Parade The Pines at Lakeside Fireworks Chimney Cove & Sand Harbor Summer Sizzle Thursdays in July Lineville Park

July 5th & 6th Randolph County Sheriff’s Rodeo Wedowee

August 31 Folk Pottery Show Chimney Cove

Lake Wedowee Fishing Advice

By Brian Morris

July fishing on Wedowee this year will be the best we have seen in a long time, due to cooler temperatures, excessive rain fall and water current. For bass fishing, be on the lake earlier, like 5:00 A.M. Fish the points on main river channels.

Start shallow and work your way out, using top water baits, like a shad color spook or a popping bait. If no takers, swap to a 3 to 5 ft diving crank bait (also in some type of shad color). The bass should be really active and

great all year. Keep a good eye on your electronics. Look for deep pockets, mouths of creeks, generally no further than the first two docks left or right side (just a little secret). The crappie are hanging out in 6 to 18 ft of water/ according to the conditions of the day. Use a Red head wanting a quick early meal. Use 1/16 oz or 1/32 oz jig red head these tactics early and late in the with white body( something afternoon when the sun goes with feathers on it). In sunny down.. After 9:00 A.M, slow it conditions always look for down with a C-rig or Texas rig docks and timber and the shady using something supporting a spots for bass and crappie. green pumpkin worm or creaHope this information will help ture bait. Fish long points or you to have a great day of putshallow flats close to deep wa- ting fish in the boat. God Bless ter. Crappie fishing has been and good fishing!

An Alluring Confidence for Your Bait I have people ask me all the time what lure to throw, or what is my favorite lure.

My favorite way to catch a bass is on a top water plug, but that won't work all the time so you have to experiment and see what the fish want.

Bonny has no problem tying on different lures for hours until she finds something that works, but I'm too hard headed for that. I'll fish a lure until I'm convinced it’s not going to work. One thing I do know is that if you don't have confidence in a particular lure you won't fish it correctly. In the small bass club I fish in I can tell by who won as to what kind of lure was working. We have one guy who is a rattle trap expert, another who is a buzz bait pro, and one who is a jig master, and so on. I know this because all of us fisher-

friend brought his rods and tackle, but forgot his change of clothes. He was fishing a lure like I've never seen on 80 LBS. braid on a Muskie rod. I thought he was crazy or the heat had gotten to him or something. He had a lot of confidence in this lure, but I was sure he would not catch a thing. WRONG, he gave me fishing lessons that day, in my boat, on my home lake and wearing Sunday

by Wendell & Bonny Huddleston clothes in the middle of the day. If you have a favorite lure that you men have our "go to baits", you have a lot of confidence in, you know the one we have the most have to throw it on Lake Wedowee. confidence in. While that’s not alRemember our lake is over popuways the case, most of the time it’s lated with spotted bass, this will true to form. I remember one hot increase your confidence in that Sunday a friend came up from Au- lure. I’m still looking for that anburn. We went to church, out to eat tique lure my friend was throwing. and then we went fishing. My See you on the lake.

Hooked on Lake Wedowee

Kinda Like an Old Chair I’ve never been known to be the best dresser. And there are days that I will venture out in public unshaven and often in desperate need of a hair cut. I can count on one hand how many times a comb has been through it in the last twenty years except for when Tammy Cross tries when I visit her for an always overdue haircut. My old red truck is battered and dirty but it fits me because I myself can be a little battered and dirty sometimes. In my line of work I could be helping customers in the store, going out on measurements, repairing tools or vehicles or working with the crew on a jobsite and most of the time I don’t know which I will be doing before I leave the house so it is inevitable that I’m going to mess up everything I wear. Most of my shirts are now “happened on the way to work” shirts. If someone says I have something on my shirt, I’ll just say I spilt coffee on it on the way to work or I broke down and had to fix a flat. Sometimes I might spice it up and be a hero. I’ll tell them how I saved a family from their burning car and the stain came from the melting paint as I brushed the door carrying their baby to safety. By doing this, I have done the community a 14 Lake Wedowee Life

Charley’s Treasures

by Charley Norton service by giving a new and exciting story to circulate through town and it will at an amazing pace, usually ending up a better story than the original. In any case, I usually think of something.

But it’s not to say that I’m a slob, I’ve just learned to make do with what I have and spend little to no time dwelling on any thoughts of what people may think of me. In return I share the same philosophy with those I meet. I strive not to be a first impressionalist (yes, new word).

I spent an hour one morning talking to a lady in her basement while she walked on her treadmill in a dress sporting several bits of electrical tape stuck to her face. It wasn’t until her husband brought it to her attention that I considered it odd for her to have tape on her face.

I figured it was there for a reason or she was crazy, neither of which was any of my business nor did it keep us from conversation before or after she took them off (home remedy by the way). As for me, the beaten and battered, it is all too obvious that my edges are not sharp and I gave up worrying about others impression of me a long time ago.

I guess I would relate better to an old chair.

Like an old chair, worn naturally over years of faithful service. I think of myself not as being a slob, but as having a pat-

ina like a piece of furniture so worn from years of use (and abuse) that instead of being looked at as something destined for the landfill, it’s admired as classic Americana. A wonderful story that is told without words, but by simply gazing upon it. So the next time you see me and the state of repair that I will inevitably be in, look at me for what I am. I am just an old chair that needs a haircut.

But I’m not alone. There are a lot of old chairs here in Wedowee and there is a reason for it.

It is because we are comfortable here. Most of us are comfortable because we don’t feel like we have to impress anyone because they aren’t trying to impress us. It’s like casual Friday but happens every day of the week.

This is the place where you can be yourself or be the person

you want to be. This is the place where your success in the business and professional world is valued way less that your ability to carry on a good conversation or spit a watermelon seed the furthest. You would be respected more if you were related to the guy that caught the giant bass on the big river than if you said you engineered a nanobite that could cure the common cold.

It’s just the way things are around here and it’s why so many flock to our docks every summer to explore the simple normalcy which is Lake Wedowee. Those that cannot grasp it are wasting their time and are missing out on one of the few places left uncorrupted by modern society.

I have to go now and fix our sander then head off to Ashland to scrape glue off a floor. I hate I

couldn’t shave this morning, but I didn’t have a spare and had to take the blades out the one I had to use as a scalpel and remove the appendix from that guy pulled over at the Building Supply. It was a close call. I’m just glad I was there to help…

Charley Norton is the co-owner of Norton’s Flooring with his brother Tom. The company was founded by his parents more than 35 years ago.

Illustrations by Tom Scott.

Lake Wedowee Life 15

Patel Family Reunites on Lake Wedowee I had never heard of Wedowee Alabama before my agent sent me a listing for a business that was for sale. I had looked at over 50 potential businesses all over Georgia a couple years before visiting Lake Wedowee Bait and Tackle on one sunny day in the spring of 2007, my brother and I loaded up our dogs and headed west for Wedowee.

My first memory of Wedowee was when I pulled up to the stop sign and noticed several people waving.

At first I was confused about whom they were waving at, but after a few moments I realized they were waving at us. We were not used to that kind of treatment, most people are not as friendly in the cities where I had lived. I looked around and noticed that we were in downtown Wedowee and thought to my self, no signal lights. As I turned right on Highway 48 West, I noticed the small police station with one marked vehicle parked in front of it.

I mentioned to my brother it seemed as though we had just entered Mayberry. We both were amused by my comment. We noticed that the people that we encountered at the store were all quite friendly.

I had no prior knowledge of R. L. Harris Reservoir and all of its untouched serene beauty.

I didn’t really have expectations of what the condition of the lake may have been. At the time I lived on Lake Lanier and there was a terrible drought. After driving to 48 boat ramp and Lonnie White boat ramp and looking at the lake, I decided there was nothing else I had

My Lake Wedowee

by Shal Patel ever seen to compare it to.

I contacted my family to fly down and check out the store. At the time they lived in Atlantic City, New Jersey and my elder sister had just moved to the United States from London, England where we are from originally. My parents were both employed at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino. My father worked as a security guard and my mother was a card dealer. I lived north of Atlanta and was attending college and in the final stages of joining the Coast Guard.

I moved to Georgia in 2002 and had not lived with my sister since 1997. But, I thought it would be ideal for my family to reunite and it would be a good opportunity for us to catch up since we had been apart for so long. The family all agreed that the move would be a good investment and great place for our family to retire. My sister, Seema Patel, and I agreed to operate the store while my parents were transi-

tioning. A year later my parents joined us. My sister and I bought a house in Woodland for us all to live in together.

Soon life began changing for the better for all of us, and often in unexpected ways. My mother no longer needed to take any asthma medicine and she had asthma for over 25 years. My father was healthier and felt comfortable with activities he had never performed before. My sister was exposed to major culture shock and the overall experience has changed her perspective in a wonderful way.

As for myself, I am continuously growing and I am blessed to be living in a place that I love. I am currently finishing up my marketing/management degree at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton and am president of Lake Wedowee Bait and Tackle, Lake Wedowee Construction, Mad Indian Quickie Mart, and Powder King Custom Powder Coating. My family has hosted and contributed to many causes in the community including 4th of July fireworks, fundraisers, bass tournaments for cancer patients, SIFAT, Randolph County Animal Shelter, and many others. I feel as though I am in a position where I am able to help others, and that is what really matters to me. I can take care of my family, get an education, help my friends, and with all my resources be an asset to my community. I am very fortunate to have forged relationships with special people and without their efforts we could not have made all this possible.

Taking a Stand for Progress There is an eclectic cast of characters that call Lake Wedowee home.

Each of them have his or her own story to tell and in the coming issues we will strive to tell our readers how they have come to call Lake Wedowee home.

As a lifelong resident of Randolph County, Ron Young knew real change didn't happen often, but in 2008 he made a risky decision for himself and family when he became the face of one side of the alcohol debate.

"It was something that needed to happen here," Young said. "We started a little late for the 2008 campaign but we learned a lot."

The wet-dry issue failed to pass in 2008 by less than 400 votes, but in November of 2012 the residents of Randolph County legalized the sale of alcohol and Young was a driving force behind it.

"We felt strongly about this issue, but after the 2008 election, I didn't really want to put my neck on the line again," he said. "My family came under attack and I wasn't sure they wanted to do it again. But, no one else really wanted to step up and be the face of the issue.

"So my wife, Donna, and I talked about it at length and decided we would do it again."

Young is the first to say it was a 18 Lake Wedowee Life

Faces of Wedowee

by Kelly Caldwell large network of people that got the measure passed in Randolph County and it took everyone working together for progress.

"This is the first step of progress for Randolph County in a long time and we are already beginning to see the benefits of it," he said.

"Change doesn't happen overnight but the wheels are definitely turning."

As broker/owner of Wedowee Lake and Lands Realty, Young knows the influx of people that come to the area each summer and call Lake Wedowee their home away from home. He always saw the alcohol issue as a business decision not a moral one.

"Alcohol has always been in this county," he said. "But now we are

able to collect the tax dollars from it.

"I am not sure what the actual dollars are yet, but I can already see signs of progress because of the sale of alcohol in Randolph County.

At least four restaurants have opened in the county since the sale of alcohol was legalized in November.

"The restaurants seem to be doing well," Young said. "But to continue to grow more progress needs to be made. This was just the first step but it was a crucial one."

As far as the arguments made that the sale of alcohol in Randolph County was going to destroy the "hometown feel" Young is quick to point out an interesting fact.

"I talked to Sheriff Cofield this week and he said there have been no driving under the influence arrests made in the county since alcohol has been sold here," he said. "I have no problem with people that are morally against alcohol. That is their choice. But, there were some scare tactics used by our opposition that have just not happened.

"I am against drinking and driving as everyone should be," he said.

"And just because you can buy it here now doesn't mean that everyone that drinks is going to get behind the wheel of a car."

Lake Wedowee Life 19

And...Then There was That There is an eclectic cast of characters that call Lake Wedowee home. Each of them have his or her own story to tell and in the coming issues we will strive to tell our readers how they have come to call Lake Wedowee home.

Boys or on the radio, he can be found selling advertising for Lake Wedowee Life or out delivering magazines.

“He truly does a little bit of everything,” Kelly said.

“He seems to know everyone and if he meets a stranger it doesn’t take long for that label to fall With a name like his, nickoff. names are welcome. Through “He can work a room betthe years, Lavoy Caldwell ter than most politicians.” has been known as Boots, Being the larger than life Leroy, Little Boy, (one half of personality, that Caldwell ) LaVeisel and L.A. Voy to is, people feel they know name a few. But in 2003, with him. the birth of his first grand“He has always been this child, he came to be known way,” Leisel said. “But simply as PaPa. with his new career, he is Caldwell grew up in Clay finally getting to put his County and has spent the passion to good use. majority of his soon to be 60 “Our girls didn’t always years as a Randolph County appreciate it growing up, resident. He played on the but I think they all get a whole neighborhood was calling river as a child, explored the lake him PaPa, and not just our grand- kick out of it now.” with his daughters and in 2004 beJenny and Mary Lee both live sons.” came a Lake Wedowee property out of town but listen regularly to owner with his wife Leisel. their father’s morning show and “He tells people all the time that participate in the Classic Country he drank from the Tallapoosa River Showdown that he plays with as a boy and he would still do it Kevin Moon. today,” Kelly (his middle daugh“Luke and Jax (their grandsons)

by Amanda Causey ter) said. love listening to their PaPa on the Papa and Leisel began developradio,” Leisel said. “We have Now known to the Lake Weing Sunset Point as an affordable learned that family stories will be dowee area as PaPa Caldwell alternative to the ever escalating shared to the listeners, but thankthanks to his late in life career prices on Lake Wedowee. fully they haven’t been too embarchange as a radio personality for “Sunset Point was my vision,” Alabama 100.7, he is truly a char- rassing yet.”

Leisel said. “But, Lavoy made it As the listening audience conacter to know around here. happen.”

He spends his days as one third tinues to grow, PaPa’s celebrity As the neighborhood grew, of the Morning Madness Crew but status does as well. Recently at more and more people began call- after his day job is over, you can Lake Wedowee Summer Jam he ing Caldwell PaPa. was asked for his autograph by more than likely find him at We“It started with our good friend dowee Building Supplies harassone of his younger listeners.

Alicia Hernandez,” Leisel said.

“That’s just special,” he said at ing the boys and telling Joe ROLL “She started calling him PaPa and TIDE. the time as he was posing for phothen her kids did… Pretty soon the When he is not with Joe and the tos with the fan.

Faces of Wedowee

Creative Crafting By: Amanda Causey Stars , Stripes & Heroes My family is a very patriotic group!

We have many family members and friends who have served our nation in the military. We proudly display photographs, ribbons and medals where we can see them on a daily basis and be reminded of the sacrifice men and women make for our freedoms.

This is an easy craft that you can do for your home. I used letter size craft paper, paint, twine and clothespins to create this festive look.

Using a sharp blade I cut a 5x7 opening in the craft paper, turning it into a homemade photo mat.

Dress up your ‘frames’ with some paint. I scanned and printed 5 x 7 photos of my ‘American Heroes’.

Using jumbo sized blue pushpins I created my photo line with twine. I also painted my clothespins . After all the paint dries adhere your photos to the craft paper frames and hang!

To see step by step photographs of this craft as well as other patriotic crafts visit our website. If you make a Patriotic display similar to this please share it with us!

Get Our Cover Look Several months ago we started tossing around ideas for upcoming covers. We wanted to do a spin on the lemonade stand idea and decided to create a firework stand. Our décor for the firework stand was created on a whim as the weather has not been very predictable.

This is yet another inexpensive and quick way to decorate around the house on a budget and more than likely with items you already have laying around.

Several of the items we used are available for download free on our website.

For our patriotic banner we used cardstock and printed our free download.

There are several styles to choose from so have fun picking your favorite.

For this look we secured our banner to our twine with tape. For a more permanent banner you may want to try a different adhesive like hot glue. For our faux fireworks we simple used printed papers (also available as a free download on our website) and rolled them in a cyl-

inder. I used a sponge, that I cut in the shape of a star, dipped in paint to add a little texture and definition to the look. Kelly and I went on a local shopping spree the day before the shoot to look for anything we could find to give us some ‘fire’.

For the hanging rocket I simply used poster board rolled and taped. Spray paint blue and allow it to dry completely. Use the star shaped sponge dipped in paint to decorate. After it dries use your favorite scrapbook papers to create the cone shape for the nose and the fins.

You can also download our free nose and fin printables to recreate this exact look.

These will make perfect decorations for our Lake Wedowee Fourth of July Boat Parade.

Entry forms and parade information can be found on our website. I will be out at the parade taking photos so I will notice if you have used these ideas!

Special thank you to Miss Ryver McEwen for being our firecracker cover girl! Also special thanks to Reclaiming the McEwens for providing the lemonade/firework stand for our shoot.

The Coolest Contest in Town

Contest Winners: Most Unique Beau Causey, Best Flavor Ann Wilson and Best Presentation Joshua Horn.

We had a blast Father’s Day evening at Wings n Things at the Lake Wedowee Homemade Ice Cream Contest. Our judges were Richie Traylor with Alabama Dairy Producers, and 2 members of the Alabama 100.7 Morning Madness crew Kevin Moon and Lake Wedowee Life’s own Lavoy “PaPa” Caldwell. Winners were chosen in our three categories and they received ice cream with cooler from Blue Bell Ice Cream, T-Shirt and cheese from the Alabama Dairy Producers. Our winning homemade ice cream flavors are featured here with the mouth watering reciDouble Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream pes so you can try them out yourcan share! More photos will be in self. Thank you to all of our spon- fabulous recipes please email us sors, contestants and spectators! If your photos to our September/October for our you decide to make one of these news@lakewedoweelife.com so we Summer in Review issue.

Strawberry & Lavender Ice Cream Best Presentation Winner Double Chocolate Hazelnut

By Joshua Horn

Beau’s Maple Bacon Ice Cream

add 1 cup hot milk mixture into eggs to temper. Then add egg mixture back into milk mixture and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add 2 ¼ cup milk vanilla, salt and coffee. Chill com½ cup heavy cream pletely in the refrigerator. Pour into ¾ cup sugar, divided ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa pow- ice cream freezer. Follow instructions for freezing. When finished der stir in hazelnuts. Makes 1 quart. ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Best Flavor Winner 4 egg yolks Strawberry & Lavender 2 tsp. vanilla Ice Cream Pinch of salt

By Ann Wilson 2 TBSP coffee 1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts, 2 cup strawberries chopped 1 cup sugar 1 TBSP vanilla extract Combine milk, cream, and ½ 4 egg yolks cup sugar. Cook until sugar dis1 ½ cup strawberry & lavender solves. Do not boil. Remove from nectar (see recipe below) heat. Add cocoa powder and 1 cup yougurt chocolate chips. Whisk until ¾ gallon 2% milk smooth. Mix egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until combined. Carefully

Mix sliced or diced strawberries & ¼ cup sugar. Set aside for later.

In sauce pan mix egg yolks & ¾ cup sugar until well mixed. Add ½ cup milk and heat to 160 degrees.

Add in vanilla, yogurt, strawberry & lavender nectar and mix well.

Then add strawberries & sugar mixture. Pour in churn and add milk to fill line. Chill mixture for one hour. Place in ice cream freezer and follow directions for your maker. Top with remaining nectar.

Makes 1 gallon.

Strawberry & Lavender Nectar 4 cup strawberries 4 cup water ½ cup lavender flowers 1 cup sugar Place lavender in water and boil for 5 minutes. Then let set 15 minutes. Then boil again until reduced by ¾. Add strawberries and sugar

Our Homemade Ice Cream Contest Judges: Kevin Moon, Richie Traylor and Lavoy “PaPa” Caldwell. and boil until berries have dissolved. Reduce to 2 cups. Place in 1 cup maple syrup freezer container or keep in glass 4 cup half-and-half bottle. Use as ice cream topper and 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, diin ice cream mixture. vided 5 egg yolks Most Unique Flavor Winner ½ lb. thick-cut bacon (about 6 Beau’s Bacon Maple Ice slices) Cream In a medium saucepan over

By Beau Causey moderate heat, reduce the maple syrup to ½ cup set aside.

Over moderate heat in a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half with ½ cup sugar until hot and just bubbling around the edges.

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks with ½ cup sugar, then add 1 cup hot half-and-half mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour the whole egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and registers 170 degrees on a Syan Barnes won our ice cream eating contest. He thermometer. Do not received a $15 gift certificate to Wings N Things. let boil. Pour the mix-

ture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and whisk in the maple syrup. Cover with parchment paper letting the paper touch the surface of the mixture, to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the mixture until very cold, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with heavy foil. Place a baking rack over the lined sheet pan and arrange the bacon slices across the rack next to each other. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, finely chop.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place the remaining ½ cup sugar in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a fork, until the sugar starts to melt. Stop stirring and cook until the sugar is a golden caramel color, about 10 minutes.

Add the bacon and stir to coat.

Pour onto prepared baking sheet and let harden. Chop the candied bacon into small pieces or leave whole.

Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze. Garnish with bacon upon serving.

Here’s the scoop- Ice cream is the perfect treat to cool you down when the sun is hot.

While ice cream is readily available in grocery stores, homemade ice cream is in a world of its own. If you own an electric ice cream freezer, making your own ice cream can be fun and easy. There are few things more satisfying than creating something for a loved one and watching them enjoy it. Like this homemade butter pecan ice cream recipe I created for my late husband, Glenn Carpenter.

This recipe has a creamy texture balanced with that fresh taste of roasted maple, buttered pecans. So gather the family and let the summer fun begin.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tsp. butter extract 5 eggs (optional) 2 tsp. maple extract 1 cup sugar 2 cup heavy whipping cream whipped 1 can sweetened condensed milk

ter and maple extracts; beat well. Fold in whipped cream and Cool Whip.

Fold in pecans.

Pour into 1 gallon ice cream container. Add milk to the fill line. Freeze, using manufacturer’s instructions. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, place in container with lid and store in the freezer. For a more mellow flavor reduce the butter and maple extracts to 1 tsp. Top with warm caramel and toasted coconut for over the top flavor.

Tips: Make sure ice cream base is cold before putting it in the machine.

Chill ice cream machine bowl and dashers/beaters prior to adding the ice cream base.

by Tracy Carpenter Only fill ice cream container Photo by Amanda Causey 3/4 full. Air is incorporated while mixing the ice cream base and it will rise to the top of the container.

8 oz tub Cool Whip Fruit should be ripe. Puree or 2 tsp. vanilla extract mash at least half, if not all of the 4-5 cup whole milk fruit, for a deeper fruit flavor.

Additives such as chocolate, Spread pecans on baking sheet. cookies, whole fruit and/or nuts Roast at 300° for 10 minutes, stirshould be in small chunks and ring occasionally; set aside. Beat pre-frozen before adding to ice eggs with sugar in large bowl.

Add condensed milk, vanilla, but- cream.

What’s Cooking

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5 Picks for Summertime Flicks Hello, Lake Wedowee Life Readers! My name is Andy and I am a movie cinephile. I've been watching movies since I can remember and my goal is to see as many films as my schedule will allow. For me, to watch a film again, especially more than twice, it needs to have all the goods that keep me coming back for more.

These goods can include the technical aspects of a film (how they were able to construct a world), the imagination one requires to write the script and other times there is just a feeling there was a complete collaboration with everyone involved in bringing something together that puts a smile on my face. The summer months are my favorite time of the year. It's a time to enjoy life from outside your home on an everyday basis. A time when the smell of honeysuckle and a BBQ grill throw the senses into a whirlwind, when fireworks light up the night sky to celebrate this great country and when a sense of outdoor wonder that only comes during those dog days us Southerners know oh too well. So, is it possible to take a break for a movie during any of these amazing events this summer?

Of course! Lights, DVD player and microwave popcorn…action!

News to Know

by Andy Petty

The Great Outdoors I have asked a few random people around my neighborhood about what they think of my alltime favorite summer comedy "The Great Outdoors" - and despite it being a John Candy/Dan Aykroyd comedy produced by legendary icon John (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles) Hughes, I get a question mark stare. The perfect blend of summer vacation and every household in America can relate to their own family's experience of life in the great outdoors. We all have that memory of being on the lake, unexpected wildlife encounters and

family feuds; so cue the agreeable nod now. The Ripley's are ordinary Chicago suburbanites heading outside of their comfort zone to the lake life for a week of relaxation and family bonding.

Unfortunately, this vacation can't escape unexpected family members. That pretty much sums up the entire plot, but two comedy legends playing off one another leads to an on-screen chemistry that is made of Hollywood legend. Our two leads here dislike one another so much that even horse-back riding is a competitive sport - and boating and go-karts and fishing…

But despite the on-screen duels, we still have excellent opportunities to get to know the rest of the family.

That is where John Hughes’ excellent screenwriting skills come in to play. I never felt like this film needed a sequel or re-imagining because it was done right the first time. This is a family I grew up with and love despite their minor flaws. You can see your family in these characters and not feel guilty laughing at all their shenanigans.

Oh and despite a dated cell phone and video camcorder - it's a timeless classic that deserves to be seen every time the cicadas sing their summer tunes.

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love story that crosses all boundaries. They can try and give it sequels or even remakes (yes it's scheduled for your multiplex in the next year or two), but nothing will replace this summer romance. Are you humming "She's like the

Jaws I was born in 1983 so I missed the box office madness that dominated the summer of 1975 with Jaws. I was told by my parents, however, about how their experience with one of the most terrifying creatures ever filmed that kept an entire country out of the water that summer. I absolutely love this film. It’s one flaw is that there aren't any - and that makes no sense I know, but with Oscar worthy performances and a style that only the master of cinema today could have come up with, it works in 2013. Steven Spielberg didn't have the budget or a cooperative mechanical shark to use throughout this twohour movie and instead decided to use the camera (also the audience in some respects) as the great white demon. That resulted in an amazing trick that movie-going audiences today miss. No matter how advance computer graphics get these days, we still want to be surprised. To this day we've only had a handful of true Hollywood produced films come out about sharks (and that includes the 3 Jaws sequels) and nothing has compared to this monster. With its popularity still ranking it one of the greatest films of all time, Universal Pictures and Spielberg have meticulously restored every scene to a look that appears to have been filmed yesterday. So assure the children of today that this is only a movie and let them experience what their parents thought in 1975 was the scariest film of all

Wind" right now?

time.

Dirty Dancing I don't care how old you are or what your sex is - we've all hit that age where you love who you love.

Step aside mom or dad because it's my time to blossom into adulthood.

The summer belongs to Frances 'Baby' Houseman while she's on vacation with her family in the Catskill's circa 1963. The period between high school and college where a rather mundane summer can't end fast enough - but who wants the summer to end when Patrick Swayze, oh I mean 'Johnny Castle' has just entered your life. So, what makes this film still relevant today? Why am I voting this one of the best summer films of all time? I feel it's a timeless coming of age story that the generations today can still relate to. For one thing, I feel like a 1987 film taking place in 1963 was a smart move. The 60’s (to a child of the 80's) represents a decade in constant transition. A nation that collectively looked at their neighbors without judgment and said they wanted a change. The music, the message, the romance - it's a

The Avengers It's definitely deserving of being one of the best summer films because it is the highest grossing summer film of all time. Marvel Comics hasn't had a paved road to Hollywood from its conception. Speaking solely on the film side of things, Captain America to The Punisher to The Fantastic Four, they went through some major screen disasters in the past - but since The XMen hit the screen in 2000, Hollywood has rode the comic book adaptation to the moon and back (for better or worse). All the major studios started bidding over any and every superhero they could get their hands on and in the meantime Marvel Studios became an entity to be reckoned with. Who would have thought that Robert Downey, Jr.'s role of Iron Man would have changed the face of the action hero's standard? So, Marvel got to work on creating a intertwining franchise that has never been seen before.

Bring in director Joss Whedon who has become the underground superhero in his own right and we have a

perfect storm of comic amazement. I remember sitting in my seat in a sold-out auditorium on opening weekend thinking how mediocre this experience could be.

Boy, was I wrong! It is perfectly edited to give every character a chance to shine, superbly acted from every star and the special effects are at their finest. It's only been a year since the blockbuster that rivaled the grosses of "Titanic" and "Avatar" was released but it has staked its claim in summer movie history. Admit it, you loved it.

The Lion King Walt Disney understood nature. He wanted his animators to experience everything they were creating by having them in the wild to seek out whatever species they were about to bring to life. The studio carried on this tradition for future animators, as the tiniest details of the animals we share on this planet have personalities just waiting to be discovered. Disney, I believe, would have agreed with the masses in naming this the best film from the Walt Disney Animation Company.

However, is it also a great “Summer Film?� Yes, it was released in June of 1994, but there is a sense of warmth that reminds me of the spirit of these couple of months.

You don't have to be the king of the African plains to experience being a kid/teen in this world. Hakuna

Matata means no worries - and between MaySeptember I do just that. Probably one of the most controversial family films ever made, it defies all criticism and unites us all. We are all in this circle of life. Enjoy this film with your kids today so that tomorrow - when they are adults - you will cherish it together in a whole new way. "Long live The King."

Five films that barely scratch the surface of flicks that depict these summer months, but those are my favorites that you can all enjoy, respectively. Adventure, thrills, romance, action and drama - have a great summer!

Discovering our Treasures in Randolph County Randolph County, located in the heart of east central Alabama, has a wealth of natural beauty, historic sites and activities for the entire family to enjoy. Let’s take a Day-Cation and discover some of the opportunities available in beautiful Randolph County, Alabama.

Our day will begin in Wadley, home to Southern Union State Community College and the site of one of the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail locations. Enjoy watching the various species of birds that can be found on the wooded area of the trail and the occasional sighting of a bald eagle around the lake. For the adventurer, Tallapoosa Wilds offers day trips along the Tallapoosa from their facility in Wadley. They offer equipment rentals of kayaks, ca-

noes and tubes.

Twelve miles east of Wadley on Alabama State Highway 22 is Roanoke, the county’s largest municipality. Home to a revitalized downtown area and surrounded by historic homes, Roanoke offers shopping with the local mer-

Chamber Chatter

by Dorothy Tidwell chants, dining in quaint cafes and a visit to the Randolph County Historical Museum. Under construction is the unique amphitheater located under the marquee of the Martin Theatre.

Located fourteen miles north of Roanoke on U S Highway 431 is Wedowee the county seat and home of Lake Wedowee. Downtown Wedowee boasts interesting

antique shops, gift shops, and eateries. Located on the north side of town is the Wedowee Kiwanis Park and site two on the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail. Lake Wedowee offers fishing, swimming, camping, boating, and picnicking at Flat Rock Park and the third site for the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail on Highway 48 West at Fox Creek.

Traveling 14 miles east on scenic Highway 48 through rolling farmland and picturesque settings is Woodland. Woodland is home to the 2A State Champion Woodland Lady Cats Basketball team.

You can unwind you day with shopping a local businesses and a meal at the local eateries.

I hope you have enjoyed discovering some of our treasures in Randolph County.

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A Little Shabby Patio I was looking for a box to put a small herb garden in and found this! It was perfect because it was already built and even better was that it had some age to it.

I rescued it from a barn….it had a former life as a firewood box.

Not Too Shabby

by Lynn Amason I decided to just give it a little facelift with a dry brush technique. It worked well on this piece because the grain was raised from being weathered. I chose white to give it some contrast with the gray wood and to compliment my patio.

The process is simple: Barely dip your brush in your paint then “dab” it off on a paper towel.

Then just brush it on your piece lightly and randomly. Step back and take a look, if you think it needs more then repeat or if you are pleased with the look you are done! You want it to look random and not completely cover it with paint.

Here she is all shabby, proudly displaying my patio herb garden!

It is fun finding things to give new life to. If you look around you might just find something you can rescue and make “Not Too Shabby”.

Lynn Amason loves to create treasures from other people’s “trash.” You can find her scouting for deals or repurposing her finds.

Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. The following photos were tagged #Wedowee or #LakeWedowee and are used with the consent of the photograph owner.

Download the free app today & join in the fun!

Callie Hughes @callie_hughes

Leann Thomason @leannthomason

Carol Talnose @mammmmat

Madison Barrow @madisonelle3

Taylor Richard @taylorichard13

Michelle Ponder @pondermichelle

Summer Lower @summer_lower

Rebecca Holman @releeholman

Alexis Young @alexisnicole_14

Rebecca Holman @releeholman

Zachary Mickleboro @ztmickleboro

Pam Sidwell @pam_sidwell

Kevin Maholchic @kevinmaholchic

Morgan Sidwell @modsidweel1127

Rebecca Holman @releeholman

Ellen Sims @pebl_4

Ashlie Lee @ashlieblee

Katiee Whitee @katiee_whitee

MacKenzie Sidwell @mackenziesid

Leann Thomason @leannthomason

Jacob Byars @jacobbyars

(Clockwise from Top) Roanoke Academy of Ballet took along Lake Wedowee Life to Cocoa Beach, Fl; Scott Jimmy Allen and Cassandra Knight took the May issue to Gettysburg; Ronnie and Brenda Prince, Jack and Betty Shelton, and Tommy and Phyllis Hartley visited Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii; Noah and Nathan Arrington visit Waikiki Beach Hawaii with LWL; Melissa and Breann Noles in Fairmount, IN; Dana and Steve Workman, Ben, Shannon & Miles Workman, Cliff, Ashley, Autumn, Kailey & Rylie Workman, Nikki & Tim Harrison visiting The Bahamas; Jake Crowson and Owen Jarret visit Playa del Carmen, Mexico with LWL! If you travel, be sure to take Lake Wedowee Life along with you. Take a picture at a landmark and send it back to us at news@lakewedoweelife.com.

Visit LakeWedoweeLife.com to see our interactive Where In The World map!

Camping Out at the River The last time I took you on a typical day in the summertime with young PaPa, this time it will be a story involving a special time of the year. My Dad worked all the time, he was a logger/pulpwood producer and worked everyday except Sunday, but one week out of the year he would not work. This week was spent down on the river, at a magical place called Kirk. Kirk was a name given to a railroad crossing beside the river just up river from Malone, located beside the railroad, just up the hill from the river was the “Old Twilley” house that we used as a base camp.

A normal trip to the river would include my dad, my brother, Stanley, an assortment of Uncles and cousins and myself.

We , my brother, cousins, and myself would spend the week before this adventure preparing for the trip. We would lay in a good supply of fish bait, consisting of big ole fat earthworms and red wigglers, we would also go down to the canebreak and cut a good supply of cane poles to be used as bank hooks. Other provisions would include freshly sharpened “scout’ knives, maybe a slingshot or two, a hatchet or two for splitting kin-

dling, fishing tackle, a pack or two of Beechnut, and of course a few cigarettes pilfered from PawPaw. Once we had our cache of supplies laid in, the wait would begin, was kinda like waiting for Christmas.

Days Gone By

by Lavoy “PaPa” Caldwell The day would finally arrive that the adventure would begin, always would start a little after dawn with a big breakfast and the load out of the boat, motor and all of our provisions, normally it would take at least 3 pickups to haul all of the gear and people, but off we would go. Off on the adventure of a lifetime, leastwise it was at the time, and as I write this I think back, and it was a most wonderful time in the life of young PaPa. It would take about an hour to get to Kirk for you see it was located down a long and winding road that snaked though the woods and possibly had not been traveled since last time we were down it,

there were always trees across the road, that would have to be cleared, but finally we would arrived. Was always the younguns job to unload the provisions and gear while the men folks set about getting the boat in the water, preparing fish baskets and scouting out trotline and bank hook locations. We would start by “airing out” the house, killing any rats that had taken over, along with any stinging insects (red wasps, hornets, and the like). We would then break up into smaller groups to gather firewood and haul water to the house, once we had a good supply of firewood and 20 or so gallons of water hauled in from the spring, it was off to the river for a bunch of young hellions. We would fish for a while, and if the fish did not cooperate by biting, we would be in the river swimming an cooling off.

Lunch time would come and would consist of some Vienna sausages, a hunk of hoop cheese, a few crackers, a dipper full of fresh spring water and maybe an apple or two. After resting up for a while, the younguns would be off exploring up and down the railroad tracks, of course would have to see which one could walk the furthers on a rail without falling off, always an ear for the train, hate for the train to slip up on

you, was always time to jump off track, but not always a good space to land, couple ot times ended up in a large blackberry briar patch, not good.

After spending all afternoon exploring, we would be back at the house for supper, normally first night supper would be some fried country ham, scrambles eggs, hoop cheese, some fresh tomatoes, maybe a hoecake that Daddy cooked on the old woodstove and coffee boiled in a pan on the stove, grounds and all, river coffee could be chewed as well as drank. After supper the men folks would leave us younguns to clean up and put away all the leftovers, while they went about doing whatever they did. The particular night that I am writing about went on to have a long lasting effect on young PaPa. You see the “Old Twilley” did not have indoor facilities, did have a large barn out back that served as a

restroom. Well as you would expect, nature began calling me by name so out back to the barn I went, always trying to be prepared for anything, I carried a large flashlight with me to ward off any hants or ghosts or critters that I might encounter. While in the barn, answering the call, I heard something outside. Figuring that it was a cousin or my brother trying to scare me I waited to scare them….I waited…heard the sound again…I waited…had gathered up some old corncobs to throw at the sound,…I waited…sound was closer now…was inside the barn with me….corncobs in hand, ready unleash a barrage, I flipped the switch on the light…WOW….much to my surprise the sound was not my cousins….was not my brother…was not one of the men folks, but it was the largest bobcat I had ever seen…at least 500 pounds of bobcat and it was between me and the door. I screamed…I know a

young hellion such as myself should not scream like a girl, but I did….fortunately the scream scared that 1000 pound bobcat as much as he scared me and it ran off….not a minute too soon for me. I ran, no I flew back into the house and the safety of numbers. It took a couple of Camels and a good long time before I ever went to sleep that night. And way off in the distant woods you could hear the bobcat prowling and talking….always wondered what he was talking about.. Could have been, talking to one of his buddies trying to figure out what that light was and where that horrific noise came from while he was simply going to the barn to answer his call of nature…..but that is another story for another time.

Lavoy “Papa” Caldwell is one third of the Morning Madness Crew on Alabama 100.7 and the advertising manager for Lake Wedowee Life.

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Index of Advertisers A & E Metal Affordable Tire Alabama 100.7 Andy Turner Pressure Washing Bama Homes and Land Bank of Wedowee Barnes Construction Benefield Funeral Home Boondocks Chad Lee, Attorney At Law Charles Thompson Construction Cheaha Women's Health Chris Bridges Tower Construction Corson Tree Service D&S Marine Deep South Vinyl Docks Plus More Dr. Edwards Dr. Stewart Farmer’s Insurance First State Bank Friday Night Life Great Lakes and Land H&M Drugs H20 Zone Rental Halls Propane Joel Godfrey MetroWest Realty, Judy McWhorter

19 13 2 37 12 4 23 33 7 34 52 41 34 37 45 15 39 38 13 45 21 25 11 15 41 37 13 17

Lake Wedowee Construction 13 Lakeside Market & Grill 3 Lakeview Auto Service 45 Lake Wedowee Life Directory 48 Mac McKinney Properties 47 Main Street Animal Hospital 39 Norton's Floor Covering 41 Perryland Foods 19 Pineywoods 41 Quality Beverage Shop 34 RE/MAX Lakefront Grady & Linda Stone 19 Regional Medical Center 9 Sheppard's Jewelry 41 SmallTown Bank 6 Southern Holiday Life 25 Southern Union State Community College 8 State Farm Insurance 21 Steele Chiropractic 39 Summit Storage 33 Superior Gas 45 Tallapoosa River Electric Coop 23 Waste Solutions 19 Wedowee Building Supplies 21 Wedowee Lake and Lands 33 Wedowee Marine 26-27 Williamsburg Manor 38 Wings and Things 39 WM Grocery 51

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