Sweet Home Alabama

As I pointed out in my 4th March 2006 post (http://katyginanni.blogspot.com/2006/03/south-africa-has-not-joined-european.html), my trip to Alabama last month didn't have much to do with my time in South Africa. But I've decided to post some photos for those of you who may not ever have been to Alabama. I'm thinking of my family in California, and friends in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon and so on. And certainly the ones of you in South Africa!

The annual conference of the North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) was scheduled for 30 May - 3 June in Louisville, Kentucky. I went home early so that I could attend the wedding of my friend, Allyson Ard, in Fairhope, Alabama on 19th May. I rented a car in Birmingham and made the four hour drive to the coast on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful spring day.

The next weekend, Memorial Day weekend, was the Acoustic Café (http://www.theacousticcafe.com/). This is a small, one-day (mostly) bluegrass festival hosted by Steve Masterson. Debbie and I have been volunteering for several years now, and I was really happy to be home for this, too. The weather couldn't have been better, and the show was great, too!

Cypress swamp and railroad.

Dari Delite (soft serve ice cream) -- very common sight in a small Southern town.

Private piers and boathouses on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay.

The insanely picturesque Sacred Heart Chapel, an old Catholic church (built in 1880, I think), was the scene of the wedding. Its front entrance looks out onto Mobile Bay.

Allyson Ard, the beautiful bride.



More piers and live oak trees.

The reception band included a banjo -- my kind of band!

Allyson and Francis Zellner dance.

Sunset over Mobile Bay.

The groom's family invited guests to brunch the next day. This is their home, which Malcom (the father) built. The Spanish moss hanging from the trees is a parasite, but still lovely.

Quaint downtown Fairhope, Alabama.

The municipal pier in Fairhope.

An old and beautifully restored home in Fairhope.

Most creeks this small don't have boathouses. But this creek is just a couple hundred yards away from the bay.

Memorial Day weekend at the Acoustic Café, where Steve takes a refreshing (and safe) dip in the pool.

The stage at Acoustic Café. It is quite literally in Steve's front yard.

Headliner Peter Rowan plays with the wonderful up and coming Dread Clampitt. If you're a bluegrass or acoustic music fan, keep an eye out for these boys!