Buc-ee's

Folks in Texas are well aware of Buc-ee's but people east of the Sabine River have never seen one.....until recently. Buc-ee's opened their first store outside of Texas on I-10 east of Mobile, Al at the exit that you take to go to the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In short, Buc-ee's is the WalMart of interstate rest stops. It is a truck stop without the trucks and therefore ideal for families travelling for vacation. They have 120 gas pumps and rest rooms so clean and large that you could hold a party in them. You can buy all the snacks and road food you desire as well as getting hot BBQ, sandwiches, candy and coffee.

If you are on the road and see a sign with a huge beaver, be sure to stop and take a break.

Migration of the Snow Birds

My wife and I decided to visit our oldest grandson in the Red Neck Riviera to decompress from the holidays. The coast of Alabama is quiet in the winter season. And the people of Alabama are always friendly and helpful so going out to shop and eat is a pleasure. While they don't have the summer crowds, the annual migration of the snow birds is well underway.

Snow birds, for those who are not familiar with the species, are a type of Northern Humanus Yankeeus. They come south to avoid the worst of the winter weather. The migrants are typically the elder of the species as the young enjoy the winter weather and may use the cold and long dark nights as an excuse to mate. The snow bird is typically an early feeder and will frequently leave eating establishments before 7:00 PM leaving the feeding area open for the local species. One can determine the home territory of any particular bird by the unique tagging that can be seen on their method of transport. You can see such strange markings as Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The Snow Bird provides a welcome change to the invasive flocks of Summer Beach Aficionados that arrive after May Day.

John Emerald Single Malt Whiskey

This whisky is not a true Scotch as it is made in, of all places, Opelika, Alabama. John Emerald Distillery is a craft distiller making small batches of whiskey, gin, rum and vodka and is the first legal distillery in Alabama for more than 100 years.

This bottle was a Christmas present from the oldest grandson and is from Batch 135, which was written by human hand on the bottle. This whiskey uses pecan and peach wood to dry the malted barley and this imparts a unique flavor much different from peat. It is aged in virgin American white oak with a slight char. This is a very smooth whiskey even though it is less than 4 years old.One wonders what another 6 or so years ageing would do to it.

Nose: grass and floral
Palate: Very, very smooth
Color: Medium Amber
Finish: Long and warming

This whiskey is not widely available. You can find it in select stores in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. But, it you are looking for something unique, it may be worth trying to find it.

Head Count

Saudi Arabia beheaded another 8 druggies bringing the 2019 grand total to 181.