Firsts Updates

Well, we went down to Petals from the Past this afternoon. When we left it was just overcast, and when we were almost to Jemison the sky decided to let it all down. It was pouring rain to the point that we thought about turning around and going home. We got there about 12:30, but it wasn't open yet. We didn't realize it didn't open until 1:00pm. So, Dan suggested we go to Peach Park in Clanton. I had never heard of the place, and promptly responded with "Huh?". After Dan's amazement that I had never been to Peach Park, we decided to kill some time and go down there. Since the season for fruits and veggies hasn't really come into full swing yet, there wasn't much at Peach Park. There were a few rows of veggies and some fruit, but the cafeteria area is what had the most going on. The cobblers and cakes smelled really good, but we didn't taste any. They also have homemade ice cream that they make there. I guess we will have to visit again later in the spring or summer when there is more available.

There were not that many people at Petals from the Past when we arrived. It was still drizzling some, and most of their plants are outside. Good thing I had my big umbrella! They have all kinds of plants there, and several types of trees. Dan contemplated getting a lemon tree, but we have nowhere to put it. We ended up getting a blackberry plant. They have a hybrid blackberry called "Kiowa" that they have developed, and that is the one that we bought. Unfortunately, they advised that it's not worth eating the berries the first year. So we will have to wait until next year to eat them. I guess I might need to learn to make jam in the meantime. Blackberry jam is my favorite! They do have a Black and Blueberry festival during the summer that we plan to attend. Has anyone ever been to it before? Hopefully we will be able to get some good blackberries at the festival.

And for the last "first" of the day, Dan gave me a lesson on driving a manual transmission. He and his dad swapped vehicles for the weekend since his parents would be driving Dan's niece and nephews around. Since we had Larry's Ford Ranger, then I convinced Dan to give me a lesson. Now, to be honest I have been scared of doing this for a while. The last thing I want to do is completely ruin my father-in-law's mode of transportation, and I have been completely convinced that is exactly what would happen as soon as I try. Dan and I have only been married for a year, and I would never live it down if something happened! I have tried to drive a manual transmission once or twice before, but was NOT successful. Today, however, I was (after a few attempts) able to shift from first, to second, and then to third fairly well. We went to the parking lot of a local church, which gave us plenty of room for me to move around (and not hit anything). I was rather proud of myself, and better yet we were able to return Larry's truck in working condition!

The lesson for today: firsts might be scary, but they can be a lot of fun too!

Until the next adventure,
Kath