Goodbye City Life... Area welcomes regional
Area welcomes regional antique tractor event
April/May 2008 • www.LakeWedoweeLife.com •
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Lake Wedowee Life 3
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Table of
April/May 2008
Contents
Vol. 1 No. 2
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Goodbye City Life: Area welcomes regional Antique Tractor Show 30 Special this Month
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7. Welcome Letter: Alabama First Lady Patsy Riley 14. The Creative Side: Local man uses military background to create precise pottery 18. Worship on Water: Wow brings ministry to lake vacationers 30. Home on the Lake: Log cabin designed for family fun 28. Calling all artists: Industrial Council launches county flag contest
Monthly Features 7. Enjoy Life! - Letter from the Editor 9. Beyond the Lake 10.Welcome to the Lake: Mayor Coe 12. Wedowee Currents 17. Simply Fabulous 28. Building on the Lake 37. Hooked on Lake Wedowee 50. Redneck Adventures
Contributing writers Darlene Bailey, Tim Coe, Steve Dean, Bob Krug, Reed Montgomery Lake Wedowee Life 5
On the Cover This 1952 Farmall has been in Jerry Rice’s family since it was purchased in 1953 by Rice’s grandfather Lonnie White. It now belongs to Rice and his brotherin-law Terry Flournoy.
Publisher
General Manager
KELLY WALDROP
LEISEL CALDWELL
Editor KELLY CALDWELL news@lakewedoweelife.com (256) 276-7959
Advertising Sales LAVOY CALDWELL ads@lakewedoweelife.com (334) 863-0737
BROOKE TROUT ads@lakewedoweelife.com (256) 750-3283
Lake Wedowee Life 18285 Highway 431 Wedowee, AL 36278
Even Lake Wedowee Life
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. Distribution locations available by request. Paid mail subscriptions are available for $12 a year.
Lake Wedowee Life 7
Visitors flock to lake as spring arrives
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his has to be my favorite time of the year on the lake. After the ugliness of winter, all is new again. The lake level is rising, flowers are blooming and we all know summer is coming. More people are visiting this area since the weather has turned warmer and even more will make the trek to Wedowee this first weekend of April. Of course I am talking about the Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association Show coming to town, where thousands of people will experience Wedowee for the first time. If you are one of those visitors, Welcome! I hope you enjoy the visit and make plans to return to this area as often as possible. This is going to be a really neat event and I for one am looking forward to attending. East Alabama Antique Farm Equipment, Inc. is the local sponsor and these men and women have been working their hearts out preparing for this event. The community has rallied behind it as well with most of the work being donated. We are also spotlighting Ron Newsome, a local potter. I have a personal fondness for pottery and always wanted to learn how to throw pots. It’s pretty impressive to see Mr. Newsome create something beautiful out of globs of clay. Of course, we wouldn’t be here without people like you supporting this magazine and if you have any ideas for future issues, please let us know. We are always looking for ways to spotlight what makes the Lake Wedowee are so unique.
Enjoy Life! Kelly Caldwell 8 Lake Wedowee Life
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wice a year, thousands of people from all over the country flock to Talladega to see fast cars and superstars at the fastest, most competitive track in NASCAR. However, thanks to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, fans have something to see year round.
Beyond the Lake Story by Kelly Caldwell Photo courtesy of Getty Images Since 1983, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame has been dedicated to the preservation of the history of motorsports and it doesn’t disappoint. If you are a fan of racing you will love stepping back in time to see cars and memorabilia dating back to the earliest days of racing. The museum consists of three halls with more than 100 racing vehicles including a stock cars, drag racers, sprint cars, sport cars, a record-setting rocket car, a championship offshore power boat and an airplane flown by “The Leader of the Alabama Gang” Bobby Allison.
See RACING Page 46
Lake Wedowee’s the place to be this spring
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pring has arrived in Wedowee. The grass is greening up, birds are singing and the lake is filling up and looking great. Activities of all types are planned for the spring. On the weekend of April 4-6 Wedowee will host the Southeastern Antique Tractor Show. This event will be held at Kiwanis Park. If you have not been to Kiwanis Park recently, you will be in for a treat. Through the cooperative efforts of the East Alabama Tractor Club, The Town of Wedowee and The Wedowee Kiwanis Club, the park has been completely renovated in preparation of this event. Over 200 hundred antique tractors are expected. Vendors of all types will be on site and at least two thousand visitors are expected to attend. On May 17-18, the Chimney Cove development will host its first annual boat show. This is a great opportunity to check out all the choices of boats in our area plus visit the many other vendors that will be in attendance. The fifth annual Wedowee rodeo will be July 3-4. This rodeo has been honored as one of the top rodeos in the Southeast the past four years. Bring the whole family to enjoy this great event. I hope you agree that Wedowee is the place to be this spring.
Tim Coe Mayor
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Wedowee Currents APRIL Apr 4-6, EDGE &TA Antique Tractor Show (Wedowee) The East Alabama Antique Farm Equipment Club, Inc. to host the show. Over 200 Antique Tractors and engines on display with hay bailing, mill grinding exhibits and more. $5 per person per day or $10 for threeday pass. Children 12 and under are admitted free. 8:00 am till 5 pm. Apr 5, 25th Annual Spring Bass Bonanza (Lake Wedowee) Cheaha Bass Club hosting with a $1200 Guaranteed Grand Prize. $100/Boat Entry. For more information contact Jeff Colburn (256) 396-6201 after 6 pm. A portion of the proceeds will go to Clay County Dept of Human Resources, Christmas for Kids Program. Apr 8-11 & 13, Grease - Spring Musical Performance (Wadley) Spring Musical Performance "Grease", April 8-11 at 7 p.m. and April 13 at 2 p.m., Brazeal Auditorium, Southern Union, Wadley Campus, $5 admission Apr 17-18, Wild About Nature (Anniston) Take a walk on the wild side at Anniston Museum during Spring Break. Staff and volunteers will bring out live animals from the Museum's collection and let visitors get up close and personal with snakes, lizards, hissing cockroaches, chinchilla and more. Learn about floating rocks, endangered species, Egyptian artifacts and more on your journey through the museum. Program included in museum admission. Members are free. 10am - 2pm. Apr 18-27, Easter Sound, Light & Water Show in DeSoto Caverns (Childersburg) Easter Sound, Light & Water Show in DeSoto Caverns 256-3787252. Admission charged. DeSoto Caverns Park's Easter Sound, Light & Water Show commemorating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is presented as part of every caverns tour. Tours run every hour on the half hour from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Apr 19, Clay County Ride For Life Relay for Life (Ashland) Registration between 9-10 a.m. at the Clay County Sheriff's Office or pre-register by calling Tim Shelton at (256) 276-3312 or
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Tractor Time
We will feature springtime fun photos for the June/July issue of Lake Wedowee Life. The photos can be of your favorite spring activity, people or places in and around Lake Wedowee. Please send your photos to news@lakewedoweelife.com. To be used in an upcoming issue, please send jpeg (format) photos sized 4x6 or larger with a minimum of 200 resolution.
tallindian66@hughes.net. $20 per bike and $10 per additional rider. Lunch included. Door prizes, Half & Half Tickets, Music & Vendors All Day. Live Music Featuring "Just Us". Apr 19, The Old 280 Boogie (Auburn) The Old 280 Boogie 334-826-6423. www.waverlyalabama.com. Free admission. Downtown Waverly on the lawn near High Corner Co-Op-Open air music festival featuring a variety of artists booths, food vendors, family activities, including cake walks, horseshoe toss, volleyball, and more. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Apr 24 - May 11, CAST presents "Once Upon a Mattress" (Anniston) JSU/McClellan Theater, 100 Gamecock Dr. McClellan. The play is based on the fairytale "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen. Call (256) 820-CAST for reservations. Days of Week and Hrs: 8 PM Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 2:30 PM Sun Apr 25-27, Russell Marine In-Water Boat Show (Alexander City) Alexander City Russell Marine In-Water Boat Show 256329-0835. Free. The Ridge Marina--See the newest advances in water recreation and fun Apr 25, Race Fever Auction & BBQ, 23rd Annual (Talladega) Talladega Race Fever Auction & BBQ, 22nd Annual 256-761-3571. Talladega Superspeedway Speed Channel Dome-Awarded the 2005 Governor's Tourism Award, Race Fever is a charity event featuring a barbecue dinner, NASCAR driver autograph and interview session, silent and live auctions with NASCAR memorabilia. Proceeds benefit the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Apr 25-27, NASCAR Series (Talladega) NASCAR SPRINT CUP Series 877-Go2-DEGA (462-3342). Admission charged. Talladega Superspeedway--A weekend of exciting racing action featuring Aaron\'s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday and the Aaron\'s 499 NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series race on Sunday Apr 25, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life (Roanoke) Wright Field, West Point Street at 6 p.m. Apr 26 - 27, Sunset Point Boat Show and Open House (Lake Wedowee) Come see this years newest boats and Lake Wedowee's most affordable lakefront development. Food, door prizes and best deals of the year at Sunset Point. Apr 26, Auburn CityFest 2008 (Auburn) Kiesel Park--Lee county's largest free outdoor arts and crafts festival featuring live entertainment, handmade crafts, family fun activities, juried arts show, delicious food, and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m Apr 26, Arts Council Fair on the Square Living Museum (Jacksonville) Jacksonville Arts Council Fair on the Square Living Museum 256-435-4053. Free admission. Public Sq.--Juried show featuring weavers, basketmakers, woodworkers, quilters, painters, potters, photographers, toymakers and more. Local talent throughout the day on the square\'s stage, sidewalk sales by local merchants. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Apr 26-27, Spring Festival of Orchids Show and Sale (Anniston) Anniston Museum of Natural History. Northeast Alabama Orchid Society presents A Spring Festival of Orchids show and sale. The entries will be judged for awards by the American Orchid Society. In addition to the beautiful plants on display in the show, many lovely specimens will be offered for sale. Growers will be available to answer questions and offer advice to novice growers. For more information, call Joanne Shearer at 256-831-1587. Orchid Show is free to the public, admission charged for Museum Exhibit Halls Apr 26, French-Hammond Park Celebrity Golf Tournament
See CURRENTS Page 16 Lake Wedowee Life 13
Throwing Pots with Military Precision A
square peg in a round hole is how Ron Newsome has described himself for more than 30 years. Newsome began his adult life as a helicopter pilot in the army but while stationed in Washington, he found a new passion.
The Creative Side Story and Photos by Kelly Caldwell “My wife (Lynn) and I went to the Blue Herron Gallery and F. Carlton Ball had his work on display,” Newsome said. “I saw the pottery and I thought I could do that.” Ball, a famous potter from the Northwest, was teaching classes nearby, and Newsome decided he wanted to learn the art of pottery. “The military would pay for college courses and they didn’t ask questions,” he said. However, Ball’s class was full and Newsome had to get special permission to enroll in the class. “He had to beg is what he did,” Lynn said. Ball allowed Newsome to enroll in the class “because the school needed the money,” Ron recalled and he studied with the potter for two years.
“He was 69 when I met him, and he was the closest to genius I have ever met,” Newsome said of his teacher. Now in his “twilight” as he describes it, Newsome and his wife are in the process of opening Homeways, a store in Lynn’s hometown of Wadley. “The store will feature my pottery as well as other hand made crafts and home products,” Newsome said. “Lynn makes quilts, and we will also have fair-trade products from all over the world.” For the last six months the Newsomes have been preparing the building but took time out recently to throw a few pots for Lake Wedowee Life. “Some potters are very loose in their style and I am not,” he said. “I am a very precision oriented person. Maybe it is due to the military background, but either way I have very tight pots.” This Randolph County potter uses an electric wheel and his porcelain all comes from southeastern clay. “The electric wheel works for me, because the quicker the wheel turns the more precise things are,” Newsome said.
See POTS Page 39 Lake Wedowee Life 15
Currents May 4, Cheaha Challenge Century (Anniston) Cheaha Challenge Century 256-2368387. Admission charged.--The toughest ride in the South! Join 500 or more cyclists from across the country as they pedal their way to the highest point in AlaMay 3, Noble Street Festibama. 6 a.m. registration val (Anniston) 256-239-9001. www.cheahachallenge.com Free. Downtown--Family festiMay 16-17, Chimney Cove val featuring pro bike races, Boat Show (Lake Wedowee) kids bike races, restaurant tour, 1st Annual Chimney Cove Boat music and arts fests, a footrace Show! Three-day event with competition, etc. 11 a.m.-9 p.m multiple vendors. www.noblestreetfestival.com www.chimney-cove.com May 3, Sunny King CriteMay 17, Lake Wedowee rium (Anniston) 256-435-5710. Property Owners Association Free. Anniston Downtown Dis- Kids Fishing Day (Wedowee) trict--Watch as hundreds of The annual LWPOA Kids Fishprofessional and amateur bicy- ing Day will be held south of cle racers zoom around the .6Wedowee on Saturday morning mile downtown race course in from 7:00 am until noon. Age NASCAR fashion at speeds limit: kids under 16 years. Food reaching 40 mph! Dine outdoors and door prizes. For more inforat the Red Diamond Restaurant mation go to the website or www.sunnykingcriterium.com. contact a LWPOA member. Overlook Golf Links, LaGrange, Ga. Proceeds from this celebrity golf tournament will go to benefit French-Hammond Park in Wedowee.
MAY
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Continued from Page 13 www.lakewedoweepoa.com May 17, Clay County Music & Arts Festival (Ashland) The festival takes over the Ashland Square with our music stage and lots of vendor booths lining the street. Plenty of food, fun, music and art to fill a full day. So mark your calendar and make plans today to attend the Clay County Music & Arts Festival on Saturday from 9 a.m. until after dark. www.ClayCoChamber.com May 17, Randolph County Learning Center Bike-Hike (Roanoke) Registration begins at 7 a.m. Roanoke Recreation Center, Roanoke. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser will go to Randolph County Learning Center, a school for adults with mental disabilities. May 17, Annual Spring Lake Wedowee Jubilee Southern Gospel Event (Wedowee) Featuring The Lewis Family
(America's First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music), The Homeland Boys, and The Diplomats! Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy plenty of food and GREAT gospel singing. Event starts at 4:00 pm with FREE Admission! www.ricepavilion.com May 23-25, Jubilee Cityfest (Montgomery) Admission charged. Downtown--City's largest music and children's festival on the streets of Montgomery, featuring three stages of national, regional and local entertainment. www.jubileecityfest.org To submit your event information to Wedowee Currents, email news@lakewedoweelife.com. Our online calendar is also a great place to promote your event. Go to www.lakewedoweelife.com for up-to-date events.
The Bailey S
ummer is just around the corner and a great time for outdoor entertaining. A favorite of mine is a weekend brunch. With mother nature as your backdrop decorating is a breeze. This simple and laid back affair does not require heavy cooking to be a success.
Mini Orange Crumble Top Muffins with Orange Butter 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus 2 tbs.) ½ cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 egg 1 stick plus 1 tbs. unsalted
butter (melted) 1 cup milk 3 tbs. orange juice concentrate ¼ cup brown sugar 2 ½ tsp. orange zest ¼ cup chopped pecans
Simply Fabulous Story by Darlene Bailey Photos by Kelly Caldwell I will be sharing a brunch menu that is quick and easy with little to no fuss. Adding your own personal touch such as bright, colorful dishware, a boiled egg as your seating marker, a few fresh seasonal flowers and voila! If time does not allow you to prepare your own food, store bought items work great, too!
See BRUNCH Page 36
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 24 cup mini-muffin pan. In large bowl, mix 1 ½ cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, mix egg, 8 tablespoons melted butter, milk, orange juice and 2 tablespoons orange zest. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients, combining until moist. Fill prepared pan cups half full. For crumble topping: In small bowl, combine remaining flour, pecans, brown sugar and the remaining tablespoon of melted butter and ½ teaspoon sprinkle over each muffin; bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. For orange butter: Cream 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature, ¼ cup sweet orange marmalade and 1 tsp. honey. Serve with muffins or with toast. Lake Wedowee Life 17
WOW brings ministry to lake vacationers
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o modify a line out of The Spiderman Trilogy, “With great blessing comes great responsibility”. Two years ago a dream was birthed within the hearts of several people who wanted to make a “splash” in the lives of individuals who vacation and live on beautiful Lake Wedowee. Patterning after “Church in the Pines on Lake Martin”, Worship on the Water will exist to encourage attendees with the truth of God’s Word. Our county has been blessed with a beautiful vacation area. We feel that it is our responsibility to help meet both physical and spiritual needs of the Lake Wedowee community. W o rsh i p o n the Water will begin each year on Memorial Day Weekend and conclude with the weekend prior to Labor Day. Various By Steve Dean speakers from all over the states of Alabama and Georgia will be invited to encourage attendees with a fresh word and life application message. The worship service will start at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and will be held at the marina located on highway 431. Everyone is invited to join us for a time of fellowship with other Christians and inspiration from God’s Word. Come by car, come by boat, but however you come, come as you are! It is not the intent of Worship on the Water to become a church or self-sustaining entity. It is our hope that Worship on the Water will be a common ground with which every church in our county can cooperate and help support as we seek to meet the needs of those who vacation on our beautiful lake. Residents on Lake Wedowee are encouraged to connect with a local church for fellowship and weekly encouragement. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to call one of the following people; Chuck Smith 256-363-1128, Sandra Kitchens 334-885-6512, or Community LIFE Church 334-863-LIFE (5433). 18 Lake Wedowee Life
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Let’s get building
Why now is the time to build your dream home on Lake Wedowee
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re you half of the Georgia couple who won the 275 million-dollar lottery? Maybe you were the only one in your family who was ever kind to your old-maid Aunt Esmerelda. Now she’s passed, leaving you her entire estate. Not you? Me either.
Building on the Lake Story and Photos by Bob Krug More likely, you’ve worked hard all (or at least some) of your life. Tried to save, plan, and invest wisely. And maybe you’ve had a few lucky breaks. However it came to be, you find yourself in the position to seriously consider joining the growing number of us who have discovered and come to love the beauty of Lake Wedowee, the town, the surrounding areas, and the warmth of the people, or maybe you are one of those warm people. It doesn’t matter. You’ve decided you’d like to build your dream home in this neck of the woods. “The trouble ain’t that there are too many fools, but that the lightning ain’t distributed right”
Mark Twain
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” Mark Twain (again)
sight. Only a fool would jump into the fray! And some of what they say is true. SOME OF IT! Las Vegas has an 18 mon th supply of new houses. Their builders gambled and lost. In Detroit, they say you can’t sell a house with a gun held to the buyers head. Maybe they should consider a different sales tactic. But did you know that housing prices are stable, or actually climbing in 82% of U.S. markets? Probably not. According to Rob Robbins (Lee Evans Group, Construction Management Consultants) 70% of the subprime foreclosures have already worked their way through the system?* Probably not. Those statistics sound too much like good news to be news.
C on si de r th i s : Th e m edi a would have you believe that housing prices are plummeting everywhere and there’s no end in
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain (Are you
Just when you’re ready to commit to realizing your dream, the fallout from the debacle of the sub-prime lenders stuns you into economic paralysis. And it seems , no matter how expensive gas gets, there’s ample supply for the media to fuel the flames of uncertainty. You can’t read the internet or a newspaper, or listen to the radio or TV without hearing horrific housing news. Through no fault of your own, the bad decisions of others have de-railed your plans overnight. You’ve become a victim of a shaky economy, or have you?
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starting to sense I’m a fan?)
applicable facts.
I know, you’re way ahead of me. Who cares about Las Vegas or Detroit? Or 82 percent of the U.S. markets? Or 99 percent of the U.S. markets for that matter? What about Wedowee? The title of this article piqued your interest enough for you to read it this far suggests you’re probably not a subprime foreclosure candidate. So the 70 percent thing is probably a non-issue for you as well. I’ve included these statistics only to prove to you this... All the bad news you’ve heard from the media should not drive your decision making any more than the good news they’ve neglected to share with you has. What you should focus on are a few very simple, Wedoweebased facts, tempered by the same logic and clear thinking that placed you in a position to consider buying property and building in the first place. It’s OK for your decisions about what property you buy and what house plan you select to be emotional ones. In fact, if they’re not, you probably won’t be happy with them. But decisions about when to buy the land and when to build should not be emotiondriven. Those decisions should be ba sed on pe rti n en t, l oc al l y -
“I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.” Mark Twain
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There are four major issues to consider when building a home – land prices, labor costs, material prices and interest rates. At Lake Wedowee, all four factors support building now. Ask any local real estate agent, and they’ll tell you land prices in Wedowee are not climbing as rapidly as we’ve seen in recent years – but they’re stable. We’re not experiencing the negative growth that dominates the news in other markets. And it’s obvious “they’re not making more lake property”. History continues to prove that lake property is always a good investment. “Building material prices are the lowest I’ve seen in 10 years” says Scott Barnett, Regional Manager of Georgia-based Plymart. Because housing starts are much slower than in recent years, many builders and their contractors are offering very attractive prices which are keeping with the current economic environment. Just be sure to select a builder who has a proven, long-term track-record of weathering economic downturns. A bargain is
not a bargain if your builder isn’t there to finish your house or honor warranty work. Finally, interest rates are particularly attractive now. The prime-rate, which serves as the basis for most construction loans and mortgage rates is six percent. Where is the bottom? If you wait, will interest rates fall even lower? Will material costs get even cheaper? Will builders build just for the sheer pleasure of building? No one can say for sure where the bottom is, only where it was. But logic will tell you that if we’re not at the bottom, we’re very near it. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has continued gradual drops in fed funds (the basis for determining all interest rates), but makes no pretense that he can stay the course. And very few economists feel that low interest rates will hold inflation at bay. Don’t let media-induced economic fears make you sleep through your dream of building a lake home. Do it now! Bob Krug works for Mac McKinney Properties. Lake Wedowee’s only Southern Living Custom Home Builder. The company is also member of the Earth Craft House program.
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Goodbye City Life... Regional Antique Tractor show visits Wedowee
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ast will meet present when thousands of people gather the first weekend in April for East Alabama Antique Farm Equipment, Inc. regional tractor show. “I think this is real special because we have never had anything like this come to Wedowee,” Jerry Rice, club member, said. “It’s like show and tell time.” The club along with Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association will host the regional show which they expect could draw three to four thousand people to Wedowee. The event will be at the old Kiwanis Park which the club has been working on for more than six months to prepare for this event. “Our club has been looking for property for four or five years in Randolph and Clay counties,” Rayford Johnson, club president said. “We had asked around and the Kiwanis came to us and said this park would be available to us.” Johnson expects more than 200 tractors will be on display during the three day event as well as other exhibits and vendors. “We will be showcasing old tractors and anything going back to the pioneer days before we had electricity,” club treasurer Ralph Witt said. “There are a lot of young people that have never seen stuff like this.” Some of the demonstrations will include antique grist mills, hit and miss motors, antique hay bailing and an operating saw mill. “Some of the younger folk don’t know this stuff ever existed. They just think you go to the store to get cornmeal,” Johnson said. “The demonstrations are a real
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Story and Photos by Kelly Caldwell
Early days: More than 200 antique tractors will be on display the first weekend in April at the old Kiwanis Park in Wedowee. Other exhibits and vendors will be there as well.
crowd pleaser because people are exposed to something they have never seen before.” He went on to say the event will have something for everyone in the family to enjoy. “This show really does have something for everyone,” Johnson said. “It will be a good time for story-telling, and it’s not just about tractors. We will have all different
kinds of vendors coming from around the southeast.” Arts and crafts vendors as well as food vendors will be on hand for all three days. “We have one guy coming that does leather belts from Ocala, Fla.,” Johnson said. The event has been advertised in national magazines and the club expects people from all over the region to attend. Lake Wedowee Life 27
Back in time: This antique hay baler is one of many exhibits which will be demonstrated at the EDGE & TA Regional Tractor Show.
“What I love most about these shows is all the story-telling,” Rice said. “People will tell you where the tractors came from, what kind of condition it was in why they got it and what they have done to get it to where it is today. That’s what is unique, and it’s how it grows on me.” To prepare for the show, the club has been working on Saturdays for the last several months on the park. They have built a covered bridge and a stage as well as cleared trails for wagon rides. The majority of the work has been done by volunteers and donated equipment. “I can’t even begin to name all the people and businesses that have donated their time and materials to make this park what it is,” Johnson said. “All I can say is that
See SHOW Page 33
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Creature comforts W
ith properties in Georgia and Florida Nancy Hyde has called Lake Wedowee home at least part time since 2002. “This is really God’s country,” she said. “I love the town and I love the people. I can be driving from the city and about the time I hit County Road 6 I can feel the tension fade away.”
Home on the Lake Story and Photos by Kelly Caldwell Hyde purchased her lake lot at Wedowee Creek in 1999, however, she had discovered Lake Wedowee long before that thanks to her son William. “William went to the University of West Georgia and w h e n I thought he was in class, he was over here bass fishing,” Hyde said. “He told me t h a t I needed to buy a lot over here because it was so gorgeous. At the time I couldn’t because I didn’t have the money.” Eventually Hyde sold property in Cobb County Georgia and her son broached the subject of Lake Wedowee again. “I told him to find me a flat lot because I am getting older and I didn’t want to be going up and down 30 Lake Wedowee Life
Decorating with fun: When designing and decorating her home, Nancy, left, wanted low maintenance, however it did not stop her in finding creative ways to decorate. (Opposite page) Hyde embraces her whimsical side with a folk art bottle tree (top, right), glass birds (bottom left) in a real nest and the cork wreath (bottom, right) with pheasant feathers in the center. The wooden swing (top, left) is a favorite way to spend a lazy afternoon. The stepping stones (center) represent more than 15 years of two of her grandchildren’s life. The oldest is now a freshman in college.
awful,” she said. Keeping that in mind, Hyde played on natural elements when choosing the design of her home. Pine flooring, granite countertops, ceramic tile
stairs,” she said. In 1999, Hyde found what she was looking for and three years later moved into her lake home. “I tell people that I have a log home on two and a half acres that’s kind of a peninsula and every room has view of the lake,” she said. That’s a simplistic description of Hyde’s two story log cabin home, but Hyde is the first to tell you simplicity is what is most important. “I have six grandchildren and I didn’t want any paint or wallpaper because I knew the upkeep would be
has is unbelievable. I marvel at it all the time,” Hyde said. “It has definitely been worth the wait.” Hyde and her family spend Christmas and Easter at the lake home and she admits spaciousness was also important to the design of the home. “I love the openness of the great room and how it combines with the kitchen,” she said. “Because when the whole family gathers, there is enough room for everyone to be in one place and not be too
and pine paneling bring the outdoors inside. The fireplaces in the great room and master bedroom also highlight nature. “Th e r ocks c ame f r om my builder’s farm in Bowdon (Georgia),” Hyde said. “I think it’s neat that all of the rock is indigenous to this area.” Stanley Pullen built the home in 13 months and while Hyde was anxious to get in her new home, she was not impatient. “The attention to detail Stanley Lake Wedowee Life 31
crowded.” The home also has an unfinished basement which she says is the grandchildren’s hangout during rainy days or winter months. “They love to hang out down there with the pool table and pin ball machine,” she said. “All my family loves to come here.” For as much as Hyde loves her home on the lake, she has grown to love Wedowee as well. “Wedowee is like walking back in time,” she said. “It is a simple way of life here. People do what they say they are going to do and are really nice. The more people I meet and the more I get involved, the more I know that I made the right decision in buying here.” Hyde loves her home so much she has made provisions in her absence. “I never want to sell this home,” she said. “I have a town home in Duluth and a condo in Florida, but the only thing I have put in my will is that I don’t want this place to ever be sold. This home is for the family and I want it to be passed down through the generations. “All my kids love it up here and I thank the Lord everyday that I have this place. “
Lake loving family: Nancy chose an open floor plan for her main living area (top) so when all of her family came to visit, they would all be comfortable. Every bedroom in the Hyde house has a view of the lake. The master (left) is positioned in a way, Nancy has a natural alarm clock. 32 Lake Wedowee Life
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they know who they are and Rayford Johnson appreciates everybody that has helped.” East Alabama Antique Farm Equipment, Inc. is a non-profit organization and all the proceeds
from the show will go to improving the park. “We have big plans for this place,” Johnson said. “We are not there yet, but in three or four years we hope to get the national show
here. It will take a lot of planning but I know we can do it.” Admission to the three day event is $5 per day or $10 for a three-day pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.
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Artists wanted to create county flag Counties all over the country strive to be unique and the Randolph County Industrial Development Council needs your help to accomplish that. “When I first started working with the board, I wanted something different for our county that would set us apart from the other counties,” Cupidean Bailey said. With that goal in mind, the council has launched an art contest. “Wherever you go, you see the American flag and the state flag, but you don’t really see a county flag,” Bailey, chairperson of the Randolph County Flag Art Contest, said. “I have always wanted something that would unite this county and I think a flag would be perfect.”
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The contest is open to all artists T-shirts, flags, posters… really the either residing in Randolph County possibilities are limitless.” or who have a connection to the The goal for the contest is to area. have one design representing Randolph County as the flag for the county. However, there will be a number of prizes given away. Story by Kelly Caldwell “We know there will be some cash prizes, but we are in the be“I think it will be interesting to ginning stages of this contest” Baisee how artists interpret Randolph ley said. “I just want something County,” she said. “I see artists that will give us that little extra from all over the state, visitors to push and when visitors come here I our county and the residents here want them to see the flag and reall competing in this contest.” member Randolph County.” The rules and deadlines for the contest will be announced at a later For details about the contest, date, but creativity is key. check www.LakeWedoweeLife.com. “I can seeing the grand prize winning design being used in mul- Rules and deadlines will be posted tiple ways,” Bailey said. “I see it on as they become available.
News to know
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Brunch
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Just pick up some assorted Danishes, donuts, muffins, pre-packaged pancakes along with fresh fruit and you are off to the races! I know your family will love this change of pace weekend brunch. Good Luck and let’s get cookin’. P.S. I would like to thank Mr. Ramsey at Randolph-Roanoke Career Technology Center in Wedowee for lending us some of his beautiful plants and flowers for our brunch at Sunset Point. Be sure to visit Mr. Ramsey’s greenhouse. I’ll bet you will be surprised at what you find there.
Parmesan Potato Pancakes 3 Tbs. olive oil (divided) 1 onion (chopped) 1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 2 pounds potatoes 1 cup Parmesan
Peel and grate potatoes. Add salt, pepper and parmesan, mix well. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy pan. Sauté onion and garlic being careful not to burn. Remove from pan and add to potato mixture. Pour remaining olive oil into pan, add potato mixture. Cook on medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on bottom side. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip onto plate. Carefully flip uncooked side back into pan and cook until golden brown and cooked throughout. Flip onto plate and slice.
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Prosciuto Biscuits 4 ½ cups baking mix 1 ½ cups heavy cream 8 ounces chopped Proscuito
Pepper (to taste) Olive Oil Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients and spoon out onto nongreased cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake 8 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
Spring calls for shallow water bass fishing N o matter how you say it, all will agree the months of April and May have got to be the best months "in terms of catching bass in shallow water." This especially holds true for those select few anglers specifically targeting Lake Wedowee's famed, trophysized largemouth bass. Those huge bass, exceeding that almost common weight in the 5 to 10 pound range. When Lake Wedowee was impounded in 1983, the gradual rising of its previously existing waters was made up of small ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, springs and two major tributaries, The Little Tallapoosa River and the Big Tallapoosa River. Its flooded backwaters inundated loads of future, fish holding cover.
Hooked on Lake Wedowee by Reed Montgomery Fishing during the spring season for Lake Wedowee's largemouth bass involves targeting fish-holding cover. Since there are very little aquatic weeds, this means fishing wood and rock cover. Standing timber, left here during impoundment, is some of the best fish holding cover for spring time anglers to decipher. Both before and after the spawning season. Stumps, brush, laying trees, logs, stick ups, man made piers and boat houses are other forms of wooden fish holding cover. Stan di n g ti mb er i s f oun d throughout Lake Wedowee, and it may be a feature Alabama anglers
Imitation food: When fishing in shallow water, the use of lures comes in handy. Lures come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. will never see again. As an impoundment ages, so does its water-logged standing timber. If left alone it can last for dozens of years. But with constant boat traffic, it tends to break off right at the water line. Another destruction to Lake Wedowee's standing timber is the lowering of the lake each winter or like last summer - drought. When exposed to the elements it gets dry and brittle and soon it just breaks off and floats away, when the lake returns to normal, full pool level. Fishing for largemouth bass, m a k i n g th ei r h o m es i n an d around this standing timber (year round), calls for the use of a multitude of lures. Today's basscatching lures, now come in all forms, and it often takes years of learning just as many lure presentations, with each and every lure. So keep in mind, not only do these bass live within and hang around standing timber during the spring, but the rest of the year
as well, which means fishing with lures year round, from top to bottom. Prior to moving to very shallow areas and bedding in water less than 5 feet deep, Lake Wedowee's bass have spent their entire winter season in deep water, often mingling together with huge schools of bass living, feeding and cruising the realms of standing timber. As spring nears, these huge schools (often numbering more than 100 bass) break down into smaller schools before they pair up. These male and female bass simply follow Lake Wedowee's many, many miles of timber lines leading into the shallow spawning grounds. Their travels toward these shallow spawning flats bring them along main lake points which lead into small cuts and pockets, or first and secondary points, leading into major tributaries like creeks.
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Pots Clay becomes pottery after basically five steps. First Newsome begins by throwing (the term used for creating a something on the potters wheel) clay on the wheel. After it dries, and he has trimmed the object, the piece goes into the kiln to be fired. “Before the piece is fired, it can still go back to clay form even though it has air-dried if you put water on it,” Lynn explained. “After it is fired in the kiln, it turns to bisque and it can’t return to its clay form.” After the piece is in bisque form, Newsome puts a glaze on it. “I work with somber glazes for the most part,” he said. “I have plums, celadon and of course the traditional blue glaze every potter has.” After the glaze is applied, the
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piece goes back into the kiln one last time at a much higher temperature. “The heat is pretty darn hot,” Newsome said. “In the kiln, it gets to 2380 degrees Fahrenheit, which at that point the heat will melt the glaze over the clay.” Newsome has made pottery in several states including Washington, Texas, North Carolina and most recently Alabama and all of his work features one common element. “Potters use a punch to ‘brand’ their work,” he said. “My mark is one I have used since the beginning. It is a square inside of a circle. “I was a military guy in the art world. I have struggled with that the whole time. I didn’t fit so that’s where the mark comes into play. I am a square peg in a round hole.” Newsome has developed a new
mark which will featured on all the work done now. “It’s based on the front of a Japanese lantern,” he said. “It represents twilight which fits because I am in the twilight of my career.” By the end of the year, Homeways will be open for business in downtown Wadley and Newsome’s work will be priced from $12 to $150. “I don’t make pots to get rich,” he said. “My face jugs are the most extravagant. Those are priced from $85 to $150 and it requires a lot out of me to make one of those. “ The soldier turned potter loves what he does and is not out to get rich by making pottery. “This is like being at recess for me,” Newsome said. “I enjoy what I do and I don’t want to be liberated from it to make more money.”
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Fishing Irregular features found along these travel routes are often pre spawn holding spots, where both male and female bass "group up" until conditions stabilize. Or they can be awaiting lake levels to rise back to full pool and the lakes shallow water temperatures soar into the upper 60s to low 70s. Inducing them to move shallow areas, prepare beds and reproduce another year's offspring. If the weather has been exceptionally warm and very pleasant for a few days or more, they can be suspended in 5 foot depths or found hovering in that much warmer "upper water column" which has been bathed in an all day sunshine. On sunny days this upper one foot or two of water, can be as warm as 5 degrees
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Prize winner: Montgomery shows a big bass common to this area. warmer than the lakes deeper water found within Lake Wedowee's standing timber. So as anglers can see, there are going to be a lot of lures to choose from and various presentations to consider when fishing Lake We-
dowee's standing timber this spring. Here's some suggestions: As waters warm, the activity level of the bass increases. This means they are more likely to be chasing down a potential meal they may have ignored a few weeks ago. So a water temperature gauge is a very important tool to have besides lures, rods, reels and equipment. Active bass will mostly likely be holding in the mid-to-upper water column in and around this standing timber. This is a good time for trying mid-to-shallow running crankbaits, choosing your lure colors according to the water clarity. Clear water calls for shad look-a-likes. Sunny days in clear water can call for the use of shiny
crankbaits like those with chrome finishes. Stained to off colored water may call for the use of brighter lure colors like chartreuse, yellow or lime colored crankbaits. Crayfish colored crankbaits are always good, for these bass do eat a lot of crustaceans as well. Rattletraps and Cordell's Rattling Spots and other lures categorized as lipless crankbaits, are also good lures around Lake Wedowee's standing timber. Suspending and floating model jerkbaits are at their best in clear water situations, fishing them within this standing timber. Fish these slender, minnow shaped, fish attractors with a fast and erratic retrieve. Soft bodied jerkbaits and oversized swim baits are also deadly lures for fooling the standing timber bass of Lake Wedowee. Topwaters lures and spinnerbaits are great lure choices for probing top to bottom depths in and around standing timber. Topwater lures such as buzzbaits, zara spooks, pop-r's or prop-baits can be maneuvered within these trees, standing timber and branches to get explosive strikes during the spring season. Spinnerbaits can be buzzed just beneath the waters surface, retrieved in mid depths or dropped and slow rolled within this standing timber. They are very versatile lures for
A perfect place for spawning bass: Shallow water and standing timber (even if it’s below the surface) is the perfect combination for catching the big one! targeting bass in all depths. As waters warm these bass move even shallower. They leave the security of their standing timber and soon branch off into pairs making nests around stumps and shallow brush. Most bass will bed in the far back ends of small cuts, pockets and creek flats. This is the time to employ that long list of bottom dragging lures. Even small, finesse worms, lizards or crayfish rigged plastics on jig heads or small, Texas rigged plastics are deadly, often fooling some surprisingly big bass into biting. You see they are not hungry and trying to eat the intruder. They are trying to kill it and/or
remove it from their bed! Or stop the intruder from eating their newborn fry bass. So sometimes smaller is better... Please remember to practice C P R this spring season. Catch, Photo, and Release, these bass this spring season. Let these bass go, to reproduce and to live and fight again another day. To give some future angler a thrill, just like the thrill they gave you. Check out my website www.fishingalabama.com for more fishing tips, lake reports, fishing articles and fishing related links. Check back each issue for more info on fishing Lake Wedowee! Good Fishin'
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Racing
The vehicles are of course the main draw to the museum for racing fans but you will be surprised to see al l of th e oth er memorabilia at the Hall of Fame. There is a gallery devoted to Dale Earnhardt, personal mementoes of Bobby Allison as well as contributions on loan from various collectors. For the last 18 years, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame began recognizing career achievements in racing by inducting individuals into the Hall of Fame. Pioneers of the sport are recognized every year and their immortalized in the Hall with graphite drawings by Jeanne Barnes. To date there are more than 117 members in the hall with a new class being 46 Lake Wedowee Life
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inducted every year. The induction ceremony coincides with the spring NASCAR races at Talladega. The museum also showcases three crash cars including the Bristol crashes of Michael Waltrip and Mike Harmon. Both drivers miraculously walked away. The crash cars are impressive to see as well as the pictures capturing the event. Your trip to the Hall of Fame will not be complete without a stop by the McCaig-Welborn Research Library. It houses more than 14,000 books and magazines as well as 10,000 plus photos cap-
turing some racings finest and infamous moments. If you want a special treat, visit the library during the week and have a conversation with librarian Betty Carlan. She is a walking encyclopedia of racing and loves to share stories about her favorite drivers. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is open year round and only closed for major holidays. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 7 to 17 and discounts are available. Tours of the track are also given multiple times each day (depending on activity at the track) and combination tickets are available for $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 7 to 17.
Turkey callin’, using every call you knew, most likely he is backtracking his steps heading in your direction. A few simple yelps and soft clucks every fifteen minutes or so should do the trick, just enough to help him along his way back to you. Even though, he knew exactly where you were with your first call, he is still listening for a little more sexy talk from this mystery hen. He probably won’t be gobbling, will be walking quietly, and this is where lots of you turkey hunters load up and go back to the truck, just cause he ain’t talking don’t mean he ain’t coming to you. An old tom may be crazy ‘bout sex but he ain’t stupid, if he has been around long enough to have a
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beard and decent spurs, he knows too much gobbling could result in another gobbler whipping his butt; some passing coyote having him for lunch, or getting his feathers dusted by some lucky fool with a gun. Only fools rush in, and I said he ain’t stupid. Now don’t get me wrong, some of these turkey may gobble. I have had toms come in after callin’ to them for more than one hour and never say a word. I have killed several turkeys this way on up in the morning, but have killed many more after say about three in the afternoon. Even an ole’ tom likes a little afternoon delight before he flies up on the roost. Just remember, if he ain’t gobbling you probably gonna have to
see him to know he is there. I have had turkeys I could hear coming from a long way off, but it was not from the gobblin’, ‘twas the drumming I could hear. If you hear a muffled sound that sounds like a car engine being revved up, get into shooting position quickly, but be slow and stealthy doing it, cause Mr. Tom turkey is close by. There are many ways and techniques to hunt turkeys and the right way for one, don’t mean it will work on the next one. Be still, be quiet, be patient, listen, look around and the odds will grow in your favor. Shoot even if you don’t get a shot, least wise you enjoyed the morning Skeeter
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Index of Advertisers Advertiser’s Name A & E Metal Accurate Engineering Advantage Realty Alabama Power Company Aliant Bank Ashland Family Care Ava Hills Assisted Living B&L Glass Bank of Wedowee Benefield Masonry Chad Lee Cheaha View Marine Chimney Cove Clay County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Clay County Chamber of Commerce Custom Marble and Granite D & S Marine Detailed Property Inspections Docks ETC East Alabama Antique Tractor Club El Jalapeno Farmers Insurance Find-a-home First State Bank Fishing Alabama Gedney's Grady/Linda Stone Grandview Antiques H& M Drugs
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Lakeside Grill Mac McKinney Properties Meadows Farm Equipment Norton's Floor Covering P & W Boat Docks Parker House Randolph Co. Coop Randolph Co. Industrial Development Council REC warehouse Douglasville Rice Pavilion and Boat Storage Russell Marine Sears Singleton Marine Group Southern Home Comfort Southern Union State Farm Steve Morris StoneCo Summitt Storage Sunset Point Thackston & Son The Galley The Glass Slipper Tallapoosa River Electric W & M Grocery Wedowee Building Supply Wedowee Landscape Wedowee Marine Wellborn Cabinet Factory Direct Ybor Café
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ell if the truth be known I’d planned on telling you about a fishing trip my dad and some of his friends took down to the Okefenokee Swamp back in the 60’s, but I realized that if I did that, turkey season would be over. So rather than make you wait to hear of my great turkey huntin’ wisdom, I will make you wait for the fishin’ trip. I hear a lot about hunters who
Redneck Adventures By Skeeter say they’re really into the “callin’” part of turkey huntin’, meaning they won’t shoot a bird that has not been properly “called”; YEAH RIGHT! The next group of hunters are hunting turkeys simply because there is nothing else to hunt at this time of year. Then there are the groups that hunt for the meat and then those that simply enjoy being out in the woods on an early spring morning to watch the woods come alive ‘bout 6 a.m. For myself I guess I am a combination of them all. I have killed a right smart number of toms over the part few years, but I only consider myself to be an adequate “caller”. On the other hand, as far as a turkey hunter is concerned I consider myself to be above average. 50 Lake Wedowee Life
I’ve been told over the years that the wild turkey is one of the sharpest critters in the woods, and don’t get me wrong they probably are, but we hunters can be at times the dumbest critters in the woods. We are forever second guessing our strategy that we have been plotting and planning for weeks before we ever set foot in the woods. Hold on, relax and take a few deep breaths, you know you are in the area that you know the turkeys are using so just pick you out a good spot, kick back some leaves at the base of a big tree, settle in and wait. Now I know you have spent hours on end sitting in a tree stand, so an hour or so on a cushion with your back against a tree should be no problem, right?, OK give yourself a weekend or two and you should be able to endure, or at least you will be that much wiser. The secret is, you are not so much looking for turkeys but rather listening. You may hear hens and toms at first light, but if you are not in the right set-up at the right time and the right place you will probably not see anything. So just chalk that morning up to wisdom and remember to listen for as long as you can, making notes as to the direction they
move off to after flying down from the roost. Use this information to position yourself for a later hunt. Like in REAL ESTATE, turkey huntin’ is all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. If you are set up between a turkey and where he wants to go the odds are in your favor to make contact, even if he doesn’t come into shootin’ range or even seeing range. Call to him, let him know there is another lady in the neighborhood he might not have met yet. Just a few pleading yelps is really all it takes, he won’t forget, specially if he responds to your call. Now he may continue on his way, if he is already “henned” up but he made a note of your location. Time for your patience as a hunter comes into play, just remember, the other hens will leave to lay and look for nesting sights. That ol’ tom can find himself all alone up in the morning, and he will remember the location of the last eligible female to this knowledge. Now if you didn’t go wild
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