A little makeup and Ibuprofen?

Kenadi has been so interested in makeup lately. I like hearing about what she thinks is beautiful. She's started losing her teeth and gets embarrassed when we call her "snaggletooth".

Makeup is defined as cosmetics such as powder or lipstick applied to the face to enhance or alter the appearance. It's been around forever. It can be filled with chemicals of all sort or war paint used by the Indians made out of berries, minerals, tree bark and clay. I'm not hating on makeup whatsoever!! The things people can do with it are amazing! But it's really a shame when you can't feel beautiful without it. I've never been one to be able to apply makeup to my face in a way that it looks good to me. I hate everything that goes along with putting it on my face and taking it off. I don't feel like myself with it on but then again there are some that don't feel like themselves without it. I guess it would be a perfect world if we were all comfortable in our own skin. This year I told myself I would try to go the whole entire year without wearing makeup! So far 2017 has been makeup free. Granted March is just now approaching but I plan on sticking with it. I want my daughter whom is about to be 6- and is very curious about makeup- to feel beautiful in her own skin. And I know that by teaching her while she's young it will be easier for her to learn. She will get smarter as she gets older and see the world for what it really is. I wish that I could shelter her forever from all of the bad in the world but I can't. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it comes from within. People find beauty in different things that is what makes everyone beautiful. Instead of sheltering her I choose to help her learn to find beauty in everything around her even when it doesn't seem to exist.

This year among a million other things I told myself I would stop doing I chose to stop taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol- among a list of other things and that I would get my anemia under control. While these are just little things they can mean a lot for your body in the long run. All in all they never seem to help when I do take them. I have managed to go since December of 2016 without taking any of them! I started an iron supplement, along with other vitamins, minerals, and probiotics I take everyday. I am amazed at how much better I feel. I have learned that those aren't the quick fix to your problems. I have learned that there are tons of things you can do for yourself naturally that work just as well for healing yourself. I took Kenadi to an orthopedic doctor two weeks ago because she had hurt her knee and I wanted to get an x-ray. I'm glad I took her because while they didn't find anything on the x-ray the doctor felt of her knees and hamstrings and discovered how tight her hamstrings were and said she put tended to put a lot of pressure on her knees. Later in life he said she will probably develop arthritis like her ole momma. To my surprise he suggested that he was not going to order physical therapy or for her to sit out during PE at school but for her to take TWO adult Ibuprofen pills twice a day for two weeks. While I am not against giving her medicine for pain I think for her age and given the fact she has never taken that stuff in her life she shouldn't need a dose to that extent.

It's funny the older you get what you learn and realize. Hell, it's amazing what you can learn after doing a little research for yourself on topics you're not informed of! I am thankful to be a free thinker and open minded to different ideas, views, and opinions.

The Saltpeter Cave

The saltpeter cave in the Sipsey Wilderness was used for mining saltpeter during the Civil War. Saltpeter is potassium nitrate. It was used for making gun powder. Today it is used for a food preservative and additive. The small cave is nestled deep in the ground behind a waterfall! I read that this was actually called Saltpeter Falls but I could be wrong. I have read a little about this cave and we've talked about finding it before so we decided we should cross it off the bucket list. Last Sunday Thomas and I searched a good 5 miles of just bluff lines because we weren't sure exactly where it was but we had a pretty good idea. We ended up doing a total of 8 miles when we made it back to the truck. We were bummed because it was getting dark and had to leave and never found it. This Sunday we came back and were determined we would find it this time. We made it to Eye of the Needle from trail 206 in about 45 minutes which is amazing considering it's about 2 miles there (if I'm correct). We decided instead of going through White Oak Hollow this time it would be closer for us to start right at the Sipsey River. We came up to where a small stream ran into the Sipsey River and headed up following it to the top of a pretty good hill...Oh the dreaded hills but B I N G O first bluff line we went up to- we found the cave.

Thomas and his brother Justin climbed down to the entrance and finally talked me into going down and taking a peek. I am not a fan of tight spaces or bats and this place has both. I made it down to the entrance and literally right in front of me at the mouth of the cave slept this little guy.  (I just want to note we didn't disturb them, we know they are important in the food chain because they eat pesky insects we don't like.) I really do appreciate the woods. Anything you pack in you pack out. No  matter what. We don't leave messes laying around.The momma always feels the need to probably pack too much when I go but somebody has to bring the first aid kit along for these boys ha ha.

It's probably only about 3 foot or so from top to bottom in the cave.

The sun was shining right in on us and you can barely make out Thomas' headlamp way down at the entrance of the saltpeter cave.

Thomas and Justin packing up as we get ready to leave. While we were eating a bite Justin looked at his map and said if we went straight up the mountain and over, Auburn Falls wasn't too far away. I knew it was going to require a lot of major effort and bushwhacking. I wish that looking back down after climbing up the mountain I would have taken a picture of what we climbed up it was a good 50 degree incline. It was UP and it got thick and hilly but it was amazing because we were so high up and had amazing views on the afternoon sun and sky and the best part was the fact that you could tell no people had traveled up on that ridge in a long long time. That's what we like- untouched wilderness. I found an old glass bottle that was broken that had been laying up there for no telling how long! We seen many old "roads" wore, a ton of MASSIVE trees blown over by a tornado and some HUGE hog tracks. We tend to follow the paths the hogs have wore a lot- or game trails I guess is a better term for it. Mostly everything good that I've seen out here is way away from the trails thank goodness. We came right out at the trail in White Oak Hollow! I was proud of them boys for getting us through there exactly where they did and I was so glad we didn't have to back track and were going downhill instead of up!!

While looking around the cave, back behind the waterfall nestled where nobody can see you sat this make shift bridge leading over to an old fire ring under a shelter bluff. The coolest part about this piece of wood that it's cut almost perfect. Someone had to of cut it out in the wilderness because surly nobody is crazy enough to hike that 3 miles into the woods. We hiked a total of 7.2 miles by the time we got back to the truck. It was an overall successful day in the woods. 

Rush Creek in the Bankhead National Forest

My Nana, whom is about 68 (If I'm correct), is an avid horse rider in the Bankhead National Forest. Shes been coming to the forest longer than I've been alive! She showed me the most awesome thing on this creek that most people do not know about. I always have my hesitations about telling anyone about what we find out in this forest because people today don't give a damn about messing up anything. Campers come from out of town and TRASH and disrespect the forest. Not all people who trash it up are from out of town but according to many of the locals I have talked to- most of them are. Anywho, off my soapbox. My Nana told me that many of her friends come to this creek to draw their water from. I was pretty confused when my Nana started telling me that people go have this water tested and it's safer than what comes out of our faucets. No fluoride, no chlorine...just pure mountain stream water!! With Nana and Kenadi along for the ride we set out to Rush Creek. There use to be a horse trail that ran near this place, it has wooden posts in front of the entrance blocking it from access. We park on the side of the road and start walking up a trail that leads into the woods. I pass by a tree with many carvings in it of people's names over the years so I realize this is or was a pretty heavily traveled trail. Within a very short walk I see what looks like a shelter bluff coming up right in front of us.

Upon walking for a very short distance you will see this and as you walk closer into it you will see this....

 A pipe coming right out of the mountain! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to whomever set this up! I enjoy coming out here every week and getting some fresh water from here. Now in regards of this actually being clean drinking water,,,I have not personally tested this water and compared it to any other treated water but I have literally consumed gallons of it. As a matter of fact it's the only water I have been drinking for months so I will continue doing just that! Just knowing that it doesn't come from a water treatment plant is enough for me!!

I plan to explore majority of this creek soon! I read that there was a geocache along this creek somewhere. Stay posted for more about what I find along the way!

A Little Nature Therapy

Last year before this part of this river started getting built up we camped here many a times. You can drive right down to the river and camp right on it, fish, or put in your canoe or kayak. Me and Thomas took Kenadi camping here last summer. It was the first time she had ever got to truly camp in the woods rather than at a park or campground. She felt like big stuff, I figured her favorite part would be driving down to it in the truck going through mud and all the bumps along the way but she ended up falling asleep and taking a nap the whole drive through the woods haha! It really cracked us up! 

 Kenadi and Thomas doing a little fishing last summer

This is probably my all-time favorite spot on the river. Me and Thomas got to see about 10 deer run through the woods and go down to the river and cross at the bend. Then we got to see a little baby deer swim upstream past us. This picture was taken the last good weekend in November 2016 before it really got cold. 

The view from the top of Ship Rock will always be one of my favorites

Thomas went camping here one night that I couldn't go and he carved our initials on top of Ship Rock. (Apparently he caught hell from all the guys he was with lol but when he carried me up there and showed me that I thought it was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me!) 

Headwaters of the Sipsey River

One Sunday afternoon me, Thomas, Justin, and Leroy decided to go find the Big Tree. 

Looking back I'm really glad we made it there because none of us had ever been and went an "unofficial" way but we made it right to it! We knew we would have to hike out in the dark but we all had headlamps and flashlights and really didn't care. We went back a different way (on the trail) and climbed through Eye of the Needle (in the dark). The things I get myself into hiking with a bunch of boys. They are a lot of fun to be around though!

Pictures will not do the Big Tree justice. It's something you just need to see for yourself!

I find a lot of peace of mind when I come to the woods. I like to get away from all the bull shit. There is something so refreshing about knowing you don't have any cell phone service and there's nobody around you majority of the time- It's like it's easier to breath out there. 

A Family History Lesson

My papa just recently passed several books down to me that contained a lot of research about our family history which is traced back a good ways before the Civil War began. I am a great granddaughter x5 to Jenny Brooks Johnston (also known as "Aunt Jenny" to those that know her legend in the Black Warrior Mountains of Bankhead National Forest.)

Jenny was 1/2 Cherokee Indian. 

She had 10 Children and outlived all but one of her ten children. They moved to the Bankhead National Forest (before it was a national forest) in 1849 where they lived off of old Byler Road. The truest story I know that was passed down was that the Yankee Soldiers were robbing, stealing, and killing anyone in their way. The Brooks family, friends, and neighbors fought back by ambushing the soldiers killing several along with husband Willis Francis Brooks and son John. The father and son were murdered in front of the Brooks family- that's when Jenny vowed a lifetime of revenge. 

The feud stretched all the way out West to Oklahoma. I choose to believe that in hard mountain times I would have done the same for my family. Jenny was a midwife to the community and according to a relative, Paulette Long Simmons, she delivered most babies in the forest during her time. She was a true pioneer woman of the forest. I believe that her spirit dies still roam the forest. A lot of spirits still do. She died in 1924 and is buried next to several family members in the Poplar Springs Cemetery near her home. 

Her youngest son Henry Brooks who lived life on both sides of the law,  died in 1920 after being ambushed at his whiskey still along with horse who was trained to warn him of people coming. 

He is buried next to his mother, Jenny in the Poplar Springs Cemetery. 

A picture of an article in one of the books my papa passed down to me about Henry Brooks. 

Riley Jerfferson Simmons is my great great grandfather. He is my papa's(Charles Simmons) grandfather. Jenny raised my great great grandfather Riley. His mother was her daughter, Amanda Brooks, who married John Simmons. Also in the picture is Jenny's youngest daughter Francis who married Sam Baker. Riley actually ended up in jail due to trying to break Henry Brooks out of jail. 

Learning all of these things about my family has really became important to me! 

Know your roots and keep them growing. 

The future of Alabama

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/02/legal_marijuana_is_it_coming_t.html#incart_2box

The above link is an article on Al.com that I really enjoyed reading. A lot of people...most people have a misconception about marijuana because they are ignorant towards what is actually is and does. Yes of course it can make you high and giggly, some people it makes paranoid. It can be used for recreation and medicinal purposes. I do understand people believe it isn't for them...I am not "them" so I don't guess I fully understand. I only know how it effected me! I am very surprised to see so many people that drink alcohol regularly but look down on those who would rather get stoned than drink liquor or beer. It doesn't make any sense but I'm not here to criticize anyone for how they feel! My intention with this post is to just inform and help you open your mind to some things you may not realize. While working in Birmingham at a big hospital I seen things that I will never forget. That place has one of the biggest pysch wards I know of in the state. The amount of patients that they see and treat for drug related mental illnesses is scary. People overdosing by the dozens in that big city and all around us everyday. Some places the opiate addiction epidemic is way worse than our state's. Addiction affects young adults my age, middle age, elderly, even YOUNG teens. The rich...the poor...white, black, Christian, Muslim, it doesn't matter, addiction can effect anyone. I will never forget 4 years ago the day I found a 24 year old man overdosed on Methadone and Xanax. He had aspirated and when the ambulance got there his BP was 35/12. They shot him up with Narcan and he managed to pull through but sadly I believe he's only OD' other times since then. Some people will never be able to beat it and others like myself do...and others will fight everyday and struggle to beat it. It's heartbreaking for families. Mothers finding their daughters in their own homes OD'd and not having any idea their child is addicted to something. It's easy to get addicted to anything these days. Some people just have that addictive personality..chasing whatever they feel like can satisfy the emptiness that they feel inside. If I didn't have my daughter sadly I don't feel like I would be here today. she gave me a reason to fight and live for something. She and Thomas taught me how to enjoy life and enjoy the hell out of it and stop looking for a pill that can cure my depression or anxiety. Becuase Jack is the only one I know of that ever found any magic beans....I went to the doctor multiple times looking for help for my depression and mood swings and horrible anxiety. They offered me little hope only new anti depressants or stronger nerve pills to numb it. One day I feel like I just woke up and realized I was the one in control of my life. I'M the one who dictates how I feel. I decided not to be weak anymore. And that didn't happen over night. It's taken me a hard few years to get to this point of where I feel good about life!
This opiate addiction epidemic isn't going anywhere folks. The heroin in the states has only increased and became more lethal. Our doctors don't know how to treat it (majority of them anyway). Our government just has their heads up each others ass's arguing about money like they normally do. They don't care that treatment centers and hospitals are FULL. Pregnant women are addicts and can't get the help that they need. It's just such a sad situation. Look at all of the states who have legalized medical marijuana at the declining rates of opiod related deaths and NUMEROUS amounts of chronic pain patients who are no longer having to take opiates or synthetic opiates to help their pain. I don't even have the time to go into detail about all of the benefits it would have for patients who seek other alternatives for healthcare and medication. The amount of revenue that legalizing marijuana could bring the state is almost sickening. It would help pay for Medicaid and our schools! Growing hemp in the state could be possible revenue for so many farmers.
I just feel like it's time we all have to wake up and realize what is really going on around us rather than trying to ignore all of the problems. They are only going to get worse! I could ramble on all day with anyone about this topic but use the good ole Google and look up the facts for yourself friends.

More exploring on Capsey Creek

 During the Winter most people don't want to go outside but I can't stand the fact of being cooped up inside. Inside is W A Y too confining for me! Thomas and I have been so bored many a times this winter its been freezing cold or raining and we've just drove out to the forest to drive around. He assures me he loves being outside just as much as I do. He must really love it or either he just really loves me haha! One weekend in January on a Friday after Thomas got off work we drove out to a camping spot on the Sipsey River and set up camp. It was already dark when we got there and the lows were expected to be a whole 25 degrees that night...and it was! But we brought the tent rather than our hammocks and set it up and surprisingly it was really warm and comfortable. The coldest I got was getting out of the hammock Saturday morning before we got the fire going! I've spent nights freezing in my hammock in warmer weather than that! We have learned you don't have to eat terrible food while you're camping either. The last several times we camped we have brought filet mignon and tin foil and had perfect steaks over the fire. I'm addicted to coffee so I've started making coffee over the fire. What I'm getting at is that camping doesn't have to be terrible like people think! I guess when you truly love the outdoors, things like rain and cold weather doesn't bother you too much.

Saturday night after we explored in Bankhead all day, camping another night seemed like a good idea again so we headed back to the same spot as the previous night and set up the tent again because instead of cold weather that night it was going to be in the 40s with a chance of rain. As soon as we laid down that night we heard raindrops start hitting the tarp so I got up and got my phone and checked the weather and sure enough a huge line of rain was moving in. We put up our chairs and firewood and said screw it we are tired and going to bed if we start getting wet we will just go jump in the truck. It rained all night but that was some of the best sleep I ever got. It was so calm the next morning. Luckily we stayed dry and even got a fire going despite everything being pretty soaked from rain the night before.

The kid in me had me eating ice off of the waterfalls- no shame

 Capsey Creek was an icy winter wonderland on this day. I can't wait to continue to explore this area. I don't care what anyone says Bigfoot lives here! At least some of his relatives do ;)

 Walked out of Capsey to where we parked and noticed an extremely old cemetery. Thomas doesn't get for them much but I am fascinated by the history of this place and have a lot of kinfolks buried out in this forest. I have learned now to carry a piece of chalk around with me in my backpack when I hike so that I can read carvings better!

Sougahoagdee Falls in Bankhead National Forest

Sougahoagdee Falls is one of my favorite waterfalls to hike to in the forest. I've been here a good bit over the years but one of my favorite hikes was on Christmas Day last year. Talk about the literal best way to celebrate Christmas is in the forest in 70 degree weather! Six of us hammock camping in December...it doesn't get much better than that. I won't talk about getting 4 of us off of the trail walking on top of the bluff line above the trail in a complete thick grew up mess...I get turned around sometimes haha. However I''m definitely improving on navigating my way through here. I like trying to read my map and study it. My goal is to only be able to get lost if I want to ;)

Christmas Day and 70 degrees in the forest

It's not far into Bankhead and is a very easy hike to get to compared to a lot of waterfalls here. Brushy Creek is such a big and beautiful creek. I'd like to fish it sometime! You get to see several waterfalls and shelter bluffs along the way to Sougahoagdee Falls.

Turkey Foot Falls and Mize Mill in the Sipsey Wilderness

Story goes as far as I know this old 1936 Ford wrecked off what was the old run that ran near what we know as Cranal Road now. I don't believe anyone died but I could be wrong. I can't believe this thing is still here. Kenadi tells me this is one of her favorite spots in the forest. So today she had a long weekend at school so we came to eat lunch at Turkey Foot Falls and see Mize Mill Falls along the way too. 

It's always good when you can get your family out there with you! My nana is almost 68 I believe and she still loves coming out here. 

Turkey Foot Falls

A cascade along Turkey Creek that runs into the Sipsey River

Mize Mill Falls

Apparently most people have no idea these are carved above the old Mize mill site on both sides of the creek. 

Pictures don't do it justice until you hike yourself into the wilderness and see whats left of this old 1936 Ford that is buried there! 

Drove through an are where they did a controlled burn on the way home. 

Key Mill in the Bankhead National Forest

I've taken this trip twice now. I believe the first time we turned it into about a round trip of five miles- we were in search of where the helicopter crashed back in 2007. We walked a little bit of Owl Creek. It was me, Thomas, and Leroy. This trip we ended up walking up on some farrel hogs. They ran off the opposite direction...lucky for them we aren't hunters but had they messed with us they definitely would have gotten shot. The hogs are definitely a nuisance out in the forest. rooting and tearing up the ground making it look like hell. You would think all of the people who do choose to hunt wouldn't spend tons of money going down south and leasing land to do it when you can come right to Bankhead in your backyard and kill all of them you want! But that's none of my business I guess:) Key Mill Branch is a really neat place. There is an old road bed that follows the creek to the mill. I assume it was probably wore from wagons going to the mill and being heavily traveled. I love that it's  not a place many people go- it seems untouched if you feel me. When we camped here I got my drinking water straight from water flowing out of the side of the mountain into the creek. Our campsite was set up right down from the mill site in a very beautiful canyon.

A beautiful blue hole up from the mill site. 

Iron ore seeping from the rocks

Old gear cog from the mill. One of them was laying in the creek and I tried to pick it up and move it and well lets just say it's still sitting in the creek because the cast iron was HEAVY!

Views from The Shelter bluff. It's a good one! Carved inside of it was 1909- the 9's being backward and KE! (My initials!) I wish I knew who it was that carved it into the rock! I can only imagine how many people used the shelter bluff for shelter over time!!

Carving in the shelter bluff

 The second time we came to Key Mill- on Friday night we went to Double Springs, AL to the Gold Digger's Bar and Grill for drinks with some buddies. The above photo is what hungover hiking looks like...I may or may not have still had a buzz from the night before and I hiccuped the whole time we were there it felt like. I didn't have much energy but I wasn't about to miss out on this. Plus the night before was great catching up with friends, letting loose having drinks, and enjoying the slow paced life of Winston County. Thomas looks like he's enjoying my misery(JK he loves me!) It was suppose to storm Saturday morning and after it stopped we planned to make the hike to Key Mill to show mine and Thomas's two friends around who hadn't been there. (One of them is a hardcore Bankhead lover like me and Thomas...actually he is one we look up to more or so- a Bankhead veteran explorer.) We were very surprised he had never been to the old mill site. It's great when you meet people who share the same love and RESPECT for the forest! We stayed at the Lakeshore Inn Friday night. We all met up there after work Friday and rode out terrible storms and rain (and nursing my terrible hangover) until the rain stopped Saturday morning. It was January but luckily the weather cooperated for us after the rain we had lots of sun with highs in the sixties so it made for a beautiful day in the forest!

Wish I knew what this meant! It's carved in one of the shelter bluffs up one of the streams that feeds Key Mill Branch!

My friend Seth holding some sort of fossil I found in the creek while exploring Key Mill Branch.