Wednesday - Milder, but Mostly Cloudy with a Few Light Showers!

It was our normal routine here at Sager Brown - up at 6, showers, get ready, and be at breakfast by 7:20.  I forgot my name tag this morning, so the silly director had me ring the bell and then chatted with me in front of the group.  It was fun and I think everyone now knows my name!!!!

At 8:45, 4 of us ladies from our Team drove into the town of Franklin to help sort clothes at the Thrift Shop of the Chez Hope Family Violence Crisis Center.  At one time this older motel would have been amazing and the lobby area is still impressive when you walk in.  Other than that, the entire place need so much work.  They can house 6 women with their children but they can only stay for 6 weeks.  It really was a rather depressing place.  The women who come here meet with someone right away to get restraining orders against folks who intend to do them bodily harm.  This past year 2 of the young ladies who were staying there were killed by their boyfriends (not on the premise!).  

The room where we worked only had light by opening the blinds (lights didn't work) and you couldn't even walk in the room because of all the bags and boxes of clothes.  We only worked about 2 hours, but we really made quite a difference.  I can't begin to imagine having to live in a place like this and how hard it must be for the children.

We were back to Sager Brown by 11:30 and our Team met for devotions.  After a delicious lunch, we were on our own for the afternoon to do some sightseeing - our day off!  So, 8 of our Team members decided to go to Avery Island to tour the Tabasco Factory.

What group from our Church Family in Florida!

Tabasco Peppers

The "mushed" peppers with some salt stay in these barrels
for 3 years before they are made into Tabasco Sauce!

So many Barrels!

After 3 years vinegar and salt are added to the mash and
placed in these vats for 3 weeks and stirred regularly before
it is bottled!

The bottling begins!

Now we get labels and the seal around the lids!

Many kinds of Tabasco Sauce!

After the tour, we went to their store/gift shop to sample the different sauces and other products made with Tabasco -

A very nice looking gift shop/country store!

You could sample everything and some of them were
extremely HOT!

The ice cream was very good.  There was even a chocolate
raspberry chipolte one!

Not bad, but after drinking it, your mouth burned!

For a real Tabasco Lover!

We also got tickets to drive the 3 miles through the Jungle Gardens that are on the Island. Avery Island is actually a salt dome that extends some 8 miles beneath the earth's surface.  The protruding "island" part of the formation rising above the surface is home of one of the world's most beautiful sanctuaries for the preservation and study of flora and fauna.  It was here that Edward McIlhenny helped save the snowy egret from extinction.  In 1895, when the bird was being hunted for its plumage, he built an aviary on the Island and then captured and raised 8 wild egrets.  After they had raised their hatches and were ready to migrate, he freed them.  The egrets returned the next spring and every spring since as well as egrets and herons that come by the thousands to the rookery now called "Bird City".

Lots of Spanish moss on the live oaks!

This is the President Grover Cleveland tree because he spent
time visiting here on the Island!

They are off the water to protect them from water predators!

They are getting "frisky"!

Their plumage is beautiful!

Jungle Gardens is home to one of the largest collection of Camellias in the nation.  Thousands of these plants represent over 600 varieties including some from Japan and France -

You will also find thousands of azaleas of many varieties, but unfortunately they were just starting to bloom -

We also enjoyed the Buddha that was a gift to E. A. McIlhenny in 1936.  This statue overlooks a picturesque lagoon -

It is over 900 years old!

There are many varieties of bamboo also.  The timber bamboo, imported from China, grows a foot or more a day and in 65 days is fully grown. 

Just a few extra photos while on the Jungle Garden Drive - 

It was time for dinner when we left the Island, so all 8 of us went to dinner at Jane's Seafood and Chinese Restaurant.  Not my type of place, but it was packed and the group really enjoyed the seafood.  The portions were large and the prices very reasonable. 

We were back to Sager Brown by 7:30 after a wonderful day of fellowship, food, and fun.  It is such a blessing to spend time with these special folks and get to know them better!