Hartselle

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 27 degrees, high 56 degrees, clear skies

After spending yesterday at home, Carolyn's vertigo subsided enough that she felt like getting out and about. We talked about what to do, and decided to take a trip down to the Hartselle area to see how that little town has changed since we were last there about 22 years ago. Two words sum up the change: a lot.

The last time we were in Hartselle, the population of the sleepy little town was about 6,000 people. Now, 22 years later, it has more than doubled to about 14,000. The town is benefiting from the overall growth of the towns of Huntsville and Decatur, and even appears to be adding some light industry to the other mixes of occupations.

Hartselle was formed in 1870, being named after one of the founders. The founding of the town was in conjunction with the arrival of the railroad. As we drove down the center of the older part of town, we were struck by the fact that most of the downtown storefronts are occupied, unlike many places we have been. Outside the downtown, most of the growth seems to be along US 31.

Eventually, we decided to drive west from Hartselle, and ended up north of there in the little town of Priceville. This little town is located in the hills just to the southeast of Decatur. The scenery in this area is very pretty, and looks like a good place to live. It is convenient to Decatur and Huntsville, and is primarily a bedroom community of about 1,600 people.

To give an idea how well the area of Hartselle and Priceville is doing, their unemployment rate is only 4.1%. Impressive, in this time of recession.

By the time we were finished looking around Priceville, I decided to head home so Carolyn wouldn't get so tired, which makes her vertigo worse. It was a great ride through some beautiful country, and brought back some good memories.

When we got back home, we rested for about an hour. Then, I decided to check up on some suspicious water that I saw in the basement yesterday. It appeared that water ran across the floor of the basement from the plumbing in that area. When I took everything out of the basement, I found that there was a small 6" by 6" puddle in the center of the basement. I opened the panels covering the plumbing, and found no signs of leakage. It may be that when it rained a couple of days ago that some rain might have gotten in around the basement door on the road side of the RV. I felt good that I couldn't find any sign of leakage, but I'll keep an eye on the area for a few days.

While I was working outside, I used the air compressor to blow out the electric heaters we use for extra heat. Over a period of time, the heaters will collect dust inside the fans and heating coils. Removing the dust helps the heaters work better, and probably helps them last longer. It's like the old saying, "An apple a day....". Take care of your equipment, and it will take care of you.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hartselle, Alabama: The City of Southern Hospitality

Not all who wander are lost.