Chamblee54

Now that PG was driving, he was more willing to push for an otp destination. For a while, Uzi did the driving. This was when Wonder, the blind dog, was their companion, and PG was all too happy to let Uzi’s car smell like a dog. However, Wonder was old and feeble, in addition to blind. With Wonder left behind, PG drove, and would push for destinations like the Autry Mill Nature Preserve.
Autry Mill is a chunk of land off Old AbbalamaAlabama Road. PG knew the way, and realized that it wasn’t that far otp. After the usual anxiety about finding the place, there was a big sign and a paved road leading to a parking lot.
Autry Mill is a very well organized Nature Preserve. There are signboards, a fully equipped farmhouse, and a restroom. The hikers found a path behind the farmhouse, and went into the wild.
This is a well organized place. There were boardwalks all over the place, often over dry land. Many of them had bronze signs, indicating an eagle scout project. Before long, the hikers were at the bottom of a hill, beside a creek. The creek was adjacent to a broken sewer line, and had lovely brown fuzz at the bottom. A couple of minutes later, the hikers came to a crossroads, where you could go this way on this trail and that way on another trail. Since they had only been walking for ten minutes, they took the longer trail.
The idea of a nature preserve is to get lost in nature. AMNP was between a subdivision and a water works project. There was barely a mile of trails all around, and no danger of getting lost and struggling back to the parking lot. On the other hand, the trees and creek did look better than a subdivision.
As PG and Uzi peaked the last hill, past the concrete cartoon characters, the organization reared its head again. A group of people were building a shelter. This would compliment the dozen or so amphitheaters, picnic shelters, and gazebos already there. As PG went up to the recently painted mens room, a lady invited Uzi to come out and help build something.
This wasn’t enough outdoor adventure for a Sunday, so the hikers stopped at a park by the River on Holcomb Bridge Road. The park was more of a picnic facility than a nature preserve, but it did afford a few nice views of the river. It also had a sign, which struck both PG and Uzi as being in excellent taste. It was also misspelled.