{"id":7242,"date":"2018-05-24T14:59:50","date_gmt":"2018-05-24T14:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=7242"},"modified":"2018-06-25T01:34:46","modified_gmt":"2018-06-25T01:34:46","slug":"on-pirates-island-alabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=7242","title":{"rendered":"On “Pirate’s Island,” Alabama…"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PIRATES\u00a0ISLAND, Logan\u00a0Martin\u00a0Lake<\/a>\u00a0(AL<\/a>), without<\/strong> the “Jolly Roger<\/a>” that got my attention…<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

\"Hewitt-TrussvilleI just got back from a graduation at\u00a0Hewitt-Trussville High School<\/a>\u00a0in Trussville, Alabama.\u00a0 (Great-nephew.)\u00a0<\/em> The ceremony was on Tuesday night, May 22.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the day I started off trying to find a place to kayak. \u00a0“Lake Purdy<\/a>” was closest to my hotel, via long and winding back roads.\u00a0 However, when I got there they’d posted all kind of signs saying, “No private boats, no canoes, no kayaks.” \u00a0(Jerks.\u00a0 They might as well have added, “No having fun, no enjoying nature, this means you idiot!”\u00a0 Stuff like that.)<\/em><\/p>\n

So I ended up at an RV camp “slash” boat ramp, at\u00a0Lakeside Landing<\/a>, on\u00a0Logan Martin Lake<\/a>.\u00a0 (A\u00a0“reservoir<\/a>\u00a0located in east central\u00a0Alabama<\/a>\u00a0on the\u00a0Coosa River<\/a>.”\u00a0 I.e., it was\u00a0formed by a kazillion dams on the Coosa River in the middle of Alabama.)<\/em>\u00a0 So fortunately I was able to get in two hours of full-speed kayak-paddling, though I did have to baby my right shoulder a bit, and take several breaks.\u00a0 (I’d messed up my right shoulder about a month before, but no “rotator cuff problems<\/a>…”)<\/em><\/p>\n

So anyway, I normally paddle out an hour, then take an hour to get back to whatever boat ramp I left from.\u00a0 (Depending on wind, tide and\/or current, if I’m kayaking on a river.)\u00a0<\/em> This day I\u00a0was getting near the one-hour turning-around point when I saw another lakeside RV camp, with what I took to be an American flag waving in the wind.<\/p>\n

Then I saw that the flag pole was on a little bitty island, about 100 yards offshore.\u00a0 (In what looked to be a cluster of drowned-out trees.)\u00a0<\/em> Then I saw that it wasn’t an American flag at all.<\/p>\n

It was a “Jolly Roger,” a skull-and-crossbones black flag.\u00a0 (Which I thought was quite odd, coming up on Memorial Day and all.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>So I ended up paddling around the island, which turned out to be like the photo at the top of the page.\u00a0 Except,<\/em><\/strong> there were no people and no boats tied up to shore. \u00a0And of course with<\/em> <\/strong>the Jolly Roger waving in the breeze.<\/p>\n

Then I headed back to the boat ramp.<\/p>\n

It had been cloudy and overcast all morning, but on the return trip I could see a line of rain falling right near where I needed to go to get back “home.” \u00a0I managed to skirt the rain for a while, but eventually got pretty well soaked. Then it stopped, I got back to the ramp, then got stuck under a patio-like overhang thing with a (closed) concession stand, just as I was about to load up the kayak. \u00a0I had to wait there a good 20 minutes, then it slacked off a bit and I loaded up and headed back to the hotel, pretty much “soggy bottomed<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Anyway, when I got home Wednesday afternoon I Googled “pirate’s island logan martin lake.” And got the pictures the top of the page and below left.\u00a0 Plus<\/strong> <\/em>a description from a website, Pirate\u2019s\u00a0Island\u00a0– Discover St. Clair<\/a>.\u00a0 Turns out it’s a “<\/span>75 ft.X 50 ft. excluding beach & sandbar” island\u00a0that the wife of some guy named Regan bought for him years ago:<\/span><\/p>\n

On the 75 x 50-foot island itself, its palm trees leaning out over the water, the Regans\u2019 family and friends gather around a fire pit, relaxing in chairs of all shapes and sizes.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Logan-Martin-Pirate-Island\"There was also this note:<\/p>\n

All are welcome on Pirate\u2019s Island.\u00a0 It\u2019s a tradition that evolved when a boat load of 10 year olds asked if they needed help on the island.\u00a0 They helped clean it, and their pay came in hotdogs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I wish I’d known that.\u00a0 (The “all are welcome” part.)\u00a0<\/em> I could have stopped and stretched my legs…<\/p>\n

Note that neither of these pictures show the black flag waving in the wind that first caught my attention.\u00a0 And on a totally unrelated note:\u00a0 This morning – the morning after I got back home – I got a little more into my reading of\u00a0Liberty’s\u00a0First Crisis:\u00a0 Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech<\/a>.\u00a0 It told the story of the first real test of the\u00a0First Amendment<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the First Amendment, which protected harsh commentary of the weak government, no longer seemed as practical. So that July … the Federalists in control of Congress passed an extreme piece of legislation that made criticism of the government and its leaders a crime punishable by heavy fines and jail time …\u00a0and the country\u2019s future hung in the balance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That “extreme piece of legislation” was the\u00a0Alien and Sedition Act<\/a>.\u00a0 Which led\u00a0John Adams<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 one of the nation’s Founding Fathers<\/a>\u00a0– to write this:\u00a0\u00a0“Mankind will in time discover that unbridled majorities are as tyrannical and cruel as unlimited despots.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not that there’s any connection to current events or anything….<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

\"56<\/p>\n

John Adams<\/a>\u00a0– at center, “hand on his hip” –\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0Declaration of Independence<\/a><\/strong>…<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The upper image is courtesy of\u00a0Pirates Island Logan Martin Lake\u00a0– Image Results<\/a>\u00a0(Pinterest).\u00a0 A side note:\u00a0 This island is n<\/em>ot to be confused with\u00a0Pirate Island Sea Isle City<\/a>, in New Jersey.<\/em><\/p>\n

Re:\u00a0 “Lake Purdy.”\u00a0 See\u00a0Lake Purdy – Let’s Go Fishing\u00a0– Official Site<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

No private boats are allowed on Lake Purdy.\u00a0 (Including NO Kayaks)\u00a0<\/strong> 2. Participants can use their own trolling motors or outboards up to 10 horsepower.\u00a0 3. All boats must have regulation running lights which can be purchased at the Lake Purdy store.\u00a0 4. Boats must fish at least 100 feet away from another boat.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So once again I say, “Jerks!”<\/em><\/p>\n

Re:\u00a0 “Soggy bottomed.”\u00a0 See\u00a0O Brother, Where Art Thou? –\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0 “The Soggy Bottom Boys is the musical group that the main characters form to serve as accompaniment for the film.\u00a0 The name is in homage to the\u00a0Foggy Mountain Boys<\/a>, a\u00a0bluegrass<\/a>\u00a0band led by\u00a0Lester Flatt<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Earl Scruggs<\/a>…”<\/em><\/p>\n

Re:\u00a0 The quote from\u00a0The Misfits Who Saved Free Speech<\/a>\u00a0is on page 20 of the 2015 Atlantic Monthly Press edition.\u00a0 A review added this:\u00a0 “Americans refused to let their freedoms be so easily dismissed: they penned fiery editorials, signed petitions, and raised ‘liberty poles…’\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The lower image is courtesy of\u00a0John Adams\u00a0–\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0 The full caption:\u00a0 “Trumbull’s<\/a>\u00a0‘Declaration of Independence<\/a>‘\u00a0\u2013 committee presents draft to Congress.\u00a0 Adams stands at center with his hand on his hip.”\u00a0 Another side note:\u00a0 “Adams had privately criticized\u00a0Thomas Paine<\/a>‘s 1776 pamphlet\u00a0Common Sense<\/a><\/i>, saying that the author had ‘a better hand at pulling down than building.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

So again, “Not that there’s any connection to current events or anything…<\/strong>“<\/em><\/p>\n

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PIRATES\u00a0ISLAND, Logan\u00a0Martin\u00a0Lake\u00a0(AL), without the “Jolly Roger” that got my attention… * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * I just got back from a graduation at\u00a0Hewitt-Trussville High School\u00a0in Trussville, Alabama.\u00a0 (Great-nephew.)\u00a0 The ceremony was on Tuesday night, May 22. Earlier in the day I started off trying to find a place to kayak. \u00a0“Lake Purdy” was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7242"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7242"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7383,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7242\/revisions\/7383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}