Hiking through History Alabama: The Gulf Coast

With over 300 years of history, the city of Mobile, Alabama, and the Alabama Gulf Coast is a prime area to hike through history. Let's take a trip back in time with this look at only a few of these hikes from my book "Hiking through History Alabama", available at your favorite bookstore or online.

Best Dog Hikes Alabama: Making Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Here's a great recipe that I included in my forthcoming book, "Best Dog Hikes Alabama" - Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits. The recipe is quick, easy, and your dog will love them! Thanks to my Granddaughter, Cora, for doing some of the filming and lending a hand in the kitchen.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tis the Season – the cold winds of winter are barreling down from Canada. Snow is piling up across the country. Christmas is just around the corner (a public service announcement for those of you who haven’t even THOUGHT about starting your Christmas shopping).

With that in mind, it’s time once again for my annual, albeit humble, Holiday Giveaway! It’s just my way of saying thank you for your support through the year by buying my books, following my articles and blog, and listening and viewing my podcasts and videos.

Once again you’ll be able to download eBook, PDF, and MP3 audio versions of some of my classic Christmas short stories. And this year, there will be a brand new Christmas short story podcast to listen to or download and a new eBook – “Joe’s Shorts!” Think about that one.

You can also register to win autographed copies of my book, Hiking Alabama-4^th Edition!

My Holiday Giveaway 2018 page will be posted VERY SOON! Be on the lookout for the announcement here on the Blog, on my Facebook pages, and on my website in the next few days.

Thanks again for all of your support this past year and a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Everyone's Gone to the Moon

The research for the book Everyone’s Gone to the Moon has really been fascinating. The book will revolve around the first lunar landing in July 1969. It will touch on the landing but focus more on the events and pop-culture that was happening at the same time, an overview of July 1969.

So far, the tidbits of history I’m gleaning are truly fascinating. For instance, it was on the first week of July, 1969, that Charles Phillip Arthur George officially became the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony that was nearly derailed by bombs that were detonated near the rail line that would carry the royal family to the ceremony.

And I’ve learned that history really does repeat itself. For example, in 2018, we hear of alleged attempts by White House staff to establish secret back channel communications with Russia in an effort to skirt the nation’s intelligence agencies. In July 1969, Soviet diplomat Anatoly Dobrynin attempted to do the same thing, working with President Nixon’s staff to create a secret communications link.

But this little bit doesn’t even skim the surface of the history I’m pulling out from the murky mists of time for this book – remarkable space news that was going on at the time we first walked on the moon, the world of pop-culture, and the stories of everyday people and what life was like in July 1969.

Stick around. There are some amazing stories to tell!

Goin' to the Dogs

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday.

For me, it will be a busy weekend at the old keyboard. I’ll be hammering out a couple of chapters for the book, Everyone’s Gone to the Moon, prepping publicity for the release of Best Dog Hikes Alabama, and finishing up three videos that will be posted next week that I think you’ll enjoy.

On the subject of my latest Falcon guide, Best Dog Hikes Alabama, you may (or may not) remember not too long ago that I asked for a little help planning some fund raisers to coincide with the release of the book in March. Still needing a little help.

I would like to host at least 5 pet adoptions in conjunction with local animal rescues across Alabama – Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Talladega. The events will give the rescues another chance to bring their animals out and have them adopted, have a few presentations about you and your dog including vet and training tips, and allow you to take a rescue for a short hike (and hopefully fall in love with them). I will be selling copies of the books and t-shirts with proceeds going to help the rescues.

I need a little help in locating a good venue to hold such an event and contacts for reputable animal shelters in those areas to get the ball rolling. SO, if you know of a good location and who I should contact, or have contact information for some rescues, I would LOVE to hear from you!

You can either Message me through Messenger or go to my contact page on my website, www.joe-cuhaj.com/contact.html and drop me a line.

Thanks in advance for your help – and helping rescues!