Amanda Buck

Yesterday I went on a couple of authentic Alabama adventures. Other than the nighttime kayak trip on the Black Warrior River with a Swedish friend from the Rural Studio and a Mennonite couple who used homemade boats— during which we witnessed the beauty of the super full moon rising— I also went to see the famous Hay Bale Art in Forkland, AL.

Jim Bird’s Hay Bale Art has caught the attention of many motorists traveling Highway 43 between Demopolis and Eutaw, AL. Some of the creations he made out of hay include a large boat floating on several bales, a giant bunny rabbit, a helicopter, three monkeys (hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil), and an octopus devouring a seaman. There are other creations including a 32-foot Tin Man and Snoopy crashing the Red Baron’s airplane into a tree. 

Besides hay, some of the other materials he uses include discarded tires, bathtubs, bolts, hubcaps, pieces of wood, buckets, 55-gallon drums, etc.

I love Alabama!