Lonesome Dove.

Located a few miles south of Birmingham is the community of Alabaster and one of its more colorful residents is a man named Bill Holcombe. Bill made a bundle in the cosmetics and women’s apparel business but found that he was enjoying life less and less. So, he sold everything and retired to a 10 acre spread on the outskirts of town. However, being the active person that he is, he soon started getting bored. Having been a rabid fan of western movies as a kid, he looked around at all the room he had and decided… what the heck, I’ll build myself a western town. So, he did. A Mercantile Store, Sheriffs Office, Telegraph Office, Livery, Mayors Office, Post Office, Grist Mill and, of course, the obligatory “Long branch Saloon” and “OK Corral” make up his version of a typical western town. And according to Bill, it’s a work in progress with more stores planned. Well, brother John had heard about the place and thought it might be a nice place to take his 'Lil bro. So, off we went to relive our own memories of Saturday afternoons at the local movie house. As you might expect, Bill also had on display many movie posters and autographed pictures from just about every oater star from the heyday of the “B” westerns that were so popular so many childhoods ago. But as interesting as the “town” was, the best part of the visit was probably Bill himself. Bill is one of those people that when you wind him up, he can sit there and spin yarns all day long. It was a slow day with not too many visitors so we sat for the better part of an hour listening to Bill’s life story and philosophy of life. And by the time we left, we all agreed that he just might be on to something… that maybe there is more to life than the hubbub and rat race that so many of us get caught up in. More photo’s in the gallery.