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Blogging Driving Geography Nature Photography Travel

The River City & The Rocket City

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about Chattanooga Tennessee. About 167 miles downstream the Tennessee River is Decatur Alabama (“The River City”) – one of the ports-of-call of my upcoming American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler ship cruise on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. And just up the road (I-565) by about 25 minutes is Huntsville Alabama (“The Rocket City”). I’ve been to Huntsville twice before in 1990 and 1992 for quick visits to pick-up my brother from Space Camp / Space Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

It’s a quick 5½-hour afternoon docking at Rhodes Ferry Park in Decatur. I’m booked on a shore excursion over at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. I’m looking forward to exploring 118 acres of nature. Longtime readers of #TravelThursday (and its various predecessors online) know that I’m a big fan of botanical gardens and related nature parks. They make for great photo opportunities – plus – I like learning more about trees, plants, and flowers. If I had stayed down in South Florida for retirement – there’s a good possibility that I would’ve been at the Fruit & Spice Park often – possibly even as an employee or a volunteer.

Fun Fact # 1: The Tennessee River in Decatur Alabama sits at an average elevation of about 555 feet above sea level, or almost 80 feet lower than Chattanooga Tennessee. That’s how the river flows downstream. #Science

Fun Fact # 2: Huntsville is Alabama’s largest city, and one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.A. Its population is approaching 250,000. Back in 2010 it was Alabama’s 4TH largest city, but it has since surpassed Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile. (Mobile is now # 2 – having also surpassed Birmingham and Montgomery.) Over 550,000 residents live in the Huntsville metro area (Madison and Limestone Counties).

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about Florence Alabama. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Summer Of 2026

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back almost 50 years. Today it’s a special chart of my Top 10 hits of this past Summer. Here’s this Summer’s chart:

RK PK WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 14 Everything Is Better Hopeful.
2 1 13 Washed Elevation Rhythm
3 1 11 Finished Caleb & John
4 2 13 Worthy Of It All (Worthy) CeCe Winans
5 1 9 Breathe On It Tauren Wells
6 3 8 Where Would I Be Peter Burton
7 2 5 God I’m Just Grateful Chandler Moore
8 3 10 Gonna Be Alright Matt Maher
9 4 6 I’d Do It Again Andrew Ripp
10 4 8 Somebody’s Praying Bay Turner

# 1 Summer Of:
2025 – “God Did It” – Micah Tyler
2024 – “Somebody Like Me” – Caleb & John Ft. Cain
2023 – “Big God” – Terrian
2022 – “Love Is Everything We Need” – Unspoken
2021 – “Yes He Can” – Cain
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong UNITED

WHAT A SUMMER ! – 16 weekly hit music charts and 24 positive and encouraging hits (5 more than last Summer) have created this cumulative hit music chart of my Top 10 hits of the Summer Of 2026 based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. This past Summer season is defined as U.S. Memorial Day Weekend (last Sunday of May) to U.S. Labor Day Weekend (first Sunday of September). This chart is an End-Of-Summer tradition for me.

CHART-TOPPERS – There were 4 # 1 hits on my chart this summer – compared with 7 in 2025. No song spent less than 3 weeks at # 1. Caleb & John spent the first 6 weeks of summer (and 2 weeks before that) at the top, or exactly three-eighths of the summer. They “Finished” with my # 3 hit of the summer and my # 1 smash of all-time since this current era began 499 weeks ago in February 2017.

A HOPEFUL SUMMER – The Southern Californian surf pop band Hopeful. spent 14 out of 16 weeks this summer on my chart with their debut smash “Everything Is Better” – even though it underperformed on the radio. At least The Joy FM gave it a decent run this past summer. In my opinion this song sounded like no other song on the radio. It truly sounded like a fun summer day at the beach, but if you listen to the lyrics you’ll hear the band proclaim that “Everything Is Better” with God first and foremost.

ANDREW RIPP – He’s the only artist to appear on my chart for this summer as well as last summer (“Breakdown”). Going further back he also had a big hit during the Summer Of 2022 (“Fill My Cup”).

2026 – Get ready for the final 16 weeks of 2026 starting with my 500TH edition next #MusicMonday, and after it’s all over – I’ll #CountUp my Top 26 Of 2026.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 499

Every Monday (this week on Tuesday) I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back almost 50 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday September 06TH 2026 – the 499TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 9 Breathe On It
[3RD week @ # 1]		 Tauren Wells
2 4 5 It Really Is Amazing Grace Phil Wickham Ft. Crowder
3 3 10 Gonna Be Alright Matt Maher
4 2 5 God I’m Just Grateful Chandler Moore
5 5 15 Washed Elevation Rhythm
6 6 3 Living Water Cain
7 7 3 If It Was Up To Me Ben Fuller Ft. Carrie Underwood
8 10 10 Perfectly Micah Tyler
9 9 2 Lord It Feels Good TobyMac
10 – 1 OKAY ! Forrest Frank

2025 – “Breakdown” – Andrew Ripp
2024 – “Take You At Your Word” – Cody Carnes
2023 – “Praise You Anywhere” – Brandon Lake
2022 – “Hold You Tight” – Dan Bremnes
2021 – “Into The Wild” – Josh Baldwin
2020 – “Miracles” – Colton Dixon
2019 – “Nobody (But Jesus)” – Casting Crowns Ft. Matthew West
2018 – “Who You Say I Am” – Hillsong Worship
2017 – “Broken Things” – Matthew West

SUMMER OF 2026 – Tomorrow is the big day when I reveal my Top 10 hits of the 16 weeks of summer from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend here in the U.S.A. Publication time is set for the usual 3 AM U.S. east coast time (0700 UTC) when all of my blog posts are published.

I’m up to my # 15 hit during my first 3½ years of salvation in Christ from August 2006 to January 2010, and it’s a rock band named The Almost. In fact they are a local rock band to me, as they got their start in the Tampa Bay area 21 years ago. Aaron Gillespie founded the band as a 22-year-old, and he’s the only original member remaining. They scored 5 hits on my chart from 2007 to 2010, and “Southern Weather” was the biggest of them all. It spent 6 weeks at # 2, and it was my # 2 hit of the entire year of 2008. This is how I rocked back then.

Next week it’s my # 16 hit, and it’s HOT !

SPOTIFY – You can hear “My Top 10 Hits” anytime by accessing my CountUp playlist on Spotify. All 10 hits are there from top to bottom. You can hear them in order from # 1 to # 10, or you can shuffle them. My playlist will be updated every weekend (usually before the actual chart is presented here on Mondays). You can link to it here.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. God used loud music on the radio in South Florida to reach me in August of 2006. I’ve been testifying about Him ever since.

Be blessed my friends !  May our God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Astronomy Blogging Holidays

Labor Day

It’s #LaborDay here in the U.S.A. (and also in Canada) – a day set aside to honor all working Americans / Canadians. If you work for a living – then this day is for you.

It’s also the unofficial end of Summer and the start of Fall; although, astronomically Fall is still 15 days away. (This year’s Autumnal Equinox occurs on September 22ND 2026 at 8:05 PM EDT.)

Enjoy this day off (for many of us), and get ready to go back to work tomorrow. (Not me. I’m retired now.)

#MusicMonday is taking the day off today. My Top 10 Hits will be presented tomorrow – Tuesday. And then on Wednesday – I’ll present My Top 10 Hits of the Summer Of 2026 !

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp