Nacoochie Indian Mound

The official marker by the side of the road where we took this picture says, “according to legend,” Hernando de Soto visited here in 1540 after he had landed in Florida. As you allmay recall from 6th grade history, de Soto was on his quest for gold for the King and Queen of Spain. The curious thing about this is the Florida landing sight is near our home and there are exhibits and a visitor center run by the US Park Service.

If Hernando was here, he was visiting the ancient Cherokee town of Gauxule. The only thing left of this town is the Indian Mound. It is located on private land with only a roadside marker to point it out -- possibly the most photographed site in Northeast Georgia.

It was raining when we took this picture, but notice the mound itself was recently mowed. The flat area around the mound is now cow pasture and the fence around the mound discourages tourists like us from going out there and marching on that mound.

We don’t know what proper mound etiquette is, but the best judgment we have always excercised was to stay off them out of reverence for the Native Americans who preceded us. We’ve done that in Wisconsin and Illinois where Indian Mounds are also found and where foot paths over the mounds are also found.

What makes this mound so unique is the gazebo on top of it with Yonah Mountain in the background. That gazebo, according to what we have read, has been there before the year, 1900, and was placed there by Colonel John H. Nichols CSA who owned this land at the time. This is the same Colonel Nichols who named Anna Ruby Falls after his one and only daughter. Note that the Gazebo seems to be in good repair and must have been painted from time to time over the last 110 years or so.

There seems to be more questions than answers about the Nacoochie Indian Mound. If you google it, you won’t come up with much. If you do, please let us know.

However, we have a question for somebody, “How come there have been no legal disputes about that Gazebo on top of the mound?” One answer is that the Cherokees were run out of Georgia in the 1830’s to Oklahoma during the infamous “Trail of Tears” exodus. Another answer might be that this is not a cause worth fighting for.

Anna Ruby Falls

We decided today (July 29th) to visit Anna Ruby Falls. It is located just north of the Alpine village of Helen and adjacent to Unicoi State Park. The photo was the work of Jack Anthony whom you will run across surfing the Internet on the beauty of North Georgia. See www.jjanthony.com

The 1600 acre USDA Forest Service recreational area is also located on Tray Mountain, the 7th tallest in the State of Georgia (4430 feet) and on the Appalachian Trail. Brasstown Bald is the tallest mountain in Georgia at about 400 feet higher. That means the five other mountains in between are in the range of 4430’ to 4875’.

From the visitor center we walked a half mile up hill to the base of the falls. All along the trail we heard the roar of the mountain stream. The sun was kept off our eyes by the canopy of the forest. It was hard to believe that this land was completely clear cut at the year 1900. The trees standing there today were seedlings after the turn of the century (1900).

Anna Ruby Falls got its name from the owner of this land who was a Civil War veteran and who had a daughter, named Anna Ruby Nichols-Payne. He was Colonel John H. Nichols who lost his wife and two sons. He named these falls in her honor as the sole surviving family member.

The falls are the junction of two creeks coming down on Tray Mountain -- Curtis and York Creeks. Curtis Creek drops 153 feet and York Creek 50 feet to form the twin falls.
From these falls, the creek continues to roar downhill to Unicoi Lake and then to the Chattahoochie Rive. The journey continues south to the Appalachicola River in Florida and ends 550 miles south of here in the Gulf of Mexico.

We thoroughly enjoyed the hike and the flora, including the mountain laurels and rhododendrons. We ended the visit with lunch at the Loddge in Unicoi Stated Park. There we met a neighbor from Paradise Valley Campground -- Maureen Richards -- who works there at the Lodge.

Stovall Mill Covered Bridge

There are 15 covered bridges in the State of Georgia. The 1895 Stovall Mill bridge is the smallest of them all at 38 feet and is located on GA255 going over Chicamauga Creek. It was an important link between Helen GA and Clayton GA.

Generally, in horse-and-buggy days, wooden bridges only lasted nine years or so. Trusses were the structural key to these bridges and exposure to the elements was a problem. Covering them helped them last ten times longer. The bridge we saw yesterday is 113 years old and appears to be in excellent condition.

There is a historical marker on the site, erected by the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Here’s what it says:

“Fred Dover constructed a bridge and nearby grist, saw and shingle mill complex here in the late 1800s. The original bridge washed away in the early 1890s and Will Pardue replaced it in 1895 with the present 38 foot structure.

“Dover sold the operation to Fred Stovall Sr. in 1917. The mill and dam washed away in 1964.

“Constructed as a modification of the queen post truss design, the bridge has two vertical posts (with iron rods) separated by a horizontal cross piece.

“The bridge was featured in the 1951 movie ‘Id Climb the Highest Mountain,’ starring Susan Hayward.”

This bridge brought us back in time and was fun to experience. Lois recalls visiting a covered bridge in Ontario and another in Iowa.

Pottery Palaver

If your name is Meaders, you are likely to get your hands dirty in North Georgia clay and be a potter all your life. There are six Meaders folk pottery studios around Cleveland’s Mossy Creek today turning and firing their wares.

Four generations ago there was only one Meaders studio, making utilitarian items need in every home -- butter churns, pickling urns, canning containers, milk pitchers and other essentials for household use. Today, with glass and plastic so available in the home, pottery is now considered folk art. One of the photos shows many pottery items used in 19th century kitchens in this mountain country when they still cooked in a fireplace.

The Meaders family used a mule to mix the clay they needed. The mule walked around a turnstile which was made of log poles and pieces to make up a batch of the right clay ingredients, including yeast, which was considered necessary for turning a good pot.

They made their own glazes -- a messy liquid into which pottery was dipped before the final firing. There was an alkali glaze made from wood ashes. There was a tobacco glaze made from chaws. We’ve seen examples of these at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia today.

The other photo shows a large urn finished with an “ash” glaze. Behind it is a model of a firing furnace in which they show how it was done in the old days.

The website is fascinating. Check it out: http://www.folkpotterymuseum.com

We watched a movie on how they turned and fired today. We thought we could do this. Then one of the Meaders brothers from yesteryear reminded us, “I reckon it would take 15 years to get the hang of it.”

Other families who brought folk pottery into the modern era were the Hewells and Crockers. Pottery collectors seem to have found a bonanza in these parts.

The Folk Pottery Museum was opened in the fall of 2007. It’s located in the Sautee-Nacoochie Historic District near Helen GA. Sautee(racoon) and Nacoochie(bear) are Cherokee words.

White County 101

In bumping around today,we were told we should visit a place known as “Yonah Treasures” This is a store on the Helen Hwy. in the shadow of Mt.Yonah, next to the “Yonah Burger”joint, featuring the work of over 100 local artists, potters, woodworkers and others. That’s where we bought this book, called “White County 101,” by Emory Jones.

Emory Jones owns this place but he wasn’t in. His wife was. Her name is Shirley Black McDonald and she edited this book.

It was a fun, fast read in one sitting -- a tribute to good editing.

The cover, shown here, has Mt. Yonah standing guard over the oldcourthouse, Anna Ruby Falls, the Nacoochie IndianMound (with the Gazebo on top), and the Old Sautee Store. The flower is Mountain Laurel. The composite is called “My White County.”

The self-published book is priced at $9.95, but an autographed copy is $8.95. Naturally I bought the autographed one.

“Why does an autographed copy cost $1 less,” I asked.

“If you met my husband, “ Shirley responded, “you would understand. He has a very different sense of humor.”

Example: On the back cover is shown 3 boys sitting on a donkey. He explains this is an early attempt to solve growing traffic congestion.

As you may know, San Francisco has B.A.R.T (Bay Area Regional Transportation). Atlanta has M.A.R.T.A. (Metro Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority). White County has D.A.R.T.A.(Donkeys Are Really The Answer).

Emroy Jones spent 25 years in advertising and public relations in Atlanta. Now he’s back in home territory and enjoying life. He is the great gandson of one of the original founders of Meaders pottery on Mossy Creek -- Wiley Meaders. It would be fun to meet Emory one of these days.

Highest Mountain

“I’d climb the highest mountain” is a 1951 movie starring Susan Hayward, William Lundigan and Rory Calhoun. We first saw snippets of the movie the other day at the History Center in Gainesville -- significant because it was filmed in this area.

Today, quite by accident, we met a local lady who was Susan Hayward’s “stand in” on various movie shoots. Her name is Shirley Black McDonald -- a fourth-generation White County native and a resident of Cleveland GA. Mind you, this is 57 years later and we can see how this lady was a good movie-star stand-in.

Susan loves history and write a weekly newspaper column on local history. She didn’t say anything about this. We learned about her after we met her. We have to go back and visit again.

When we do, we’ll ask about the movie and how chiggers “discovered Susan Hayward. This latter question was a planted one in a book Susan edited.

Susan edited a book written by her husband, Emory Jones. Being fourth-generation, Susan is definitely “from here,” meaning that she has more than a few generations of family “from here.” Lois and I, for example, are “from off.” That’s the way the locals distinguish folks.

I asked Susan, “How do folks around here feel about shipping the Cherokee’s off to Oklahoma in the early 1839’s?”

She replied after a pensive pause, “I think they are pretty ashamed of themselves.”

We were told that the movie is available at the White County Historical Society. Wrong; they were out after having sold 500 copies for $25 each. They checked around town and none were to be had.

We checked Amazon and there are copies available for under $20. We’ll wait until we return home to revisit all the sights of this area in the movie which are still recogizable. We’re looking forward to it.

Brenau University II

Mr. Fischer, I just saw your posting about your visit to Brenau. I’m delighted you enjoyed our campus. We hope you will come back soon.

I did want to clarify that technically only the evening and weekend programs in Gainesville and three other Georgia cities and the online programs are co-educational. The women’s college remains single gender. We are a bit sensitive about that because there are so few single-gender institutions left – about 53 compared with more than 300 when I was in school back in the day. Fortunately, Brenau Women’s College has enjoyed an unprecedented growth spurt – about 50 percent in the last four years.

David Morrison

Director, Communications & Publications

Brenau University

500 Washington Street SE

Gainesville, Ga. 30501

From: George Fischer [mailto:loisandgeorge@gmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 3:02 PM

To: Morrison, David

Subject: Re: Greetings from Brenau University-

Thank you, Mr. Morrison, for taking the time to clarify the college's single genderedness. With your permission, I would like to post your email message verbatim, along with another photo, but only with your permission. It is rare, indeed, and well worth pointing out.

Mrs. Fischer and I were blown away by the quality of the History Center -- the quality of architectural space as well as the quality of presentation. It appears that no expense was spared in putting all that together. We looked across the street at the performing arts center and said, "Wow, isn't that a beautiful building!" Our blog is for family and friends as we knock around Northeast Georgia.

Thanks again, George Fischer.

The Northeast Georgia History Center

We have never been to Gainesville GA before -- about 20 miles south of Cleveland. The wonderful thing about exploring the unknown is that you never know what you are getting into. Today we got into the Northeast Georgia History Center at Brenau University. http://www.negahc.org

We had the entire museum to ourselves. It was delightful to see the history exhibit, the 1936 tornado display, Ed Dodd’s Mark Trail exhibit, an American Freedom Garden and Chief Whitepath’s 1780 log cabin.

The presentation was so well done that the most common household items and ag tools looked really good. I spent some time inspecting a 1934 Ford V8 pickup, red and yellow with Coca-Cola markings -- mint condition.

Who remembers Mark Trail? This comic strip was very well done by Georgian Ed Dodd and it ran for many years in our nations newspapers. The exhibit was fascinating.

The American Freedom Garden was a special and beautiful place to recognize Georgians who gave their lives in every conflict from the Revolutionary War to the present. The photo shown here shows what a great concept this garden really is.

We concluded our visit with lunch at Scott's on the Square in downtown Gainesville. The hospital Southern ladies at the history center recommended it and we are mighty happy they suggested we visit The Square.

The Northeast

General James Longstreet

One cannot visit Gainesvlle without coming across the name Longstreet -- Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, CSA, sir! General Longstreet was General Robert E. Lee’s right-hand man in the American Civil War -- “My old war horse,” as General Lee was fond of saying.

General Longstreet moved to Gainesville GA in 1875 -- ten years after the Civil War had ended. He remained here until he passed away in January, 1904. He was the last of the Confederate high command to leave this earth.

We learned today that James Longstreet was born in 1821 and grew up in South Carolina, lived in New Orleans for ten years after the Civil War and finally settled in Gainesville GA for the last 35 years of his life. He bought the two-year-old, 45-room Piedmont Hotel near the train depot for $6,000. It was famous for serving batter-fried Southern chicken.

There are statues of Longstreet, streets named after him and lots of evidence that he was here, including The Longstreet Society of Gainesville’s mover and shakers. http://www.longstreet.org The culture of the South, we have learned, is not that the South lost the Civil War, but “they almost won.” They were great military leaders and they could have won.

Longstreet's forces crushed the Union forces at Antietem. He was blamed in part for the
Confederate loss at Gettysburg, the turning point in the American Civil War. Georgia and I have visited both battle fields and understand that the difference between success and failure in those historic events was very small indeed.

The Longstreet Society is engaged in refurbishing the Piedmont Hotel. It will require a lot more than the original purchase price.

Brenau Univeristy

We travelled to Gainesville GA today and stumbled upon a wonderful place, Brenau University. This must be a very well endowed institution, because the campus and buildings are impressive.

Our curiosity was piqued and we learned this place was first established in 1878 as a female Baptist seminary. Today it is a combination of the following: residential college prep academy, women’s college, evening and weekend college, online college program, and a 3,000 watt radio station. Some years ago Brenau went coeducational.

What drew us into the campus were street signs indicating a museum -- The Northeast Georgia History Museum. We followed the signs and we were very glad we did.

Georgia Mountain Fair

Today (July 19) we chose to return to Hiawassee to attend the Georgia Mountain Fair just west of town on Hwy 76. The event runs from July 16 to July 27. We chose today because there was a parade, a clogging program in the music hall and craft sales and exhibits in over 65 booths in an Appalachian village setting.

This event is a big deal. We were in a line of vehicles all the way through town. Thousands of people were going to enjoy this with us today.

The Anderson Music Hall was impressive indeed as we watched cloggers perform to a live mountain band. That hall was built in 1979 and has a capacity of 2,900. It seems the hall was at least half full today.

The upper part of the craft village is called Pioneer Village, consisting of a one-room schoolhouse, a mountain cabin, a blacksmith shop, a soap factory, a sawmill and many other vintage buildings which were moved here from the neighboring area. It brought us back in time at least 100 years.

The sawmill drew a lot of attention as old men in beards and overalls wrestled 24” logs onto a cradle and slide that cradle past a huge round saw blade, belt driven by a very old gasoline engine. Lois didn’t want to watch this very long as she was afraid someone would get hurt.

We bought a home-made ice cream cone in Pioneer Village and took a close look at the home-made ice-cream machine which was turning out five gallons a batch. The machine was powered by a 1911 Ideal single-piston engine. The proud owner told us all about it. He rigged the whole thing on a four-wheel cart so he could move it around. The ice cream was very good.

We bought some fresh locally-grown tomatoes and Georgia peaches to take home. We saw a lot of craft products, like a leather hat, black-smith hooks and jewelry, but were not motivated to spend the money.

The Georgia Mountain Fair is almost 60 years old and the grounds we were on today has been owned by the fair about 30 years. It is a beautiful venue on the shore of Lake Chatuge and includes an RV resort. It was well worth the price of admission -- $9/person.

City and County

The city we are in is Cleveland GA (population 2,000) and the county is White (population 20,000), named after the man who helped establish it back in the 1850’s. Because of the popularity of this area as a summer location, the population figures given above are significantly larger.

Cleveland was named after Gnl. Benjamin Cleveland who represented this area for many years in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly. Originally the town was named Mt. Yonah.

We visited the old courthouse today, shown in the photo, which was built in 1859. Today it is a historical museum which houses items used in daily life 100 or 150 years ago. This old courthouse was in the center of the town square.

For many years from 1911 until 1931, this was a logging area and the town thrived. The Georgia red clay was right for a pottery industry. The Meader family was one of the leading names. Today, artists produce interesting pieces which are for sale in the museum gift shop.

We enjoyed viewing a large loom, a printing press, old tools and a military room remembering every war -- from Revolutionary to the present Iraq War -- in which Georgians have participated. We also liked the 1916 official State Flag of Georgia.

Tourism is probably the largest industry today. A lot of folks who visit here end up buying real estate and setlling here as a second home or a retirement home.

Above all, the people here are very friendly. We feel very much at home here.

Cabbage Patch Kids

We didn’t know it but Cleveland GA is where those cabbage-patch dolls were created by Xavier Roberts some 30 years ago. The visitor center is called “Babyland General Hospital.” It was fun to look around as the place was full of little girls and their mommies spending lots of money.

This is one of those imaginative marketing concepts ever conceived. Those little girls and their mommies just don’t buy a doll, they adopt them. They get a birth certificate and they take the oath of adoption -- “promise with all your heart to be the best parent in the world.”

The gift shop is full of doll clothes and accessories for dolls, including strollers for the dolls. Some of these items cost as much as the dolls themselves.

The purchase price (adoption fee) for the dolls range from $20 to $185 and up for the old-fashioned “soft-face” dolls. Today they were selling like hot cakes.

The staff all wears blue scrubs. The presenter in the center court theater called himself a CPD (cabbage patch doctor) and then went on to demonstrate the “birthing” of a cabbage patch kid. Each “little newborn is a one-of-kind, hand-sculpted work of art, lovingly hand-stitched to birth.”

There are a lot of cabbage patches in these parts. Fresh local cabbage is available at every roadside stand. Maybe if we eat enough of it, we’ll get a bright cabbage-patch marketing idea.

There’s more. Check it out at http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com

Awesome Agates

Daughter Renee Davis makes beautiful jewelry, using non-tarnishable silver. Among the items she makes are impressive pendants featuring lapidary products.

The two agates in the photo are 3.25” long and we purchased them today for $4 each. They’ll make pretty pendants for party or casual wear.

Also today we mailed some interesting rocks to Renee. In addition to 3 agate slices, we sent a rectangular piece of fused glass with blue, silver and black in it. We also sent a piece of “wonderstone” jasper that would be very appropriate for office or formal wear.

We have our eye on some other interesting pieces of rhodochrosite, green malachite, green adventurine and some special pink malachite, cross-cut from a stalagmite. We are also looking at boulder opal and turquoise.

A lot of these agates and rocks come from the north Georgia mountains, except opal and turquoise. There are rock shops everywhere. It’s fun to stop at roadside places and see what they have, then wheel and deal on price.

Brasstown Bald

Today (July 15) we went to the mountain looking for the promised land. The day was fairly clear, visibility about 5 miles.
Our day trip totalled 75 miles and about 60 ofthose were mountain driving with hairpin turns and 25 mph posted speed limits. The scenery from the car was absolutely beautiful.
The nameof the mountain is “Brasstown Bald,” rising 4,784 feet above sea level. It is Georgia's highest peak. On clear days, the spectacular 360-degree view from atop the mountain allows you to see four states, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The surrounding area is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including a healthy black bear population.
We need to remember to bring a light jacket on trips like this. The temp was in the mid 60’s (F), about 20 degrees cooler than the valley floors below. In winter the temps on this mountain can go as low as -27 degrees F. The video mentioned that the year-round weather up there is more like Massachusetts than Georgia.
The Visitor Information Center, located on the summit of the Bald, offers interesting exhibits, a video presentations and interpretive programs. It is operated by the U.S. Forest Service because it is part of the Chattahoochie National Forest of over 750,000 acres.
The Chattahoochee National Forest takes its name from the Chattahoochee River whose headwaters begin in the North Georgia mountains nearby. The River and the area were given the name by the English settlers who took the name from the Indians living here. In one dialect of the Muscogee native language, “Chatta” means stone; ho chee means “marked” or “flowered.” These marked or flowered stones were in the Chattahoochee River at a settlement near Columbus, Georgia.
We went to Hiawassee for lunch and a few errands. We ate local food at the “Mountain View.” As we looked out the window, there it was off in the distance -- Brasstown Bald. The waitress confirmed it. The visitor centeeer shape is unmistakable.

Scaly Mountain

Today was a day to visit old friends from our community in Florida. We’ve known Lola and George about six years and we enjoy each other’s company. We are similar in age but dissimilar in life experience. That’s what makes it interesting.

Lola and George live in Scaly Mountain NC. They have owned a place on the side of a mountain for over 30 years. It’s the place they used to take their daughter and son for family camping before the house got built. It’s now their favorite place, the place they call home.

Scaly Mountain is 56 miles from our place in Cleveland GA. However, we took the long way by 24 miles getting over there, going north on SR 75, then east on Hwy 76 to Clayton, then north to Dillard. Scaly Mountain is midway between Dillard and Highlands NC. Lola does her shopping at Highlands, only a few miles up the road from Scaly Mountain. We arrived at Lola and George’s place on Miller Rd with no directions, having been there only once before.

We were supposed to pick blueberries on the mountain, but the rain nixed those plans. It was more than a drizzle and we must have driven 35 miles through a steady mountain downpour. Lola must have anticipated because she presented us with a quart of freshly-picked blueberries so we didn’t have to get our hands all blue. That was mighty nice of her.

As we visited for a few hours, George told us how their mountain home developed from a small cabin to a fairly expansive ranch style home. Over the years they added on to the home as well the property lines. Just last year they added a new room, new kitchen floor and new roof. It all looked terrific.

We lunched at a local restaurant in Dillard, owned and operated by a Greek family out of Chicago. The food was great and the service was very friendly and attentive. We got in a lot more visiting before we departed for home. Just south of Dillard we stopped at a roadside stand and bought fresh tomatoes, green beans, peaches. green pepper, apple-raisin bread and ears of corn. Cost: $10. What a deal!

KUDZU KULTUR

Kudzu is native to Japan and China. However it grows well in Georgia. Kudzu is a vine that when left uncontrolled will eventually grow over almost any fixed object in its proximity including houses, barns and other vegetation. Kudzu, over a period of several years will kill trees by blocking the sunlight and for this and other reasons many would like to find ways to get rid of it. The flowers which bloom in late summer have a very pleasant fragrance and the shapes and forms created by kudzu vines growing over trees and bushes can be pleasing to the eye during the summer months.

We first became acquainted with kudzu driving through Georgia on I-75. There is nothing just like it up North. What prompted this posting was an article in the Gainesville Times today, written by Ashley Bates. She writes:

“You can eat it. Try young kudzu leaves in place of Spinach."

“Deep-fried kudzu leaves are like potato chips.”

“Kudzu can grow 7 feet a week.”

“It’s a vine only a goat could love.”

It was introduced at an International Exposition in the late 1800’s as a means of controlling soil erosion. Now kudzu is considered a pest, monitored by the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council. http://www.gaeppc.org

The photos shown here were taken by Jack Anthony in North Georgia. One shows a house completely covered and the other shows a scene of covered trees.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Soil Conservation Service promoted kudzu for erosion control. Hundreds of young men were given work planting kudzu through the Civilian Conservation Corps. Farmers were paid as much as eight dollars an acre as incentive to plant fields of the vines in the 1940s.

There is a whole culture of kudzu stuff which you are invited to explore. Here are some links:

The Amazing Story of Kudzu - Filmmaker Max Shores' excellent overview of Kudzu and its history in the US. Max is producer/director at the University of Alabama Center for Public Television and Radio in Tuscaloosa.

Kudzu Kingdom - Juanitta Baldwin's kudzu site featuring kudzu jelly, postcards, photos, books and other products and information. Juanitta's book, "Kudzu Cuisine" is described as well as her most recent book about kudzu titled "Kudzu in America."

Kudzu Cabin Designs - Nancy Basket's amazing and beautiful designs and art using kudzu and other materials.

The Kudzu Collection is Dave Lineback's wonderful gallery of photographs showing North Carolina kudzu at its best.

Kudzu-The Vine is Jack Anthony's collection of photos featuring various north Georgia structures covered by kudzu.

Shofuso: The Japanese House and Garden is where kudzu was first planted on American soil. The Japanese garden dates to 1876, but the villa was added later.

Yonah Yada

Yonah Mountain is probably the most prominent topographic feature around these parts. The name intrigues us. It’s not Hanoy spelled backwards. It’s a Cherokee word for “bear.” It’s an impressive cone-shaped piece of granite rising to 3,143 ft.(958 m.).

Yonah is situated in the Chatahoochie National Forest between Cleveland GA and Helen GA which are 7 miles apart. It can be seen from almost any road around here. However, it is not easy to get to.

For many years it was the mountain training ground for the U.S. Army Rangers 5th Battalion. Today, it is open to the public but slivers of private land across the only access road became a barrier. Housing and gates across the road make the trails less accessible.

Yonah is a popular spot for rock climbers. The upper cliffs visible in the photo is good for top roping and there are some good spots for bouldering. There is a climber web site devoted to Yonah Mountain which presents trail, camping and climbing details. www.coolclimbing.com

We’ll see a lot of Yonah while we wre here.

Monday After

Lois and I really enjoy this screen house. It is well decorated. A ceiling fan keeps us cool. We can sit here and read or talk rain or shine.

We did laundry and ran errands this morning in Cleveland GA. The people are very friendly here.

This afternoon we enjoyed our first bridge game since we arrived. Becky from Bradenton and Fran from Largo are excellent bridge players. It was a pleasure and we both enjoyed their company. We now have a standing appointment for 1 p.m. for Monday afternoons.

Wimbledon Wonders

Lois and I did nothing today except watch Wimbledon - the gentlemen’s championship match -- the pinnacle of tennis. We ware totally hooked and we didn’t have to spend money on airfare and tickets. It was a decedent day because it took all day -- the longest final in Wimbeldon history at 4 hours, 48 minutes. Two rain delays made it a lot longer.

Bjorn Borg, five-time Wimbledon winner, was there to see if his record would be surpassed by Roger Federer and to see for himself if his prediction would come true. He predicted at the close of the French Open that Rafael Nadal would be the Wimbledon winner.

We were riveted by the contest. Nadal (22) of Mallorca, Spain, took the first two sets 6-4, 6-4 and the Swiss Federer (28) seemed finished. Then Federer came back and took the next two sets by tie breaker, 7-6, 7-6. It seemed he didn’t feel well and we recalled he had mono only a month ago. A rain break helped him get his strength back.

We’ve watched a lot of tennis over the years and played almost 30 years. The 5th set was no doubt the most thrilling we have seen in our lifetime. The match was determined after the set had exceeded 6-6 and ended at 9-7. At Wimbledon there is no tie breaker in thre fifth and final set so the players play on until one of them wins by two. John McEnroe, NBC commentator and 3-time Wimbledon champion, called this “the greatest match I’ve ever seen.”

Willie Renshaw holds the record of 6 in a row from 1881-1886. Back then the defending champrion only had to defend in the final and not play through the entire tournament. Bjorn Borg was champion 5 consecutive times in the modern era(1980) by playing through the tournament every time. Federer matched that record last year but couldn’t surpass it this year.

4th of July

Up here in North Georgia there is a variety of things to do to celebrate our national holiday. Known as Independence Day or The Fourth of July, it took Congress almost 100 years to declare it a national holiday. However, celebrations started almost immediately, the first of record being a sermon in 1777 before the General Court of Massachusetts.

Celebrations and everything you would ever want to know, and more, have been cataloged by James Heintze in “The Fourth of July Encyclopedia” [sold by Amazon for $75]. You can get it for free at www.american.edu/Heintze/fourth.htm

The most bizarre was a celebration years ago in Indianapolis where two locomotives raced on the same track and crashed head on at full speed. Sorry we missed that one.

We’ll miss a few more here in north Georgia. Just 15 miles from here in Helen GA, for example, there is a watermelon seed spitting contest. About 25 miles away in Dahlonega GA, there is a grape-stomping contest. Just ten miles north on Hwy. 129, there is a bicycle parade and sand-castle building contest. Sorry, our choice was the golf-cart parade in Paradise Valley where, we are told, people go all out, decorating their favorite form of transportation-- golf carts -- within the park. Over 10 carts participated and no expense under $10 is spared to decorate.

Lois and I watched the Wimbledon men’s semi-finals where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal each finished off their opponents in straight sets. They will meet for the championship on Sunday. Nadal last defeated Federer for the French Open championship about a month ago.

One of our close friends in Bradenton called to tell us that Bob, her husband(83), will have open heart surgery next Wednesday. Bob is healthy and should come through very well. We worked together on a disaster-relief mission in Nicaragua eight years ago. Our prayers and thoughts are with you, Bob.

Historical Note: The Continental Congress voted on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia to declare the independence of the 13 American colonies from England. The draft document, written by Thomas Jefferson, had been revised in committee before the vote took place. Because of the gravity of the situation, it was decided that signatures of those voting should be affixed to the document, to demonstrate authenticity to King George IV and to prevent a change of heart later. The first signature was placed on the document on August 2, 1776, and the process took several months because the document was traveled up and down the eastern seaboard after the Continental Congress had adjourned. The practice of signing acts of congress has long disappeared and members’ votes are a matter of public record without signatures.

We've arrived!

A two-day drive of 572 miles to this place was easy and pleasant. Many people passing through Georgia use the interstate highway system and miss much of the beauty of this state. We compromised, using I-75 for half of the trip to North Georgia. From Macon GA, we followed Hwy. 129 north to Eatonton GA, then Hwy. 441 through Madison, Athens (home of the University of Georgia), Commerce and Clarksville GA. It’s a straight shot and we avoided the traffic hassle around Atlanta.
Paradise Valley Campground is not like your usual RV park with densely packed sites on slivers of land. Here, 290 owners own their own sites which vary in shape and size -- up to 1 acre for the largest. A trout stream runs through the middle of the community. About ten percent of the lots are for sale. Many owners have constructed sheds, screen houses and decks to enhance their RV lifestyle. Also many have beautiful gardens and good landscaping improvements which further add to the beauty of the place. Therefore the asking prices vary from $30,000 to well over $100,000 (only 8 of these).
This community is all sold out and showing the pride of ownership. It is well-conceived and organized with condo docs, a board of directors and an architectural committee which must approve every project. Communications keep everyone up to date. See: www.pvc4u.net
We are in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near the Appalachian Trail and the North Carolina border. The mountain views are awesome and available almost around every bend in the road. We’ve been all over America and discovered this area only a few years ago.
In Florida the weather has been hot and humid -- quite uncomfortable. We we arrived here yesterday, the temp was 90 but it felt like 70F. The difference is the humidity or the lack of it -- very comfortable. This morning the temp was 60 and Palmetto FL was showing 70 due to a cold front coming through the area. The difference in comfort feels great.
Probably the best thing about Paradise Valley Campground is that Lois loves it here. She has said many times she is so happy to be here and that is just great. We’re both happy to be away from Sun Key Village for a while and to be in a nice place like this.
We first learned about this place at the 2008 Tampa RV Show in January, picked up a folder, looked into it and visited for a week in April. That did it for us. We have rented two months this summer. The fun is about to begin.