End of July . . . 4th!

I thought it might be a good idea to finish posting the rest of the pictures from our vacation.  These were still from July 5 at Callaway Gardens.  However, they aren't the best quality.  I had inadvertently reset my automatic settings so some of them are a bit grainy.

Virginia Callaway Discovery Center - - sort of like the Welcome Center with information about the Gardens.

Inside looking out

Trail leading to the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel

The six stained glass windows on three sides of the building depict the forest in a progression of seasons.

Does anyone watch The Victory Garden on PBS?  This is where episodes are filmed at Callaway.

Robin Lake beach - - 65 acres - - part of Callaway, too.  Bill is on the side with no lifeguard.  Over to the left of the picture you can see the public beach with lifeguards.  Notice the white sand.  Remember this is not coastal property but is inland.

And this is where we had supper that night.  It is within 5 miles of Callaway - - open only in the evenings - - and has delicious food for very reasonable prices.  We plan to eat there on a return trip.

When we were talking to the owner of Cricket's Restaurant, we found we had something in common - - - children who were graduates of Lee University where all the students recite this verse frequently.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.  Psalms 19:14

Callaway Gardens

On our return trip from Dothan, AL on July 6 and 7, we stopped at Callaway Gardens.  It is a place Bill and I visited frequently during our first few couple of years of marriage because it was about an hour from where we lived in Columbus, GA. 

Our original plans were to stop for just part of the day but the rates for overnight on the internet specials were only $99 and that included our $36 entrance into the Gardens.  This special is still in effect for at least a couple more months.  It is one of the most economical vacations available if you live in the area.

I took BUNCHES of pictures but have whittled it down to just a few to give you the flavor of the area.  And it will still take about 3 or 4 posts for the rest of them.  The first are from the butterfly atrium.

My question - - who counts them?  How do you get them to stop flying and stay in one place to count them?  And you will notice that I only have one picture of a butterfly.  My camera settings got switched and the pictures are grainy.  That's okay since we will visit the butterfly atrium at the Chattanooga Aquarium again soon.

The next pictures are from the Horticultural Center.  Again, I have LOTS of pictures of individual plants but will show you a basic overview.

One of the plants I liked the most was this Chenille Plant.  I had never seen one.

And I will finish with some waterfall fun.  The last picture was taken on the backside of the waterfall looking to the outside.

These pictures can't begin to even show you the "tip of the iceberg" of over 10,000 acres in this attraction that contains biking trails, a golf course, and white sand beaches on a lake.  Posting the pictures is good for me because it takes me back to the wonderful relaxation of our vacation there.

Then the Lord God planted a garden . . . . Genesis 2:8a . . . He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there . . . Genesis 2:9a

A Day in the Mountains

Today we went to visit our younger daughter and her husband at their lovely home.  They are in a cabin on top of a mountain - - - so peaceful and with great views.  We were impressed at how much work they have done inside and out.  Plus we got to see the gardens instead of just pictures of the plants.

Our plans were to have lunch in Ducktown.  Yes, that is really the name.  According to Wikipedia, it was named after the Cherokee leader, Chief Duck.  This is where we ate:

The food was very, very good and the environment and personnel were very welcoming.  We would definitely enjoy returning there on our next trip.

Also on our agenda was a trip to:

Mercier Orchards is in Blue Ridge, GA.  It is 2,100 feet in elevation.  The elevation in Cleveland, TN (our home) is 980 feet.  It is 685 feet in Chattanooga.

Their orchard has 100,000 trees.   It is a fun place to visit because they have so much to see . . . and buy if you are in a shopping mood.  There is a deli sandwich shop where you can eat breakfast, lunch, or supper.  Included in food choices are homemade baked goods, fried pies, apple cider slushies, homemade ice cream (yum!), and fudge.  Then you can shop for canned preserves, sauces, fresh produce, gifts, or souvenirs.

Look at their fun lighting.  The lamp shades are bushel baskets.

It was another great day with family who are also friends.  It is wonderful that we could enjoy it inside air conditioned buildings because it was a horrendously hot day today.  It was one that just sucks the energy out of you.  We came home and took a short nap before starting on housework.  Now the car has been washed, the laundry done, and even a bit more of the weeds and volunteer trees have been trimmed outside.  I am just glad this is not our field.  We saw it during our travels today.

It is the infamous Kudzu - - - - the vine that ate the South - - - and and can grow up to a foot a day.  It clings, climbs, and can obliterate from view anything in its path.

"Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?"  Matthew 13:27

Friends

No pictures tonight - - - just words about friends.  Aren't they the best?  God truly blessed us with a bit of heaven on earth when HE gave us friends.  My cup runneth over with the people HE has put in my life - - and this week my time with most of them revolved around food!

Today I shared lunch at Monterrey with my girlfriends who are just a few years older than me.  We all have enough age that we are treated with the respect given senior citizens - - - even if we don't feel like it.  However, when we end the meal by showing each other crooked fingers from arthritis and laughing at the different angles and directions our finger goes when pointing - - - I guess that makes us up there a bit in age - - - let's say we have all passed the half century mark.  These girls are precious, precious, precious and we started as co-workers in our church library.  That is the best part about "working" there.  We all love being with each other.

Earlier this week, there was a lunch meeting at work with more girlfriends.  I work with some wonderful women and some of us have been privileged to be together now for almost 15 years!   Now where did that time go so fast?!!!

Tonight we took some young friends to Ocoee Dam Deli  for their first visit.  They, like many others we know, declared the wraps and burgers some of the best they have ever tasted.   Again, it was wonderful, wonderful fellowship with great conversation and laughter.  The food in this place is well worth the 20 minute drive from downtown.  Whether your first trip or a repeat - - have you read the back of the menu?  They care about quality food.

And I would be remiss if I did not include my family in my group of friends.  Bill and I are both fortunate to enjoy our siblings, our sweet daughters, our great son-in-law, and his family, too.  (Have I left anyone out?)

And the point of all this rambling is your time on earth flies by faster than you ever imagined it could.  ENJOY your time with each other - - - every minute. Great memories are made in those minutes.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  2 Peter 3:8

(Wo) MAN vs Nature

After posting pictures of guns, I believe it has given me a bit of an aggressive streak this weekend.  Yesterday, I purchased this:

to tackle some of this:

They are (as it is said in the South) "Volunteer" plants or trees because they volunteered on their own to grow without anyone planting them.  The recent abundance of rain after a brief period of drought has helped these weeds and trees to flourish.

The job was made a bit easier because of the design of this lopper.  It has some sort of power gear which means you don't need as much strength to cut through branches.  I chose Fiskars because their craft & sewing scissors are great.

Next week, this item:

will tackle these vines.

The plant is pretty but it will smother the light from the leaves and kill the tree.  That's a bigger problem than losing the vine.  We knew this was an invasive plant but our visit to Callaway Gardens confirmed it.

(And I still have pictures from Callaway to post sometime.)  Even with the high heat and humidity, I really enjoy yard work.  Some of it doesn't have to be done as often as housework - - plus you get to be outside in God's creation

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.   Genesis 1:31a

(And obviously my hand is feeling better today.)

Shoot or be Shot!

This isn't a tale of the old west but it is a tale of someone getting older.  She has never shot a gun before or never had her finger on a trigger.

But that didn't keep her from getting trigger finger .  It is in the ring finger, right-hand - - - her dominant hand.  Basically it is a swelling of the sheath surrounding the tendon which causes inflammation in the tendon. 

The hand surgeon said it's caused by aging.  I prefer what the internet said that it's a type of repetitive stress injury.  The doctor said he could fix that with a cortisone shot.  I said I prefer to start with anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy.  He basically said that the best option was a cortisone shot.  I know I could have refused treatment and left  the office but I also knew the finger needed some serious attention.

So I received an injection in the palm about a finger width below the ring finger.  I was more concerned that I might faint than I was about the pain so I asked the doctor if he would be bothered if I passed out

Long story short, it was not painful like I anticipated (and I did not faint) - - - but the injection site has been VERY tender  and bruised the last two days!  It can be up to two weeks to know if the cortisone did any good.  I sure hope so because I do not want or "need" surgery at this point in life - - not when we are getting ready to move over 10,000 books to our new church building in about 6 weeks.

And I know this is not a big deal to cope with because many of my friends have serious issues  from MS to cancer and other maladies in between.  But I am a person of little patience when my body is not functioning 100%.  Plus I expect the treatment to fix me within hours rather than days.   Other than that, it's been a great week.

And my treatment was minuscule compared to what our precious Lord endured for us!

 . . the nails in HIS hands . . . John 20:25b

Return to Dothan

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon . . Psalm 91:12

About 30 minutes from Dothan, we stopped at this store - - - I think it was on Hwy 431 near Cottondale, FL.  It had some fun stuff inside.

The oranges were very good.   We took home a large bag.

The following items are definitely indigenous to the beach area.

No, we did not bring home an alligator head - - - or one of the rain gauges you are about to see.  Those and the man of cans were handmade by a local person.

I think the favorite thing bought by my three traveling companions was boiled peanuts.  They claimed they were some of the best they had eaten.  My thought is it is an "acquired taste".  I grew up in upstate NY and was not raised to "appreciate them".

My next post should have pictures of Callaway Gardens (Georgia).  However, it will probably be next weekend before I can post them.  If you are looking for an economical, relaxing vacation - - check out their website.  They have some phenomenal specials going right now if you stay at the Mountain Inn.  Remember they have white sand beaches and a golf course in addition to the other attractions.