1. Remembering my INCREDIBLE Mexican Hot Chocolate last weekend at Cafe Intermezzo in Atlanta.
2. Finding Joy in unexpected places.
3. My Chex Mix!
4. Doctor appointments that go well.
5. Celebrating Miss Virginia, the oldest (and still very active) member of our church, Asbury Memorial here in Savannah.
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A Weekend of Good to You All!
For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks,” each day between December 1 and 25, I take a pic of a state park ornament on our Travel Tree and briefly highlight that park.
Providence Canyon State Park in southwest Georgia near Lumpkon is one of our state’s most visually stunning parks. And yet it’s here because of man’s misuse of the land! Often called Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon,” Providence Canyon “is a testament to the power of man’s influence on the land. Massive gullies as deep as 150 feet were caused simply by poor farming practices during the 1800s, yet today they make some of the prettiest photographs within the state.” (Park website). The geological formations caused by massive erosion are indeed extraordinary to behold.
Robert and I hiked the upper rim trail to start our visit.
Just crazy how close the path was to the canyon edges! I kept yelling at Robert, trying recklessly to snap the perfect photo, to “Get back! Are you crazy?!”
Down at the canyon floor, looking up, the colors were amazing, and the water table produced trickling streams we had to navigate.
For some reason (childhood issues?), Robert wanted to see how far he could back into a crevice in the canyon …
(Sometimes in a relationship, you just have to go with it.)
Man’s Botching Up.
Nature’s Boundless Beauty.
If you’re interested here’s a short article with more about Providence Canyon…
“Mauve-lous”
Robert and I were walking down Peachtree Street in Atlanta the other day, heading to Dunkin’ Donuts to get my coffee. (Remind me sometime to tell you about perhaps the biggest disagreement between the two of us—I like, no LOVE, DD coffee, while he’s a Starbucks fan.)
Inside the heavenly aromatic wonderland, I saw this little sign:
Such GREAT ADVICE. And it SHOULD be on a t-shirt, don’t you think?
For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks,” each day between December 1 and 25, I take a pic of a state park ornament on our Travel Tree and briefly highlight that park.
Panola Mountain State Park near Stockbridge in metro Atlanta is a unique park. Because of its protected status, the park is considered the crown jewel of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, one of just three National Heritage Areas in the state. It’s also a National Natural Landmark.
And “Why is Panola so protected?” you’re undoubtedly asking. Oh come on, you know. Of course you do. Because there’s a MONADNOCK there! And you don’t just find a monadnock in every nook and cranny. What? You don’t know what a monadnock is? Well, my goodness, let me define it for you then. Take out a pen and a piece of paper. It’s like I’m back in the classroom teaching again. Here I go: “Monadnock, students, is an isolated hill of bedrock standing conspicuously above the general level of the surrounding area. Monadnocks are left as erosional remnants because of their more resistant rock composition; commonly they consist of quartzite or less jointed massive volcanic rocks… Do I need to repeat any of that?”
[Robert is annoyingly INSISTING that I tell you I was reading the definition—while mispronouncing many of the words—straight from Brittanica.com.]
It was wet the day we visited.
To keep one foot from getting so wet, I should have stood on one leg, like the ducks. Or as I started calling them, the monaducks.
More info: “Panola Mountain is a 100-acre granite outcrop similar to Stone Mountain, but smaller and much more pristine. Park visitors see the outcrop and its rare ecosystem just as Native Americans did centuries ago.” (Park website)
We hiked along a boardwalk perched above the granite outcroppings.
The granite looks bleak at first glance but is covered with a variety of lichen species, resurrection moss and other rare plants.
We are so lucky to have such an enchanted environment in our state.
If you are interested, here is a link to a fascinating article about the entire Arabia Mountain area:
We’re “shopping” at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta.
Yes or no?
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Yes. Definitely.
For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks,” each day between December 1 and 25, I take a pic of a state park ornament on our Travel Tree and briefly highlight that park.
Red Top Mountain State Park is a lovely densely forested park located on 12,000 acre Lake Allatoona north of Atlanta. The name “Red Top” comes from the high iron-ore content which causes the soil to have a rich red color.
Our cabin (with me trying my very best to figure out how to open the door) followed by the cottage we rejected …
We stayed at Red Top during the height of the pandemic, so we laid low around the cabin for most of our visit. Joyful quietness.
Here I am, looking slightly crazed, but adding to the already existing totems in our cabin’s back area leading down to the lake. Sending healthy thoughts and energy to all.
May we be Happy. May we be Healthy. May we be Safe. May we be at Peace and live our lives with Ease.
And here are some beautiful images Robert captured. (I thought about claiming that I had taken them. But you know my impeccable standards with TIB—Truth in Blogging.)
A perfectly peaceable park.
See you tomorrow.
For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks,” each day between December 1 and 25, I take a pic of a state park ornament on our Travel Tree and briefly highlight that park.
Hi there.
Welcome to the 10th day of my “Countdown to Christmas” series. Today we head over to Chattahoochee Bend State Park, near Newnan, Georgia. We visited on a short day trip in early March of 2020 before Spring made much of an appearance.
Chattahoochee Bend gets its name from, well, a bend in the Chattahoochee River.
Lots of hiking on this day.
The color scheme for this post is brown. But Robert found a few bits of color …
Here’s a riveting short, narrative-driven film, entitled, “Stick Gear: Winding Down by the Bend,” written, directed and filmed by Robert John Smith Jr, choreographed by and starring Neal Saye.
Good day to you! I hope things swing your way.
P. S. Robert says “Friday Hi!”
1. Robert’s hasselback potatoes the other night. Yum!
2. Always having enough water. And being aware of always having enough water.
3. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert, Christmas with the ASO last night.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Choir, the incredible Morehouse Glee Club and the Gwinnett Young Singers joined the Orchestra to get us all in the holiday mood. Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky mixing it up with contemporary composers. And “Hallelujah!” special thanks to Handel.
But that’s not all, Blog Fans, I have some Very Exciting News to share with you about last night. News which, if I know you like I think I know you, will make you even prouder of me than you already are. Are you ready? Maybe you should sit down.
Robert and I were SPECIFICALLY INVITED to sing “The First Nowell” (their spelling, not mine) and to be backed up by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra! Seriously. Little us from Savannah. Can you imagine how thrilled I was the moment I realized that Robert and I were being asked to sing?!
[I’ll pause and give you a couple of minutes to try.]
I’ve always thought I had a terrible, adequate, good, stellar voice, but I was just so very humbled yet honored to be asked. I am so glad I wore a sports coat and put a little Suave Professionals Styling Gel in my hair. I tell you my my knees were shaking when we stood up to walk up to the stage and sing. And the performance was, in my unbiased view, nothing short of festively spectacular.
P. S. Robert is insisting that I include this minor and inconsequential (if you ask me) “fact” (according to his definition) from the above concert program …
Well, “we” did get an invitation.
4. Visiting Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta. The Gothic-Tudor style mansion was built by Coca-Cola president/zillionaire Charles Howard Candler in the 1920’s as a private home. Each Christmas they have a neat beautifully decorated Christmas extravaganza.
Do you see what I saw on the holiday garland to the left of Robert? Pine cones (HUGE) from my favorite tree, the Longleaf Pine!
I could … bearly contain myself with excitement!
5. Hope and expectation.
A Weekend of Wonder to You!
NealEnJoy 