Independence Day
As we have done for the past several years, we spent July 4th weekend in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. It was just nice to get away for a few days. The weather was nice, the scenery was beautiful, and the food was plenty!
Saturday was spent in Dahlonega. Now that's a place that knows how to decorate with a patriotic message! All the main roads leading into the town have white crosses and flags evenly spaced on the sides. Each cross has the name of someone from the county who died in service to our country from WWI forward. It is a moving site to behold. We roamed around the town, through all the shops, and down to the gold mine. I just don't know if I want to be deep underground with all the tremors the Eastern US has had lately, as well as all the mining accidents there have been this year. Just call me a chicken - an ABOVE-GROUND chicken!!!
Speaking of chicken . . . ever notice that food tastes better when you cook and eat it outside? We did our share of that this weekend as well. The Old Buzzard came up on Sunday, as well as Granny & Papa, and we had a cook-out with some of Mama's camping neighbors. Mrs. Jane decided to throw her homemade key lime pie on the floor, so we missed out on that. But she did whip up some "Nasty Little Brownies" to make up for it! Barry grilled chicken, Johnsonville Brats, Bubba Burgers, and hot dogs on the grill. Mrs. Jane did a BBQ roast, and Mrs. Joyce brought a still-warm banana cream pie. Those ladies can do some wonderful things in a camper oven! Of course there was potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and all the rest of the things you need for a proper cook-out. Needless to say, no one left hungry.
Monday we decided that the town of Helen needed a visit from us. Boy the damage from last year's tornado was still astonishing. It cut a swath through part of the town and stripped two hillsides completely bare. At least it missed the doo-doo pond. Can you believe there is a motel built right next door to the sewage treatment facility? (Wonder if they advertise either lakefront property or an inground pool?) We meandered through the shops and saw lots of thing to waste money on. The boys bought some rocks. (Oh, they MUST be my children!) We had a nice day, and spent the evening by the campfire. At one point, Mama, Barry, and I were looking up at the sky and talking. We noticed this object we took for a plane slowly moving off to the right. Suddenly it changed colors slightly and was gone. We all three looked at each other, and had no idea what we had just seen. Weird! Anybody who has an explanation, feel free to chime in!
Independence Day is so much more than a time for weekend getaways, cookouts, and fireworks though. It is vital to remember that our independence comes with a cost. It was paid in blood from the time the first settlers came to these shores. The price has been paid in every corner of the world by folks who put on the uniform and fought to keep the rest of us free. With more American lives on the line, Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling to get a little taste of the freedom and independence we enjoy. Our troops are awesome!
God bless America, land that I love!
Saturday was spent in Dahlonega. Now that's a place that knows how to decorate with a patriotic message! All the main roads leading into the town have white crosses and flags evenly spaced on the sides. Each cross has the name of someone from the county who died in service to our country from WWI forward. It is a moving site to behold. We roamed around the town, through all the shops, and down to the gold mine. I just don't know if I want to be deep underground with all the tremors the Eastern US has had lately, as well as all the mining accidents there have been this year. Just call me a chicken - an ABOVE-GROUND chicken!!!
Speaking of chicken . . . ever notice that food tastes better when you cook and eat it outside? We did our share of that this weekend as well. The Old Buzzard came up on Sunday, as well as Granny & Papa, and we had a cook-out with some of Mama's camping neighbors. Mrs. Jane decided to throw her homemade key lime pie on the floor, so we missed out on that. But she did whip up some "Nasty Little Brownies" to make up for it! Barry grilled chicken, Johnsonville Brats, Bubba Burgers, and hot dogs on the grill. Mrs. Jane did a BBQ roast, and Mrs. Joyce brought a still-warm banana cream pie. Those ladies can do some wonderful things in a camper oven! Of course there was potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and all the rest of the things you need for a proper cook-out. Needless to say, no one left hungry.
Monday we decided that the town of Helen needed a visit from us. Boy the damage from last year's tornado was still astonishing. It cut a swath through part of the town and stripped two hillsides completely bare. At least it missed the doo-doo pond. Can you believe there is a motel built right next door to the sewage treatment facility? (Wonder if they advertise either lakefront property or an inground pool?) We meandered through the shops and saw lots of thing to waste money on. The boys bought some rocks. (Oh, they MUST be my children!) We had a nice day, and spent the evening by the campfire. At one point, Mama, Barry, and I were looking up at the sky and talking. We noticed this object we took for a plane slowly moving off to the right. Suddenly it changed colors slightly and was gone. We all three looked at each other, and had no idea what we had just seen. Weird! Anybody who has an explanation, feel free to chime in!
Independence Day is so much more than a time for weekend getaways, cookouts, and fireworks though. It is vital to remember that our independence comes with a cost. It was paid in blood from the time the first settlers came to these shores. The price has been paid in every corner of the world by folks who put on the uniform and fought to keep the rest of us free. With more American lives on the line, Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling to get a little taste of the freedom and independence we enjoy. Our troops are awesome!
God bless America, land that I love!
posted by Jennifer at 10:49 PM
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