Remembering Mr. Ellis

The name alone brought the image to mind of a quiet, happy old gent, along with bunches of warm memories from my very early childhood. You know, it always surprises you to learn just how many years someone has graced the Earth, and Alvin Ellis, a WWII veteran, had smiled on it for 85 of them.

The Ellis family still lived in the home across from the little white house that was my home from the time I was a tiny baby until I was 5. I can remember his beautiful garden and all the flowers. Honestly, if one more thing had decided to grow there, I believe the place would have rivaled the Amazon rainforest! Sometimes when they traveled, they’d ask Mama and Daddy to pick the ripe vegetables. Afterward Mama would can stuff for days! It was truly amazing how much one garden could produce when tended with love. Cats, including my black-and-white Tommy, roamed the yard and crawled ‘neath the plants. (In fact, Tommy regularly beat the stuffing out of their hairy gray cat, Muff - that is, when he wasn’t busy riding down the gravel driveway in my doll stroller or eating out of my tea set in the doll high chair.) Their house was warm and always felt welcoming. They were such a pleasant, loving couple to be around.

I called Mama yesterday morning to tell her of his passing. She, too, was surprised at his age. We agreed to go to the visitation together. I doubt Mrs. Ellis would have recognized me had Mama not been with me, but she wasted no time in hugging us both. She asked one daughter who was standing nearby if she remembered us. When she told her I was the tiny little girl who lived across the street, her jaw dropped in amazement. I towered over them both! Mr. Ellis looked a bit different from my memories, I guess because I never saw him when he wasn’t busy with something. Cupped in his hands, though, were his puzzle book and pencil. His open Bible, well-worn and full of notations, was at his side. There was a video tribute playing in the other room, and Mama and I went to watch it. There he was, smiling at someone’s wedding, smiling in his garden, smiling in his workshop, smiling at a grandchild, always smiling. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Mama said Mr. Ellis used to make me so mad because he’d call her “his sweetheart.” I’d angrily say, “No she’s not! She’s my daddy’s sweetheart!”

I guess Mr. Ellis and Daddy are walking around in heaven about now, catching up and looking at the gardens. Hope the Good Lord is ready for the bumper-crop of vegetables He is about to receive!

A Bee For My Little Honey

When Aaron was a 5th grader he won his class' spelling bee. He was to compete in the school spelling bee the next week, and I told my co-workers I should return to work rather quickly afterward. This was the same boy who constantly asked me how to spell stuff. Well, the little monkey ended up winning the school spelling bee and competing in the county competition!

This time around it was Daniel. He excitedly told me last week that he had won the spelling bee in his 4th grade class! Well, the school competition was today, and I'm sad to say he didn't win that one. He gave it a great shot, and made it to the second round though! A bright little 4th grader did win, and I heartily congratulated her for "kicking butt" on the 5th graders! Go Brittany!!! Daniel has his eye on the prize next year though!

Back on Blood Mountain

When you hike Blood Mountain, it is really a beautiful place. The trails are steep and rocky, but the small streams and quiet beauty are just breathtaking. It is easy to forget that crime ever touched those pristine woods.

We came to North Georgia this weekend despite a winter weather advisory. With snow already accumulating on our yard, we jumped in the Jeep and drove toward the camper. Oh boy, we'll sure have a lot of snow up there! Well, it snowed most of the day, but the roads dried and most melted away. We worked around the camper for a little while, then headed to Ma Gooch's for supper. It really hit the spot, as usual! Afterward we went to the grocery store just in case we were iced in at the camper in the morning for a while.

The morning was crisp and cold, but the roads were clear. We again enjoyed Ma Gooch's fine cooking, then turned north toward Blood Mountain. I was so happy when we started seeing the magnificent icicles that I had seen two weeks ago. I had described them for the boys, and they were really impressed to see them for themselves. We parked at the Walasi-Yi Inn at Neel's Gap and wandered through the shop. The boys loved playing with the resident dogs that make their home in the store. Finally the boys settled into some chairs near the fireplace and read ghost stories while Barry and I looked at things that aren't that impressive when you're a kid. Back outside, we walked up behind the building and enjoyed the beautiful view, as well as having a great snowball fight!!! We finally went back to the Jeep and drove just under a mile to the parking area for the Byron Reece Trail. We bundled up and geared up and headed up the mountain in the snow. It was a winter wonderland. Not too far in we had to cross a stream. The rocks were pretty slippery, but with the aid of our hiking poles, all four of us made it safely across. There were a number of couples and families on the trail. You naturally talked to the people you passed, and petted their friendly dogs. It would have been easy for Meredith Emerson to relax on this trail and chat with the man who later took her life. We passed a mound of flowers dedicated to her, and found fresh flowers and colorful petals scattered all along the trail in contrast to the snow.

The trail had some steep spots, and the ice and snow made parts of it dangerously slick. It was really wonderful to see my boys happily hiking through the snowy woods, and Aaron told me he knew what it meant to be "high on life." They took the time to enjoy the play of the sunlight through the trees on the snow, to marvel at the natural ice sculptures along the edges of the streams, and to study the icicles that jutted up from the muddy ground and dangled from the rocky overhangs. Of course, boys simply cannot resist ambushing each other with a nice, big snowball either! They never complained about how far we'd gone or how cold it was, and only fussed when we told them we were heading back to the Jeep. I think they would have gladly stayed right there. It was a gorgeous day. Tomorrow we'd head home, but tonight we'd sleep again in our wintery mountain hideaway.

Failed Attempt At Invisibility

Well, I have the first weekend of OCS behind me, and it was what I expected and then some. It was quite a lesson in adaptability! I had planned to try and fly under the radar, at least for this first weekend. That is easier said than done!

The sergeant was built like brick wall and had a voice that probably made people in the next county jump. He yelled at us to get in line, then tapped four squad leaders. Lucky me! I was given 2nd squad to lead, which included my two friends from Wilderness Search & Rescue school. I managed not to mess up the first night. When we returned to our room, my roommate and I discovered why they got them so cheap. She went to turn down the bed and found hair in it. She and I decided to get our Army blankets and sleep on top of the beds. I am so glad I brought my own pillow. She wrapped towels around hers before she would lay on it.

0430 sure seemed awful early. We had slept in our sweat suits, so we just jumped up and headed over for PT in the cold. The "walk/run at your own pace" turned into a run in formation, which I was sure was going to kill one of us. Several squad leaders got canned, including (thankfully) me! Back we went to our rooms to clean up, only to discover that the heat and the hot water were not working! I was definitely awake after the cold shower! We headed back to breakfast, a uniform inspection, and class. They asked for volunteers for KP and other duties. When they asked for someone to serve as class chaplain and no one volunteered, I put my hand up. I led the class in prayer, and then we said the Pledge of Allegiance. The day was a mix of class lectures, and work outside on drill and ceremonies. Some parts I was fairly comfortable with, and others threw me for a loop! The long day ended somewhere around 10 PM, when we returned to the rooms. Everyone broke into study groups for a little while, then headed off to bed. My roommate and I again slept in our sweatsuits and two pairs of socks.

The room was not much warmer when the alarm went off at 4:30 Sunday morning. Back to PT and then breakfast. Our squad ate quickly so we could get back and get cleaned up before the hot water ran out. It worked, and I had a good hot shower! We packed our things and headed back for another uniform inspection. Today's class work was actually enjoyable. The tone of the instructors was much more relaxed, and they treated us like we might have a brain cell! Finally the time came to name squad leaders. My friend Roberts got it for our squad, and I thought I was off the hook. WRONG!!!! And the class leader, chosen unanimously by the cadre....yep, me. I flinched when the announcement was made, and the Captain laughed as he fussed at me for it. He also said that I am the first female class leader they have ever had.

After we were dismissed, Smith, Roberts, and I decided to get some lunch before we headed home. I laughed so hard at that crazy pair that I almost couldn't eat! They definitely make things interesting! I told them they were going to make milkshake come out my nose, and one of them offered me a dollar if I could do it twice! Finally I headed home. Barry laughed when I told him about getting named class leader. The same thing happened to him when he went to WOCS at Ft. Rucker! I told him I sure needed a lot of work and much prayer before I'll feel ready to go back to OCS next month.

The Not-So-Happy Ending

Long before the sun rose yesterday I was standing at the base of Blood Mountain. Perhaps today would be the day we could give the family some answers about Meredith Emerson, as this search would span five counties. I was the OIC for MEDDET, which wasn't bad since there was only one other soldier there from MEDDET! I think I can manage to be in charge of that many! Then the search teams were assigned, and low and behold, who was named Team Leader for DOD Team 1? Yup...me. We finally received our maps and objectives and set out for the day. We were way back in Cooper's Gap, Lumpkin County, and others that I think were so far back they didn't have names! We searched an area called Flatland Road, which must be somebody's feeble attempt at a joke. I had to switch the Jeep into 4 wheel drive at one point to get out. There were several remote campsites to search and a couple of old church cemeteries, as they are looking at a link to another murder in which the victim was found in a cemetery. I must admit that some of the scenery was beautiful, as we alternately found ourselves high on mountain cliffs and way down in deep valleys. We searched up to a mountain top cemetery where the terrain was so steep that we felt like we would surely fall over if we stood up straight.

We finally completed searches of all three objectives, tagging a couple of things for the GBI to go back and examine. Our teams were the last to report back to the command post at Vogel State Park. The major who was in charge of the DOD personnel called to report our safe return to our colonel. He told me later that he told COL Hightower that "all of our search teams have returned safely, 18 soldiers and 1 lady." He said the colonel called me by name. That was a nice compliment. We learned that the family had been walking Meredith Emerson's dog around, and our road guards had gotten to play with her for a minute. She had been taken out to see if she could locate the scent of her owner, but without success. After a nice hot supper I headed the Jeep toward home around 6:45 PM.

Mama called me around 8 PM to say there had been a news flash on the television saying the young woman's body had been found. I watched the press conference at 10 PM, which stated that the suspect himself had led the GBI agents to her body at 7:30 in a remote area of Dawson Forest, which was a little south of where our team had searched. I wish there could have been a happier end to this story, but at least the family doesn't have to wonder any more about where she is. I heard a quote from one of her friends on the news saying, "Meredith walked up a mountain and met God."
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As a sad note on this issue, the preliminary autopsy results were announced this evening. Meredith was thought to have been alive as of Friday, 04 January. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, after which she was decapitated. The monster struck a deal with the authorities not to seek the death penalty in exchange for him cooperating and leading them to her body. Thank God he is behind bars, and I pray he won't ever roam free again.

The Search On Blood Mountain

Yesterday I received a call that I was needed to aid in a search for a missing girl in the North Georgia Mountains - specifically Blood Mountain. With the icy and very rugged terrain they were only taking people with SAR training, GEMA Rescue Specialist, or CERT. Since I have two out of three, I got my things together last night, and was on my way well before dawn.


It was a very cold morning. The ground up there was dusted with snow, and the sheer rock faces by the road were cloaked with icicles, some of which were over 10 feet high! It was a awe-inspiring sight as I navigated the hairpin turns over Blood Mountain.

It was amazing how many different agencies were involved in this search. There were law enforcement vehicles from so many different counties, Department Of Natural Resources, GEMA, tons of professional canine search teams, and the State Defense Force. Non-trained individuals were only being used to distribute flyers or keep food and water going to the searchers, so the truly amazing thing was how many professional searchers had responded.

The young lady we were searching for is 24 year old Meredith Emerson. She disappeared New Year's Day while hiking a short trail around Vogel State Park and Blood Mountain with her dog. We were given the basic facts as we split into teams and prepared to go out. We had to wait a long time before getting our assignments, as the case kept changing. Seems as though her dog was found last night, and the man wanted for questioning was also caught last night down around Ashford Dunwoody Road. We also heard that some of her personal effects were found in a dumpster. Finally our team got our assignment, loaded our gear in my Jeep, and set out. We parked at Boggs Creek and were told to search down to Turner's Corner and out to Mt. Pisgah church. We searched along the river, down embankments, under bridges and culverts, and in all the ditches. Our orders were also to search Turner Campsites, which was the easiest part of the search. People who live along the route were very nice. Several cars stopped with us and asked how they could volunteer. We told them that they were just taking professionals at the moment , but to check at Vogel to see if they could be used. Several people right around Turner's Corner asked if we needed anything, and offered to bring food for us. One lady said as soon as she heard about it, she checked under the bridge and along the river bank there at the Corner.

When we arrived back at Vogel we went for chow, which was warm, plentiful, and good! They had fried chicken, baked potatoes, chili, potato soup, cornbread, all kinds of snacks and drinks - you name it! And the volunteers serving in there kept it going. One lady brought a tray of brownies out of the kitchen, fresh from the oven. Another was walking around with a homemade chocolate cake, cutting big slices whether you had already eaten dinner or not! They made an announcement that there was to be a press conference down in front of one of the cabins, but we opted to stay and write up our reports. Not long afterward members of Meredith Emerson's family came into the dining hall in tears. They sat to themselves and everyone gave them space. We found out that the man had formally been charged with kidnapping with intent to cause bodily harm, and was being extradited to Union County immediately. They also announced that they thought it unlikely that she would be found alive. Some of the troops who were down at the press conference said that the news media were awful when that announcement was made. The family had not been forewarned of what was going to be said, so the mom broke down in tears. They said the media swarmed toward them like a bunch of pirhana, and that police and soldiers blocked them from getting to them. That's just wrong. Why on earth did they not tell the family privately that they had reason to believe that she was dead instead of dropping that bomb on them and turning their grief into a media circus?

The word came out that they wanted every available soldier to assist in the search tomorrow, and maybe again Monday. The search area was narrowed to 5 square miles. I declined for tomorrow, but may go back Monday if requested. I signed out and headed home. On the way home I heard on the radio that the "personal effects" they had found in the dumpster included blood soaked clothing, her ID and purse, and a blood stained seat belt, and that the man was vacuuming his van and washing it with bleach when they caught him. His rear seat belt had been cut out. There was also ATM camera footage of him trying to use her credit card.

Please pray for this young lady, for her family and friends, and for all those giving their time to search for her.