Some Things Are Just Worth It...

   "Dad, you all did not really drive 8 hours for a 2 hour visit, did you?"

   "Why not? We had all day, and it was our only chance to see Sawyer".

   A conversation between Doug and myself as we were driving back from SC. He at home in Blacksburg and me in the car with Granny Lou somewhere on I-95 heading back south.

   Sawyer and Sydney were both home for Christmas. We had seen Syd when we drove through Charlotte on the way to VA for the adoption ceremony for David and Laken in early December, but Sawyer's appearances in the Southeast was rare nowadays, what with his job in San Francisco.

   So we went, left home at 8am, arrived in Kiawah at noon, left there at 2pm and got home at 6pm. That would be a 10 hour day, but we would say that it was well worth it.

   Not only was it great to see our NC family, but we got lunch around their table with great BBQ and lots of desserts.

   But it was family that we missed.

   When your 2 oldest grand children both spend their time in CA, you do what is needed to have some personal interaction. They have a job and a school to take care of, and we have nothing but time. I'd do it again today.

   Not only that, but we got back home in time to see the Hokies come back from 24 down in the second half to beat Arkansas 35-24.

   All in all, a very good day.

   And a welcome part of our Christmas, 2016.

   Blessed AGAIN...

It Was The Time...

   As I looked at Christmas posts on Facebook this morning, One thing stuck out in my mind. People posted pictures and thoughts, and the vast majority of these from "Facebook Friends" were of family.

   That just seemed to be the theme, and we were no exception.

   From the time the Christmas Cactus began to bloom, we looked forward to having some of our family with us on the Island.

   And our Virginia folks showed up to make the season bright.

   There came Doug and Dawn with theirs: The originals, Drew, Caroline and Lucy and the new additions David and Laken.

   The weather was great, outside beckoned, and the ocean cooperated..

   Christmas morning at the Cloister Chapel, the right place to be..

   But four days is not enough, and, too soon, it was time to go.

   They had stuff to pack, and bikes to strap on.

   And then it was on the road north.

   And what memories will we take out of this Christmas, 2016?

   What we did as a family…

   And what did we wish for?

   More of the same, with the Arkansas 4 and the Charlotte 4 added to the Virginia 7 making the Holiday truly spectacular.

   Maybe 2017

   We are blessed, and we know it...

 

 

Two Unexpected Gifts and Another...

   Two things have just appeared in the last day or so, things that I have not asked for nor really expected. Two tangible things that I can see and can touch.

   When I passed by the back of our car one recent day, there was a small magnetic sign attached to the trunk lid. It was nothing I had purchased or asked for, but it was a sign that represented to me the gist of this season.

   Without Christ in Christmas all we have left is "mas", and without the person of Jesus, celebrated this season, we have just a hollow shell of a holiday. I'm glad that someone, I don't know who, decided to put it on, and I have driven around town knowing that this declaration is one that I am proud to claim.

   Thanks, anonymous person, whoever you are…

   Then, yesterday, I opened the front door to go out, and there was a small package on the front mat. The UPS man must have left it after ringing a door bell that we did not hear.

   Opening it up, here is what we found, something that I had written about a few days earlier, something that had gone missing:

   The baby Jesus could be returned to the manger scene.

   A note on the inside mentioned that this was sent by a blog reader (and friend, no doubt). An unsolicited gift to make our Christmas complete, and we placed him in the empty manger.

   Caring people had made our lives brighter, and that was great..

   A Caring God had entered the world and brought us hope. The hope that we celebrate every Christmas, and that was the best gift ever.

   Thank You, Father, for the gift of Jesus, and thank you for friends (anonymous and reader) for helping us remember.

   Merry Christmas

A Helping Hand..Blessings on Both Giver and Receiver

   It is hard to sit in church, hear some stories about people who are hurting financially, and not get a rush when you know that you have been part of the helping.

   That happened to me this morning, as it has each of the last couple of Christmases, as the Great Give 2016 played out in front of me.

   For the past 3 years (including this one), our church has attempted to meet needs of our people who are struggling financially. Here is the way it has worked.

   On a Sunday in December, members have been asked to share with the leadership, needs that they as individuals or family have. The needs are researched and verified, and then stories are presented to the congregation the next Sunday. No names, just needs.

   The congregation knows in advance that they will be given a chance to participate at the end of that service, and they do, in a big way. It is heart warming to watch folks come down with their checks and cash. Each year we have met the needs that have been presented.

   It is hard for people to be willing to say "I need help". When you sit in a church service with 4,5 or 600 others, there are more people that you don't know than those you do. You see all the smiling people, well dressed, and think that you don't want to stand out as needy. You don't want to be needy anyway.

   But there are circumstances that may be beyond our control, job loss, health issues, divorce and single parenting times, and these can really pile on with a burden that saps your will and your joy.

   And people like to help. They might have been there before, or they might just have an open heart to help where needs are seen.

   A story was mentioned from the pulpit about a lady who had been involved in a group house for women who face addictions. She had completed her year and was ready to go back out on her own. Either she, or maybe someone who knew her situation, presented the need for help to get back on her feet again.

   As the story was given, I noticed a few rows in front of me, several women turning and looking toward one of their number and smiling with thumbs up. They were truly thankful, as she was, that the church, through its people, had seen fit to help her begin a new life.

   I thought, there she was, right there. A real person, not a number or a statistic, but a woman feeling the love of Jesus, because people cared.

   This is not to glorify a church, or congregation, it is to know thankfulness when folks who can use a leg up, receive one, and God gets the glory.

   It was a powerful day. One in the true spirit of Christmas.

   I liked it, and I believe God did, too.

   Amen

Jesus is Missing...

   My Mother was a crafty person. She seemed to always have a project going on at home. Ceramics to paint, tin to snip, and her most prolific hobby, one that lasted almost to her last days with us, a rug to hook.

   We have several of her rugs in our condo, and our kids have some too. It's a visible reminder of her and her love of life in its many facets.

   Then there is the magnet scene. The one that we take out each Christmas. Not only a reminder of her work, but a visible link to Christmases past, an enjoyment that we pass down to our kids and theirs.

   So yesterday, we got out the box that holds those ceramic figures and put it out in the living room. So many people had handled that set; we even used it in our church when we were a new congregation a few years back.

   Each figure put in its place on the burlap board, a colorful tradition in full view and ready for smaller hands to touch and feel and remember the meaning of the Holiday.

   But, mimicking a famous conversation, "Houston, we have a problem", Jesus was missing.

   Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, camels, a donkey, sheep, and a manger in the stall, but no baby was found for the manger. After a diligent search, nothing…

   Thinking about the situation, the thought hit me:

   You cannot have Christmas without Jesus. You can have all the shepherds you want, and wise men, too. You can have a flock of sheep and several camels, but it will not be right.

   We can give all the gifts, have all the pageants, sing all the carols and eat all the traditional meals, but
you don't have the real meaning.

   So, what to do?

   Right now we have a manger scene without a baby in the manger, but perhaps that is not so bad. We can leave it that way as a constant reminder of the real Christmas story.

   What we all need is not a ceramic baby in a manger, but a real, alive, savior reigning in our hearts and active in our lives.

   This is my reminder and my faith..

The Presents Just Keep on Coming..

   One of my pleasant Christmas memories from days of yore is the look of a Christmas tree with wrapped gifts piled around.

   I found this picture from one of our first married ones, way back in 1962 at my folk's home in Chattanooga.

   Now, of course, I can't begin to tell you what is in all the packages, and most, if not all, are long gone, not having survived in any meaningful way.

   But, they were great at the time, just not lasting.

   What do I remember about Christmas past, memories that survive all those years? Just the people in the pictures, and some of them are kinda fuzzy.

   Our kids back in 1976..Dwayne. Donna and an Indian (Doug I'm sure)

   This year, there are no presents under our tree. In fact, as of this date, there is no tree, but we are blessed with gifts, all wearing smiles and walking through our lives.

   Sawyer.. out of college and working in San Francisco

   Sydney..a junior at college in California, just back from a semester in Argentina

   Archer..in high school and singing in various choirs over there in Conway, AR

   Cady Gray..Conway's best middle schooler, also a budding musical talent

   Drew..a high schooler up in VA into mountain biking and growing taller every day

   Caroline..taking after her Great Grandmother with her art

   Lucy..growing up too fast, but still having fun and loving life

   Laken..our newest granddaughter, we welcomed her to the family just days ago

   David..our newest grandson, another new one that we have come to love.

   These are our greatest gifts for 2016, not coming in paper and bows, but in real life. We are proud of each and every one and feel blessed to call them our own, all nine…

   There is another special gift in my life, and she looks good in anything that I wrap for her.

   Some gifts are memorable, for sure...

 

Be a Winner, In Everything...

   What is my admonition for this morning?

   I have been watching football, college football, league championship games. Those games from yesterday are in the books, they have been decided by the score on the scoreboard.

   Some teams lost, others won.

   What about those who played? 

   Were all on the winning teams, winners? 

   Were all on the losing teams, losers?

   Were there winners on the losing teams and losers on the winning teams?

   Ever since we lived in Blacksburg, VA, back in the early days of this century, I have followed the Virginia Tech Hokies. Well, they had a game last night, and the score ended 42-35, and they were the 35.

   What designates who is a winner and who is a loser? Not a score at the end of 60 minutes of play.

   How many on a team gave it all they had, not only out there on the game field, but on the practice field day after day, all through a season? How many had done all they could in the classroom to make sure they were eligible to participate in the game?

   How many lived life, doing their best in all facets, so as to look back one day and be able to say, "I did all I could, to the best of my ability, to be he best I could be, and I look back with no regrets for any of my efforts"?

   And, when I think about those individuals on those teams yesterday, I have to reflect on my life. A life with so many opportunities to do my best. 

   Sometimes Pride, but sometimes Regret..

   On the field, in the game, in the classroom, in the business world, in the church, in the home…some good and some not so much.

   Perhaps today the field of opportunities is not filled as plentifully, but they exist nevertheless.

   In the community, in the church, in the home..

   The command in Scripture:

"And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

   Do your very best in all you do, with all your life, and live with no regrets.

   I can only wish that I had….all the time back then, but I can try my best in the rest of my time. 

   Opportunities still abound, every day.

   Do It Right

   

A Starfish and a Boy

   Quite often when we go to the beach we notice a starfish that has been brought in my the incoming tide. The scene almost always reminds me of a story:

"An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up a starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

“Young lady,” he asked, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

“The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die.”

“But young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference.”

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying, “It made a difference for that one.”

   This morning, as I thought about Christmas, I saw a parallel in that story, and in what I needed to write a check for today.

   For the past several years now, we have sponsored a boy over in Kenya through the Compassion organization out in Colorado. But what does it matter that we sponsor one 11 year old boy? Peter is just one of many children in Kenya that need help.

   How about the millions all over the world, especially in developing countries, that live in dire circumstances? What about them?

   What does it matter that I send a small check each month to help someone?

   Well, just like the young lady in the story, we pray that "“It made a difference for that one.”

   When God prompts, and we respond, we leave the rest up to Him.

   

Let's talk Thanksgiving, and Let's talk Football...

   Yesterday was a big Day.

   Maybe my favorite Holiday.

   The three F's of Thanksgiving: Food, Fellowship and Football

   Now the food is an outstanding feature of this Day, from my Mom's, to my Wife's, to the Neighbor's next door who had us for dinner last evening. Always something good to look forward to.

   And the Fellowship, too: From family to Friends, always fun.

   But the Football has always stood high on the list. A tradition like no other…

   Now I don't really want to be old-timey like, but those of you who think the apex of a Thanksgiving pigskin tradition consists of watching the NFL on HDTV, need to get a grip.

   Let's talk about real Football, and some real tradition that is somehow becoming lost in the world today.

   I remember growing up in Chattanooga, at least in my memory this is real, Thanksgiving was big. A feast at the family table with all the trimmings was the start.

   But we did not just eat and then take a nap. No, it was into the car and headed to the University of Chattanooga down McCallie Avenue. Our destination was Chamberlain Field, the home field of the Moccasins, college football in our city, maybe 10 or 15 minutes away from home.

   Chamberlain Field, built in 1927, was where real football was played on Thanksgiving.

   Outside in the weather, on real grass, in the daytime, the way it should be.

   We could park and walk a short block to the stadium. All the seats were good, and we had season tickets. People we knew sat around us. It was a family atmosphere especially on this Holiday.

   A football field and stadium nestled in the midst of academic buildings, where folks who had access to these classrooms would go up to the third floor and watch the game out the windows.

   Where extra points and field goals would sail over bleachers into a field, or over a fence into a driveway, where younger kids had a place to play their own games while the big kids squared off on the lined field.

   Where you could leave home at 1:45, be in your seats for the kickoff, watch the game without commercial breaks, and still be home by 4 or so. All without the hassle of traffic, and long lines at the concession stand.

   Now that was a Time to be Thankful for

They Are Real People

   Several weeks ago I got curious about a Fox News show host. Greta Van Susteren was the lead on the weekly 7 PM show, On The Record, which she hosted for years. I am not sure of all the reasons, but she was let go, or she quit suddenly.

   Regardless of all that, I was curious as to what she was doing now. She had been at Fox News for 14 years after coming over from CNN. So, I found her Facebook page and began following her there.

   Right now it seems that she is traveling with Franklin Graham and his Samaritians Purse team around the world. She has posted from Burma and Jordan in recent days.

   But this post is not about Greta, but about a story that she posted on Fb the other day. It concerns another Fox News reporter, Catherine Herridge, who deals with intelligence and security.

   Again, this is not about her reporting, which is no nonsense and direct, but about her personally.

   We see a woman reporting on a News show and think that is all she is. But we know that a person is much more than that. She is a wife and mother with two children.

   Greta's story was about Catherine's second child, who is 10 now, and the fact that Peter was born with a serious liver aliment. The only hope for the newborn was a tissue transplant, and the donor he was matched with was his mother. The procedure was iffy for both baby and mother, but her comment at the time was that she was more than willing to risk death to see her son live.

   They both did.

   Now, when I see Herridge on TV, I don't just see a competent news reporter on a big TV News Channel, but a wife and mother who was willing to sacrifice all for her child.

   That is the real News.

   Thanks, Greta

  

Getting Off Main Street

   There is a road, a highway, that leads from Exit 3 on I-95 east into the town of St. Mary's, GA. It is Ga. Highway 40, and has a street name that I don't recall right now. So I will "name" it Main Street.

   The other day, deciding to take a short day trip, my wife and I drove into St. Mary's on this road. It heads east from the busy interstate and dead ends into the Atlantic Ocean right in the middle of "downtown".

   We had been there several times before, and I had duly taken photographs of the various churches of "Main Street".

   There was the Methodist congregation buildings old and new:

   There were the Presbyterians off to the south side of the street:

   There were the Catholics on the corner:

   All these churches had been around in that town for a long time, but as we drove into St. Mary's on that sunlit Monday this week, I noticed a small sign pointing the way to the Episcopal Church off the main drag.

   So we turned to the right, went down a block and saw that church building. It seemed to call out for its picture to be taken, asking to be recognized as a piece of the entity that was this little town.

   Christ Episcopal Church

   From the way the outside looked, both the older sanctuary and the newer one, it appeared that here was a church that was loved and appreciated by its people.

   Now I know nothing about the church except what is written on the sign out front. We don't know any of the people, but there is love and warmth in that place.

   And I am glad that we turned off the main street and found it.

Confessions of a Wardrobe Manager

   My wife has a closet full of clothes..All kinds and colors..All kinds of styles and seasons.

   On various trips she has admired and even bought different separates and outfits that show her own personal taste and style.

   So, what does she get to wear these days?

   What does one get to wear when one cannot use her right hand or arm to facilitate the putting on of clothes for the day or occasion?

   Right, she gets to wear what her wardrobe manager puts out for her.

   And what sort of items does he choose on a regular basis?

   Those that are easy to put on and take off. Those that are not burdened with lots of zippers, buttons or clasps. Things that have waistbands with elastic for easy exit.

   She is good about the choices, although I do find her in the closet looking wistfully toward some of her favorite outfits that do not make my practical cut these days.

   I find myself choosing the same pants, blouses and shirts a lot of the time. In fact, I could probably rotate the same ones from wearing, to washer and dryer, to closet and back to wearing, most of the time.

   Perhaps it is time to get out of that rut and use something that might give her a sense of ownership in her wardrobe.

   Could I put a smile on her face with a fresh approach to her clothes?

   But the rut is so much easier to stay in..

   Watch and see...

Whereto Does This Train Travel?

   I went to bed last night around 10 or so, long before any fireworks in the election, so when I woke this morning, I did not know anything. In fact, I was not sure I wanted to know...

   So I went out in the dark and walked. Not even the papers had been delivered yet.

   When I got back to the condo, I sat down the read, and did until I heard footsteps in the hall. Granny Lou was up, and I still hadn't gotten up the nerve to find out anything.

   So we turned on the TV and found out together.

   We had both voted for the winner, but, truthfully, we did not vote for the man but for the platform on human life in the womb, and for the direction of the Supreme Court.

   We "won", but what we won is unclear. The American people seemed to vote in favor of an unknown quantity, and how it will play out is uncertain at best.

   But, as I have said many times before in this election cycle, Two things:

      1. God is in control...

      2. Our responsibility is to pray for our country, pray for each other, and live to make a positive difference in the area that we inhabit.

   There was an analogy used in the election, The Trump Train.

   Well, we are all left to wonder, Where will it Go?
  
   Or as one amateur writer put it,

   Whereto Does This Train Travel?

Whose Definition of Good?

   When I walk out into the new cool of a November morning, I look up.

   True the Big Dipper is there in its allotted space. The Belt of Orion still shines brightly overhead with his sword hanging down.

   But something is out of order...

   As I settle into my reading chair and pick up my Bible, turning to the Book of Joshua where I left off yesterday, I read where the Children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of The Lord, and He allowed foreigners to rule over them.

   Then He heard the peoples cry and sent a person to rout their oppressors, giving them the peace and security they sought.

   Then a quote came to mind and I looked it up to make sure I remembered it correctly..

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America 

   There is a lot of talk today about America and Greatness.

   Does the secret of greatness lie in goodness?

   How does our country rate on a scale of "goodness"?

   Greatness does not lie in our monuments or our government or our economy. It lies in the hearts of men and women who get their righteousness from their churches.

   Churches that proclaim the Word of God..in Truth and Simplicity.

   May it be, even for us, in this time..

2 Chronicles 7:14

¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

   And we can be Great only because God considers us Good.

   Not our definition but His..

   Amen 

One Sunday in October...

   What do you want to do this afternoon?

   What about a ride around somewhere?

   Want to go down into Charlton County and see a couple of churches?

   That was the gist of a short conversation on our back porch yesterday, a conversation that culminated in a drive down south, camera in hand, toward Folkston, the county seat of Charlton County.

   A short drive over to Hwy 17 south, a jag south to the community of White Oak, a sign that read "Road Closed Bridge Out", a conversation in the car discussing the need to turn around, more signs, but cars coming the other way toward us

   Maybe...just maybe..

   More signs, then the river, a new bridge in place but the approaches not yet finished, a trip through road fill, up onto the new bridge, another trip through the fill at the west end, out onto Hwy 252, and smooth sailing.

   Corinth Primitive Baptist Church:

   A simple church, built in 1882, a quiet setting in the pines of South Georgia. People worshiped here. I wondered about their lives and their faith.

   Inside it was dark, only the light from the cracks between the boards and the shutters showing the simple pews. Pews where men and women with their families had sat listening and participating.

   I sat and thought for a few moments, then retreated to the car. We had another church to visit.

   On south on 252 into Folkston, then out the west side.

   There it was, on the east side, set back in the pines, Sardis Primitive Baptist Church.

   The setting was quiet, the folks in the cemetery were resting. The front door, barred but unlocked (indeed, there were no locks), beckoned..

  

   As I entered and sat down on the dusty pews, in the half light from outside, I thought about the contrast of worship that this day had brought.

   On this particular Sunday in October, our church on the Island, had its annual Church in the Park, where we gather for one service down in the park by the ocean. Lawn chairs, food for a picnic afterwards, music from the stage with speakers so large that they could probably hear the proceedings on Jekyll, the next island south.

   As I sat in that plain wooden building, cemetery out to the right side, the air still and the pines just standing there, I thought of a verse that began with "If my people, who are called by My Name..."

   And of the contrast between the worship of the morning with the ways of the past.

   But it was still "My People", and that was what mattered.

   Blessed to be in both spots on a glorious Sunday in October.

Remember When...?, Remember That...?, Remember Them...?

   (I wrote this earlier)

   Waking up this morning, I remembered that a couple of old friends, actually a couple, were coming to visit us today. We had begun our friendship back in the Sixties, in Chattanooga. We had "churched" together, and vacationed together with our respective families, 3 kids for them and 3 for us.

   We had continued our friendship over the years we were both in "Choo Choo City", and now in separate locales, they in Franklin, TN, and us here on our Island.

   (Then they came)

   We met for supper over on Jekyll, where they were staying. For a couple of hours we ate, and thought back over old times, and brought each other up to date on families and friends.

   Then we met for lunch at the old hotel to remember some more and talk about things that we had forgotten to say the night before.

   A lot of happy memories...

   As I read in Joshua this morning, a couple of thoughts came to mind.

   Joshua reminds his people of the faithfulness of God as he tells them to remember. Remember the crossing of the Red Sea, the manna in the wilderness.

   But there is more to the story, Joshua reminds that group of wandering Jews of the promises of God also. God will do this and do that for them.

   Looking back and looking forward.

   At our ages, it is easy to look back and talk about what has happened and smile.

   Do we look forward with the same smile?

   True, we have a lot more time behind us than we will have ahead of us in this life on planet earth, but there are things to anticipate as He continues to guide our lives.

   A sunset of life, a pleasant time of remembering, and a time of hope of a life to come.

   Let's grasp that also.

The Day Draweth Nigh...

   What to Do?

   What to Do?

   Early voting is here, and November 8th is approaching fast. Not fast enough to get rid of all the political commercials on TV, but too fast for people who do not know what to do.

   At the top of the ticket of each of the two main political parties lies a flawed candidate, at least in my mind, and, of the decisions to be made, neither is very palatable.

   So what to do?

   Hold my nose and vote for the lesser of two evils, or try to think of it in some other way?

   Here is what I think, and my plan as it stands. Or at the very least, my idea right now before stepping into the voting booth.

   The direction of the country in the future could well be determined by the Supreme Court, so I will cast my ballot for the person whom I feel will nominate judges that hold to the Constitution as written. Right now, that person is Donald Trump, a man who has so much baggage that it is even hard to hear him speak, but with whom I think the country will be less injured in the long run.

   The second part of my plan is to make sure to vote for the down ballot men and women that may be elected to be a buffer to whatever may go on at the top. An independent House and Senate that might be able to keep the country safe, sound and, at the very least, viable till a more suitable President might be elected.

   The one condition that we might not survive is a strong President, a weak Legislature, and a manipulative Court. We need a proper check and balance system.

   So that is my plan this Saturday morning as I sit here.

   Could it change in a few minutes? Sure, but...

   Back of it all, I think, is the statement I heard some time back:

   "God gives us the leaders that we deserve."

   Now I believe that God is indeed in control over all the affairs of men, that His will will be done, and that it is the best for all who believe.

   And I believe that I am only a fly speck on the pages of history, but I want my speck to be a part of the story line.

   So I will continue to pray and seek His guidance, then I will vote as is my duty as a citizen, and I will wait to see it all unfold.

   In the meantime, time does indeed march on..

Ellaville @ Eight

   What's a refugee to do when presented with a free Saturday while waiting to go home?

   How about a photo escape into a small town?

   We had visited Ellaville once before, when on our Georgia Courthouse tour, and, since our base was  only 10 or so miles away, we decided to make an early 8AM foray back there.

   The sun was just breaking in the eastern sky as we neared downtown.

   Looming over the whole area was the Schley County courthouse, where, a couple of years ago, we got the word on pronunciation of the county name. Schley pronounced "Sly".

   What is a county seat look like at 8AM on a Saturday?

   Well most of the folks were coming for breakfast in the Grill.

   Pickup trucks were in abundance, as was this good looking Chevy.

   No one was working yet (except in the Grill), but the businesses looked ready. The eastern side of the town square looked like this. Farm Bureau, Dry Cleaners, Pizza Place, Storefront Offices and the Oasis Church, plus a Lumber Supply across the street to the south.

   Only one short block away were the remnants of other working places whom time had passed by.

   The Grill was the only early opening business on the north side of the square, but there were also the Chamber of Commerce (in the old bank building) plus several others.

   One prominent building was the gymnasium from the era of an old high school.

   Then there were the staples of Southern county seats in Georgia:

   The courthouse

   The Water Tower

   The flag

   and the soldier, dressed in gray, guarding the town.

   A good morning, a somewhat typical small town, and some shots to help us remember. Thanks Ellaville for being there for us.