Last Saturday I went into the guestroom and discovered Chipley trying to get up on the bed. Why? Bears and bunnies were being unpacked and displayed. Most were gifts from my Mom and needed to be placed in a secure location—one that was out of harm’s way. Since Chip is a little guy, they are safe here. But when it comes to Cocoa Joy (the dog that took first place in her agility class at Dog School 101), it’s a different story. Thankfully, she was not around when I took this photo.

The college’s land backs up to the national forest, which I always thought was really cool until learned how many animals of various sizes live in these wooded areas!

It’s been years since I have been to this part of Lake Burton, which has a quiet sleepy cove. Back then a group of us would drive to the lake and talk about having dinner at LaPrades. Usually, we had little to no money and could not afford it. We learned today that the restaurant closed in the late ’80′s, but we discovered that the lake is as beautiful as ever.

A quick stop by a trout stream just to bait my appetite for brown trout, which is native to Georgia but rarely caught today. Most steams in northeast Georgia are stocked with Rainbow Trout—just as delicious.

A perfect sunset and a perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.