The members of this little church in the Sautee Nachoochee Valley have figured it out. Without a doubt they know what they have on their hands—a beautifully kept historical structure. They recently restored and painted it drawing even more attention to this simple but elegant country church. They even repainted the doors, and I’m convinced they tried to match the color of the sky.

The Christmas rush has all of us running in so many different directions that I thought this photo of a perfectly lovely setting would be a welcoming reminder of the true meaning of Christmas—to worship the Savior as we gather with friends and family this weekend.

More photos of Chip and Cocoa are coming a little later.

No snow this year. In fact, the cherry trees in the area are blooming! What’s going on with the weather? The above photo was taken a couple of days ago when I took the dogs for a walk. The group I was with was in long sleeve tee shirts, jeans, and hiking shoes. No coats, or boots, or hoods.

Every Christmas I end up dropping by the Old Sautee Store in the Sautee Nacoochee Valley. “When it was built in 1872, it was a true general store.” Farmers bought seed and farm supplies along with all the other things needed to live in a wilderness area. The Unicoi Turnpike runs in front of the store. In fact when you get out of your car, you are standing on very historical land. This is the route traveled by native American Indians, who were traveling north.

I didn’t think I could take a photo in the dark museum portion of the store. But as I sat down in a welcoming rocker, I decided to give it a try. I placed the camera on the arm rest and took this photo on a very low light setting. The Old Sautee Store is one of the most inviting places along the turnpike. The other place I have photographed and written about often is the Nora Mill, where you can buy freshly ground oats, flour, and much more.

It’s only fitting that these guys watch over the entrance to the Old Sautee Store.

Yesterday I talked with a friend who works at the local newspaper. Her property backs up to the National Forest and after living in the Atlanta area for many years, she told me she thought living here was pure bliss. I have to agree, especially when I walk along pathways like this.

Late Tuesday afternoon a Toccoa friend and I hiked back to the place where I had found this little Christmas tree days earlier. It was hidden away deep within the 1,100 acres surrounding Toccoa Falls. As we approached, we knew that we had to decorate its  “Charlie Brown” branches. And suddenly this song came to mind—

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite.

Said the little lamb to the shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light