I love the way summer says good bye with a gentle voice. Our mountain daisies still link like a friend who really doesn’t want to leave because the conversation has been endearing and sweet. “We’ll meet again,” I always say—after fall and winter has come our way. “Good bye, dear friend, good bye.”

I remember my rockin’ horse and how I spent hours on it riding the “range” looking for the Lone Ranger. Okay, I may have just dated myself. The TV programs were reruns, folks.

These two (Cocoa Joy and Chip) had to go for their Sunday afternoon walk alone—meaning without Michael and Raphael. Last week we had tons of fun with Mary Erna and her dogs. But this week, we headed out on our own and ended up at Anna Ruby Falls. This is a really cool short hike that we did earlier in the spring. It’s close so we can do it easily on a Sunday afternoon. These are two really good Dog School 101 dogs. Sit, stay, and watch—well sort of. Chipley is watching another dog as it goes down the pathway.

Anna Ruby Falls is really spectacular. It lies in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest and is about an hour and a half north of Atlanta. The quiet coolness of the area is broken only by the thundering rush of water flowing over the rugged cliff face. The Falls marks the junction of Curtis and York Creeks. Both creeks begin on Tray Mountain and are fed by underground springs, rain, and snow. Curtis Creek drops 153 feet and York Creek 50 feet to form the twin waterfalls known as Anna Ruby Falls. From the falls, Smith Creek tumbles downhill to Unicoi Lake and then to the Chattahoochee River. It’s journey continues south, eventually joining the Appalachicola River in Florida and ending its 550-mile journey in the Gulf of Mexico.

After last week’s two mile hike straight uphill, you would think I had learned a lesson. But when I saw a “short” trail that wound its way up Springer mountain and to the top of Amicalola Falls, I was off with dogs in tow. I did think to ask friends if they thought we could make it. “Sure.” And “Sure” again were the answers, but like me they were caught up in the moment of being a part of a dog pack and watching everyone be nice to one another.

Half way to the top of the mountain, we stopped for water. That’s when a lady and her son rushed past us. They only stopped long enough to tell us that they had heard a growl up ahead. I laughed, but friend Mary Erna didn’t.

“I’m worried about bears,” she said as she reached in her day sack and pulled out a huge can of pepper spray.

“Yikes!” I said. “Make sure you only point that stuff at bears!” Secretly, I liked the idea she had it with her, but I also knew that no respectable bear would come after four dogs and three screaming women!

We reached the top without incident and fell in love with the view! It was windy and so refreshing.

Here’s Michael. (I couldn’t resist posting this) He’s smiling and why wouldn’t he? He’s checking out Cocoa Joy. Several people stopped to talk with us about the dogs and we told everyone that they were all trained by the trainers at Dog School 101 in Atlanta. They’re the best!

There must have been some really good sniffs around this tree.

Here’s the take away from the day: a beautiful waterfall—one that is four times higher than Niagara. This is only the top section.

And here is the lower section. We stood in the middle at the overlook while the dogs worried about the moving water below us.

Then it was time to head out to eat dinner and home. The dogs were exhausted and I was, too. But we had tons of fun! Thank you, ME for driving north and for bringing your “Bear Spray!”

Yesterday, I was with friends in Atlanta and over heard two of them talking about which Starbucks was their favorite. I thought silently, “This is one conversation I’ll never hear in Toccoa!”

When I lived in Atlanta, there were five Starbucks locations within two to four miles of my house. Before they closed two down, there were seven! Can you say overkill? One overlooked the Silver Comet Trail. But I didn’t care for it because the parking lot was small—hard to get in and out of. Others thought so, too.

The one that I always liked the most was the one near the Galleria on Cobb Parkway. Today, however, I think my favorite is the one on Atlanta Road near Vinings. I have good memories of that location. Cocoa Joy and I spent many afternoons there sitting out in the sun sipping Vanilla Cafe Americanas after a hard day on the key board. The one in the photo above was my favorite stop on the way to work in the mornings (Hwy 41). I would grab my Americana, take a deep breath, and get on I-285 for the drive over to Dekalb County. Those were my Starbucks Days!