Does anyone remember the scene (movie or book) in J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe of Middle-earth (“The Lord of the Rings: The Coming of the King”), where the White Tree of Gondor begins to grow? It stood as a symbol of hope in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Trith. Yesterday as I walked out my back door, I noticed the little wisteria tree that I had planted years ago at the house in Atlanta and replanted last year here had changed.

I immediately thought of the scene in Tolkien’s novel where the fourth Tree of Gondor—a sapling—began to bear leaves and how this signified the coming of the true King. My wisteria had been separated years ago from the original vine Evelyn Forrest had planted at her cottage on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. I had taken it to Atlanta where I carefully planted it in a very large terracotta container, but it never grew. And it certainly never bloomed. Then I brought it back to this area and there it was: bearing new leaves along with being in full bloom!

“The coming of hope?” I asked. Maybe. The coming of the True King? That would be glorious!

Have you ever had one of “those” days when you wanted to hop on a train and just ride until you can’t ride any more? Well, today is “one of those days.” In fact, do you remember the ad on TV (if you are in America) that said, “Calgon, take me away!”? It was a marketing campaign created to “take us away” mentally from the stress of the day. This photo was taken a couple of years ago while I was in England. The thought of it flashed back through my mind today and immediately, I was there and not here. What was I thinking about the moment I took this picture? Getting back to London to have dinner with friends. . . . . Calgon take me away!!

There’s a place on Lake Hartwell called Broken Bridges. I finally drove to it last night with the dogs and have to say it is one of the most peaceful places in this area. It is where an old iron truss bridge once spanned the lake helping to mark the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia. Today, the bridge has been “broken” or really the center section removed so no one will attempt to drive across it.

As I was leaving, I asked a fisherman, who was casting and recasting his lines off the bridge, “What are you fishing for?”

“Bass,” he replied. “Two years ago that is all I caught here. Lately, I’m afraid my wife wonders if I even go fishing because I haven’t caught anything in weeks!”

As I walked back to the car, I whispered a prayer, “Lord, please help him to catch ‘the big one’ tonight.”

Saturday was one of those rare rainy days when Toccoa Falls  really began to churn as the water poured over it. Later that afternoon, the clouds broke up and the sun came out and so did the butterflies.

And the students came out, too Here’s Jacob taking time to walk to the falls and enjoy it’s beauty.

PJ loves for me to work at home and take breaks and come out on the sun porch with him.

He just settles in and naps and naps and naps. In fact, now that I think about it both dogs took a nap with him.

Until he discovered that Chip was napping on the sofa instead of on the floor with Cocoa Joy. That’s when he tapped Chip on the head and said, “Wake up sleepy baby!”

After a few minutes, I went back to my office and Chip, who was wide awake, stationed himself where he could watch the doves playing in the rain on the hill behind the house.