I love these doors. I finally stopped yesterday afternoon and took a photo of them. They have been restored, and I think that they are so simple that they are elegant. The church is beautiful. I also had a chance to go inside and see where the founder of Toccoa Falls College preached for so many years. Dr. R. A. Forrest (pictured below) was the pastor from 1925 until 1950.

“In 1925, the First Presbyterian Church issued him a call to become their pastor. After much consideration and with the understanding that he would be able to continue his evangelistic work throughout the United States and Canada, he accepted the call and served as pastor of this church for twenty-five years. During his pastorate a beautiful brick edifice was built, and the church membership increased. It is of interest to note that, though he felt several times that he should resign because of the pressure of his other duties. The church refused to allow this until he reached the age of retirement.” —Taken from the book: Achieving The Impossible with God.

Here’s another view of the doors. I love the lamp post, too!

Visit any Mast General Store and you will feel like you have stepped back in time. You also will feel very welcomed. I don’t know how the people, who own this group of stores do it, but from the moment you walk in the door to the time you leave, you feel like you have walked into a place that is warm and friendly. They love for you to bring your dog/dogs with you (if the animal is well behaved) and will even go out of their way to offer your pup dog treats. In fact, Cocoa Joy walks through the store attracting comments and doggy cookies from one sales associate after another. The photo above was taken at the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. It is the original store, and from the moment you walk through the door, you realize you have stepped into a bit of history.

The store contains a small Post Office. In fact a sign hanging near the window says: “This is a Working Post Office. Please Do Not Attempt to Open the Mailboxes.” Guess there is nothing like curious shoppers!

Wander through the rooms and you will find something to purchase. I love the shoe section (in a room beyond this one). You also can open the old Coca Cola cooler (in the foreground) and pull out a small bottom of Coke—absolutely the best!

This is the way America shopped in the 30′s and 40′s. Even the old gas (petrol) pump is still in it’s original place.

When I was young, my dad would put me up in a peach tree and tell me to climb up to the top and pick the ripest fruit. A child can easily wiggle his or her way through the tender limbs to where the very best peaches are located. Without fail, I always came home itching like crazy from the peach fuzz on my skin. Peaches like the ones in this photo ripened by the hot summer sun are just down right delicious!

Rows of peach trees in a local orchard are a beautiful sight, especially at sunset. Too bad this was taken at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

I bought peaches at the orchard and white peaches from Jaemor Orchards just north of Gainesville. White peaches (the fruit or “flesh” inside the peach is white) are the best in my opinion. Nothing compares to Georgia Belle peaches. Without a doubt, they are the best for home-made peach ice cream.

Earlier, we stopped by the farmers market in Toccoa where we purchased homemade jelly and pickles from Mrs. Smith. That’s right, there is really a Mrs. Smith, and she has wonderful canned goods.

Here’s one for my former newspaper editor. The guy would always run a snow photo on the front page of the newspaper on the hottest day of summer. I confess that I’m torn. I’m so hot that I wish it was cooler but not this cold. I think when I took this photo it was around 18 degrees, and I was standing on the edge of a rocky gorge in northwest PA! The evening wind was whipping around my neck and my feet were frozen from being outside most of the day doing photography. . . . Extremes. Wonder why we always seem to be dealing with extremes?

Years ago, I was charmed by this old homestead. It’s located near Yonah Dam; and while I was in college, I often rode out to a park located across from this barn and the house that is attached to it. In the summer, I would listen to normal sounds coming from the family who lived here—sounds that families make when they are together. The closing of a screen door, the sound of a mother’s voice as she calls to her son, or the chatter of friends on the screened-in front porch. The house is silent now and the barn is empty. Last week, I walked across the yard to the barn after realizing that Georgia Power now owns the property. “It’s sad,” I commented to a friend, “Time really does change things.”