Today was an absolutely gorgeous day! We drove up to Black Mountain State Park where the temperature was 68 degrees. That was hard to believe, but we were on top of the Eastern Continental Divide and over 3,600 feet high in some rolling northeast Georgia mountains. “High in the rugged eastern ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, the area that comprises the park is some of the oldest land mass on earth. The roots of these mountains are probably over a billion years old, while the rocks and dirt nearer the surface were formed later. Typical of the southern Appalachian eastern ridge, the mountains are actually mostly rock, with a thin layer of soil to cover them. When these mountains were originally formed they rose five to ten miles above the earth’s surface, towering over the present day Rockies or Himalayans.”  (taken from the Georgia State Park brochure)

Cocoa posed for a photo but only after I told her that I had “treats.”

She is a gentle dog that only gets sweeter as she gets older. I think I will keep her forever!

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.

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.

The other day I was walking back from “the falls” when a visitor ask me, “Is it still there?” I said, “Yep! Just like it has been for at least 200 years!”

We were out for a drive to see “the cows,” and we also ran into a bull that did not appreciate Chipley and his insistent whining. He just came up to the fence and stared and then turned his head without dropping his gaze. After I took this photo, I decided it was best to drive on and not upset Mr. Bull.

Chipley has learned to love the cows, which is quite a relief since there are so many in this area.