Sometimes you just have to get away and go for a ride. And if you live in northeast Georgia, it is really cool to get away and buy some stone ground grits and oatmeal at Nora Mill! For the past few years, driving to the mill has become one of my fun afternoon things to do. On this day, the sun was out, the car’s sunroof was open and the weather was super nice! We’ve had such a rainy winter, and I have been in recovery mode for months. So, it was just good to be out in the sun and enjoy the first few days of Spring.

The mill is known for having lots of very fresh flours and grains. My favorite is the white speckled grits. I’ve eaten shrimp and grits all along the coast, and the grits I buy here are absolutely the best. They have the perfect texture and they are fresh . . . something to dream about. (smile)

I love the old mill stones that are found in this area of the state. At one time there were many mills in operation because there was such a demand for fresh flour. Freshly ground grains were once a necessity. Today, they are more of a novelty and a healthy thing to do. The mill stone in this photo has seen better days and the guys below probably have seen lots of really good days.

 

Some of the first owners and operators of the mill—got to love these mountain men!

I always enjoy a trip out behind the building to where I can watch the local trout swim above and below the dam. Beth and Pat were busy shopping inside so I went out to play with my camera alone.

I’m standing on top of the mill race, which is where the water travels down into the mill. Of course, water powers this mill’s hydraulics. Looking down you can see the dam and you can see my shadow . . . . Funny things about shadows, when you see yours, you want to wave. . . .

So, I did and I hope no one was watching because they would have wondered what in the world I was doing. Well, maybe they would have thought that I was waving at the huge trout that live in the river above and below the dam.

These are the head waters of the Chattahoochee River that runs through Atlanta and on to the Gulf. Up here the water is clear and clean.

 

 

 

 

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