I probably need to get a new gig! I’ve been driving up to the Mark of the Potter for years. In fact, before I lived in this area, I would drive up for the day from Atlanta. It’s always a relaxing drive and a fun destination in the northeast Georgia Mountains.

The reason we drove here last Saturday is because we decided that if the rain was not going to stop anytime soon, we would just join in on the fun and take photos of the swollen rivers and waterfalls. This is the sloping falls behind Mark of the Potter, which many years ago was an old grist mill.

Inside, there’s lots of really cool pottery. (Judging by this photo, it looks like there’s a lot of other things, too.) The store has remained pretty much the same from when I was just out of high school! Yikes! I went to college not far from here so this was a regular Sunday afternoon destination. Hope no one minds, but I always dress down and casual for my times in the mountains. I think I even had hiking shoes on!

We are sitting on top of a road(!) with a stream running beneath the car. Ted Turner (everyone knows Ted. He started CNN.) owns the property on the other side of the river—the Soque River, which has some of the best trout fishing in the country.

Then as usual, we headed up to Nacoochee Valley, where I tried out my new neutral density filter. Always love this setting, too. I recently saw a painting that Autumn Strickland did of the Indian Mound with a few simple cows. I immediately decided that I’m going to have to get a print!

And of course, we ended up at Nora Mill (the third time this month!) because we wanted to see what the Chattahoochee River looked like. This is the northern part of the river that ends up running through Atlanta and then south to the coast. Here the river is narrow, the waters are clear, and there’s plenty of rainbow, and even native brown trout. (Best on the grill)

We were trying out new cameras. So, Anne and I decided to take photos of one another—LOL! I guess we wanted to see how many imperfections the cameras caught on our faces, and the answer is plenty. We both said, “Good Grief!”

More of the River—just powerful water. It’s been fun, but I’m ready for snow!

The best thing to do on a Saturday afternoon is to take home an armful of things from the mill—grits, pancake mix, and porridge! The guy who owns this place always talks with me. I’ve watched him grow into an older guy, who knows so much about the mill and this area. He understands its history and is committed to keeping it pretty much the same as it was in the 1800’s. It is also a fun place to go, and it’s the real deal, especially when it come to the grains that are ground here.

Grits—white and yellow—y’all!

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