Laurel of Northeast Georgia Oct 23

laurel of Northeast Georgia

October 2023 • Volume Twenty • Issue Ten

from the publisher

Hey!

The harvest means so many different things to each of us; images of corn fields, orchards, vineyards, gourds and pumpkins, fall leaves, the smell of fresh apples with cinnamon and pumpkin spice (yes, I am one of those) fill my mind. Ahh, the joys of the Autumn season. Festivals and celebrations delight us, as do the cooler temps and colors that seem to spread across the mountains.

This is my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of wood smoke, the crunch of fall leaves on the ground under my feet and the aroma of the forest, it smells like… well, the harvest! The Foxfire Mountaineer Festival will be held at the Rabun County Civic Center on October 7th from 10am – 5pm. A tradition that dates back decades, this festival celebrates the Appalachian culture, traditions and our mountain heritage. Please make plans to attend, you will most certainly enjoy your self. We have included a calendar of events for many festivals around the mountains this season and into the next (Christmas) so that you can plan accordingly.

Peter McIntosh who so graciously provided our cover photo of Cullasaja Falls, will take us on a Fall tour in his Adventure Out column. Lorie Thompson shares her White Chicken Chili recipe which looks scrumptious. We will introduce you to Pete and Deana Carson, the new owners of Sole Place Western Store on Main Street in Clayton. We will tell you about Fred Gretsch and his family who are the proud new owners of Cupboard Cafe in Dillard. You will learn about the history of the Clayton United Methodist Church as they celebrate their sanctuary this month. Did you know how instrumental the Mountain Ivy Garden Club is to the beauty of Rock House Park and Veterans Park? I didn’t either but they are to be applauded!

So settle back with a warm beverage and enjoy your October Laurel. Please support our advertisers every chance you get. They are the reason you have this book in your hands. Thank you for taking us into your home and Happy Fall from all of us! Tracy

Cullasaja Falls can be seen 11 miles east of Franklin and about 9 miles west of Highlands in Macon County, North Carolina. The word Cullasaja comes from a Cherokee word meaning “honey locust place”. The lower portion of the falls is a cascade of water which flows about 250 feet down. It is located on the Cullasaja River at the lower part of the Cullasaja Gorge. It is part of the Mountain Water Scenic Byway. The falls are only visible by car as there is no adequate pull-off spot from the road. The stretch of road known as US Hwy 64 and NC 28 and leads from Franklin to Highlands. The road is very narrow and curvy but in addition to Cullasaja Falls you can enjoy Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls thus Mountain Water Scenic Byway! If you visit Highlands on your adventure be sure to pick up the original Laurel magazine there.

Laurel of Northeast Georgia

Mailing: PO Box 2218 - Clayton, Georgia 30525

Office : 2511 Highway 441

Mountain City, Geo rgia 30562

706-782-1600

www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com

Contributing Writers:

Tori Carver, Jonan Keeny, Dick Cinquina, Lorie Thompson, Liz Alley, Mark Holloway, John Singleton, Tricia Moore, Zack Ford, Dr. Sue Aery, Dee Dee Dillard

STAFF

Publisher/Editor - Marketing - Tracy McCoy

706-982-9197

Art Director - Dianne VanderHorst

Graphics - Lucas McCoy

Marketing & Office Manager - Cindi Freeman

706-982-0216

Assistant Office Manager - D’Anna Coleman

Writer - John Shivers

Photographer / Writer - Peter McIntosh

Copyright 2023 by Rabun’s Laurel Inc. All rights reserved. The Laurel of Northeast Georgia Magazine is published twelve times per year. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publishers and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to the Laurel of Northeast Georgia magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs and drawings. Every effort has been made to assure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Laurel magazine or any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. The Laurel of Northeast Gorgia maintains a Christian focus throughout their magazine. Rabun’s Laurel, Inc. reserves the right to refuse content or advertising for any reason without explanation.

Dry Falls

Adventure Out – Autumn Waterfall Tour

By Peter McIntosh

Ialways want to do a leaf tour of sorts every October, so on this adventure we’re taking a little road trip to see drive up waterfalls, Mud Creek Falls in Georgia and Dry Falls, Cullasaga Falls and Bridal Veil Falls in North Carolina. You can do a little hiking at two of them, Mud Creek and Dry Falls, but I still call then drive ups.

Starting from the intersection of Hwy 441 and Hwy 246 in Dillard, turn right on Hwy 246 and go for 4.2 miles to Bald Mountain Rd. Turn right on Bald Mountain Rd and go 0.9 miles and turn right into Sky Valley, on Sky Valley Way and go 1/2 mile and turn right on Tahoe Lane. Follow Tahoe Lane road 3/4 mile to dead end at the base of the falls. There’s a trail here following Mud Creek that will end near the Dillard Overlook on Hwy 246 if you feel like hiking. It’s not a well maintained trail so keep that in mind.

Now back to Hwy 246, which is now NC Hwy 106 (it changes at the state line) and turn right, heading towards Highlands. At the intersection of Hwy 106 and Hwy 64 in Highlands, turn left, heading west on Hwy 64, 2 miles to Dry Falls and a well marked parking area on left. There are viewing spots that are handicap accessible and there are restrooms here. But if you don’t know, the big selling point of Dry Falls is being able to walk behind the roaring cascade. I suggest bringing a rain jacket as the mist from the falls is, well, very misty!

So onward and downward we go...following along the Cullasaga River Gorge, to Cullasaga Falls. This waterfall is 5.5 miles past Dry Falls on Hwy 64 and is also on the left. The best thing to do is drive past the falls a short way down Hwy 64 and turn around. Returning towards Highlands, pull off to right, completely off road. Be careful here as this is a high traffic area. Now heading back towards Highlands you can drive under Bridal Veil Falls if you’re so inclined. Happy hiking!

It’s month number ten so let my October poem begin: Let’s head up the road when the leaves changing, For a waterfall tour that I’ve been arranging. It’s the perfect time of year I do believes, To see falling water and falling leaves.

To see more of Peter’s photos or if you have a question or comment: www.mcintoshmountains.com

Peter McIntosh is an accomplished professional photographer. His photography is displayed in collections across the country. His passion for nature and the outdoors is what fuels his column. His work is available as fine art prints. Peter offers one on one and small group instruction on camera operation and photography. To see more of Peter’s photos, or if you have a question or comment, visit Peter’s website: www.mcintoshmountains.com

Cullasaga Falls

Mud Creek Falls

Firmly Rooted

Dahlia Tubers

by Victoria “Tori” Carver – Flower Farmer

We only have a few more weeks until our first frost arrives (praise Jesus) so I thought it would be the perfect time to discuss digging and storing your dahlia tubers.

If you are unfamiliar with dahlias you are probably asking yourself, “what in the world is a tuber?!?” Do not be embarrassed, we have all been there.

Dahlias grow differently than most other flowers you may have in your garden. They are not grown from bulbs nor do they behave like annuals. However, in most regions, dahlias are not hardy enough to be considered perennials, either. Luckily, in our climate (and south of our area) it is possible to treat them as a perennial. It is risky, but with proper protection from extreme cold weather and excessive rain, it is possible to leave them in the ground and over-winter them.

If you want to be successful growing dahlias, it is helpful to understand how they grow and that begins with the tubers. While the dahlias are growing and flowering all season above ground, each plant is producing a clump of tubers below the soil’s surface. These tubers are a way for the plant to store energy to help fuel its growth for the following spring.

To access the tubers, each dahlia plant is dug up (by hand, I might add). The rule of thumb is to wait until two killing frosts have occurred before digging up your tubers. Honestly though, they are safe to harvest after they have been in the ground and growing for 120 days. After harvesting, the clumps are washed and stored for the winter. Tubers are susceptible to rot, so the storage temperature should be between 30℉ to 50℉ with the ideal temp hovering around 45℉. The humidity levels should be around 75% to 85%. I store tubers in my basement which is similar to a root cellar. It is affectionately referred to as the “dungeon” and I have a handy dandy thermometer that I monitor throughout the winter.

Victoria (Tori) Carver is a flower farmer. From the thousand bulbs and plants that she puts in the ground each year she creates lovely bouquets. Many enjoy her flowers in their home each week. She has established a subscription program for her customers or a honor-system bouquet sales for random purchases. Tori and her husband and children make their home in Clayton, where they are a treasured part of the community. If you are interested in Firmly Rooted Flower Farm please reach out by email to firmlyrootedflowerfarm@gmail.com or phone 706-490-0041. You will also enjoy their website at www.firmlyrootedflowerfarm.com

During the slow season, I divide my tuber clumps (with flower snips) into individual tubers or smaller, more manageable clumps. When dividing, there are three important parts of a dahlia tuber that must be preserved. The tuber itself, the neck, and the crown. The crown is the top area of the tuber and this is where the eyes form. In order to grow a new plant the following spring, it must have an eye. The size of the tuber does not matter as long as it has an eye. The neck is the narrow part between the body and the crown. Sometimes a clump will only have a couple of viable tubers and sometimes nearly every tuber in a clump has an “eye”. Those tubers are worth their weight in gold.

Once springtime arrives and the weather begins to warm, new sprouts emerge from the eyes. When your soil reaches a consistent 60℉ you are ready to plant and enjoy another glorious dahlia season?

I hope this helped answer any questions you may have about digging and dividing dahlia tubers. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at tori@firmlyrootedflowerfarm.com.

Rabun Paws 4 Life is Gifted the 1,000th Happy Chair and it Could be Yours!

by Tracy McCoy

The Laurel has featured artist and friend John Siegel throughout the years in our magazine. We have done so for good reason. He is a delightful, caring and fantastic artist and has a heart of pure gold. John makes “happy chairs” which come in all sizes from a child’s rocker to adult size rockers because everyone deserves to find joy. He has a pallet of 20 different Behr paint colors that he puts on every chair, using three coats to ensure good coverage and a coat of polyurethane. John made his first happy chair for his first grandchild who is now 23 years old. Most of the unfinished chairs John has purchased and made into Happy Chairs since have been donated to support local charities or given to a child in need. Each one signed “Granddaddy John” on the bottom and numbered. Recently he celebrated his 80th birthday and donated his 1,000th chair! Incredible kindness and generosity from a wonderful artist!

John is a member of the St. James Episcopal Church in Clayton and a special ceremony was held honoring John and blessing the chair. The chair is an adult sized rocking chair painted with a double coat of his “signature” colors and added the 1,000s of dots that lend to the artistry of each chair. It is astounding that he has painted and given 1,000 chairs!

Shoe – My name is Shoe. I am a 5 year old Pit Bull and Mountain Cur mix. I came into the shelter in July of this year as a stray. The caring people here saw that I didn’t look quite right. It is because I have masticatory myositis. It is an immune-medicated, inflammatory condition that affects the muscles in my body. So, my head looks like a deflated basketball but that doesn’t stop me from being the sweetest girl you’ve ever met. I love the company of other dogs and people. So if you have a place for me in your heart and want to come meet me, I’d be so happy.

Blacky – Hi, my name is Blacky and I am a senior 9 year old hound mix. I came into the shelter in June of this year because my owner passed away, no fault of my own. When I got here I had a bad case of the mange but I’ve been treated for that and I look better than ever! I am a super sweet old guy and would love to find another home and family to call my very own. Come meet me.

Cecil – Hi, my name is Cecil. I am a young 1 year and 4 month old Catahoula Leopard pup. I came into the shelter in April of this year. You see my owner’s health was declining and they were no longer able to continue to care for me. I am a good boy and enjoy the company of other dogs. So if you would like to come meet me, I’d be so happy to see you!

So the 1,000th chair was donated to Rabun Paws 4 Life, having just lost his “Paws dog” Curly that he adopted over twelve years ago. The chair is on display in different locations around Rabun County. Raffle tickets are available for purchase at Paws 4 Life, the Edward Jones office in Clayton and other locations around town. Soon they hope to have it where you can purchase tickets through www.rabunpaws4life.com. All proceeds go to Rabun Paws 4 Life. This year the shelter will be the recipient of the proceeds from the Festival of Trees at the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on November 24 & 25. Tickets will be available that day and the winning ticket will be drawn at the conclusion of the festival. Special thanks to John for this amazing gift to Rabun Paws 4 Life.

I might also mention that the shelter is at capacity and there are some fantastic pets waiting to be adopted. If you have room in your heart and home for a shelter dog or cat please visit the shelter’s website or stop in and check out these deserving animals. This month we will feature three that might be just the new family member you are looking for. Also many opportunities to volunteer or donate to the shelter exist, give them a call.

If you are interested in Cecil, Shoe or Blacky, please call 706-782-5422 or e-mail Everette at elampros@rabunpaws4life.com

Have an Artsy Rest of the Year

Fall is time for festivals! Mark your calendars for these fun Fall festivals and events.

RABUN COUNTY

Foxfire Mountaineer Festival

Oct 7, 2023 · Sat, 10:00am - 5:00pm

Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions

201 W Savannah St, Clayton, GA 30525

Join us for the annual Foxfire Mountaineer Festival! Celebrate Appalachian culture, crafts, and music. www.foxfire.org

October Fridays - Tallulah Falls State Park

Every Friday through October, 5-6pm Welcome Hay Ride and Camp Fire Tallulah Gorge State Park

Tallulah Falls, GA - join us for a hay ride and s-more’s for a relaxing evening

Clayton Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday in October – 9am-1pm in the Covered Bridge Shopping Center, next to the Northeast GA Food Bank in Clayton, GA

Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables, Fresh Eggs, Honey, Fresh Flowers, Plants, Soaps & Salves, Beauty Products, Baked Goods, Plus Artist and Crafters claytonfarmersmarketclaytonga on Facebook for more info

Harvest Moon Open House

October 13 – 12:00pm – 9pm Music, Food and Prizes

Check out Facebook for more info.

Sky Valley Fall Fest 2023

Oct 21, 2023 · Sat, 10:00am - 5:00pm

Come enjoy Sky Valley, local vendors, and the beautiful fall foliage. You will have a fabulous time! Hosted by the City of Sky Valley – Georgia’s Highest and Coolest City www.skyvalleyga.com/archive/fall-festival/

Northeast Georgia Arts Tour 2023

Nov 3 - 5, 2023 · Fri, 10:00am - Sun, 4:00pm Visit www.artstour.org or Facebook ngaartstour for a map and details. See Butler Galleries on Main St., Clayton, GA for North Georgia Arts Guild works

Hillside Orchard Farms Fall Farm Day

November 4, 10:00am – 5:00pm Visit Facebook for more info.

Of These Mountains

Fall Marketplace 2023

Nov 4, 2023 · Sat, 11:00am - 6:00pm

Featuring 100 vendors , the Of These Mountains Fall MarketPlace celebrates Fall and the artisans, craftspeople, small businesses & makers who provide the rich culture and color of our region. www.ofthesemountains.com/pages/ marketplace

Hambidge Open House - Hambidge Center

Saturday, November 4 – 1:00pm-4:00pm

Escape to our mountain retreat and wander through artist studios, U-do-Raku, enjoy live music, and festive food and drinks. The Fall Open House is FREE and open to the public. www.hambidge.org

Clayton Cluckers’ Turkey Trot

Nov 23, 2023·Thu, 9:00 AM (EST)

Thanksgiving morning 5K Fun Run through downtown Clayton, GA to benefit the Food Bank’s Food2Kids! Registration at 8am for 9am Start - you’ll be home to put the turkey in by 11am! Put on by the Clayton Merchants and Business Association (CMBA)! Visit Facebook for more info.

HABERSHAM COUNTY

Downtown Clarkesville Fall Festival

Oct 6, 2023 6pm - 8pm

In Downtown Clarkesville

Live music, cornhole, games, cupcake walk, Kona Ice, bouncy houses, face painting, food vendors, shopping, sip and stroll, and more!

City of Baldwin’s 6th Annual Fall Festival

Oct 21, 2023 12pm - Movie at Dark Fun for all ages - hayrides, face painting, a chili cook off, live music, bounce houses,

games for everyone (including cornhole, pumpkin bowling, and skeeball), food and crafts from local vendors, and more! Admission and activities are FREE!!! Meet us at the Baldwin Farmers’ Market at 110 Airport Road, Baldwin

DAWSON COUNTY

Mountain Moonshine Festival

Oct 27 – 29 Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. The Moonshine Festival has as part of its festivities one of the largest auto shows in the Eastern US. The car show is located at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, and the festival spreads throughout historic downtown Dawsonville.

www.blueridgemountains.com

GILMER COUNTY

Cherry Log Festival

Oct 7- 15 – 9:00am – 5:00pm

First two weekends of October in Downtown Cherry Log. Homemade breakfast and lunch, arts and crafts, homemade cakes, bluegrass, gospel and country music.

www.blueridgemountains.com

LUMPKIN COUNTY

Gold Rush Days Festival in Dahlonega

More than 300 art and craft exhibitors and food vendors gather around the Dahlonega Public Square and Historic District in support of Gold Rush Days the third full weekend in October (Oct. 21-22, 2023). www.goldrushdaysfestival.com

TOWNS COUNTY

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival

Oct 6 - Oct 14

Begins the first Friday in October and lasts for 9 days, arts and craft vendors,

exciting music performances, carnival rides, fair food, games and more! www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Appalachian Brew, Stew & Que Festival

Oct 21 – 11:00am – 5:00pm

Hiawassee at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Crat brews, delicious food, regional arts & crafts, and lots of Appalachian & Americana music! www.blueridgemountains.com

UNION COUNTY

Sorghum Festival

Oct 14 – 22, Meeks Park, Blairsville, GA The second two weekends in October. Georgia’s official Sorghum Festival, one of the longest running festivals in north Georgia. A parade kicks off the event. Bluegrass music, cloggers plus a variety of artists and craftsmen.

www.blairsvillesorghumfestival.com

WHITE COUNTY

Oktoberfest

Sept. 28 to Oct. 29, 2023

The event is open to all ages. Admission is $10 during the week, $12 on Fridays & Saturdays, and free on Sundays, with food and drink available for purchase. The doors open at 6pm throughout the week and at 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. www. helenga.org

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

27th Annual Pumpkinfest

Saturday, October 21 - 9:00am to 4:00pm in Downtown Franklin

Get ready to let the good times roll during Franklin, North Carolina’s 27th Annual PumpkinFest! PumpkinFest rolls into action at 9:00am and Historic Downtown Franklin, North Carolina is full tilt with everything pumpkin. Bring your pumpkin (or purchase one downtown) and sign up early for the World Famous Pumpkin Roll. There is a Costume Parade and Contest and a Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, nearly 80 vendors including mountain arts & crafts along with great food!

2nd Annual Fall Cruise In

Oct 7th 11am – 3pm

The WNC Pharaoh’s cruise in is scheduled in conjunction with the Sweet Fall Bake-off Competition hosted by Kitchen Sink, Inc. & Renee’s Cake Shoppe, and will also benefit Night to Shine - Cartoogechaye Baptist/ Discover Church - Franklin, NC!!

John C. Campbell Fall Festival

Oct 7 - 8 – 10:00am – 5:00pm

Always the first full weekend in October at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Celebrate Appalachian heritage, featuring a wide variety of craftspeople, continuous live music and dance, craft demonstrations, good food, and more.

THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Holiday Bazaar

Nov 4 & 5, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Towns County Rec Center, Young Harris, GA Shop over 75 vendors offering a wide variety of homemade crafts, art, gourmet foods and Christmas decor. Sponsored by the Lake Chatuge Chamber of Commerce, 706-896-4966

Holiday Arts & Crafts Shopping

Extravaganza and Festival of Trees

Nov 24 & 25, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm Rabun County Civic Center - Clayton, GA

Over 36 artists and crafters will be selling their wares - great for holiday gift giving! Browse the wonderfully custom decorated trees and place a bid on your favorite or, enter in the 50/50 raffle - Winners will be announced at the end of the festival, but need not be present to win and delivery is available. Get a picture with Santa and enjoy concessions and entertainment throughout the day. Admission is free and all proceeds to benefit a local charity.

Festival of Trees

Benefiting our local Paws 4 Life

Over 30 decorated trees (3” to 7.5”) will be available for bidding. Auction will end on Saturday at 3:00pm. Delivery available with a fee.

Paws 4 Life will also be offering real fire hydrants painted by some of our amazing local artists for bidding.

Clayton Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 2 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm Downtown Clayton, GA

Black Rock State Park Holiday

Jamboree on the Mountain

Saturday, December 9 – 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Enjoy the holidays on top of Black Rock Mountain State Park with live music, holiday nature crafts, a visit from Santa, and hayrides. Activities will take place in the campground and Mellinger Center.

Christmas Market

December 9 – 9am-1pm

at the Clayton Farmers’ Market in the Covered Bridge Shopping Center, next to the Northeast GA Food Bank in Clayton, GA Join with your old friends from the Clayton Farmers’ Market and new ones to celebrate the season.

claytonfarmersmarketclaytonga on Facebook for more info

Old Clarkesville Market Holiday Show

Nov 18, 2023 9am - 4pm

Local handmade arts & crafts, home décor, artisan food items and more. Live entertainment for your listening pleasure and Santa will be here too.

Habersham County Fairgrounds

4235 Toccoa Hwy, Clarkesville, GA

Christmas in Downtown Cornelia

Dec 9th, 2023 4pm - 8pm

Food, Hot Beverages, Hayrides and Visit with Santa

Winter Wonderland 2023

Saturdays, November 25th & December 2nd

5:00pm to 8:00pm

Join with the Town of Franklin as we ring in the holidays with Winter Wonderland. These annual events are held on the two Saturdays after Thanksgiving from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Plus! you’ll be able to enjoy enhanced holiday decor throughout the season with many great photo opportunities.

North Georgia Arts Guild Brenda Hutchings and The Fascinating World of Fiber Arts

Entering Brenda Hutchings’ studio is like being transported to a world where all things fiber reigns. Here in the studio she shares with two other fiber artists, she has the space and freedom to create to her heart’s content. That creativity is immediately obvious in her work. If it involves fiber, Brenda has probably done it, and that includes felting, quilting, flat fiber painting, spinning, knitting, crochet, and creating with paper. Her wet felted creations include gorgeous nuno scarves, wet felted vessels, unique felted purses, felt flowers and book covers. She also makes earrings from paper clay with a durable, polished finish, as well as designing and creating art dolls

Brenda’s affinity for fiber began when she was in the 6th grade, when she became ill with pneumonia and was out of school for two months recovering. She was introduced to fiber arts in the form of a crewel kit her mother gave to her to help her through this time of inactivity. Her love for art led her to pursue a BA Degree in Graphic Design from Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. A job in advertising, marriage, and children followed. Through the years though, she never lost her passionate love for art, and especially fiber arts.

Brenda’s experiences with fiber arts include some adventuresome alpacas and the forming of a creative center. Around 16 or so years ago, Brenda acquired some Alpacas, which she put in her backyard. Evidently they decided they wanted to explore the neighborhood, so they broke through the fence and escaped. That led to her moving to a five-acre farm where the alpacas had room to roam. Then in 2015, Brenda purchased an old doll factory in Valparaiso, Illinois and transformed it into the Roundhouse Fiber Farm and Creative Center. Here she held classes, sold her art, had art gatherings and organized field trips.

By Tricia Moore

Brenda and her family moved to Sautee Nacoochee and made their home there in 2020. Although she has been in the Northeast Georgia area for only three years, she has already gained recognition for her wonderful fiber creations, winning the Producer’s Choice award in the NGAG 2022 Painted Fern Festival. In spite of the pandemic that the country was in the midst of at the time of the move, Brenda wasted no time getting acquainted with the arts community. In the time she has been here, she has, among other things, entered art shows, worked at the Spirits Fiber Works Mill in Cleveland and helped organize Fiber Fest, a fiber festival held on Mother’s Day weekend at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. Her work at the mill involves the processing of the fiber “from the shearing through skirting, washing, de-hairing, and carding into either roving, batts, or bumps.”

Tricia Moore is a retired teacher, having taught both English and Art in public and private school settings. She is currently an active member of the NGAG and has held several positions on the board. With her background in both art and writing, she feels that writing the NGAG featured artist article in the Laurel of Northeast Georgia is a good fit and something that she will greatly enjoy doing.

Wet felting is one of Brenda’s main interests and her enthusiasm in talking about it is contagious. Basically wet felting is using a combination of water, soap and agitation on animal fibers to cause the fibers to lock into each other. The most common fiber used is sheep’s wool, but fiber from alpacas, goats and other animals is also used. Brenda states she loves the versatility of wet felting and compares it to pottery in that respect. In many of the projects, Brenda uses what she refers to as a “resist.” This is used to separate sections of her felted project so that they do not felt into one another. For instance, she would use a resist between the front and back of a felted purse. In any case though, the agitation is what causes the wet, soapy fibers to lock into each other and cause the felting. In the creation of her beautiful nuno scarves, Brenda starts with an open weave fabric such as chiffon silk, layering the fiber roving on top. Brenda states that she generally orders the merino wool she uses from a wholesaler in bulk. She is able to obtain the alpaca wool locally at the Spirit Fiber Works in Cleveland, Georgia, and even closer to home, she is able to use the wool from her own two Pygora goats, that are a cross between the Pygmy and Angora goats. But no matter what fiber she uses, Brenda’s creations are always amazingly unique and creative.

For information on Brenda’s work and

Finding Art

If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. — Vincent van Gogh

The Family Table

by Lorie R. Thompson

It is a beautiful day here in the mountains. I have waited through three full seasons for the Fall weather to return! It feels wonderful to enjoy crisp, cool nights and days with low humidity and clear blue skies! The beauty of the mountainsides is just an added bonus!

Cooking food for my family is an expression of love for me. I cook when we suffer a loss, and I cook when we are experiencing joy. Food is my love language, and I love BIG! Let me share the recipe for a meal that feels like a big hug while you enjoy it.

I am sure you see daily social media postings of Charcuterie ideas. The latest making the Facebook circle has been for a Chili Board. I have been doing this forever. A little different because I use my Lazy Susan for ease of serving. (I hope I don’t offend the “Susans” of the World. It is what I have always heard my round server called. LOL) I have always heard that everything old comes around as a new idea, just repackaged, and the Chili Board and the Charcuterie Board craze are great examples of that!

Let me share the recipe for my White Chicken Chili and all the trimmings.

To make the Chili, I use four chicken thighs. Boneless and

skinned breast or thigh meat is fine, too. Chicken thighs were on sale this week, and I like the additional flavor the bone brings to the Chili, and using the crispy fried skin as a topping will make the perfect Chili even better.

Start by pre-heating a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot with 2-3 T olive oil. If using chicken thighs, strip the skins off and fry them in the oil until the skin is crispy. Remove to a paper towel to drain and lightly salt the skin. Reserve for use on top of the Chili when serving. Cooking the skin into the olive oil adds a ton of flavor to your base for the Chili.

Next, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and brown in the olive oil. I add the bones in, too, and remove them just before serving. Move the chicken to one side of the pot and add one large or two small onions, chopped. As the onions soften, add 3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves. Season the meat, onions, and garlic with salt.

Add 1/2 tsp of Parsley, Cumin, Coriander, Cayenne, (Don’t be a wimp... add it in.) and crushed red pepper.

Add two cans of chopped green chilis (no heat in these at all.) Add a can (or two if you like them) of white beans. Any kind. Your choice. Drain

Lorie Thompson is a REALTOR at Poss Realty in Clayton, Georgia. Her expertise in her industry is second only to her culinary talents. Lorie is a dynamo in the kitchen. Honestly if she prepares it, it will likely be the best you’ve ever had! Lorie and her husband, Anthony (Peanut), make their home in the Persimmon Community. She is the proud mother of Joe Thompson and Kendall Thompson.

and rinse the beans before adding. Add 32 oz of Chicken stock. Cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

Add 4 oz of Cream Cheese before serving and stir into the soup. The Cream Cheese adds taste and texture to the soup, and that 1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper and Crushed Red Pepper will fade into the background notes, leaving loads of flavor with no heat. Serve piping hot with any of the following sides to add to your bowl: Chopped cilantro. A squeeze of a lime wedge. Thinly sliced radishes that have been sitting in Red Wine Vinegar for a few minutes. Cheese of your choice. A dollop of sour cream. Chopped green onions. Sliced pickled or candied jalapenos. Fritos or tortilla chips and, to make a great meal even more perfect add some Hoe Cakes.

Try these cornmeal pancakes:

Mix 1/2 C of self-rising cornmeal and 1/2 C of self-rising flour. Add one egg, 1 C whole buttermilk, 1 tsp sugar, 14 cup melted butter. Allow the batter to sit for five minutes before frying.

Fry one tablespoon at a time on a black iron skillet on medium-high heat. Fry in oil or bacon grease. Serve hot alongside the Chili or with syrup or honey for dessert.

I hope you will try these recipes and enjoy this meal with your family.

God bless you! Have a happy Fall!

A Taste of the Mountains

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” - Julia Child

Welcoming The Gretsch Family to Dillard’s Cupboard Cafe

by Tracy McCoy

Having made a reputation for themselves in Crawford, Georgia, just outside of Athens on Highway 78, the Gretsch family is known for their barbecue. Having been called “a haven for meat lovers seeking top-notch flavors” by Athens Magazine, owner Fred Gretsch accepts nothing short of excellence when it comes to his famous Southern barbecue. Having been a connoisseur of great barbecue, Fred knows that it all starts with exceptional cuts of meat. Serving brisket, pulled pork, and chicken at G Brand BBQ of course accompanied by all of the traditional sides, Fred welcomes people from near and far to experience his specialty.

With a background in farming and having worked on farms and ranches most of his life, Fred prioritizes sourcing local beef, chicken and pork. Some of their beef comes from the Gretsch Brothers Angus cattle-farming operation. Wherever possible he will support the community by purchasing local chicken and pork as well. The G Brand company produces an impressive line of sauces to accompany their mouthwatering meats, available for purchase by his restaurants’ guests.

When Fred Gretsch met Charlene Johnson of Cupboard Cafe fame, the two agree that God’s hand was at work. Charlene having opened the restaurant in 1987, was looking to slow down a bit and enjoy herself and Fred felt God was opening a door for him to serve the mountain community in northeast Georgia and western North Carolina. Fred, the new owner of Cupboard Cafe, is excited about the future,

impressed with the restaurant that Charlene has built and has enjoyed getting to know the community.

On June 1st Fred fell right into step as the new owner of the Cupboard Cafe. Within weeks Fred opened the Cafe back up to serve breakfast to his loyal customers. The majority of the staff at the Cupboard have been serving up deliciously Southern food here for well over 15 years. As a member of the kitchen staff himself, Fred acknowledges the outstanding employees he inherited with the purchase of the cafe. Serving excellent food and hospitality are just one of the amazing qualities of the family of employees at the Cupboard Cafe. The relationships between the customers and employees were apparent from day one.

One goal that Fred has for the restaurant is to bring back three meals each day, Wednesday–Sunday. Currently they are open from 7 AM – 4 PM but plans are in place to add dinner hours in the coming months. How will the menu change? Well fortunately G Brand BBQ will be added to the Cupboard Cafe’s menu and as the new owners settle in there may be other additions or changes but they are expected to be minimal. Southern hospitality is at the core of both G Brand BBQ and our Cupboard Cafe and that will remain the same. Every dish will continue to be crafted with the finest ingredients and dedication to excellence. So join me in welcoming the Gretsch family to Dillard, Georgia.

The Cupboard Cafe and Gifts is located at 7388 US Hwy 441 in Dillard. For additional information call 706-746-5700 or follow them on Facebook.

My World Travels Lost Treasure

by Jonan Keeny

My first recollection of Jimmy Buffett, at least outside of the song “Margaritaville,” was through a high school friend of mine. He was absolutely obsessed with Jimmy’s music. I, on the other hand, was obsessed with Metallica, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and many other bands nowhere near the same vibe as Jimmy. As it turned out, that friend and I roomed together our first year in college. You might think that that was a perfect opportunity for Jimmy to grow on me, and it probably was. But he didn’t.

A few years later, while I was in grad school, I was gathering supplies for a road trip that would take around 20 hours one-way. As I was finishing up my caffeine and sugar gathering, I realized that I had been listening to the same CDs in my car for quite some time, so I allowed myself to splurge on one new album to throw in the player. For some reason, the album I chose that day was Jimmy’s “Songs You Know By Heart.”

As I began my trip, new music blasting, I chuckled to myself for making that disc my new music purchase. But I quickly got pulled in by the wonderful sentiments Jimmy was so eloquently able to convey through his lyrics. It didn’t take me long to realize that the man was an absolute lyrical genius and I had most definitely been missing out for years. Before too long, I became my former friend/ roommate and insisted people stop and “listen to this line, it’s amazing!”

Despite my formal studies being in classical music, Jimmy stayed with me pretty constantly. He became my go-to, rather than the previously mentioned bands. When I started buying his live albums, my love for his music grew even more. And I think that is when/where I realized his additional genius: He surrounded himself with world-class musicians, many of whom didn’t need to be anyone’s side person. But they were. And when I first saw him/them in person, I saw the love they all had for the music and for each other. And the crowd?!?!? What an incredible, positive spectacle; a sea of humanity that was as diverse as the fishes in the ocean. I was in awe of the “Parrotheads” and their commitment to

the ridiculousness that was a Jimmy Buffett tailgate. I was in awe at the varying ages of the fans. I was in awe of the energy that the fans, as a whole, exhibited. The buzz when we were instructed to get our “Fins up!” We hung on each word of every story he told. What was each of us outside of the show? It didn’t matter. During that time we spent together, enjoying the artistry of that tropical troubadour and the Coral Reefers, we were family. Exuberant? Yes. Dysfunctional? Probably. Blessed to be there? Absolutely.

I’m proud to be able to say that Wyatt’s first live concert was Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers. Despite the religious fanatic at the entrance assuring my wife and I that we were horrible parents and despite Wyatt costing me an additional $30 due to the beach-ballversus-the-Jimmy. I hope that one night in Charlotte is enough for Wyatt to maintain a lifelong connection to Jimmy’s music.

Jonan Keeny was born in Topeka, Kansas, he got older in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and then he lived a bunch of other places. A lifelong learner and a full-time dreamer, the prospect of grand new adventures gets him out of bed in the morning, with some additional assistance from his two blonde-haired, blue-eyed alarm clocks, of course! Jonan recently discovered his passion for photography, which keeps him quite busy tromping around the woods, stopping at random places on the side of the road, and uploading photos to his website, www.myworldpics.com, and his Insta, @dude4disnet. When he isn’t wrangling two little boys, he’s likely hanging out with his wife, Mary Lauren, reading a book to learn something new, or dreaming of life’s next adventure and Walt Disney World. Regardless of the activity, he’s probably participating in it while wearing funky socks and a cool hat.

Long before Labor Day weekend 2023, I often wondered what I would say to Jimmy if I ever ran into him randomly, or if I somehow managed to score backstage passes to a show. I’m fairly confident I could manage to say “thank you” before descending into a bubbling/babbling mess of tears and nonsense syllables, and I think that might have been enough. But now it’s too late. All I can do is hope that maybe, just maybe, someone sees this and says “Jonan isn’t always a complete idiot. Maybe I should check this Buffett guy out for myself.” So, what are you waiting for?

To me, Jimmy embodied love. The stories I’ve heard and read, particularly in the past few weeks, all seem to be demonstrations of his love for humanity. All humanity. His albums are a decadeslong love letter to his friends, to his fans, and to the world. I hope that love endures.

Sail on, Jimmy. Bubbles up. And thank you.

Lovin’ the Journey

by R. Mark Holloway

Acollege professor once told us music appreciation students, “I don’t trust anyone who does not like music. In fact, research shows anyone who does not like music is mentally disturbed.” I reckon you would expect that sentiment in a music appreciation class.

I was riding one of our many incredible mountain bike trails with my good friend Jim Horn when he volunteered, “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs and beer.”

If you do drink beer, it helps to mountain bike a lot...so you do not look like you drink beer.

I might be adapting some of these attitudes towards autumn leaves. I’ll be the first to chronicle and report the following: You might be mentally disturbed if you don’t like fall leaves on the trees. In fact, I’ve learned if you start sentences with the phrase, “According to a recent survey...,” people will believe you.

According to recent polling data, people are more apt to be mentally healthy when they gawk at fall leaves, jump into a pile of fall leaves, drink good coffee while looking at fall leaves, share meals while looking at fall leaves, sing songs while admiring autumnal hues, and drive back roads with friends while admiring the changing foliage.

‘Experts say’ is another excellent tactic to get folks to believe you. Authorities report 87 percent of Americans don’t really care that the dominant green chlorophyl draining from fall leaves actually reveals the other fantastic colors in an October leaf. Published studies indicate that 87 percent of statistics are generated spontaneously. Living here in Appalachia, I wonder about things most folks probably don’t. Before there were roads here and before that, train tracks and wagon trails, there were Indian foot paths. (My elementary school teachers meant no harm in the 1960s teaching us the word “Indian”, btw.)

Where those paths crossed, villages were founded, ultimately giving way to cities populated with non-natives like me. So, I wonder if Hitchiti and Creek and maybe even Seminoles and Apalachee tribes would wander up this way in the fall to enjoy the fall leaves? Were there tribal leaf lookers from the flatlands every season 1,000 years ago?

Appalachia means the other side of the river in case you are curious. Perhaps the Cherokee came here because of the leaves and not because they ran for their lives from the northern Iroquois. The leaves have been changing longer than there have been people here, officials say.

If you are a tourist and you are reading this magazine while looking at the leaves, we are glad to have you. Just remember, others have come before you. They may have walked here, ridden on horseback, traveled to Tallulah Falls on a steam locomotive, or in a Model T.

People now travel in Elon Musk’s spaceships but leaves still turn colors this time of year. Inflation and social change seem to have no effect on the leaves putting on their show for us.

Mark and Carol Holloway are outdoor adventurers and love the thrills of rock climbing and hikes to waterfalls and exploring all of God’s creation. They own PropertyStewards.com and are passionate about delivering excellent care to the homes and property of their clients. For More Information call 706-949-5937

Please enjoy your time here. Leave no trace of your visit on the trails. Buy some tasty food. Craft some mountain moments with your family and friends. Take some leaves home and press them into a memory.

If you would like, you can return after the leaves are down and help us rake our yards and clean our gutters. Scientific research indicates gutters are more likely to fill with fall leaves in Appalachia than gutters in Miami. (Next month our Search and Rescue team will provide Bartram Trail escort support for the annual Georgia Make-A-Wish Trailblaze Challenge hikers. The 20-mile route will be freshly covered in crunchy fall leaves offering additional obstacles to the dozens of charity chums.)

Am I saying you might be a fuzz off if you don’t like the fall colors? No. Not really. Am I saying you will be better off if you get out and embrace the season? Fo sho.

Fresh mountain air in your lungs and blazing yellows, oranges, and reds in your retinas lead to a song in your heart, a spring in your step and an entry in your journal, according to 4 out of 5 psychiatrists. (The fifth doctor must have been grumpy.)

If you cannot get your fill of this autumnal display, do not worry. The fall leaves will return next year. I promise.

See you on the trail.

Lizzie Writes Getting Lost in Europe

By Liz Alley

We lay in bed with the window open, those European windows that make our American windows look sad and cookie-cutter. The night was cool, like early October in Georgia, though it was August in Germany. The sounds were soothing: the rustle of the apple tree limbs, the light rain, and the soft cackle of the neighbor’s chickens. However, my favorite sound, one of my favorite things about the whole trip, was the soft purr of the moped in the early morning as our bread was being delivered. Each night, Annet, our host, would ask what kind of bread we wanted for breakfast, and we always said, “Croissants.” It became part of my morning routine to start with coffee, fumbling with the buttons of the coffeemaker whose language I didn’t understand, and bring in the bread that was left hanging on the front door in a canvas bag. I’d sit at the table on the terrace, enjoying my coffee and croissant with raspberry jam. I suppose this is how I am; the memories of my trip abroad are more of what I felt than what I saw.

I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Paris. I am not one to be easily impressed, a quality that sometimes irritates me and others. However, Paris was not having any part of the “see if you can make me love you” attitude. Paris wooed me; she stunned me with her beauty and boundless offerings. The first place we went to was Shakespeare and Company. I sat on a velvet bench in the back of the bookstore, sure that the ghosts of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald sat beside me until a woman with a stack of books sat down and squished them. No matter; there were plenty of ghosts in Paris. They looked out at me from the Louve and swirled around me at the Place de la Revolution, where Marie Antoinette and many others were beheaded. I imagined her ghost restless, sulking through the streets of Paris at night, declaring, “Let them eat cake!” At the statue of Joan of Arc, a gentle breeze whispered, “I am not afraid…” And all too soon, it was time to leave the city of love and our rooftop terrace, where we had coffee in the morning and champagne at night.

And who are we, you ask? My friend from high school, Caroline English, our friend Annet, an exchange student who lived with her

family, and her twin sister, Esther. Though Caroline had kept in touch, I met both girls again for the first time in 40 years in Paris, and from Paris, we went to Annet’s house in Germany. Annet’s village reminded me of a 19th-century painting; the fields are rich with layers of green set amongst charming brick houses with impressive craftsmanship despite or perhaps because of their age, and a few still covered by a thatch roof. I can report that the German cows are just like American cows. As they meandered around the countryside, they reminded me of the cows at the foot of Tiger Mountain. I imagined, but did not confirm, that German cows moo with a hard roll of the tongue, while the cows in Tiger are more like “Moo Y’all.”

Liz Alley was born and raised in Rabun County in the city of Tiger. She loves to write. She is an interior designer specializing in repurposing the broken, tarnished, chipped, faded, worn and weathered into pieces that are precious again. She is the mother of two daughters and has three grandchildren. She divides her time between her home in Newnan and Rabun County. Liz would love to hear from you, drop her a line at Lizziewrites0715@gmail.com

Caroline and I went on a day trip to Berlin by train. The first feeling I had about Berlin was “energetic.” We took a tour on a “Hop On, Hop Off” bus, and I have to admit, my heart kicked up a notch when we approached the famous Berlin Wall area. Much to my surprise, all that’s left of this infamous wall is a double row of cobblestones that runs throughout the city. Still, this faint reminder speaks volumes about the struggle for freedom and the oppression of divided souls. Check Point Charlie felt a little kitschy rather than somber; however, it still feels like Berlin has managed to reunify itself from past wounds. Berlin felt vibrant and alert, while Paris felt seductive and wintery even in the middle of August.

Next stop, Switzerland. This Alpine nation had me at “Hello” or perhaps “Gruess-Gott.” When I flung the doors open from our hotel, I had to resist the urge to sing in my loudest voice, “The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music!” Switzerland was stunningly beautiful, not to mention all that Swiss chocolate and cheese. We visited Esther’s home in Switzerland, where we had a beautiful view of the mountain scenery. The Swiss mountains, at least the ones I saw, were not as imposing as our North Georgia mountains but fainter and bluer, which surprised me. The terraced vineyards and charming villages demanded a response from the viewer, thus my urge to sing. And what do the ghosts of Switzerland sound like? It was hard to say as I’m sure I heard both French and German languages there. Still, through the muddle of my nonbilingual ear, I heard in the distance a raspy voice, but definitely English, and when I turned my face toward the sky, I realized it was the ghost of Tina Turner singing Proud Mary.

Enjoy more of Liz’s writing at Lizzie-writes.blog

The Most Insanely Idiotic Thing I’ve Ever Heard

By Zack Ford, Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Church

There’s a video that went around several years ago that you might remember. It was a clip of Victoria Osteen (Joel Osteen’s wife) followed by a clip from the Adam Sandler movie Billie Madison. The video begins with Osteen saying this: “When we obey God, we’re not doing it for God … we’re doing it for ourselves because God takes pleasure when we’re happy … When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really, you’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy, Amen?!” And then the video cuts to the Billy Madison scene where the judge declares: “What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard.”

And that’s exactly right — saying that we obey God, and we worship God, not for God, but for ourselves, to make us happy, to fulfill ourselves, that is completely unbiblical, completely foreign to 2,000 years of Christian history, and just downright false and wrong. The problem, though, is that this version of so-called Christianity dominates the modern-day Evangelical Christian scene, and dominates the so-called “Christian South.” When you survey the Evangelical American Christian landscape as a whole, it has become far more me-centered than God-centered.

The sad reality is that it is very very possible to go into many of the largest and most popular churches in America and hear very little about God and very much about you! Church has become all about us — Our preference. Our tastes. What feeds me. What serves me. What pleases me. And when this happens — when worship becomes all about my desires, my likes, my preferences, what I want — we have turned it in to nothing less than idolatry. This is what happens with Jesus-less religion — religion becomes a means to use God for what we really want rather than an experience of standing in awe of the living God and worshiping Him for who He is and seeing Him, Himself, as the ends and the treasure that we get in our relationship with Him.

Recently I had the privilege of preaching through the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, and in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, Solomon exposes for us three religious rituals that, apart from faith in Jesus,

are utterly meaningless. The three rituals that he highlights — our offerings, our prayers, and our vows — are three things that we are called to engage in and are good and fine things, but when disconnected from an active faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are mere formalities, mere rituals, and utterly meaningless and void of any power or significance.

Through Jesus, though, we can approach God rightly, with confident reverence, and bold faith. Solomon ends his section with this summary statement in v.7: “For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.” I think we have a hard time understanding the concept of the fear of the Lord because we live in a culture that has no reverence for authority, and certainly no healthy fear for the God of the universe. We no longer approach parents, teachers, coaches, officers, anyone in authority with respect.

Instead of approaching God with this sort of casual and trivial nature, we are to humbly submit to and stand in awe of God who knows all of our sins and empty promises. And the only way that we can appropriately approach this sovereign God of the universe, as we know from the rest of God’s Word, is through Jesus, and through Him alone.

Each and every one of us are separated from God because of our sin. Though the temple and the law and the sacrificial system gave regulations for approaching God during Solomon’s time, it was all temporary and was never able to truly cleanse the worshiper and reconcile him with God. But in the coming of Jesus, Jesus came as the better priest and the better sacrifice who can cleanse and reconcile us for all time. When He died on that cross, he perfectly and sufficiently took all the sins of His people and made atonement for them. When He rose from the dead, he perfectly and sufficiently defeated death and sin and Satan on behalf of all of his people. And because He has done this, we can now approach God’s throne with full confidence — not because of anything based on us or anything you or I have done, nor because of any ritual we perform or any act that we do, but we can approach His throne because of the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.

Zack Ford is Senior Pastor at Grace Bible Church. Zack was saved through faith in Christ in November, 2006 during his first semester at Clemson University. After feeling a call to ministry, he transferred to North Greenville University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Christian Studies. After graduating from North Greenville, Zack received his M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

Zack and his wife, Brittni, moved to Rabun County in 2013 when he accepted a position as the Youth Pastor at Grace Bible Church in Mountain City. He then became the Associate Pastor and, on March 1, 2020, was installed as the second Senior Pastor in Grace Bible Church’s history following a 10-month pastoral transition period with Pastor Kevin Hurt. He and his wife have two children — one son (Ezra) and one daughter (Kiersten). When not working, Pastor Zack enjoys golf, reading, watching movies with his wife and playing with his children.

I’d encourage you to read the book of Ecclesiastes afresh this month and see how God is pointing us, though His Word, to the utter meaningless of everything apart from Jesus. And as you consider chapter 5 anew, be reminded of the emptiness of mere religion. Be reminded of the worthlessness and meaninglessness of religion without Jesus. No amount of words spoken, offerings performed, vows made, or any other religious exercise that you fill in the blank can atone for your sin and reconcile you with God. Jesus, and Jesus alone can do that. And as you keep this proper perspective and tether yourself to the full counsel of God’s authoritative, inerrant, sufficient, and perfect Word, you will spare yourself from speaking about the things of God and our worship of Him in such a way that would rightly have a Billy Madison “most idiotic thing” scene added to the end of it.

Clayton First United Methodist Church’s 100th of Sanctuary

“Christ’s Ministry in the Mountains” describes Clayton First United Methodist Church (CFUMC)’s mission. “That beautiful, old Sanctuary will always be a beacon of hope and a place of worship that truly glorifies God”, to quote a former pastor. Methodist congregations were served in school houses and homes of believers with circuit riders being assigned to the Clayton area as early as 1837. The earliest confirmed date for Methodism in Clayton is February 7, 1842 when a church made of handmade brick was erected on the south side of Green Street (Pickett Hill Street). As Clayton’s population grew, the building did not have adequate space.

Clayton’s Main Street was the center of commercial business and Rabun County’s government. In 1878, a 50’ X 70’ lot on the northeast corner of Main and Wall Streets was donated to the Methodist Church. A frame building was erected with a center steeple and two doors fronting Main Street and windows facing north and south. A bell cast in 1880 at a Troy, New York foundry was hung in the church. It is this building that is the “backbone” of our present Clayton First United Methodist Church building.

In 1923, a major renovation of the church building took place. The frame building was moved 20 feet west and south “utilizing a stump puller and crossties”. That must have stirred a lot of excitement in Clayton! A two-story addition was built across the back furnishing greatly needed Sunday School space, the church was widened by 20 feet, the central steeple removed and a tower was built on the southwest corner of the lot. The 1890 bell was hung in the tower. Much of the exterior was covered with dressed stone donated by a Mr. Kerr who had numerous stone culverts on his property dating from the pre-Civil War construction for the proposed Blue Ridge Railroad.

The frame building is the core of the present church sanctuary. Very little is now visible to the eye. What is visible, however, is at the heart of the present worship service: the pulpit, the chancel rail, and the flower stands on either side of the chancel. Stained glass windows were installed in the narthex, the front, and south sides in memory of caring, dedicated, and supportive families.

In 1929 the interior was remodeled to the present impressive Gothic style. With the completion of this work, the church became a “small cathedral”. Much has been done since to enhance its beauty and usefulness. It is especially magnificent during the Christmas season with decorations including the Chrismon tree, lovely wreaths, and red ribbons. The beautiful stained glass window behind the choir loft was given by Mrs. S.C. Dobbs in honor of her father who was a Methodist minister. Chandeliers from the old Henry Grady Hotel in Atlanta were given by Cecil Cannon.

During the Depression, the congregation spearheaded a program of joint church action in Clayton to alleviate the hunger being experienced at that time. A food pantry was established that continued in operation until 1985. New pews were installed.

In the late 1930’s the original 1878 basement was significantly renovated and refurbished. The walls and floors were redone and a fellowship hall with light kitchen facilities was designed and built. This area provided space for church suppers, administrative meetings, Bible School, and the “rummage sale” which benefitted families for many years. That area now houses the Choir Room, a parlor named for Mrs. J.C. Dover, a restroom, and storage.

In the mid-1940’s, the L. F. Reeves family gave the double doors to the narthex while remodeling the entrance as a memorial to “T/Sgt. William W. Reeves, born July 25,1921, killed in battle with German Air Forces over the North Sea, July 28. 1943” as written on the bronze plaque in the narthex. In 1948, S. C. Dobbs gave an electric organ to the church in memory of Mrs. Dobbs. In the late 1960’s seven memorial windows were donated for the north side of the sanctuary.

“Christ’s Ministry in the Mountains” is served on two separate campuses. The historic Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall on South Main Street and the Family Life Center is one mile north of Clayton on Ministry Mountain Drive. A Contemporary service is held at 9:00 in the Family Life Center (FLC). The Sanctuary houses the Traditional service at 11:00. Boat Church on Lake Rabun is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Both services are streamed on claytonmethodist.com. The Traditional service is broadcast on WGHC, 100.3 at 11:00. The CFUMC offers programs for all ages. For adults there is the Wesley Seekers Morning Bible Study, additional Bible studies are offered, the Youth Group, Faith Builders Children’s Ministry, UMW, GriefShare, the opportunity to share talents with the Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, or Praise Band, Children’s Church, RAP (Rabun Aid Program), and blood drives. In addition to these ministries, the FLC houses the Creative Learning Center (CLC), a preschool and childcare facility. For information on these programs please go to claytonmethodist. com.

Life is a Blessing The Most Amazing Thing

by Tracy McCoy

Have you ever asked yourself, what is the most amazing thing I have ever seen? A commercial on the television posed that very question and it prompted me to think about what my answer to that question would be. My answer would be the hand of God. Let me explain...

The first image that came into my mind was the birth of a child. Simply magnificent is the human body and all that it accomplishes in a twenty-four hour period, the beats of our heart, the workings of the brain, the breaths that fill our lungs, but on the day your baby makes his/her entrance into the world it is a day you’ll never forget it is by the hand of God that a child is born.

Recently a tornado ripped its way through our area and the devastation was incredible. Homes leveled, land scalded down to the dirt, trees twisted and stripped of their bark. A life was lost, people were injured and fear struck in the hearts of many. Where did I see God in this event? I seen His hand in the many prayers offered up, in the hands of the men and women who rode up and down the lake and the mountain roads calling out to their neighbors and friends before the sun even rose the next

day. I seen God in the young men who loaded chain saws in their vehicles and left their obligations behind to go to the aide of those in need. I seen God’s hand on every bottle of water, sandwich, or hot meal donated and delivered. I seen His love in the embrace of strangers as people were pulled to safety out of the rubble. I seen God in the face of a seventeen year old boy who searched for survivors by boat one day and cut trees on Black Rock road the next. I am still seeing the hand of God in concerts organized to help neighbors, plans to help clean up and clear out or just offer a shoulder to lean on or cry on.

The hand of God it is all around us and works so beautifully that we may miss it. It is the care that goes into preparing a meal to offer comfort during tragedy or sickness, it can be felt when holding the hand of your aging parent, or when rocking that toddler to sleep. His hand is felt in the wind, seen in the sunrise. It can be heard in the laughter of a child, it can be felt when a believer leaves this earth for their Heavenly home. His hand can work through the least among us, in the most unbelievable time and place. You can hear it in a song or in a prayer. It is apparent in the flight of a single bird, when a spotted fawn stands on wobbly legs for the first time, or when that young mother gets the job she needs to feed her children.

What is the most amazing thing I have ever seen? The love of God delivered by His own hand through His children. When “love one another” spreads wings and soars from one heart to another. When adversity and despair disappear and kindness and hope shine through, that my friends is the most amazing thing I have ever seen! Life is by the hand of God and it is surely a blessing.

5 Steps to Sleep Better and Improve Heart Health

There’s more to maintaining a healthy heart than just eating right and exercising regularly. While these practices play an important role in both cardiovascular and overall health and well-being, getting a good night’s sleep is also key. However, more than 1 in 3 adults in the United States are not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to increasing risk for cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke, lack of sleep may also put people at risk of depression, cognitive decline, diabetes and obesity.

“We know that people who get adequate sleep manage other health factors better as well, such as weight, blood sugar and blood pressure,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and chair of the department of preventive medicine, the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research and professor of preventive medicine, medicine and pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “The American Heart Association added sleep to the list of factors that support optimal cardiovascular health. We call these Life’s Essential 8, and they include: eating a healthy diet, not smoking or vaping, being physically active and getting adequate sleep along with controlling your blood pressure and maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids, healthy blood sugar levels and a healthy weight.”

Education about healthy heart habits from the American Heart Association is nationally supported by Elevance Health Foundation. Some practices to improve sleep health and impact heart health include:

Avoid Food and Beverage Close to Bedtime

To help reduce sleep disruptions caused by food, avoid late dinners and minimize fatty and spicy foods. Similarly, keep an eye on caffeine intake and avoid it later in the day.

Exercise Regularly

Physical activity can have a noticeable impact on overall health and wellness but can also make it easier to sleep at night. However, exercising too close to bedtime may hinder your body’s ability to settle; aim to have your workout complete at least four hours before bed.

Establish a Bedtime Routine

Getting a good night’s rest often requires getting into a routine. Start by setting an alarm to indicate it’s time to start winding down. Rather than heading straight to bed, create a to-do list for the following day and knock out a few small chores. Then consider implementing a calming activity like meditating, journaling or reading (not on a tablet or smartphone) before drifting off to sleep. Also set an alarm to wake each morning, even on weekends, and avoid hitting the snooze button.

Create a Comfortable Sleep Space

The ideal space for sleeping is dark, quiet and a comfortable temperature, typically around 65 F depending on the individual. Use room-darkening curtains or a sleep mask to block light and ear plugs, a fan or a white noise machine to help drown out distracting noises. Remember, using your bed only for sleep and sex can help establish a strong mental association between your bed and sleep.

Avoid Tech Before Bed

The bright light of televisions, computers and smartphones can mess with your Circadian rhythm and keep you alert when you should be winding down. Try logging off electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime and use the “do not disturb” function to avoid waking up to your phone throughout the night. Better yet, charge devices away from your bed or in another room entirely. Find more tips to create healthy sleep habits at Heart.org.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images, article courtesy of Family Features)

Autoimmunity

by Dr. Sue Aery Aery Chiropractic & Acupuncture, Elevation Chiropractic & Wellness

Autoimmunity is far more prevalent in the 21st century than ever before. As our bodies continue to be barraged by chemicals and hormones and other non-food particulates, we are continually facing an alteration of our genes and genetic makeup. The surge of gut damaging “foods” and chemically altered items that are constantly replacing our natural versions, creates damaging environments for digestion and elimination. Not to mention, how we absorb the essential elements of real food- vitamins and minerals and other vital nutrients for our survival. The immune system, which is rooted in the gut, is constantly being damaged and less able to handle normal function, to protect the body. The result is more and more alterations of our genes, which has led to the study of epigenetics and nutragenomics. These little known fields show and study the direct correlation of food and genetics. We are finding out that poor dietary practices can lead to a “switch” of a gene, usually not a favorable one. Now, when talking about autoimmunity, this is one of the most common causes of our immune system turning on itself to gradually attack and destroy our own cells and organs. Good nutrition can be shown to “switch” genes in a positive direction!

There are two models of thought when dealing with and treating autoimmune disease. Many of the common autoimmune diseases are Rheumatoid Arthri4s (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Sjogren’s Disease, Psoriatic Arthritis,

Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s Disease, and many others. Some are able to be diagnosed with blood tests, but others are still too new to have specific markers. Most blood tests include inflammatory markers, ANA, RH factor, CRP, and others including specific antibody markers. One model of treatment involves taking immune suppressing drugs to remove the attack from the immune system. The downside of these drugs is that the immune system loses most of its function, leaving the patient more vulnerable to sicknesses. These are powerful drugs, which often require infusions or self injections. The second model is more function based, keeping the immune system calm or “dimmed”, like a light switch. This involves lifestyle and nutritional approaches, keeping the diet clean of preservatives, chemicals, gluten, dairy, alcohol and sugar. Eating well and loading the body with antioxidants, fruits and vegetables, clean foods and healthy oils can lessen the load on the immune system and digestive system and allow for a more controlled and calm response. This will keep the self attack on the body in a calmer state and the body will experience fewer flare ups.

Whatever you choose, make sure that your diagnosis is definite, your approach is consistent and you understand the implications of not taking good care of your body overall. Autoimmunity is nothing to guess at, it is real and can be debilitating and sometimes life threatening. Remember, knowledge is power and good nutrition is powerful!

Dr. Sue Aery is the owner of Aery Chiropractic in Highlands, North Carolina and Elevation Chiropractic & Wellness in Clayton, Georgia. Hours and availability are posted on the website, www.aerychiropractic.com or by calling 828-200-4476.

Small Town Famous – Kathy McClure

by Tracy McCoy

Things were a bit different back in the day. We all remember when life was simpler in these mountains. A young girl of fourteen or fifteen years old could drive on the backroads before she got her license without much fear. During these times, Kathy Hulsey would ride to her daddy’s gas station in the morning and when Mr. Husley got out she jumped in the driver’s seat of his bright yellow ‘61 Volkswagen bug and drove the “backside of the river” to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School. When school was over, she scooted across the highway and back to the Dillard House where she worked as a waitress before returning to her father’s gas station where she jumped back in the passenger’s seat and rode back home. Her father Mr. Don Hulsey owned Don’s Service Station in Mountain City for many years where Kathy and her sister Sherry both worked. “It didn’t take me long to figure out that I didn’t want to pump gas and clean toilets, so I got a job working for Mr. John Dillard at the Dillard House,” Kathy told me when I visited with her recently for this article. I have known her for thirty plus years but have always known her as Kathy McClure, and I bet you do too.

After getting her license she went to work at the Winn Dixie grocery store in Clayton. This is where she met her husband Dennis McClure. Kathy worked there the remainder of her high school years. After Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School turned into a private school, Kathy moved to Rabun County High School where she graduated in 1978. She has so many good memories of her teenage years. Remembering that yellow ‘61 VW Bug, Kathy shared a story about being on the annual staff. She and Sherry were out selling ads for the High School Annual one day after school. She parked the car in front of Sheffield’s (ABC store today) and went inside. When she exited the store she was shocked to see that her daddy’s car had been stolen! It was gone! She then noticed that the car was sitting across the road against a pole with a sizable crinkle

in the front bumper. “I could never remember to put the thing in park before jumping out of it. I called Daddy and he came and reached under the front, pulled that bumper back out and said, ‘Get on your way bigun’ and be more careful.’ I had a great dad!” Kathy was very active in extra-curricular activities in high school. This included serving as statistician for the boy’s basketball team, working part-time, and keeping her chores done, which explains her incredible work ethic.

After graduation, friend J.L. Roach called to say there was an opening with Stephens Federal Savings and Loan in Clayton. Bank manager Dale Williams met Kathy and hired her. The Clayton branch was then located on East Savannah Street. Kathy began as a teller and upon meeting the bank’s President, Mr.

Truman Blasingame, she found a lifelong mentor and dear friend. Kathy worked her way up in the bank and when they found a new office in the Covered Bridge Shopping Center in Clayton complete with a drive through window she was serving as Branch Manager. This is when I met Kathy McClure. My husband and I, newly married, were looking to buy our first home. He knew exactly who he wanted to work with because he had known Kathy for many years. She helped us buy our home and became a treasured friend.

Stephens Federal continued to grow, eventually moving to a newly built bank on the hill just past Walgreens in Clayton. Today this bank is known as Oconee Federal Savings & Loan. About that time, Kathy’s phone rang again and friend Jack Keener asked if she would come talk to him. Clayton’s United Community Bank branch was looking for a President and Kathy was on the top of their list. She accepted the position but for very different reasons than you might guess. The prestige of being the bank President was not the lure; it was their service culture, and impact on her ability to help her customers! Kathy has a servant’s heart and is so dedicated to meeting her clients where they are, assessing their needs so she can offer the best products or solutions for them. Sometimes that means reading between the lines and she finds is sometimes accomplished best face to face.

After serving as bank President for several years, the opportunity to return to a position as a Mortgage Loan Originator presented itself and Kathy felt called to return to what she does best. “I feel so blessed to serve this community. I feel that our lives have seasons and I’ve learned from and valued every season of my life. Truett Cathy said, ‘Learn to love your work and you’ll never have to work again.’. I believe that to be true and I love what I am doing. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many people and helping them make their dreams a reality. Many years ago, I had a young couple come in and I was able to lend them what they needed to buy their first home. I watched that young couple work three jobs to pay for the house they bought. A while back, I saw three little heads pass my window and come through my door followed by this young father. I asked, ‘to what do I owe this visit?’, and one of the children spoke up and said ‘Miss Kathy we are here to pay our house off.’ This daddy had brought his children in to make his final payment and made sure they understood the gravity of the event. They were

so excited and proud to make that final payment.” Kathy shared, tearing up. “That’s what it’s all about!” she said.

Kathy spoke with me about the variety of products that United Community Bank offers those looking for a mortgage and says that was one of the things that enamored her with the company. The decades of experience that she brings to the table combined with a rock-solid financial institution is a recipe for success whether you are a first time homebuyer or you are a seasoned buyer. “Whether they are buying a $100,000 home or a $2,000,000 home, their business is precious to me and I will work hard to make it happen.” she said.

So what does Kathy McClure do in her free time? She loves to garden, cook, read a great book and spend time with her son, Matt, daughter-in-law, Ali and grand dog Bentley (a rescue beagle). Dennis and Kathy visit “the kids” as often as they can and always value their time together. She speaks of Ali as her daughter and is so proud of her and Matt. Dennis and Kathy are members of Clayton Baptist Church where Kathy has served in many capacities. She has also served on the board of F.A.I.T.H, Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, Forward Rabun, various HEMC committees and others in the community. Truman Blasingame instilled the value of bankers serving their local communities. “It’s a way of giving back and I am pleased to be able to do that,” Kathy stated. It’s been 40 years since she stepped behind the counter at Stephens Federal Savings & Loan and there are no plans to end her career, she is too good at it and simply loves her job!

You’ll find Kathy when you visit United Community Bank’s Habersham and Rabun locations or by reaching out to her at 706212-2462 or 706-490-2132.

Benefit to Help Teacher and Coach Kelli Welch

Abenefit will be held on November 12, 2023, from 1- 5 pm at the Mountain City Playhouse for Kelli Welch. Kelli was diagnosed with an aggressive form of kidney cancer in June and this giving, caring lady is in need of our love and support.

Kelli has been a teacher and coach in Rabun and Stephens counties for over 20 years. Currently, she is the physical education teacher at Rabun County Middle School, but she has not been able to work this school year. She is a wife to Jonathan Welch, the principal at Rabun County Elementary School, and mother to Chesney, Cooper, and Capi. She is also the proud “KK” to her 11-month-old grandson Reed. Kelli has impacted hundreds of children over the years through teaching and coaching recreation department teams. You can always find her supporting others.

The benefit will feature a hot dog meal, live music, silent auction items, raffles, cake auctions, and more. If you’d like to donate to the silent auction, bake a cake or donate your time that day please contact Amy Pruitt at 706-490-0795. Please come out and support Kelli and her family as they go through this cancer journey and please pray for Kelli, her family and her doctors as they engage in this battle.

Mountain Ivy Garden Club Celebrates 30 Years

by Tracy McCoy

Ihave always enjoyed the flowers at the Rock House and Veterans Park in Clayton. I casually heard that the Mountain Ivy Garden Club planted the flowers, but there is so much more to it than that! The Mountain Ivy Garden Club was founded in 1993 by 12 ladies with a passion for gardening. The first president of the club was Marilyn Garrison, who was among the founding members. These ladies, also friends, not only loved beautiful plants and flowers, but also had a true interest in learning all that they could about the flora they were planting. The club enabled them to share with each other all that they learned. Initially they met in the home of a different member each month, but after several years they began meeting monthly at the Rock House in Clayton. In return for the City of Clayton allowing them to meet there they agreed to take over the installation and maintenance of the plants on the grounds and in adjacent Veterans Park. A generous offer by the club no doubt. They were so grateful for the meeting space they were happy to undertake the task.

The club members are very knowledgeable about the needs of each plant, when it will bloom, which plants complement each other and which grow well together. They select and install annuals each year and maintain the existing perennials that are well established. The Mountain Ivy Garden Club emphasizes they are a working club, which requires members to have the time and be physically able to dig, prune, plant and help maintain the gardens. You’ll see every day during the summer months, barring rain, a member of the Mountain Ivy Garden Club in the garden watering, deadheading flowers, trimming and caring for the garden. That is dedication! All of this is done to beautify our town for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

The club hosts an annual fundraiser and awards scholarships to local graduating high school students who plan to study horticulture. Their annual fundraiser, Mountain Ivy Garden Club Sidewalk and Plant Sale, is held in June in the Rock House Gardens. The plants they sell are grown by club members. The scholarships range from $500 - $3000 depending on the success of the plant sale. Students may be attending a college or technical school. The club is also active in the community by supporting 4H, Scouting and horticultural education at the primary school level.

Rabun County owns the Rock House and the surrounding property as well as Veterans Park and have been very supportive of the club—making it truly a community effort. The Rotary Club purchased swings for the park and the garden club raised funds to purchase and install the gazebo in Veterans Park. The Reeves family purchased a monument for the Rock House gardens to honor of their mother, Carol Reeves, who was a member of the club. Near the flagpole in the Rock House park affixed to a large stone is a Blue Star Marker plaque. The plaque is very important to the club. If you know the history of a Blue Star Marker you’d understand why.

In 1944 the New Jersey State Council of Garden Clubs took on a project of beautifying a five-and-a-half mile stretch of U.S. 22. They planted 8,000 dogwoods as a living memorial to the men and women from New Jersey who served in the Armed Forces during WWII. There was a tree planted for every soldier who served. During the war the Blue Star Banner was displayed in the window of each home where a family member was serving. If a service member lost his life the blue star was replaced with a gold one recognizing the sacrifice of that family, thus the term Gold Star Family. The Blue Star plaque was placed in the Rock House garden by the Mountain Ivy Garden Club on May 20, 2000, in memory and honor of those from Rabun who served in WWII. It is located in the shade of a single dogwood tree.

You must be, like I was, amazed at what goes on behind the scenes to make the Rock House Garden and Veterans Park so beautiful. I hope that you will have a new found appreciation for all that has been and continues to be done. This fall and into the holiday season you’ll notice the garden and park decorated and you’ll know that the ladies of the garden club have again been at work.

While I wish I could recognize every member I’d like to mention Bess Green, who was kind enough to speak to me for this article, and Beverly Wilson, who has been in the club for 20 years. Mary Ann Whittington is currently an auxiliary member, but was honored in 2013 as the only original member still in the club. The club funded Mary Ann’s lifetime membership to the Georgia Garden Club.

While the club is not a social club, rather a working club, many treasured friendships have evolved from their passion for gardening. The club has openings for new members but have a maximum membership of 35. To be welcomed to the club you must be invited by a member. Each meeting lasts 1-2 hours and includes a thirty minute social time followed by a presentation related to gardening.

The club members range from novice to Master Gardeners and each one has something valuable to contribute to the club. It was a pleasure to learn more about the Mountain Ivy Garden Club, my only regret it that my space is limited here to share with you all about them.

Of These Mountains from Outdoor Brand to Outstanding Marketplace Festival!

By Tracy McCoy

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with my friend and the founder of the Of These Mountains brand, Kendall Rumsey. We spoke about the brand that he created in 2018 as a lifestyle brand and essentially a love letter to North Georgia written through the designs of local artisans. At the core of the brand is a line of apparel and accessories that pay respect and celebrate the outdoor experiences presented by these mountains. Of These Mountains acknowledges that good things come from nature and they are dedicated to creating unique products and content that inspire you to seek new adventure and to live your life to the fullest. “At OTM we feel the mountains give us our employment, recreation, homes, commerce, history and future.” Kendall shared, “When I opened our retail store, it was important to me to feature local artisans and makers in the store, in addition to our local vendors, OTM is proud to design and produce our products locally, using local talent and small businesses.”

In Kendall’s former life, before moving home to Rabun County, he was the East-coast Marketing Director for a large mall management company. He was responsible for 26 properties from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach, Florida. Producing special events was part of his professional career. When Of These Mountains was born they began attending festivals as a vendor, it became apparent that Rabun County did not have any festivals like the ones he was attending. Kendall saw the Rabun County Pavilions as the perfect location for an event of this type. The first Of These Mountains

Marketplace festival was held in November 2020, followed by every May and November since. The upcoming event on Saturday November 4th at the Rabun County Pavilions will showcase 100 craftspeople, artists, makers and small business owners from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In addition festival-goers will find awesome food vendors to enjoy. The 2023 OTM Christmas shirt will be released in their marketplace space at the event, which is exciting for those of us who have collected these holiday shirts since the beginning.

“It is not allowed to rain on November 4th, however if for some reason raindrops fall, we are rain or shine and the festival must go on.” Kendall added, “Fortunately the majority of our vendors are under shelter of the pavilions and the others under tents. In the past we have had a few showers but it didn’t stop people from coming. The festival has been so well received and attended by the community and for that we are all very grateful.” So mark your calendars and plan to attend the Of These Mountains Fall Marketplace at the Rabun County Pavilions at 201 West Savannah Street in Clayton, Georgia. The festival will begin at 10 AM and end at 5 PM. For more information please contact Of These Mountains at 706-212-0018 or check their website (where you may also shop) at www.ofthesemountains.com or find them on Facebook and Instgram. When in Clayton you are invited to visit their retail location at 39 East Savannah Street in Clayton.

“My favorite color is October.”- Unknown

Sole Place

Clayton’s Western Wear Store has New Owners!

Many of the people I have talked with who move to the mountains have a history here. Some visited family, some came to camps, many vacationed here as children and some just drove through and were captivated by the charm and tranquility of the area and its people. Pete and Deana Carson both natives of Athens, Georgia never met growing up, yet both have history in the mountains. Pete came to Rabun County with his father. Family friends had a home in Dillard and the Carson guys would come up and spend their time on the rivers and streams across the county. Later Pete visited with friends to camp, fish, ride their Jeeps through the woods and just get away from it all. Deana’s family visited Hiawassee, Georgia staying in the family cabin close to Lake Chatuge. She knew in her heart that the mountains were where she wanted to be and planned to find a home here someday.

Pete Carson’s father started Carson’s Plumbing in Athens, Georgia. Pete joined him in the business for a time before moving out to Wyoming and working a few years on a ranch out there. He came home and rejoined Carson’s Plumbing. When his dad was ready to retire in 2008, Pete bought him out and became the owner of the company.

Deana’s dad was also a plumber and she had grown up in that industry. When finishing her education, Deana got involved in Real Estate and worked as a Real Estate appraiser for a while. Later, she went to work for Hughes Plumbing Supply in Athens which was a natural fit since she knew that industry. Pete told me that when he and his guys went to Hughes to get supplies he let them pick out what they needed while he talked to the cute blonde in the showroom. Deana worked outside sales for the company for 15 years before retiring in 2022.

The mountain home she dreamed of? She began looking for it before she met and married Pete. She would come up on the weekends looking for her cabin and explored Towns County but just couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for. One particular weekend she was

feeling disappointed and ready to table her search when a friend from Athens told her about a rustic mountain cabin in Clayton. The home had belonged to a couple her friend knew and they were ready to sell it. She had been to Rabun a couple of times but had not considered buying here. As an afterthought she drove over and looked at the house. She said she knew as soon as she drove up that this was what she had been longing for. A rustic mountain cabin nestled in the forest. An iron gate opens to a small bridge that crosses a trickling stream straight to the front door. Inside it is cozy with natural woods and is just perfect for a nature lover like Deana. Since purchasing the cabin she has added a large screened in porch that is surrounded by trees and nature. The home has no Wifi and no TV and abundant hiking trails nearby… it couldn’t be better!

When Pete and Deana started dating they would come to the mountain cabin on the weekends to ride horses, explore the trails and unwind from their long week. Deana said she would stop in Andy’s Market and get meats, hoop cheese and a few essentials and they stayed in the woods, rarely going into town. When they discovered how amazing downtown Clayton is, their first stop was Trish Stockton’s Sole Place. They made a lifelong friend that day! They imade U-Joint and Sole Place a regular part of their visits adding in a Rusty Bike breakfast, visit to Outdoor 76 and Wander. One day in passing Pete told Trish if she ever decided to sell the Sole Place building he’d be interested. A couple years passed and Trish, who never sent texts, sent a text to Pete’s phone saying she was thinking about selling. Deana had a dream of owning a boutique and so purchas ing the store and keeping it a staple in Rabun County ap pealed to her. Conversations between the friends ensued and a deal was made. In October of 2022 Pete and Deana Carson became the proud new owners of Sole Place Western Wear Store. They are so honored to continue what Trish had built. Deana says Pete made her dream come true.

The Carsons are so excited to take care of Trish’s customers while building relationships and welcoming new customers in their door. Keeping the western brands that everyone has come to love is part of their plan but adding small family owned manufacturers is also on the agenda. Pete and Deana hope to support other small businesses, local and regional artisans and become part of the community. They tell me they have been welcomed with open arms and have enjoyed an abundance of local support which means the world to them. It was very important that they recognize the family and friends who have been by their sides for the past year. Pete and Deana wanted to thank Myron, Starla and Larry for helping them get the store where it is today. These are the faces that many people see and they have been Dea na’s backbone. They say they are blessed to have Johnnie who started as a customer but now is part of their Sole Place family.

The Carsons have added some new items to the store and having just come back from market there will be new inven tory arriving. Trish could not have chosen better when she put the business she built from the ground up into new hands. A website is coming along with more social media posts to keep you informed of new items, sales and such. Be sure to look for them on Facebook and follow their page.

November 1st they will celebrate their first anniversary and we wish them all the best as they continue to be “our western store!”

Pete and Deana still have a home in Athens that they share with Longhorn cattle, two horses, a donkey and three dogs. The dogs, Little, Zoe and ---- are equally content to be laying on the porch at their mountain cabin. When in Clayton stop in and welcome them, wish them happy anniversary and check out all that they have done inside the store. Deana says they have plans to work on the storefront next, once she catches her breath!

Sole Place Western Wear is located at 61 North Main Street in Clayton, Georgia. For information or to wish the Carsons well please call 706-782-4975

Labor(s) of Love

by Jonan Keeny

Tom Major’s accomplishments as an entrepreneur in our area are commendable. And when you learn that he did it all for his wife, Sherryl, and you hear the whole story, you realize how his love for her and her love for Tiger intersect into a beautiful tale of reimagining something old and reinventing it for a modern age.

The way Tom tells it, Sherryl, who is from Tiger, is “quite a gal.” His face lights up as he says this, and yours would too, that’s how infectious this man’s smile is! “She has the inspiration and my job is to execute,” Tom tells me. And execute he does! In addition to expanding Sherryl’s grandparent’s home into Cannonwood Village, an assisted living facility that houses 28 units that Tom calls his “pride and joy,” the Majors also run the Tiger Drive-In Theater right next door. The Tiger Drive-In has been in Sherryl’s family for a long time. Her father ran it beginning in 1954 before closing it in 1984. This coming January, Tom and Sherryl will have been running it for an additional twenty years! And don’t think it’s just any old drive-in theater. Yes, they have movies, of course, but many of the movies they show are incorporated into events for the whole community. For example, there was a Cardboard Box Car event in which children created their own vehicles from cardboard boxes, the movie “Gran Turismo” was paired with a Classic Car and Hot Rod Night, the Foxfire movie night incorporated live music by Jake McCrackin along with Foxfire demonstrations, and the theater has also hosted a UGA tailgate! They hosted a fundraiser for FAITH when they aired the new Barbie movie. And have you heard about the Tiger Artisan Crafts and Flea Market at Tiger Drive In? It’s a weekly event held on Saturdays from May through October.

No, that’s not all, either. There are three vintage, but reimagined (of course!) campers on the theater property that can be rented through Airbnb if you’re looking for a unique way to catch a movie and you’d like to stay the night. Flamingo, Disco Daze, and Tweety Bird each have their own style, and each is comfortably cozy with colorful character. The theater is also available for rent.

If a church group, business, or other entity needs a large space for an event, Tom and Sherryl have it covered! Scout Troop needs a place to camp? Look no further! Looking for a memorable place and way to ask for your love’s hand in marriage? Tom and Sherryl have your back on that, too!

And although Sherryl was unfortunately feeling under the weather on my visit to Tiger, I think Tom provided me with enough background for me to understand what a valuable asset she is to the community, too. Without her imagination and recollections of the past, Tiger might not be what it is today. Respect for the past, reimagined for today. You can find more information on the Tiger DriveIn Theater at www.tigerdrivein.com and on Facebook. Information on Cannonwood Village can be found at www.cannonwoodvillage.com.

First American Bank & Trust Hosts Cook-out & Shred Event October 19th

First American Bank & Trust will host a “Fall Cleaning” Cook-out & Shred Event for their customers and the community. As fall approaches it is a great time to clean out those boxes of old documents that you no longer need but are hesitant to throw away.

First American Bank invites you to bring them down on Thursday October 19th from 10am – 1pm and they will securely shred up to 5 lbs of your confidential documents. They also invite you to join them for lunch! They’ll be grilling burgers and hotdogs and you can shred for free and eat for free! The bank is happy to offer this opportunity and invites you to come.

Since being founded in 1928 First American Bank & Trust Co has been building much more than a bank. They help build communities. With locations in Clayton, Winder, Watkinsville and Lawrenceville, First American Bank & Trust delivers community banking beyond their home place of Athens. They offer the full array of Personal and Business Deposit Products; Consumer, Commercial and Mortgage Lending as well as Trust and Investment Services.

First American Bank & Trust believes in supporting our local community, which this year has included: Habitat for Humanity of Rabun County, FFA, Georgia Mountain Home Builders Association, FAITH, Georgia Mountains & Lakes Realtors Association, Rabun County Rec Department, Rabun County Booster Club, FERST Readers Program, The Dillard Bluegrass Festival, Forward Rabun

Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Clayton, The First Responders Dinner, and more.

Their friendly and knowledgeable Clayton team: Ruthie Zoellner, Dayanira Garcia, Lora Burrell, Sara Bennett, Tosh Dillashaw, Mary Williams and Theresa Talley (NMLS ID# 1565585) would love to see you at this event or would be happy to help you with any of your banking needs.

Rabun County’s branch of First American Bank & Trust is located at 550 Hwy 441, in Clayton, Georgia. For more information please call 706-782-3232 or visit www.fabt.bank

What a Gem! This Home is Your Happy Place!

By John Shivers

Tucked beneath the brow of picturesque Black Rock Mountain, yet within convenient walking distance to downtown Clayton, there’s one truly memorable home. You’ll find it at the end of the street on a wooded, gently-sloping 1.89± acre lot at 156 Celia Street. This truly luxurious home at the end of the lane offers a comfortable, livable floor plan. The spacious rear deck simply multiplies the living possibilities.

Built in 1970, the 1,593± square foot four-sided ranch brick home has recently been lovingly renovated inside and out, and is in a coveted Clayton location. What a perfect blend of old and new, with refinished original hardwood floors, eight-foot ceilings, plus all the cottage charm you could ever want. Far enough from the hustle and bustle of downtown to be able to hear the birds and the crickets, but close enough to easily walk to the shops and restaurants.

From a truly dedicated foyer the spacious living room / dining room opens to the left, while straight ahead is the more casual family room, with a gas log fireplace and easy access to the deck overlooking the privacy of the heavily wooded back yard. What a great place to relax or visit with those working in the adjacent kitchen.

The family chef will really appreciate this large, bright kitchen with white cabinets and solid surface countertops. A full complement of high end stainless appliances, including a gas range and generous work space, make this an outstanding kitchen. A charming banquette breakfast area expands the convenience factor.

The master suite features an en suite bath with glass and tile shower and vanity. The adjacent dressing room and closet, which is actually the size of a small room, provides generous clothing storage, and even room for a vanity, where you can relax while you decide which outfit you’ll wear.

A second bedroom of comparable size opens up all manner of possibilities. The hall bath with access to the second bedroom is adjacent and boasts of a charming pedestal sink and a tiled tub-shower combination. Completing the main level is the laundry room with ample storage.

Another plus is the easy access to the underside of the home, where standingheight “crawl space” makes access to the mechanical / plumbing / electrical systems very convenient. Additional easily-accessed attic space further expands the storage capabilities.

The season is ripe to enjoy the seasonal artist’s palette that decorates Black Rock Mountain every fall. Harry Norman, REALTORS® Luxury Lake and Mountain

has the key and all the details on GMLS #20142651. She’s

agent Rosa Icela Carter, cell number 619-921-1796,

waiting to show this gem of a listing. Contact her at the Harry Norman office, 706-212-0228.

The House by the Side of Warwoman Road

by John Shivers

“Let me live in my house by the side of the road, where the race of men go by…” Sam Walter Foss wrote in his poem

“The House by the Side of the Road.” Take the house at 11868 Warwoman Road east of Clayton. Suddenly, the prospect of watching the race of men going by from your own porch becomes incredibly inviting. Perhaps Foss had this particular home in mind. With 1,594± square feet on the main level, this ranch style home was built in 1975, and remains basically unchanged today. It’s clad in real wood siding, has a composition roof, and is being sold as is, which means the new owners can adapt and renovate as much or as little as their wishes dictate.

It’s totally livable right now, and what’s more, there’s a partially finished basement – the concrete floor is already there and there’s a bath roughed in. It’s accessible from both the upper level and the outside, and the laundry area is already located there. Finish this

daylight lower level for some great additional living space, or use it for storage or hobbies.

Outside, the possibilities are equally as attractive. Some seven acres of land, including a two-acre pond beside the house that backs up to USFS lands, gives an already sweet deal, even more of a sugar high. Your Warwoman Road address harkens as far back as the Cherokees, who occupied much of the region that now includes Rabun County. Today’s Warwoman Road was one of their main travel routes. It gives the new owners a catbird seat for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets; there’s privacy and seclusion in the ways that matter. Yet you’re isolated enough to watch rural life and still get to town when the pantry needs a refill.

Three bedrooms and two baths make this property perfect for an average family, but it’s also just right for empty nesters, who aren’t quite ready to downsize big time. A spacious living room with

wood-burning stone fireplace, a separate dining room, plus a large sunroom / family room and kitchen complete the main floor.

Given its construction date, you would expect a house built like they don’t build them any more. This one delivers. What a great basis to begin making this house your own; what a solid foundation for everything your creativity can imagine. And don’t forget to notice the tongue and groove ceilings.

When you’re ready to relax, you’ve got your own screened porch overlooking the pond. Get comfortable with something cool to drink, and watch the grandkids out at the pond fishing for grass carp, bream and bass. Or picture yourself out there in the early morning mists, catching your own breakfast or what you’re going to cook up that evening for family and friends.

Close by is Willis Knob and the scenic 15-mile horseback riding

trail that you can access directly from the property. No need to load and transport your horse. This is your own private refuge, allowing you to enjoy all that nature has to offer. What’s more, you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas! Two outdoor storage buildings, one with an enclosed area that can be locked, are also on the property.

Foss ended his poem with the wish that he could live in his house by the side of the road, and be a friend to man. From your vantage point on Warwoman, the possibilities are limitless, when you think of this as your own personal sanctuary.

This property, MLS 20092868, is ripe with possibility. Leave it as is, or make it your own. But you need to grab it now, while it’s available. Marsha Ramey, agent with Poss Realty, is the one to talk with. Reach her by cell phone at 706-490-1035 or at the office, 706782-2121.

Waterfall Club Home Delivers Distinction

by John Shivers

Discerning buyers on the hunt for luxury homes in northeast Georgia often find themselves looking at the “Waterfall Club at Lake Burton.” With much the same ambience as homes in the city, at Waterfall, it’s possible to enjoy a lifestyle many only dream about with the added benefit of enjoying the beautiful surrounding North Georgia mountains surrounding the entire Rabun County!

This is why the home at 39 Parkview Court, in this beautiful gated community, brings with it the inherent amenities that are synonymous With every Waterfall address if you choose to be a Club member. This is the only home currently on the market that may offer a full golf membership. The breathtaking golf course and mountain views, and the luscious grounds surrounding this 5000+ square foot home, are an automatic hole-in-one. For the buyer seeking the ultimate in gracious living, with top-drawer perks besides, this three-level custom home stands head and shoulders above the others.

What’s more, the Club is a golf destination of distinction, and with a golf membership you will have access to the indoor junior Olympic swimming pool, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, state of the art gym, fitness classes, spa, 3 restaurant choices and so much more.

Autumn’s paint brush is already transforming the mountains that surround the Club, and the end result promises to be a spectacular Technicolor® presentation. In the spring, when the foliage bursts into new beauty, from the vantage point of huge, two-level porches on the rear of this house, you’ll have a front row seat to all of nature. And with easy club access to the waters of Lake Burton as a part of the package, life at Waterfall is definitely something to desire.

Thanks to a recently completed renovation inside and out, this five bedroom, five full and two half bath home, offers everything you could want for daily living. And with the square footage, combined with the incredible open floor plan, and soaring warmly-stained tongue and groove vaulted ceilings, this is the perfect home for gracious entertaining. A massive

stacked stone is the focal point of the main level, and is a natural gathering spot.

With a full complement of high-end stainless appliances, including a commercial style, 6 burner, dual fuel gas Wolf range, the kitchen is a chefs dream come true! White cabinets in a chic modern style, a huge island with breakfast bar, topped with sleek quartz tops, and two convenient pantries, along with a spacious full dining area and an adjacent screened breakfast porch, only makes this warm gathering area more fantastic.

Conveniently located on the main level, the luxurious master retreat includes an en suite spa-like bath with soaking tub, oversize tiled shower, double vanities, and a fantastic walk-in closet. Two bedrooms each with its own private bath are found upstairs, along with a spacious bonus room, complete with a bar area that includes a wine refrigerator & a billiard table. Use it for a game room, home office, playroom or additional sleeping space.

Two additional gracious •sized bedrooms are on the· lower, more casual level, each with its own bath. A second living space with a fireplace opens to the lower-level deck and screened porch. To enhance the entertainment potential, a kitchenette, a wine nook and spacious bar area complete this area. Use it for parties, or as independent living space for family or guests.

Waterfall lifestyles allow you to leave the outside world outside, while you participate in all manner of activities, either as a group, or solo. Thanks to the materials used on the exterior of this home, and the low maintenance landscaping elements, you’ll have plenty of time to concentrate on more enjoyable aspects. This property does not disappoint.

Tina Anzo, listing agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Georgia Properties, with offices in Clayton and Clarkesville, specializes in high-end homes of exceptional quality. To learn more about this discriminating possibility, GMLS #10174899, reach Tina by cell phone at 404-964-2363. Her office number is 706-960-1941.

Rhonda Williams and Georgia Farm Bureau Two Names You Can Trust

Since the age of 16, Rhonda Williams has been a member of Georgia Farm Bureau. She has been active in 4H since her children were small and always supported farming. Rhonda began a career in the insurance industry in 2016. In 2021 she joined the esteemed list of agents at Rabun County Farm Bureau. This company has been a perfect fit for Rhonda. She is able to provide insurance for your home, auto, farm, business, rental property and life! By insuring with Georgia Farm Bureau, you are supporting farmers and ensuring that our growing world has a safe and abundant food supply. Helping her clients find the insurance products that work for them is her mission and making sure that they are neither over insured or under insured. She loves to be able to see her customers save money while adequately covering their most valuable properties. When a young person comes in with their parents to insure their first car or truck, she remembers sitting with hers doing the same thing. Trusting the company that she works for over 40 years speaks to the customer service and protection she has enjoyed as a Georgia Farm Bureau member.

Maybe you didn’t know that Georgia Farm Bureau also offers financial products to their members through Farm Bureau Bank. Rhonda proudly offers: high-earning deposit accounts, personal and business credit cards, vehicle and equipment loans, business banking and more. The benefits of a Farm Bureau membership goes far beyond the insurance and financial products. Members enjoy travel discounts, discounts on family entertainment, health and wellness services and discounts on farm equipment. When you join Georgia Farm Bureau you become part of a family network of people dedicated to teaching our youth where their food comes from. They foster relationships between farmers and consumers. The company also helps local farmers and agribusiness professionals thrive. Farm Bureau also works as advocates at the state and national capitol for issues facing consumers and farmers with a focus on delivering safe food products to grocery store shelves and your dining table.

Rhonda would be happy to meet with you to evaluate your insurance needs, take a look at what you currently have and make recommendations that are best for you. Rhonda has a reputation for honesty and integrity and is available by calling 706-782-4422 or e-mailing rkwilliams@gfbinsurance.com or stop in at 1552 Highway 441 North in Clayton, Georgia.

Josh Palmer Welcomed as New Branch Manager at Clayton’s Blossman Gas & Appliance

The Clayton branch of Blossman Gas & Appliance has welcomed a new Branch Manager. Josh Palmer recently came to Blossman to fill the management position from Franklin, North Carolina. A native of Macon County, Josh has been in the propane industry for 18 years. He told me what attracted him to Blossman was the way that they care for their customers. “The customer service is outstanding and their deep appreciation for their customers is something I can get behind.” Josh said during a recent interview. “Blossman Gas & Appliance has solid family values and we sell, service and install some of the leading appliance brands in the industry. I am proud of that” he continued.

When joining the company Josh was impressed with the current staff and has added a new employee since coming on board. When I asked what his position entailed, he said that he works wherever he needs to. Josh told me, “Some days I am in the field doing service calls and other days I am out searching for our next great customer. I do what needs to be done to keep our customers happy. This is a great group to work with, all of the employees at the Clayton branch are local, have families and care about each other. That means a lot!”

Josh and Jessica, who live in Franklin, North Carolina, have three children: a son Peyton age 13, daughters Sadie, age 11, and Remi age 6. When he isn’t working he is taking the family fishing, spending time with the kids, attending ball games to watch Peyton or Sadie play and traveling when the opportunity arises. A dedicated family man who believes that this is all time well spent. Whether you are in need of propane service, looking for indoor or outdoor gas appliances, need a repair or are just looking for a reputable company who can be there when you need them, Blossman Gas stands ready to serve your family. When you stop in at 66 Rickman Street in Clayton be sure to welcome Josh Palmer to our community. The office is open 8am – 5pm Monday – Friday. For additional information visit their website at www.blossmangas.com, call 706-782-8305 or e-mail jpalmer@blossmangas.com.

Tallulah Falls Path Toward Becoming a Grand Resort Little People, Hernando de Soto, Indian Traders and Hermits

by Dick Cinquina

Long before Tallulah Falls became a tourist mecca in the 1880s, Tallulah Gorge and its raging waterfalls was the domain of what Indians claimed was a race of ferocious “little people.” Hernando de Soto may have passed nearby in the 1540s. European traders were frequenting the area by the early 1700s, and a few hermits called the place home before the town exploded with tourists. Tallulah Gorge and its environs seemed to offer something for everyone.

Cherokees, who lived in a settlement near Tallulah Falls hundreds of years before the arrival of the first white settlers, avoided the 1,000-foot-deep Tallulah Gorge as a foreboding place. Legend has it they believed the gorge was inhabited by the Yunwi Tsundi, a race of little people, who lived in the caves and crevices of the gorge’s cliffs. Cherokees wandering into the gorge ran the risk of being captured by these fierce people and spirited off to their hidden strongholds. No Cherokee taken by the little people was ever seen again. With prudence getting the better part of valor, Cherokees steered clear of the gorge. Other versions of this legend exist, but they all paint the Yunwi Tsundi as hostile and menacing to anyone from the outside world daring to enter their domain. Late nineteenth century tourists visiting the gorge seem to have been immune to the power of the Yunwi Tsundi.

Dick Cinquina is the retired president of Equity Market Partners, a national financial consulting firm he founded in 1981. Holding graduate degrees in history and journalism, Dick recently published Mountains, Moonshine and a Railroad, which tells the always colorful, occasionally contentious and frequently humorous history of Rabun County and northeast Georgia. Dick also writes history articles that appear in the Laurel

A large group of guests standing in front of the Cliff House Hotel

Hernando de Soto Passed Nearby…Maybe

Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and his army of 600 soldiers marched north from Florida through Georgia in the early 1540s on their quest for Indian gold. No evidence exists that de Soto saw Tallulah Gorge, but he may have traveled nearby on his way to a sizeable Indian village in northwestern South Carolina. However, it is known that European traders were visiting the area’s Cherokee villages by the early 1700s. A visitor to the gorge in 1821 claims to have seen the year 1718 carved into several trees in the area.

The first white settlers around Tallulah Gorge are believed to have been hermits. One of them was John Cole Vandevere, who lived in a log cabin near the upper end of the gorge in the early 1800s. Like Greta Garbo, he just wanted to be alone…and he was except for the Cherokees who permitted him to live on their land.

The first published description of Tallulah Gorge was written by David Hillhouse after visiting the falls in 1819. His account, which was published in Georgia and throughout the eastern United States, made the gorge and its falls known to the outside world. Hillhouse’s writing kick-started tourist interest in the gorge.

12 Hour Round Trip to Tallulah Gorge

Visitors made the arduous trek to the gorge by horse on Indian trails during the ensuing decades of the 1800s. The most popular route to the gorge was via Clarkesville, which already had developed as

a summer resort. The round trip on horse from Clarkesville took about 12 hours. Visitors wanting to stay at the gorge camped in tents. Despite these hardships, hardy souls kept coming in growing numbers.

Entrepreneurial types soon took notice of a business opportunity. To capitalize upon the expanding flow of visitors to Tallulah Gorge, the Shirley Hotel opened in 1871. Then, in the mid-1870s, W.D. Young built Young’s Hotel, which was located on the edge of the gorge above Indian Arrow Rapids.

Railroad Extended to Tallulah Falls in 1882

The rails of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, which became the Tallulah Falls Railroad in 1898, were extended to Tallulah Falls from Cornelia in 1882. Tourists now could travel in comfort on a Southern Railway train from Atlanta to Cornelia and then transfer to the Richmond and Danville for the journey to Tallulah Falls. A trip that once took days by horse was reduced to a matter of hours. Thanks to the railroad, tourism exploded in Tallulah Falls, ushering in an era of grand resorts. Within 20 years of the railroad’s arrival, Tallulah Falls was home to more than two dozen hotels and boardinghouses.

Rufus Lafayette Moss, Sr., a businessman from Athens and a founder of Tallulah Falls, built a large two-story home, Pine Terrace, in 1879 that still stands near the edge of the gorge. His was one of Continued...

Tallulah Lodge

several “cottages” built by wealthy families from Athens, creating what was called the Athens colony. Moss was a driving force behind the extension of the Richmond and Danville line to Tallulah Falls. He knew what he was doing.

90 Room Cliff House Hotel

Moss built the first large hotel in Tallulah Falls in 1882, the Cliff House. Named after the Cliff House in San Francisco and situated on the brink of the gorge across the tracks from the train depot, Moss’s Cliff House was a 90-room hotel on a 40-acre tract. It accommodated 300 guests, and the hotel’s dining room seated 250. Based on photos from the time, the hotel was packed during the summer months. The Cliff House featured lawn tennis, bowling, billiards, table tennis and card playing. In addition, bands that spent the summer in exchange for free room and board played for tourists disembarking at the train station.

Young’s Hotel burned in the mid-1880s but was soon rebuilt due to its prime location. The Banner-Watchman newspaper in Athens wrote in 1885 that Young’s Hotel “has a fine band on hand, and there is dancing every night. It is a gay place, and a number of lovely ladies are now his guests.” The newspaper added, “There are Billiards and Cards, Horses and Carriages, Tenpins and Dancing, and Deer, Turkey, Squirrels and Quail for those sportively

inclined…$3 per day, $10 per week, $30 to $40 per month… Servants $16 per month.”

Grand View Hotel

The Grand View Hotel, built in 1886, was another Young family venture. The Grand View was an ornate Victorian structure situated on a small rise above the railroad line. A park extended from the front of the hotel to the edge of the gorge’s south rim, providing guests with an expansive view of the gorge. The Grand View was known for its mineral spring that reportedly had great medicinal value. Mr. Young built a third hotel, the Willard House Inn, in the early 1890s about 100 yards behind the Grand View. His two hotels were connected by a long, covered walkway. The Grand View was destroyed by fire in 1897. An article in the Tallulah Falls Spray newspaper gave the value of the hotel at $15,000 to $20,000 but insurance coverage was listed at only $8,000. Perhaps this is why Mr. Young never built or rebuilt another hotel.

Tallulah Lodge Hotel Built for $35,000 in 1899

The magnificent Tallulah Lodge was built in 1899 about one mile south of Tallulah Falls. Tallulah Lodge, which became a flag stop on the route of the Tallulah Falls Railroad, was an imposing white, colonial-style structure that catered to wealthy tourists.

A drawing of the Grand View Hotel taken from the hotel stationery

The Atlanta Constitution reported construction of Tallulah Lodge would cost $35,000, at that time a princely sum provided by a syndicate of Atlanta investors. The newspaper wrote, “The hotel is to consist of three stories and will have 100 rooms…The entire building will be heated with steam, and be supplied with electric lights from its own (generating) plant…Each room will be provided with a fireplace and with a private bath, and the hotel will be fitted up with all the modern conveniences…It will be built a short distance from the grand chasm (Tallulah Gorge) and immediately on the line of the Tallulah Falls Railroad.” In addition to a two-story lobby featuring a massive fireplace, a special parlor for ladies was located at the eastern end of the lobby.

Great Fire of 1921

Although the hotel featured a fire protection system, Tallulah Lodge suffered the same fate as Young’s Hotel and the Grand View. It burned to the ground in 1916. Then in 1921 a fire broke out in a Tallulah Falls auto repair shop. High winds blew embers onto nearby buildings and soon the entire town was engulfed in a blazing inferno. Since Tallulah Falls had no fire department, virtually every hotel and boarding house was destroyed. None were rebuilt. One of the few to survive was the Cliff House, but it, too, went up in flames in 1937 from a kitchen fire.

The great fire of 1921 brought down the curtain on Tallulah Falls as a grand resort, and the town’s population dwindled dramatically. The Yunwi Tsundi now were able to enjoy a life free from unwelcome visitors.

Learn more about our history by becoming a member of the Rabun County Historical Society. Membership and complete information about the Society’s museum are available at www.rabunhistory.org. The museum at 81 N. Church St. in downtown Clayton, which houses an extensive collection of Tallulah Falls Railroad artifacts, is open Wednesday-Saturday from 11 to 3. The Society is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, making membership dues and donations tax deductible. Visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

Willard House Inn

By John Singleton

Sometime in the Spring 1979, a couple of skinny kids from the mountains of Northeast Georgia boarded a plane out of Atlanta going to St. Louis. Darryl Edwards, following in a long line of brothers, was a Wildcat point guard and threw a mean curve from the pitcher’s mound. Me, the son of a marine and football coach and an English-teacher mom, played basketball alongside Darryl.

With roots deep in Rabun County, there was a peculiarness to two kids flying, unchaperoned

A former student at Foxfire, John is now Director of Education and Community Engagement at Foxfire. John has worked in Higher Education since 1996, working to assure the assimilation of international students to US universities and also providing opportunities for domestic students to engage in programs around the world. John’s work with Foxfire supports the organization’s long-valued focus on preserving Appalachian culture while promoting educational access for students with connection to this region.

to Missouri. Darryl’s father worked in the trucking industry and my dad taught at the High School. In St. Louis no one was going to ask us about our athletic prowess or our parents. We were there to receive—not personally but representing an organization—an award for the work being done on preserving Appalachian culture and the fact that students were leading this.

If you live in Rabun County or across the State line in Macon County, likely you are aware of Foxfire. Foxfire was an educational experiment launched by a handful of young teachers and students at Rabun Gap Nacoochee School. The evolution of the program— including relocating to the local High School and the production of a series of successful non-fiction works detailing the history of Appalachian Culture—included royalties from book sales that would be the origina of a 100-acre museum bordering Black Rock Mountain State Park.

At the heart of Foxfire—always at the heart of Foxfire—were the students living in the region. As the story is told, while in class a small fire broke out in an English teacher’s trash can. Chaucer, it turns out, didn’t translate well to 15-year-old Appalachian kids. In 2023, starting a fire would undoubtedly land the students in jail, but in 1967, it instead launched an informal referendum on curricular relevance.

In simple form, students from Dillard, Betty’s Creek and the Little Tennessee Valley went roaming up valleys, hollers and over gaps into North Carolina and Tennessee, recording the stories and voices of ancestors and elders. Then—as now--it seemed the changes coming would render Appalachian culture obsolete, so besides the educational component, students had the sense they were doing something useful, important. Outside the region students were protesting a war on the other side of the world, while in Rabun County kids were finding their way back to their roots.

Often these students were interviewing family, capturing processes, arts, crafts, vocations and (mostly) ignored histories, all conveyed through a beautiful, also-disappearing dialect that (according to folklorist Cratis Williams) traced itself to Scotland and Ireland. This is what folks in Missouri wanted to hear about.

Unfortunately, on that night in 1979, our experience as country kids and all of Foxfire’s education failed us, as Darryl and I stared in horror at an audience almost half the size of Rabun County (in winter, in the 70’s).

We didn’t realize until arrival that we were the featured speakers, and to our horror, the professor who introduced us spoke for about 25 minutes, and when his introduction was complete, he had covered every point on my crumpled piece of notebook paper. We bashfully received our award, said thank you and left. It remains today one of my most memorable (embarrassing) moments. This was the hit-or-miss of student focus found in Foxfire, and as anyone who has dealt with building leadership knows, the “miss”, properly addressed, serves as important educational development.

Foxfire’s model was to send students to represent the organization, and my classmates often spoke at clubs, museums, other NonGovernmental Organizations. But mostly we spoke at universities.

That was challenging, but there were some smart outcomes to this model. To begin with, we were truly producing the book, interviewing, transcribing, editing, reviewing, rewriting, until the articles were complete. A handful of beautifully dedicated faculty pushed us, but they did not do the work for us. Secondly, Appalachian kids were often stunned to discover that what we knew about our ancestors was a form of cultural capital, and the more clever the questions often the more powerful the student responses. Finally, it truly was a model that was being developed, (we knew nothing of the work of Educational Anthropologists and linguists like Paolo Freire, Cratis Williams or Pierre Bordeaux) replacing the standardized texts produced for classrooms across the US with a more critical, local and interpretive structure.

Today, when I run into Jeff Reeves, owner of Reeves Hardware, or Allison Adams, Director of Research and Scholarly Writing at Emory, or Adam Dixon, who sells insurance for Woodmen of the World locally, any of them can speak to how the program prepared us all for our future lives. Including mine. In Rabun County, I join bankers, contractors, teachers, convenience store owners, farmers, moms and dads in having participated in Foxfire.

It is August of 2023. More than forty years have passed since I last spoke about Foxfire. I am standing at the baseline of the old Cowee School gym (now an Arts and Heritage Center) in Macon County. More than seventy years ago, my mom traveled across from Tusquittee, North Carolina to play basketball on this very court. I have a talk aimed I hope is funny, aimed at folks who love historic preservation and Appalachia, with the founding names of this area strewn throughout the conversation the way a child imagines God tosses out the stars.

Only, the computer doesn’t work. I am graciously given the option of walking off, as Darryl and I did once in 1979. But its decades later, I’ve done everything I’ve ever dreamed of doing, and by that same grace of being somewhere where my mom once stood, I am moved. It is Foxfire, Foxfire’s roots run deep in all of us, and in the spirit of my ancestors, I am only too happy to tell stories, which I do until I run out of time.

The main story I share is that we exist, we always did exist and our mission-critical remains the two-fold: the preservation of the voices and stories of the Southern Highlands and the education of our children. I tell them a bit about my family (those that still live near Cowee or across the mountain in Tusquittee), about how my decades outside the region and around the world were just preparing me to come home. Mostly I’ll tell them that Foxfire does still glow.

When my talk is over, an audience full of folks with expertise and joy are glad to share for awhile about life on Tessentee, Cowee, Tate City, Burningtown and Standing Indian. An old friend, Dana Burrell, walks up and says hi. As folks speak, I reflect on the beautiful work that others have done at Foxfire over my forty-year Southern Highland absence, but mostly I just allow the “twang” Cratis Williams once describe in “Our Southern Highlanders” to wash over me. I am home and I am happy to hear these voices, happy to listen.