The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper Issue 5 by The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper

2 If an apple a day keeps the Doctor away, how come I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get reimbused for 365 apples from my insurance company?

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it" - Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) 3

hia and I have been married now for 30 years. We find that incredible. I'm happy to report, we have a great relationship despite all the skirmishes, battles and declared wars. There's all kinds. "Thermostat Wars" (I like it livable, with the AC blasting / she turns it off because she's freezing. Of course there's "Remote Control Wars" (self explanatory) “What’s For Dinner Wars” but now that we have started this "FUNpaper" it's GAME ON! Whoooooooeeeee! "You can't put THAT in the paper!"... that's the new one heard bouncing off the walls in between our skirmishes over our own little chunk of global warming. "You're going to offend people!".... to which I reply "Give me a break! Are you serious? What's wrong THIS time?!" It's "The Apple Issue", it had to have an apple on the cover, besides our logo, of course. But what to do with that apple? I always go for the funny or odd. Thia calls what I lean towards the offensive or demented. What can I say, there's no accounting for taste. I thought the classic "Dentures caught in the apple" was perfectly apropos ... Thia... not so much. "That's disgusting! You think you're putting dentures on the cover? Are you CRAZY?" Well.. no, I actually thought it was quite funny. We now have a sort of (Censorship) Board, a group of friends and fans that we email things such as this to, pass things by, when Thia goes ballistic after I show her a story idea or a cartoon she feels will bring an end to the world as we know it. I must admit though, I am usually overruled by the board. I was this time, that’s for sure! Oh well, my loss is the Apple Festival’s gain. I don’t know what it is, empathy run amok? But, the cost is very high. Everyone knows the best humor is offensive.... to SOMEONE, they just don’t want it to be ABOUT them - OR - be the one DOING the offending. As long as one is safely on the sidelines......... it hilarious! Who knows, maybe it's a good thing. Perhaps me, left unchecked, would be a bad thing. But I just thought I had to put "The Denture Cover" somewhere to see if I'm the only one that appreciates it as good humor. Please email me or let us know on FaceBook if you're on my side on this one. - Either way you vote, thanks for reading our paper : ) - Robb

DON’T MISS The Next First Saturday Celebration August 3rd

Biz Card $25 • 1/16th Page $35 • 1/8 Page $75 • 1/4 Page $150 • 1/2 Page $300 • Full Page $600 Call: 706-889-5851

hat a day! The parking lot at Jasper Highlands Shopping Center took on a carnival atmosphere. The celebration had begun. Amid the sounds of cheering pizza fans, much pomp and fanfare, the "Big" announcement was made. "BIG JOHN" has arrived! When it comes to pizza just about everything that could be done with it has been done with it. You

name a topping and it's been placed atop a pizza. Even some that would make the most adventurous eater queasy. Pizza science has given us "Pan Pizzas", "Personal Pizzas", "Stuffed-Crust Pizzas", "Dessert Pizzas", even those ridiculously lousy, but yet for some reason, irresistable bite-size snack pizzas and pizza rolls! They've done the fast, faster and fastest thing. But, out there in the Pizza Universe the final frontier is BIG....Bigger, Biggest!

“Be SO good they can’t ignore you.” - Steve Martin

People have been making huge pizzas for quite some time. The Guinness Book of World records currently has the biggest, made by the Norwood Hypermarket in South Africa, as being 122.8 feet in diameter and weighing in at a whopping 26,883 lbs.! (www.guinnessworldrecords.com/worl d-records/11000/largest-pizza ) But this and all the other now beaten contenders for the world’s biggest "Uber-Pizza" have been one-shot stunts..... that is.... until now!

The folks at Johnny's Pizza in Jasper, Georgia have gone where no dine-in/take out, commercial pizza-maker has gone before... HUGE and MADE TO ORDER! 72 inches-worth of huge! That's right, a pizza that is 72" across that they call the "Big John" that is a monster of a pie! And it is the first ever commercially available (made to order) "Uber-Pizza". They (the others) said it couldn't be done, but that only served as a challenge for Andy, the pizzeria's owner and his top-notch team of pizzaologists Steve and Amanda. This was no easy feat and a project that was years in the making. Not only that, but it had a price tag of a small NASA mission! "I think that first Big John cost about $250,000." said Andy the mission's sole financier (chuckling and with a small tear in his eye) . "The Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, and most of McDonald's biggest items, were created by single store operators and then adopted franchise-wide. I'm hoping that this, my baby, will take off and be available at all Johnny's New York Style Pizza locations. That would make me very proud." But money was only part of it. It took a lot of hard work, trial and error. Noted Amanda, “I think we dropped about two or three thousand pounds of pizza dough on the floor before we even started getting the hang of it.” Steve explained, "Tossing a regular 16" pizza isn't easy. It takes a lot of practice. You can imagine how hard it would be to toss one of these these 72-inchers! It takes two people, at least, to toss each pie!" Andy added, "We got special permission to join the women's synchronized swim team at the YWCA in Atlanta. It was essential training. We had to learn to move and think as one. To anticipate the other's movements. This is high-level dough-tossing. It's an art form. Without that training, we couldn't have pulled it off.” Steve complained, “I really hated those rubber bathing caps though. I got a rash on my scalp. The itching drove me crazy!” For Amanda this special training brought about a more meaningful understanding of her work, “It’s kind of strange, but in a good way. Before I was just making pizzas, ‘ya know? Good ones for sure, but they were just pizzas. Now I feel a certain connection with each pie. It’s like there’s a piece of me in each and every one. It’s hard to explain. It’s like me, the pie and the universe are all one.” Andy added, “Martial arts training was invaluable too in developing the necessary concentration, coordination, peripheral eyesight, and sensitivity to subtle movements and cues made by your tossing partner. I have no doubt we are the world's most highly trained pizza dough tossers." I, myself, witnessed a Big John being tossed and I can only describe it as a sort of ballet dance, oddly beautiful really. One of the biggest challenges was constructing the new subterranean kitchen. Andy beamed proudly, "We're the only post-war commercial property in Jasper to have a basement. We call it the "Pizza Bunker"The new state of the art facility features a custom made pizza oven four times the normal size. The Big John pies, each weighing in at over10 lbs., cost a mere $69.95, a bargain price. They are cooked below ground and brought up to the street-level pizzeria via a large dumbwaiter. Big heavy duty cardboard boxes and a custom, heated panel truck have allowed them to begin deliveries of Big John to area homes, offices, schools, clubs and churches. They are great for parties and staff meetings and a riot at weddings. I asked Ralph, a patron sampling one of the huge slices, only $12.50, what he thought of pizza’s next big thing, “It’s wonderful and delicious. It’s a challenge to eat that’s for sure but I’d have to say, this pizza is unreal!” Remember, even if you don’t want a huge pie, Johnny’s still makes their famous and fantastic regular-sized pizzas! Call 706-253-0800 See their ad and coupon in this issue.

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” - Bill Cosby

25,000 copies of The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper will be picked up and read - 25,000 good reasons to advertise with us!

Thia: Our first trip to visit the Cajun Depot Grill was just about a perfect experience. We were greeted at the front door with smiles and "How y’all doing?" After being seated in a comfortable booth, I noticed the beautiful decor. New Orleans and Mardi Gras were represented, but subtly and tastefully. The dining room was bright and sunny with some quiet jazzy music playing, and the seating being far enough apart to offer private conversation. The dining area and the bathrooms were spotless. Our waitress Cynthia was pleasant, and friendly. Not having a clue what Cajun food was all about (my only experience being spicy gumbo), I was looking forward to trying something new, and we did. Appetizer of shrimp, jalepeno & cheese poppers (called Shrimp Jammers) was eye-watering and delicious, served with a side of sweet jelly to tone down the burn. We shared a cup of spicy red beans and rice ( and sausage) that was hearty and delicious. Our main courses of blackened chicken breast and blackened shrimp arrived cooked perfectly, protein was moist, veggies crisp and white rice just a touch al dente. My chicken was thickly topped with spices and smelled yummy. The food arrived hot from the kitchen and pretty enough for pictures. It tasted as good as it looked. Robb downed all of his dinner and I ate about half of mine, before we were both full. So we had no room to try the dessert on this visit. There were no missteps or slip ups from start to finish. From walking in the door to walking out the door, the dining experience at Cajun Depot Grill was perfect. If I had to LOOK for something to complain about, the only thing I would do differently would be to ask for my blackened chicken "kicked up a notch" since it was served on the mild side, and I wouldn't have minded more heat. The prices were very fair, lunches around $8, dinners in the $11-18 range. Robb: I couldn’t agree more with most of what you said Thia, I loved The Cajun Depot Grill, but .... “...protein was moist...”.... that sounds like something Mr. Spock would say. We didn’t eat “protein”! It sounds like you’re doing an autopsy on the food! I’m just saying, a little clinical my dear. It was splendidly cooked... uh... meat? Uh... well ... My fork is up, yours too.... that’s 2 Forks Up!. Address: 67 Depot St #101, Ellijay, GA 30540 Phone :(706) 276-1676 Hours: Closed Monday &Tuesday • Wednesday & Thursday -11:00 am – 8:00 pm • Friday & Saturday -11:00 am – 9:00 pm • Sunday-11:00 am – 8:00 pm

I don’t know why my brain has kept all the words to the Gilligan’s Island theme song and has deleted everything about triangles. - Jeff Foxworthy

e had never flown in a helicopter before, this was a very exciting first time event. Of course we had flown in jumbo jets but we had a feeling this would be very different, trust me, we found out it is VERY different. No comparison. Let's face it, flying on an airline is like riding a Greyhound bus except the people are better off financially, smell better and there's less crazy people per hundred to deal with. Better screening? Who knows? (Ok Thia, did I offend the smelly people, the crazies or Greyhound?) As we got to "The Airport" right off 515 in Blue Ridge, a couple was landing, they said their flight "...was amazing!" This was their first time, and they loved it. The lady told me that it was something she wanted to cross off her bucket list and now she could. She also said that it was so amazing that she didn't want to take her eyes off the scenery for one second, not even to take a picture. She said next time they go they would bring the camera and take some photos. Now I was even more eager to get on board. The usual tour takes you to see, from a bird's-eye-view, all the natural beauty and wonders in Fannin County. The Toccoa river, Lake Blue Ridge, on and on. But out of the corner of my eye, on the "menu

board" I saw..... "Custom Flights Available" ... I thought, wouldn't it be cool, since we're The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper to see what each town looks like from one or two thousand feet in the air? How many people ever get to see that?! The time arrived. We met our pilot, Steve, and went through a metal detector, were strip-searched.... ok...relax... I'm just kidding! We did receive our boarding instructions from Todd, the owner of Blue Ridge Helicopters. Basically, get in the craft, you in the front, Thia in the back, I'll do the doors, put your head-sets on and place the microphone close to your mouth. Since I was planning on taking photos Steve suggested taking my door off, that would have been great, but it wasn't to be, Thia quashed that idea in about 7.3 milliseconds after it left Steve's lips, that's why you might see some glare or reflections of the fire extinguisher in some of the photos. Blame Thia, what a chicken! Steve did a preflight check and then started to rev the motor. It got pretty loud awful fast. Then, suddenly, you become aware that the copter has left the ground, a very exhilarating moment. It lifted off very slowly at first then sort of "taxied" and then ..... zoooom! Up, Up and away!

We gained altitude fast. I heard Thia in my headphones **crackling** - "What do you hear?" Obviously she wasn't talking about the WOP-WAP-WOP-WAP-WOP of the chopper blades.... wait!... I heard it... "Da Da Da Dah Duh Dah Duh... Da Da Da Da Da Dud Duh... M.A.S.H.! The theme to M.A.S.H.! Your brain can't NOT superimpose that theme over that sound, it's automatic! My fellow North Georgians, this area is truly more beautiful than you already know it to be. To be able to take it all in at once from above was truly a gift. The word "Breath-Taking" (is that...like... one word?) cheapens what we saw. We buzzed over 515 in Blue Ridge, made a U-turn and headed for Ellijay and Jasper. It was a bit comical, in this era of high tech to hear Steve and other pilots basically just calling out where they are over the radio because there's no control towers around here. Like might as well just hang out the window, waving your hands "I'm over here!!!!!" Isn't there an app for that? We asked Steve if he would be so kind as to point out all the marijuana crops and moonshine stills for us along the way. He chuckled, a little bit. Steve, was fun, funny and very knowledge about about the area. He has seen some amazing sites from his

Dear Advertisers... Your Ad is now on the Internet FREE on www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com

vantage point. He loves to fly and his enthusiasm added to our experience. Thia said... "I felt totally safe in his hands. Actually, after the initial minute of nerves I had while boarding, I wasn't scared at all. And the view is so breathtaking, you get caught up in it, and don't want it to end." As we made our way south it was really something to see all the places you've driven by a thousand times before from this very different vantage point. Suddenly Thia exclaimed excitedly... "I smell barbecue!" Steve told her... "We are flying near "The Pink Pig." It even smells good from the air. Who would have thought we'd be flying 500 feet up and it would smell like North Georgia! Finally we arrived above Ellijay, a huge metropolis, just kidding. What looks like a big spread of buildings and businesses when you are driving through or walking around shopping, looks like a little play town (like those built next to a toy railroad train) from above. There's Charlie's! There's Ingles! Look at the chicken plant from up here! I thought about the helicopter traffic reports on the radio in New York, can you imagine one here? How boring! "The light changed at 515 and Maddox, three cars proceeded through the intersection, no accidents. There’s a

traffic pile up at McDonalds drive-up lane #1". The Ellijay "Square" (or Circle) looks like a cute little potted plant. I just finished the shrunken apple heads Halloween story and it made me think, up here, Halloween night with a few dozen cartons of eggs and 100 rolls of toilet paper! Can you imagine!!! The teen-ager in me is going wild! After circling Ellijay a few times we headed for Jasper. "Biguns Barbecue" looked more like "Smalluns Barbeque" from up here. We saw the huge marble quarry. Then downtown Jasper. No offense, but I've had more buildings and streets on my Monopoly board! I kid Jasper! I love that town. Especially Johnny's Pizza! There it is! Hey Steve, can we land and get a few slices? Steve said we actually could land at Johnny’s as long as we had permission from the land owner. You can land a helicopter almost anywhere. We circled Jasper, I took a few shots of the Woodbridge Inn. It looks so cute from up here. Like you can open up the back and play with dolls in the rooms. It was time to bid Jasper adieu and head for Blue Ridge. Wow! Since it actually HAS a train, Blue Ridge really DID look like a little model train town! Bizarre! I guess I AM weird. Lake Blue Ridge was gorgeous from the air. Seeing all those bazillion

dollar homes was neat, but I thought seeing the Swan Drive-In from the air was a life-changing experience. I really can't explain it. Hey! Check out that football field, now THESE are what you call seats! As we headed back to the Blue Ridge Helicopter Heliport I felt our one hour tour had gone by much faster than I would have liked. I was sad it was over. You simply haven't flown until you have flown in a helicopter. Of course, the same holds true if you've never flown at all. Just sayin'. Thia waxed poetic... "I'd always wanted to go for a helicopter ride, but I guess it just didn't occur to me to go out and make it happen. One of the great things about writing for the paper is we tend to seek out adventure now, and I'm glad we do. It makes life so much more exciting. So if you've always wanted to go for a helicopter ride, what are you waiting for? This is definitely something worth doing." We hope you’ve enjoyed our special custom tour. You can choose from all kinds of options when you go on a flight, starting with the introductory one for only $40. Call (706) 633-9311, see their ad in this “FUNpaper”, go to their website for details... but whatever you do.... GO!

In Fact... Every Advertiser now gets their own Information Page FREE on www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com

Now on staff, 4 insomniacs providing constant updates! The NEW >>>>> www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com

"When a family member was looking to purchase a property in North Georgia, I really wanted to find them a great realtor to work with. As a realtor myself, I set very high standards, and was getting very discouraged after a week of research. After my conversation with Scott, I knew he would be the perfect person to work with them, and I was right!!! He is everything that you hope to find in a realtor; professional, and knowledgeable, but also a wonderful sense of service to his clients, and always going above and beyond. My family and I now consider him a friend, and I have the utmost regard for him professionally and personally." Liz Jones, Broker Keller Williams, Asheville NC Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà-vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before. - Steven Wright 13

I broke up with my gym. We were just not working out.

By Jack Bellinato

s a transplanted Northerner from New Jersey, by way of Florida, who lives seven months of the year in Coosawattee, I was asked to write a column about my experiences in and around Ellijay. Why I don’t really know. My guess is that the owner of the paper for some reason, (did I mention he’s from New Jersey also) thinks I’m a funny guy and my column would be entertaining. So to the nine other people from New Jersey that live here, I hope you enjoy these “tongue and cheek” observations of my life in Ellijay. To write this column, I first had to get permission from my wife and second I had to get permission from the Witness Protection Program. When I first came here, I was told that Ellijay was the Apple Capital of Georgia. I would have guessed peaches. As it turns out when October comes everything is apples, apples and more apples. Fried apple pie, apple fritters, apple cobbler, apple dumplings, apples on a stick, apples off the stick. I could almost swear that when I went through the Mc Donald’s drive-through one time the girl actually said “do you want apples with that?” Someone said that during Apple Fest people come to Downtown Ellijay in “droves.” So to get ready for this event, I sat on a bench in the town square, which to me looks an awful lot like a circle. I sat there for most of the day and never saw a drove. I don’t know what a drove is, so I didn’t know what to expect. It must be some kind of bus or a truck to hold all of these people. We New Jersey people have a lot to learn that’s for sure. The next day I went to the Apple Fest. There was a lot of food, a lot of crafts, a lot of people, a lot of entertainment and a lot of apples. The entertainment that day was one Bluegrass group, and two hundred Cloggers. All were very good. You gotta be in great shape to clog. I can't clog. If I ever learned how, it would have to be for a max of 30 seconds. Anything more than that, there would have to be paramedic clogging next to me. I don't know how they do it. Maybe it's the apples. Speaking of apples, I didn't see any apple eating contest. Is it me or did no one ever think of that? I'm sure it's a good idea because when I mentioned it to some local women they said: apple eating contest, "Bless his heart". What a nice thing to say. Made me feel good all over. They sure have a way with words down here in the South. The Northerners can learn a lot if they just listen to y'all. See I’m learning. Another new thing I’ve learned is in the North, they say “you people” when referring to a group which offends some people. In the South, they say ya’ll and if it’s a bigger group, “all ya’ll” which I think is great! It really explains the difference and no one is offended. I think Northerners should adopt this fine Southern word. One more thing I have learned is do not ask directions from a local. I did and was told to go over yonder on this road for a spell and turn left where the old Baptist Church used to be and you can’t miss it. The funny thing is after living here for about seven years, I now know exactly how to get there from those directions. I don’t know if that is scary or good. Think I’m goanna go with good. I really love my life in Ellijay and hope I didn’t offend anyone. It’s all “tongue and cheek” observations and random thoughts. Speaking of tongue and cheek, is that anything like huff and mouth disease? How in the world do you get that? I never saw an animal put their huff in their mouth. I have seen people put their foot in their mouth as I may have done and I’m quite sure I’ll do it again. Most likely in my next column. The Opinions Expressed In This Column May Not Necessarily Be That Of The Publishers Of The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper ; )

Our Biz Card Ad is like getting 25,000 Business Cards Printed and Handed Out for you for just $25. Call 706-889-5851

magine, walking across an area scanning the ground with every step. Your mission is all that you think about. The troubles of the everyday life have been cast aside, at least for a little while. The air is cool and a slight breeze is blowing. As you reach the peak of a small knoll, your eye catches a bright white spot on the ground. You look closely at the small piece of rock to see if it is indeed what you are searching for. You notice other similar pieces lying around the area. You know that this could be an area that you’ve been searching for. The small pieces of rock are flakes of stone that have been lying undetected for who knows how many years. They may be quartz, flint or maybe chirp but you know down deep in your gut what the flakes suggest. This may be an area that a long forgotten Indian sat to nap arrowheads, spear tips, drills or scrapes. You scan the ground and notice a distinct shape at your foot. You gently pick up the rock and clean the dirt from it and it suddenly hits you. This “arrowhead” has been lying there undetected for hundreds of years and you are the one that found it. You have an immediate connection with something and someone that raises more questions than answers. Our area is rich in history of the Indians that called it home for many years. All we have to do is stop and look at all they left for us to admire. This area that we love has other histories and stories to tell us if we will only take the time to listen. I am in no way any sort of expert on the Indians that inhabited our area years ago nor do I claim to know and understand many of the artifacts that I have seen and found. I do know that when I find an Indian artifact that was used by someone, possibly hundreds of years ago, it serves as a connection between his time and today. As busy as our world is today, it’s nice to stop and imagine what his life must have been like, his worries and troubles and just try to identify with him. There are many federal and state laws that prohibit, regulate and condition certain aspects of artifact collecting on federal, state and private lands. Artifact collecting is not prohibited outright, but there are many restrictions and as federal, state and local law enforcement officers become familiar with the laws, investigations and arrests are increasing. To find out more

information on the laws you can check with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources or go to the Indian council web site located at: www.ganet.org/indcouncil. This web site has much information regarding the protection of these artifacts as well as the protection of our history along with many interesting facts about our state and its treasures. Looking at a wooded area it is hard to imagine that it may have once been a thriving Indian village or perhaps served a more sacred purpose. Much of our region and culture is a direct reflection of the impact that the Indians of our area have on us today. Have you ever noticed the marble monument located at the intersection of Highway 515 and First Avenue? It is a simple marker to identify the location of Fort Hetzel. This fort is where the Indians were gathered prior to the start of the Trail of Tears. I have found many amazing and interesting things over the years. There are trees located throughout our region that were used by some unknown groups of Indians to mark trails to villages, river fords and other important locations. If you look closely near many of the roads in our area, you may see many of the amazing trees quietly pointing down the road. It is well known that many of the old wagon trails and roads in the area followed these well traveled trails. There is much speculation on who, how and why they used the trees. It is speculated that some of these trees were used to mark hidden things, graves or may have contained messages for the travelers on the trail. Unfortunately, many of these wonders have fallen victim to progress and our endeavors to expand the modern world. I have found what is probably a grave located just off a dirt road. The owner of the land contacted the University of

Georgia and they looked at it and agreed that it was most likely an Indian grave. There are laws in place to protect these grave sites although I wouldn’t think of disturbing a grave. There have been in the past, those who have located graves or burial grounds either by luck or research and have pillaged the spoils that were located there. Some have been caught and others have not. This is a sad waste of our heritage. Yes, there are burial mounds located in the area. I have found pieces of clay pottery just lying on the ground. Some of the pieces have coloring to it as well as distinct markings and decorations. One piece has the darkened hint of being used near a fire. One small piece has the distinct pattern of a corn cob. As I said earlier, I do not claim to be an expert in this area. There are many people that live all around us in our communities that have a much greater knowledge of these things. This to, is a part of our heritage that we are losing. We need to pass this heritage on to the next generation to insure that it is never forgotten. We need to embrace it and be proud of our heritage and our area. I encourage you the next time you are out walking, keep one eye on the ground. Who knows, you may find a small piece of your heritage lying there, just waiting for you to come along and claim it.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. –Chinese Proverb

Our Biz Card Ad is like getting 25,000 Business Cards Printed and Handed Out for you for just $25. Call 706-889-5851

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. - George Burns

ell here we are, smack dab in the middle of what we call “dog days”. Man, it’s sho nuff hot! Since it is the summer there’s a lot of chores to be done around the house too. Let’s see, would I rather cut grass, weed-eat and clean up the yard, or would it be better to be a great daddy and watch the kids? I ain’t gotta think about that one long at all. Sure honey, I’ll watch the girls! Gettin outta yardwork and outta this heat, a man will ‘bout put up with anything, including entertaining four little girls on a weekend. Yep, this time a place the girls named ‘tha rapids’ got the vote. This is a beautiful place off a dirt road (ain’t all the best places?) we go to when it’s hot and just plain nasty like it’s been this month. The rapids have it all. You can swim in still water, slide on the rocks that make the rapids, have fun on the nature made beach, heck there’s even a good ol’ fashion rope swing. Can’t find that in a playstation. This place has some history to it too. When you get there and you walk down to the river you can look across and see the remains of an old mill that used to be where people in this area brought their corn to be turned into meal for baking. The parts are still right there next to the rock wall where it all used to happen. This is an excellent place for good pictures with your family. The girls hit it right away, which even though it’s 90 degrees plus, the water's still cold and that’s the best way to go about it. Just hit it wide open! They start off wadin’ out to the whitewater where there’s big ol’ slick rocks you can set on and let the power of the river push you down to the deep hole. Man, they love this, and hearing their screams of joy makes daddy a happy man. I love hearing those girls having fun. It sure beats the sound of a lawnmower and weed-eater running. Well the slide goes on for a while then I look over and Dixie Leigh and Chikoa is on the little beach burying themselves in the sand. Now that’s a good way to cool off, something about mud and kids like a moth to a light bulb every time. No need to worry about them cleaning up though because it ain’t long before they’re back in the water swimming and with all that water rushing downstream well, it’s like a natural washing machine. They’ll be all washed off before long. Now it’s off to the family favorite, the rope swing. This is a little challenging for your little ones but I’m always surprised at how kids will take control of a situation by helping each other out to get across the river. It’s good to sit back and watch them but it’s hard to believe these are the same girls that will argue over a Barbie dress. It’s amazing what the outdoors will bring out of a child. Once again daddy’s happy. The rope swing is a bit scary at first but it ain’t long before them kids are climbing up the tree to get a better push that’ll take them way out into the deep, cool water. This place has it all. As with about everywhere in these gorgeous mountains, there’s excellent photo opportunities, places to walk along the river and explore nature, and plenty of cold running water to cool off and entertain the young’uns. The fishing’s great here so be sure to pack a few rods and a cup of worms, this provides plenty of quiet time to see what’s in those little minds. It’s pretty cool to sit on the bank watching a couple of red bobbers floating and just listen to what the girls are thinking about. Yep you guessed it, daddy’s happy. There’s a good parking area here and plenty of room to spread out a blanket and enjoy a family picnic. Last time we were eating we had a visitor sneak up on us. A little whitetail deer came around, either hungry or just curious, but either way that was a good one mother nature and I thank you. You see a lot of things out here that you don’t notice in our rush here and rush there lives. We always find something new, from the little bugs that make their homes on the rocks in the river, to one of the girls bringing us a big crawdad. We’ve even seen some nice bucks crossing the road coming in or going out of here. It’s truly a good place to enjoy precious time with your family, and these glorious mountains we call home. I really hope you and yours get out to the rapids and enjoy some quality time in nature and take home some great memories. It’s good to know you ain’t gotta spend a lot of money to entertain your family. Now you might want to brush up on your nature information because you’ll get a whole bunch of “What’s this?” and a lot of “Can I touch these?” and a few “What are these good for?” but the best one ever is “This was the best day ever daddy”! Good luck, and enjoy life and those kids! Besides, sure beats weed-eating. Now some things you might want to take with you are: A cooler with your picnic, drinks, and plenty of snacks. All that swimming, swinging, and walking builds up a big appetite. Also, a bunch of towels and a change of clothes help, depending on how far you have to drive home. You’re gonna want to have a good charge on your phone or bring a good camera, don’t want to miss the photo opps. Pack some old tennis shoes or river shoes, those rocks are rough on them tender feet. Bug spray is always a good thing to have when trying to eat on the bank of a river. Don’t forget those fishing poles, and a can of worms the slow moving pools hold some big trout and other fish willing to put on a show for the little ones. Directions: From River St., Dowtown Ellijay, GA – head south on GA-52 E/52 E/River St. toward Depot St. Continue to follow GA-52 E 5.7 miles. Turn left onto Big Creek Rd. and continue for 4.8 miles. There will be a sharp right onto River Hill Rd. and your destination is approximately 1 mile on the right.

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. –Unknown

don't know anything about cars, except where the gas goes, and where the key goes. As a matter of fact I could tell you about the one time where I thought I knew where the water goes. I put the water in the wrong place in my 1975 Valiant. Where did I put the water? I put it in the place where you are supposed to put the oil. I now know that is a very, very.... very bad thing to do. Thanks Robb! But anyway, sending me to a car show isn't going to get you any in-depth information. I'll just say downtown Jasper was filled with shiny cars; old, new and hot rods. And besides cars, there was music, hot dogs grilling and cold drinks. It was a wonderful day to be Cruisin'! My favorite car was Mr. Denton Fox's green 1949 Chevrolet Deluxe Fastback. I love the paint job. He told me he did it from the ground up and did the whole thing in green. When it was done, he just didn't think it looked right so he redid the top in silver. Now it looks perfect if you ask me. Mr Denton tells me it has a 350 motor and a 480 cam and it can really get up and go. He says he drives it all the time and it rides like a cadillac! Ms. Evelyn Williams from The Jasper Merchant Association told me they have the "Cruise In" car show once a month from March through October. There are two more shows left this year. One will be on September 28th and they will have special musical guests, Stone Cold Country. The last one of the year will be October 26th. Both go from 4pm to 8pm and they are held right in downtown Jasper on the main drag. Story by Thia Newman Photos by Robb Newman

“I hate it when my foot falls asleep during the day ’cause that means it’s gonna be up all night.” - Steven Wright

I think it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.â&#x20AC;? - Steven Wright 21

Photos by Robb Newman Story by Thia Newman

aluna is an ancient Cherokee word for Mother Earth. And Talking Rock's Kaluna Community is a back to nature place. You might think simplifying your life would make things easier, but you might be thinking wrong. Living and working in Kaluna is a lot of hard work, and giving up the creature comforts you have so grown accustomed to, is a big sacrifice. But what you gain in your understanding of the world at large, and small, and how to just "be" and enjoy all you are given by nature, might be worth it. To live at Kaluna, to work toward becoming a Peacemaker and Earth Steward, is a life changing experience. Ben Jones and Meghan Cole were manning the market when we arrived. All the products are locally and organically grown, no chemicals. You can smell the deliciousness of fresh veggies when you walk into the small wooden building. There was an abundance of sweet corn on this day. Ben says, "I eat it raw. It's so good you don't need to cook it." Colorful heirloom tomatoes and squash, beets and cabbage, are displayed alongside a cooler full of fresh meat from a neighboring farm. The Whitestone Farm & Trade Store is open every weekend through October. You'll

see the signs on Hwy. 515 when the market is open. After buying some corn for ourselves and talking with Ben and Meghan, our hosts, Lizbeth and Joseph arrived. I had met Lizbeth at Twelve Stone Farm's Summer Solstice and instantly liked her. She is one of those vibrant people you want to know better. Robb and I were meeting her and Joseph to have a look around. The backbone of Whitestone Market, is Kaluna, the community where much of their produce is grown; where Lizbeth had recently moved, and where she and Joseph now live. Lizbeth, Joseph, Robb and I all walked together to tour the community and talk. It is, by the way, 92 degrees and sunny, with no breeze. The mosquitos are frolicking and feeding (on me!). Thia: How did you end up here? Lizbeth: Joseph and I have known each other for four years or so. I had been feeling the call to the forest, oddly, and he's living in one. So I decided to move here. Thia: Are you two in love? Lizbeth: Oh yes big time, that was definitely the lure. The spring is another reason. Literally I drank from it and thought, I should live here. The most delicious water you've never had! We have a friend that

lives in the spring, named Herman, he is a Salamander. He lives under this rock. Lizbeth fills up the cup from the spring and I have my first ever taste of natural spring water, right from the source. It's cold, crisp and delicious counteracting the salty sweat running down my face. It's a first for Robb also, who sucks down a large cupful. Lizbeth drinks from her hands and then shows me what a Chanterelle mushroom looks like. Many are growing near the spring, but the ones living there are not to be picked, she says, because they belong to the spring. Lizbeth is a yoga instructor, by training. But here, she takes morning walks into nature and learns about what the land has to say to her. She's been harvesting gobs of Chanterelle mushrooms and blackberries. Plants and gardens abound on the property. As do some friendly dogs. Thia: I'm assuming before this, you lived in a regular apartment, on a street, in a city. What do you miss about that life? Lizbeth: The cultural diversity of having access to lots of all kinds of people. And I was a desert dweller before so I miss that vastness and space of being able to see so far.

100 Reasons Why I Love My&Small Town on TheBestOfEllijay.com Check The Live Music Events Calendar For More Fun Things To Do!

Thia: Do you miss the air-conditioning? Lizbeth: We had swamp coolers in the desert which is a different kind of thing. But I don't miss them. This is the spring-fed pond that is ten feet deep with fish in it. We can just jump in the pond to cool off. Lizbeth shows me her amazing "new" home, a beautiful structure built in the 1800's. They just finished having a solar panel installed. It will be connected to supply some light, maybe a fan for summer cooling. Thia: So upstairs will be your bedroom and downstairs will be the living room. What more do you need? Lizbeth: Running water. We are working on it. Robb: Air conditioning! So, it’s possible to do sustainable living now in so much of a better way, because of the technology and science. You can be off grid totally, but still have electricity, internet and cell phone. Joseph: The thing that has become pragmatic for people is affordability. Ten years ago a solar panel like that would have been extremely expensive. Now it is about a dollar a watt. Thia: How did you end up in this kind of environment? Joseph: I was a caretaker at a farm in the middle of Minnesota sur-

rounded by corn with cows, and I was sitting on a raft in the pond and they were crop dust spraying and I was saying to myself, how are we so stupid? Killing ourselves, the soil, the earth. I went back to school in anthropology to study human culture. My questions weren't answered, but I certainly got a lot of perspective. Lizbeth: Do you guys want to take a stroll into what we call primitive village? Robb: Wait a minute… Primitive? Where are we now? Future World? I thought these buildings were pretty primitive. Are we going to where the Flintstones lived? (Laughs all around) After we toured the Primitive Village, a collection of lean-tos, tents, teepees and a sweat lodge, Robb and I were tired. Time for a break, we head to the communal building with the shared kitchen. As we sat around the old wooden table with the ceiling fan blowing on us, it felt twenty degrees cooler. Small pleasures as this, taken for granted, and then appreciated in a short couple hours. Joseph taught us about making chocolate. We told Lizbeth where she could find a delicious gluten free pizza (Johnny's Pizza in Jasper) We shared conversation, and laughs,

water with ICE and some delicious chipotle and salt Jamaican dark chocolate. Some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted, made by Joseph's friends who work on a co-op he's part of in South America. Overall it was a wonderful day. I loved my visit, but as they say, “I wouldn't want to live there.” At this point in my life, at middle age, I'm a bit too spoiled and out of shape to give up my creature comforts. But I certainly would recommend that young, nature minded people look into this further. You can go on the website and read more about Kaluna Community and set up a visit, or even apply to live there. Kaluna is accepting some special people to become members of their community. And if living with air conditioning is more your speed, you can support them by visiting Whitestone Farm & Trade market and buying some amazing fresh, organic food! http://www.kalunacommunity.org

If my body is “Get ever your foundfacts deadfirst, on athen jogging just know I was murdered elsewhere and dumped there. you trail, can distort them as you please.” - Mark Twain

obb and I dropped by the Blue Ridge Mountain Art Center today to see the Blue Ridge Mountain Photographers juried photography Exhibit. Beautiful works lined the walls and center displays. $3000 cash was awarded to the talented people who's photographs were picked as winners in categories including Nature, Floral/Plant, Landscapes and People. Congratulations to Terry Barnes the creator of “The Chimneys” who won the Best of Show Award of $500! This exhibit will run through October 13th. There are always lots of things to do and see at the Art Center. While we were visiting, we saw kids taking music lessons, people shopping for art supplies, and visitors enjoying all the art exhibits. There are three new exhibits scheduled for the next couple months. Right on the main drag in Blue Ridge, across from the park, the Art Center is a great place for a relaxing visit. Don't forget to surround yourself with beauty once in a while. It's good for you! It was nice to meet the marketing director, and my Facebook Friend, Jennifer Danner in person. Jennifer wears many hats, including keeping up the Art Center's Facebook page. You can find it by searching "Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association" Checking Facebook or the website (BlueRidgeArts.net) will always have up to the minute information on what's going on in the arts in Blue Ridge!

DON’T MISSCall The Next First Saturda 24 Our Biz Card Ad is like getting 25,000 Business Cards Printed and Handed Out for you for just $25. 706-889-5851

ay Celebration August 3rd>>>NEW<<< Website! www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com Lots of new stuff every day! Check Out Our

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.â&#x20AC;? - Jerry Seinfeld

Sometimes life is funny by accident. Something unexpected happens that cracks you up and you just have to tell the story again and again and again because it’s too funny to be true, but it IS true. If you have a story like that, a true one, send it to us, preferably with a picture that goes with it and we’ll send you a $10 Gift Certificate from one of our many great local restaurants.

Send yours to: TheBestOfEBRJ@Gmail.com Blahhhhhhh.... Funny story! Yesterday went shopping all day ....anyway, while in one of the huge athletic stores Jackson finds a MAM Pacifer, which is what Roxy uses. I told him to throw it in the basket and we would see if we could find the baby who lost it. Meanwhile, we check out, the paci is in my basket so I throw it in my backpack. You know where this is going......... We get on the interstate Roxy cries for her paci, I'm driving, Patrick digs in the backpack and misses her 5 paci's and grabs the odd one! 20 miles later , I look back and can not stop gagging !!!!! I tell Patrick the story and I have 15 different scenerio's in mind of where that paci has been and what kind of germs it is carrying!!!! Patrick asks, well should I get it? I said why!? It has been in her mouth for like 20 minutes now. Yuck!!!!! - Susan Harper McVey, mom & realtor at Re/Max Cally writes: My grandparents owned & operated a gas station for over 30 years in North Georgia , My grandmother was raised in Cashes Valley way out in the hills so she was as southern as they come born & raised. My grandparents often would take us grandchildren to the station while they worked , we played out back in the junk cars and parts, drew on the sidewalk with chalk or flint rocks, ate candy that we pretended we were selling in our candy shop it was always fun. One Evening a well dressed lady came in the station , she made small talk with my grandma about the weather and what a fine area we had to visit and she was just passing through and was from up north. The lady then asked my grandma if we had any bars around here ? My grandma replied Oh sure we had one run through the yard the other day , there are plenty of bars up here. The lady looked confused and explained she was talking about the kind one goes in for a drink, my grandma said well then no mam we don't got any of them kind of bars . I was at Wolf Creek Canyon BBQ the other day and was doing some window sign lettering for them and a man and his family came out of the restaurant with a “The Best Of....” paper in his hand and was looking at the cover and spoke to me and I just had to say, "Great paper. Does anything look familiar?" He looked and said, "Yea! that’s you!" I said well ''It is what it is! Sign Man by day & Beatal by night!" We all had a good laugh! - Weyland Funny story; I got a call today from a guy asking about our prices....after I gave him prices and described the tour he ask me "Are y'all the ones that do that ride where you hang from the helicopter"? Cracked me up!!! I wonder how many people saw the bogus ad and though it was for real? Todd Atwell Blue Ridge Helicopters, Inc. 706-633-9311

When I was a boy, I laid in my twin-sized bed and wondered where my brother was. - Mitch Hedberg

Story by Thia Newman Pictures by Robb Newman & Jason Chumley

t had been quite a while since I had glided across the water in my kayak. Doing one of my favorite things used to happen all the time where I last lived and could just push my boat out of my back yard. But I hadn't been on the water since moving up to North Georgia. There are so many gorgeous rivers and lakes here, but I didn't know anything about them, where to put in, where there was rapids, whether the water was shallow or deep. Although just like riding a bike, you retain your knowledge of selfpowering a kayak, the not knowing where you are or where to go is a bit on the unnerving side. Moving to a new place means you have to find your way around, but with your car, a wrong turn on a dirt road simply means a turn around to get back to civilization. A misstep in water, in a people powered craft can be dangerous or even deadly. And on

top of the safety issue, there is the fun issue, the adventure. Sure you can put in on a calm public lake, with lots of people doing the same and paddle around pretty safely, but being where everyone else is, that's not the fun part. Knowing the spots where the other people aren't, the secret places of amazing beauty, that's the fun part. The solutions to all this came when I was talking on Facebook, and a friend announced that he was starting his own guide service. He would take you out kayaking, fishing, hiking, camping or rock climbing for a really inexpensive fee. Well of course I checked him out, I wanted to know what experience Jason Chumley had, and he had plenty. He had been adventuring all his life, from building rock climbing trails to being one of the top local nature guides. He was born, raised and spent most of his time exploring the water, woods and mountains in our area. Jason Chumley's guide service, Adventure Awaits, sounded just perfect for

what I was looking for to get me and Robb back on the water feeling comfortable. We met up with Jason in a park that we reached driving a couple miles down a dirt road. An empty parking lot sat in woods and on water and adjacent to an easy access boat ramp. After we had a picnic lunch in the woods we grabbed the boats and loaded up our gear at the bottom of the ramp. It took all of five minutes to get us safely, smoothly into the water, and while I felt just a little shaky at first (it takes a little while to get your sea legs back after you have been off the water), I felt total confidence that Jason could handle any situation that we came upon on the water. He had picked a very calm area to bring us in and the whole tour he had planned was all easy paddling. He totally matched our slightly rusty skills, by keeping everything really simple for us. But that doesn't mean we didn't have an adventure! If Robb and I had went alone we would have paddled around

Check The Live Music & Events Calendar For More Fun Things To Do!

in the water and went home. But Jason showed us the coolest things. He took us around this corner and into this little cove, and there is a …. WATERFALL! Before we got to the waterfall we navigated our boats through a place Jason calls "The Sticks" You see a whole forest of tree tops sticking up through the water. We paddled through really deep water, like hundreds of feet deep, and I asked Jason what he thought could be down there. He said that he'd heard stories of divers who went down deep and saw catfish as big as Volkswagens! Jason had lots of interesting stories and information about the area. He knew all about the nature along the waters edge, and he was just outdoor savvy, from the simplest things, like if you paddle along the shoreline instead of out in the middle it's about ten degrees cooler, to knowing that this exact spot, currently covered with lush vegetation, was a huge rock cliff that you could see only in the winter when the leaves had fallen off. Jason says, "I've spent my whole entire life in the mountains; hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing, and I always find the beautiful spots that no one seems to know about. I want to open people up to nature. My curiosity keeps me looking around the corner and I always find something beautiful. This is what makes me thrive, being out here. I want to share that." So after a nice picnic lunch, a one hour ride out to waterfalls and the sticks, and a one hour ride back to the boat ramp we were tired and happy. A perfect beginning to learning to enjoy and experience the waterways in our new wonderful home town. Jason did all the hard work, we just had to show up and enjoy. He does the same thing with camping. You can kayak or hike to a campsite. You arrive to enjoy the food being cooked for you over the campfire and spend an evening in nature and sleeping under the stars, and you don't have to set up the tents or build the fire, or plan the meals, it's all done for you. That is really the next thing I am thinking of trying, camping. But still hanging on to my "city girl" roots, they haven't convinced me yet that sleeping on the ground is a fun thing. Maybe I could get Jason to have a king size mattress waiting. Hmmm I'll have to ask him about that, he sure accommodated us in everything else we've asked him for so far. But whether I do the overnight, sleeping outside thing or not, I will definitely be going out on the water with Jason again. This next time I want to paddle out to a private spot and have a cookout on the banks of a lake, maybe play some guitar, in the fall when the beautiful leaves are changing and the weather is perfect. Maybe I'll bring my Dad and let him do some fishing. Whatever I come up with, I know Jason will plan it and make it special, and I really can't wait to go out again, because anytime you go out with Jason… Adventure Awaits. 706.636.2889 Photos by Robb Newman & Bryan Elliott Xcellent Photography Story by Thia &like?” Robb Newman “I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you don't - Jean Cocteau

30 Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll See You At The Apple Festival, Apple Arts, Blue Ridge Arts In The Park and The Jasper Marble Festival... Right?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A good listener is usually thinking about something else.â&#x20AC;? - Kin Hubbard 31

Have you ever touched Dinosaur Poop?

You can at Tellus!

id you know there is a 120,000 square foot, world class science museum less than an hour’s drive from us? A short easy trip to Cartersville will land you at Tellus Museum. My first thought was that the name stood for "Tell Us" as in telling people all about science. But actually Tellus is the Latin word for Earth. Originally The Weinman Mineral Museum stood on this spot in Cartersville where the Tellus now stands. The museum did a huge expansion and reopened in 2009 with four magnificent galleries, including The Weinman. I recently went for a visit with Robb, Eva & Mikayla and we had a blast! The adventure starts as soon as you arrive in the lot. The kids eyes will open wide when they see some of the vehicles already parked there; massive construction equipment, including the biggest dump truck/earth mover you've ever seen! Take a short walk down the garden pathway to the entrance and you have arrived! The minute you walk into the welcoming lobby you see a huge pendulum swinging. Foucault Pendulum was named for French physicist Léon Foucault The swinging pendulum moves in a clockwise motion with a slightly changing pattern to reflect the rotation of the earth. Every fifteen minutes the movement has changed enough to knock down one of the domino shaped blocks that are placed in a circle around the pendulum. At the end of each 24 hour period, all 126 colored dominos are knocked over. In the morning, the first staff member who arrives at the museum gets the honor of setting all the blocks back up! We dug for fossils, and panned for gems. We found some of both and we got to keep them! We also looked at beautiful rocks and minerals from around the world. I happen to love rocks, so this part of the museum was my favorite. My Big Back Yard is a play and experiment center for the younger kids where they can explore lights and shadows, mirrors, and magnets with all kinds of hands on activities. The Science in Motion Gallery is a display of transportation throughout history, featuring spaceships, cars and planes. It will appeal to the history and auto buffs out there. The most amazing display was the massive dinosaur skeletons! The nine foot wide jaws of a Megalodon were so huge, our teen reporter, Mikayla could have fit inside them! These prehistoric sharks ruled the oceans and were bigger than a school bus! It was also around this area, where we saw a big pile of… uhm.. stuff that you could touch and guess what it was. After you guessed you opened a door to reveal the answer, and I'm gonna spoil if for you here, but that "stuff" was fossilized dinosaur poop! While visiting the Tyrannosaurus skeleton, we ran into Mary Anning. (Okay, it wasn't REALLY Mary, it was someone portraying her) Mary gave us a gift of a real shark tooth! Back in the 1800's, Mary was an English paleontologist. She described herself as the most famous female that nobody every heard of. That was because being a woman in those days kept her from recognition for her great accomplishments. Mary made her first impressive fossil find when she was just twelve years old! Her contributions to the scientific community weren't recognized until after her death. It certainly was cool to meet her "in person." My friend Eva, who is working on becoming self-sustaining, loved the Solar House. This compact living environment had everything you need, in a small, but comfortable space, and it all worked with solar panels! It was an exhibit, but I just knew that Eva wanted to move in! The museum has six permanent exhibits that will educate and entertain everyone in the whole family, from baby to senior. There is also a planetarium and a cafe. The displays may change so check their Facebook and website for the latest things to see. Open seven days a week from 10am til 5pm except for holidays. There is a charge to get in. Call 770-606-5700 for info. 100 Tellus Dr, Cartersville, GA. For your navigation system, put Story By Thia Newman in Mineral Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA. Photos By Robb Newman http://tellusmuseum.org Make sure you tell ‘em we sent you!

Eva & Mary Anning

Mikayla Jones - Teen Reporter

y end all, be all, bass fishing addiction began unsuspectingly one fall afternoon in October of 2010. The adrenaline rush I felt hooking into my “fish of a lifetime” was like nothing I had ever experienced. Funny thing is it was only the third largemouth bass I had ever caught in my life and the first two I landed just the day before. Earlier that fall I had fallen into a real funk. I Story & Photos started looking at a few things in my life that By Bayou Betty were not going the way I planned. It was time to move on….accept the things we cannot change, right? But still, I knew I needed to heal something inside me and I didn’t even know really what that “something” was. I just felt a hole, some sort of empty void settling in. To top it off there was nothing my wonderful spouse could do to help or comfort me. I was looking life square in the jaw and it was slapping me pretty hard at that point. I needed a complete distraction from it all. My best friend of 30 years suggested I head home for some mental relaxation and bass fishing. I just laughed, “Are you serious? Go bass fishing?” Although I have been fishing since I was three and have even owned a center console fishing boat down in Savannah, the thought of bass fishing never crossed my mind. I always looked at bass anglers as uptight sportos into fast boats and fast fishing. To me fishing was code for drinking beer and watching a bobber (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Since nothing seemed able to lift my spirits, and spirits are always stronger near the water, I decided to take my friend’s advice and embark on a journey to get in touch with my good ol’ Southern redneck bass fishing roots. I arrived in Statesboro, GA around 4 o’clock to meet my best friend, Larry and fish a neighborhood pond behind his house. Armed that afternoon with a pack of Berkley Pumpkinseed worms and our mighty Zebco 202s, we each landed a couple of one and two pound bass. What I really loved was how hard they fought and that they jumped clear up out of the water like a little missile! The green fish got airborne, shook their heads with mouths wide open, and danced and darted when they saw the boat. It was a sort of water ballet on steroids and love at first sight for me and the largemouth bass. Now if I told you we released the fish that we caught, technically that would not be a lie. They were in fact released into the oven. I failed to mention Larry is a chef and an amazing one at that. Those bass never had a chance! They were stuffed with lump crab meat and served in a beurre blanc sauce for an incredible meal. However, the most satisfying part was that I could think of nothing else besides how much fun those green fish were to catch. It was a rush! In my mind I continually replayed those 30 second fish fights and could not stop smiling. I wanted more of this action and I wanted it soon! Providence smiled on me yet again the next day when we found another spot to fish. We trekked through the woods for a half a mile, through the briars, vines and cobwebs and arrived at this little two acre pond. On my second cast, I landed a nice little one and a half pound bass. Larry said, “ I didn’t even know there were any fish in here!” Unbeknownst to him, I was just as surprised as he was. Truth be told, showing off a little bit, that’s all part of bass fishing too. On the next cast I brought the line in a little fast. To compensate, on the following cast I let my pumpkin seed worm marinate before giving it a slight twitch and that’s when she picked up the bait and stared running with it. The drag was just screaming on that 202 and as I was working her in after she made a couple of good runs. Then, my little Zebco locked up on me. I ended up having to free line her to the bank. But I landed her and she was the most gorgeous fish I had ever seen! We snapped a few crappy cell phone pictures and I released her back in the water. But I will never forget that fish. She embodied everything I was struggling for and against in my life. I was fishing with such enjoyment and a sense of relaxation. I had found my zen harmony with the fish. It is strange to think that one fish matters, but my life was never the same. I was hooked. From the anticipation of landing a largemouth with that next cast to the quiet joy of focusing on a tight line, I loved everything about bass fishing. In the three years since my bass fishing epiphany, so much has happened. Yeah I still have problems but now I have a perfect way to solve them. I fish. My technique has improved as well. I now fish the Southern Jon Boat Tournament trail along with hosting my own “free to fish” fishing tournaments. What better way to find out about bass fishing than to host your own tournament. I’ll be hosting my fourth Bass Tournament on October 5th at Lake Blue Ridge. Blastoff approx. 7am, weigh-in 3PM sharp. To register email – bayoubetty1@gmail.com and you can find me on Facebook facebook.com/bayoubetty Tight lines and bass wishes, BB

Biz Card $25 • 1/16th Page $35 • 1/8 Page $75 • 1/4 Page $50 • 1/2 Page $300 • Full Page $600 Call: 706-889-5851

I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet. - Rodney Dangerfield 35

he Eagle Mountain Jam...now THAT.... was entertainment. And entertainment with a heart. One non-profit organization helping out another non-profit organization! What a concept! The pickers and singers (harmonica players, drummers and 1 washtub bass player) all showed up for a very special edition of The Coosawattee General Store's "Pick'in On The Porch" series to raise money for the animals of "Build An Ark". Build an Ark is kind of like a big petting zoo. Today I think they call things like this "multi-species interactive facilities" or something like that. But most importantly, it's an animal rescue. These are all animals that but for the Ark would have missed the boat shall we say. Susan Littlejohn, the founder of Build An Ark wants to say thank you to all the wonderful musicians (and one fine comedian... you know who you are) for taking the time to share their talent and raise over $1,000 (That buys a lot of oats!) I interviewed Susan during the event...... ROBB: Quite an event, huh? Anything you want to say? SUSAN: I want to say thank you to all the wonderful musicians (and one fine comedian... you know who you are) for taking the time to share their talent and raise over $1,000 (That buys a lot of oats!) ROBB: That’s weird! I just wrote that in the story I'll be writing in a week or so! Here's a list of those that played at "ARK-AID", many of them also play out at restaurants and bars all over Ellijay and beyond, besides at Gilmer Arts "Acoustic Blends". If you haven't enjoyed their performances somewhere, you have missed out and have another regret to add to your list, you just don't know it. And of course, don't miss a single "Pick'in On The Porch"especially when the AB crew is there. • Barefoot Boone – Joy Hice and Dannie Wilson • Dr. Frank Bowyer and Cherry Log • Stan Hanlon • Long Swamp – Tom Lewis & Rev. Frank Wilson • Leap of Faith – Tom & Denise Cox with Al and Dana Henderson • Michael Ellis Bean • Jack Bellinato and Friends • The Hayloft String Conservatory – Dr. Steve “Possum” Jones, with Linda Jones, Gini Belli nato, and Tim Sullivan • Downtown Roy – Dan Worley, Frank Enes, “Possum” Jones, Don Roberts • J. Michael “Mac the Harp” Leonard and “Dr.” Nic Vicino ••••• Special thanks to sound man – Russ Filco And check out the General Store, say Hi to Jan & crew . They serve an apple cobbler that is amazing and lots of other great breakfast and lunch specialties. I sure do hope they are still making that fantastic Philly Cheese Steak! I’m about due for one! - Robb

Weekly Rates can fool you, they SEEM cheaper, but our ads in FULL COLOR are much cheaper. If you compare copy for copy

hese guys are GREAT!!!!! That’s it! PERIOD! Well, I could just end it there, what more can I say? To hear them, is to know what I’m talking about. Whether you catch a performance by Topper: Voices Of Rock ... the duo or the full band, you will be wowed I promise you that. Topper is a national touring act, they play everywhere including Las Vegas. They’ve been together for decades (37 years!!!) and are living proof that practice makes perfect. They started out as a backup band for recording stars in a studio and on tours. Topper is the only true multi format band in the country (the world?) with a concert presentation of their own original Rock material, a Classic Rock Tribute show, 'Voices Of Rock' (addressed on the website), AND a presentation of cover material in every musical genre, a 200 + song repertoire, all performed true to form vocally and instrumentally, (They sound like the record) ditto the duo “'Topper-Voices Unplugged!'” (That’s not true, they were plugged in! I guess rela-

tively speaking, compared to the band they are LESS plugged in.) featuring Pete and David the “band leaders” and its song writing team. Not to toss David to the side, but, Pete has what can only be described as an incredible voice. FIVE full octaves! You name someone, anyone... and he sounds like them! It’s amazing. Low bass (I was waiting for him to belt out “Old Man River”) to very high highs (I’d bet he can do a mean Minnie Riperton!). Several superstars have played with the band over the years out of respect & admiration, including Ozzy Osbourne, Dickie Betts from The Allman Brothers and in particular, Jerry Lee Lewis. They played locally twice recently which was lucky for us. I caught them at Cucina Rustica’s Benefit for the Open Arms Foundation. The event raised thousands of dollers for a very worthy cause. Check out the Open Arms website above, they do great work and need donations & volunteers. It was a beautiful

evening, the band and crowd were pumped and ready for a good time. If you missed them go to Topper’s site and watch a few of their videos. John, the owner of Cucina Rustica and promoter of the event told me their next fundraiser is in the works for October. Call 706-374-3700 for information. Please go to the event, whatever it is and help John help, whoever he’s helping, it’s a different charity each event. Next I caught the Topper Duo at The East Ellijay Pourhouse. With half the members they sustained their quality. As they played, the Pourhouse owner, Josh, looked at me like...... “Holy Smokes!” Obviously he was impressd, he booked the whole band to play September 21st at 9pm. Unfortunately that’s right after this issue hits the street, not a lot of time to get the word out but, hopefully you’re reading this before so you don’t miss them! That would be a tragedy. Speaking of which, no, I don’t think they do any BeeGees. Or BEATLES?!!!!!!!!! Shame on them!

you’ll find out our Price Per Thousand Can’t Be Beat! We are the cheapest way to advertise to 3 counties.

Sep18 CreeksideReview Rocco'sPub Jasper

Sept26PeteBerwickPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay

Oct1MarkOsborne6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille

Jasper

Sept18OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Sept26MarkOsborne6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille

Oct2 PaulJr. Rocco'sPubJasper

Oct9OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Sept27RonniePittmanPourhouseMaddoxDrEllijay

Oct2 OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Oct11ThomasFountainPourhouseMaddoxDrEllijay

Sept27NancyChancey-6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille

Oct 3-20OnGoldenPondBRCommTheaterBlueRidge

Oct11NancyChancey6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille

Sept27JenniferDannerWolfCreek Canyon941MaddoxDrEllijay

Oct3MarkOsborne6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille

Oct11 YoungActorsProject "ABagfulof Fables" 7pmTaterPatchPlayersTheater Jasper

Sept27 ClassicCarsCruiseIn6pm-dark DairyQueenParkingLotonGA5Blue Ridge

Oct4 J&B ExpressWolfCreekCanyon 941MaddoxDrEllijay

Sept-Sept22HumorMeArtShowSharptopArtsAssoc(706)692-0101forinfo Jasper Sept–Oct13BRArtCenterBRMPNational JuriedPhotographyExhibit BlueRidge Sept–Oct13BRArtCenterExhibit:Plein AireInternationalPaint-OutStudioGallery BlueRidge Sept18-Sept29VolunteerGrapePicking SharpMtnVineyardssharpmountainvineyards.com/events.phpJasper

Sept27JacobBryant7pmJilly'sPubRiver StEllijay

Oct4AudioAlliancePourhouseMaddox DrEllijay

Oct.11JasonChumleyWolfCreek Canyon941MaddoxDrEllijay Oct11PaulConstantine 7pmJilly'sPub RiverStEllijay

Oct4RockasaurusRocco'sPubJasper Sept20 BRArtCenterMerlot’sMasterpieceseries6:30–8:30pm BlueRidge Sept20 SupperClubwithComedicMagician,ArthurAtsma 6pmGIlmerArtsDaltonStEllijay Sept20LastActStanding7pmJilly'sPub RiverStEllijay

Sep27 Destination Rocco'sPubJasper Sept27-Oct26FiberArtShowSharptop ArtsAssoc(706)692-0101 Jasper Sep27 PioneerChick'nStandWhistle Stop-BlueRidge Sept27-&28 GilmerCountySaddleClub RODEO!8PM -SEEAD

Sep20 ModernVinyl Rocco'sPubJasper

Oct.5DowntownEllijay’s1stSaturdayCelebration-LiveMusic,Food,Events Oct5 TravisLee&ClayDavenport Wolf CreekCanyon941MaddoxDrEllijay

Oct11 PioneerChick'nStandTheTavernBigCanoe Oct11CCMorganDuoRocco'sPub Jasper Oct11RoySchneiderandKimMayfieldJJ'sonRiverStreetEllijay Oct11-19GeorgiaMtnFallFestMusic,arts, crafts,foodgeorgiamountainfairgrounds.com Hiawassee

Sept28 JackWilliams 7:30 BRCommunityTheaterBlueRidge

Oct5ChristieLee'sCourtyardGrille Jeb Rogers11-3&QuinnLeach3-5 &"Dr.Paul"Constantine-6-9

Sept21TopperPourhouseMaddoxDrEllijay

Sept28ChristieLee'sCourtyardGrilleJeb Rogers11-3&QuinnLeach3-5&"Dr. Paul"Constantine-6-9

Oct4 AcousticBlends,LiveMusic7pm GIlmerArtsDaltonStEllijay

Oct12YoungActorsProject"ABagfulof Fables"7pmTaterPatchPlayersTheater Jasper

Sept21 ChristieLee'sCourtyardGrille NeighborhoodWatch-11-3&Quinn Leach-3-5&"Dr.Paul"Constantine-6-9

Sep28 JohnMichaelRose Rocco'sPub Jasper

Oct4JenniferDanner7pmJilly'sPub RiverStEllijay

Oct12 SlickFootPourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay

Oct5AudioAlliancePourhouseMaddox DrEllijay

Oct12 ChristieLee'sCourtyardGrille Jeb Rogers11-3&"Dr.Paul"Constantine6-9

Oct5BucknerBros.,DashCrackers Rocco'sPubJasper

Oct12HankBirdBandRocco'sPubJasper

Sept20MojohandPourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay

Sept21 BennieGrayPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay Sept21ArtWalk5:00to8:00p.mPat SimkaninPaintingsatMultitudes,High CountryArt&AntiquesandTurningLeaf Gallery.DowntownBR Sept21TheBactracs JJ'sonRiverStreet Ellijay Sep,21TimMcNary1:30PM-5:30PM CartecayVineyards Sep21 ShuffleJunkies Rocco'sPub Jasper Sept22EndofSummerLocalFeastOld RoperHospitalSiteonSouthMainStreet 6pmJasper Sep22 LiveMusicw/WYYZradio Rocco's PubJasper Sept23OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPubJasper Sept24MarkOsborne6-9ChristieLee's CourtyardGrille Sept25-Oct5MtnRidgeGardenCenter MakeaScarecrowWorkshops Sep25 FrankandWilson Rocco'sPub Jasper Sept25OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Oct4NeighborhoodWatch6-9Christie Lee'sCourtyardGrille

Sept.28JeremiahBeck&SeanCooley WolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxDrEllijay Sept28 TangeantsPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay Sept28Pickin'onthePorch7-9Chuck MitchellGeneralStore25EagleMtnDrEllijay Sept28TheBactracsTheAmericanLegion,LegionRdEllijay Sept28 JasperMerchantAssocCruiseIn CarShow4-8pmStoneColdCountry PlayingDowntownJasper Sept28Wrestling8pmDSCWArenaBlue Ridge Sept28 JenniferDanner 1:30-5:30P CartecayVineyards Sept28th ChuckMitchell 7-9pmPickin onthePorchGeneralstore25EagleMtn DrEllijay Sept29 DowntownRoy-PanoramaOrchardsandFarmMarket Sep29 LiveMusicw/WYYZradio Rocco's PubJasper Sept30OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPubJasper Oct1-31BooWho?ScarecrowShow DowntownJasper Oct1-31ScarecrowInvasion!Downtown Ellijay

Oct5–Jan10BRArtCenterArtistinResidence4thQuarter:MarcMossBlueRidge

Oct12GreggErwinWolfCreekCanyon 941MaddoxDrEllijay

Oct5 AnEveningwithDailey&Vincent 7pmEmptyStockingBenefitBlueRidge

Oct12Pickin'onthePorch7pmRoy SchneiderGeneralStore25EagleMtnDr Ellijay

Oct5GeorgiaRoots1-5pm LymeBenefit concert/PokerRunRoccosJasper

Oct12&13 ArtsinthePark10-5pm DowntownBlueRidge

Oct5HomeBuildersShowcase9-5pm downtownBlueRidge

Oct12&13AppleFestival- EllijayLions ClubFairgrounds

Oct5thAdamJonesBenefit-BuildanArk Barn-Coosawattee(MichaelEllisBean, DowntownRoy,JackBellinato)

Oct12&13AppleArtsontheSquare95pmDowntownEllijay

Oct5&6MarbleFestivalLeeNewton ParkSat10:30-6 Sun10-5georgiamarblefestival.comJasper

Oct13LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Oct5&6HistoricTateMarbleQuarry toursJasper

Oct13(2PM)SharptopStringsComm. OrchopensforYoungActorsProject A BagfulofFables"TaterPatchPlayersTheater

Oct5 Wrestling8pmFanninHighSchool BlueRidge

Oct14OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner 7pm Rocco'sPubJasper

Oct6LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Oct16OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Oct7OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner 7pm Rocco'sPubJasper October9-12GilmerArtsAtticSale105pm Oct9JoeYeomanDuoRocco'sPub

Oct16BobbyMountainRocco'sPub Jasper Oct18TheBeatals Jilly'sPubRiverStEllijay Oct18 CarlaTatumPourhouseMaddox

DrEllijay Oct18JediCowboyRocco'sPubJasper Oct18 MattyCroxtonCartecayVineyards -Ellijay Oct19 BlindJusticePourhouseMaddox DrEllijay Oct19 DowntownRoyatCrossroadsGrocery Oct19 CoffeeHouse GIlmerArtsDalton StEllijay Oct19GreggErwinWolfCreekCanyon 941MaddoxDrEllijay Oct19GloryHounds,SeriousBusiness Rocco'sPubJasper Oct19PawsinthePark10:30-3:30DowntownBlueRidge Oct19ArtWalk5:00to8:00p.mMultitudes,HighCountryArt&Antiquesand TurningLeafGalleryDowntownBR Oct19–Nov15BRArtCenter SAAGNationalJuriedShowBlueRidge Oct12&13AppleFestival- EllijayLions ClubFairgrounds Oct19&20AppleArtsontheSquare95pmDowntownEllijay Oct19&20 HeritageDaysFestArt,9-5 crafts,music,trainsTalkingRock Oct20LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Canyon941MaddoxDrEllijay

BlueRidge

Nov29 JediCowboy Rocco'sPubJasper

Oct26RoxieWatson7:30pmBlueRidge CommunityTheater

Nov9 Banks&ShaneGilmerArtsB.E.S.T. Series –EllijayElementaryAuditorium

Nov29 CarlaTatumPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay

Oct26Pickin'onthePorch7pmPatrons PickGeneralStore25EagleMtnDrEllijay

Nov10 LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Nov30-ThomasFountainPourhouse MaddoxDrEllijay

Oct26 JasperMerchantAssocCruiseIn CarShow4-8pmDowntownJasper

Nov11OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPubJasper

Nov30 TheRatzRocco'sPubJasper

Oct268pmRockyHorrorPictureShowat TaterPatchPlayersTheater Jasper

Nov13 BobbyMountainRocco'sPub Jasper

• Shane's BBQ - Ellijay, Bingo 6:30 •Open Mic at Rocco’s - Jasper

Oct27LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Nov13OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

EVERY TUESDAY

EVERY MONDAY

Oct28OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPubJasper Oct30FrankandWilson Rocco'sPub Jasper Oct30OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay Nov1 AcousticBlends,LiveMusic7pm GIlmerArtsDaltonStEllijay Nov1StoneColdCountryPourhouse MaddoxDrEllijay Nov1 ShuffleJunkies,TexasCountry MusicShowdownRocco'sPubJasper Nov1J&BExpressWolfCreekCanyon 941MaddoxDrEllijay Nov1,2,3,8,9,10TomSawyerBlueRidge CommunityTheater

• Something’s going on!

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Nov15 ShuffleJunkiesRocco'sPub Jasper

•Open Mic at Wolf Creek - Ellijayr

Nov15MojohandPourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay Nov16 JohnMichaelRoseRocco'sPub Jasper Nov16ArtWalk5:00to8:00p.mMultitudes,HighCountryArt&Antiquesand TurningLeafGallery.DowntownBR

EVERY THURSDAY • Trivia - Johnny's Pizza Jasper • Live Music at Christie Lee’s Court Yard Grille- Blue Ridge

EVERY FRIDAY •Live Music at Walkers BBQ- Ellijay starting at 6:30 • Live Music at Christie Lee’s Court Yard Grille- Blue Ridge

Nov16TangeantsPourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay

EVERY SATURDAY

Nov16TheBeatals Jilly'sPubRiverStEllijay

• Live Music at Christie Lee’s Court Yard Grille- Blue Ridge Call (706) 946-5100 for Performer & Time

Nov17 LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

EVERY SUNDAY • Somebody... let us know!

Nov18 PioneerChick'nStandTheTavern -BigCanoe (Acoustic)

Nov2DestinationRocco'sPubJasper Oct21OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner 7pm Rocco'sPubJasper Oct23CreeksideReviewRocco'sPub Jasper Oct23OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay Oct25JeremiahBeck&SeanCooleyWolf CreekCanyon941MaddoxDrEllijay Oct25 AshlieRaePourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay Oct25 MattyCroxtonTheTavern-Big Canon Oct25 ClassicCarsCruiseIn6tildark DairyQueenParkingLotonGA5Blue Ridge Oct25ModernVinylRocco'sPubJasper Oct.26CommunityYardSaleandArts andCraftMarketAtTheGeneralStore 8:00am-7:00pm CoosawatteeGeneralStoreFallFestival Noon-7:00pmSEEADInThisIssue Oct26Wrestling8pmtheDSCWArena BlueRidge

Nov.2 DowntownEllijay’s1stSaturday Celebration-LiveMusic,Food,Events

Nov18OpenMicNightwith JohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPub Jasper

Nov2 CedarHillBluegrassBandSEBA Performance7pm GIlmerArtsDaltonSt Ellijay

Nov20 CreeksideReview Rocco'sPubJasper

Nov2 ZackDylanPourhouseMaddoxDr Ellijay

Nov20OpenMicNightwith DaisyChain6:30pWolfCreek Canyon941MaddoxRdEllijay

Nov3LiveMusicw/WYYZradioRocco's PubJasper

Nov22 GloryHoundsRocco's PubJasper

Nov4OpenMicNightwithJohnGardner 7pm Rocco'sPubJasper

Nov22BennieGray Pourhouse MaddoxDrEllijay

Nov6OpenMicNightwithDaisyChain 6:30pWolfCreekCanyon941MaddoxRd Ellijay

Nov23TimRood&BarryRichman PourhouseMaddoxDrEllijay

Nov6PaulJr.Rocco'sPubJasper

Nov23 GloryHoundsRocco's PubJasper

Nov8 JacobBryantPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay Nov.8 ReceptionAnnualAutumnJuried Exhibition 6-8pmGIlmerArtsDaltonStEllijay Nov8 DowntownRoy-WolfCreek Canyon941MaddoxDrEllijay

Nov23Wrestling8pmthe DSCWArena BlueRidge Nov24 LiveMusicw/WYYZ radioRocco'sPubJasper Nov25OpenMicNightwith JohnGardner7pm Rocco'sPub Jasper

Nov8 SlickfootRocco'sPubJasper Oct26-MattyCroxtonJilly'sPub-Ellijay Nov9 RockasaurusRocco'sPubJasper Oct26JohnMichaelRoseRocco'sPub Jasper Oct26-FallacyPourhouseMaddoxDrEllijay Oct.26BarefootBooneWolfCreek

Nov9 JacobBryantPourhouseMaddox DrEllijay Nov9Wrestling8pmtheDSCWArena

Nov27 FrankandWilson Rocco'sPubJasper Nov27OpenMicNightwith DaisyChain6:30pWolfCreek Canyon941MaddoxRdEllijay

pple Arts is a great little festival located right in the heart of Historic Downtown Ellijay. The Festival runs the 2nd in 3rd weekends in October (12-13 an 19-20) in conjunction with the Georgia Apple Festival. The festival hours are 9am-6pm on Saturdays and 9am-5pm on Sundays. Apple Arts gives you the opportunity to get locally grown apples, shop local artisans and other great vendors; as well as the variety of retail stores located downtown. Grab a hot dog, some boiled peanuts, or a barbeque sandwich from one of our local vendors, or you can enjoy a great dining experience at one of our downtown restaurants. There is no admission and free parking for Apple Arts. There will be shuttles running from downtown to the Apple Festival, so you can visit both festivals.

Story by Thia Newman Pictures by Robb Newman

obb and I have different tastes in music. He is generous and likes most music, and loves lots of music. I like some and love few. And there is even less that we both like very much. We are actually quite happy when we stumble upon a group that we both enjoy because it doesn't happen very often. I can name those on one hand: Men at Work, Maroon 5, and Raul Midon. A very eclectic group you might think, but actually they all have a lot in common, amazing original story telling songs, unique recognizable voices, multi talented musicians, incredible writers and breath taking, spellbinding performers. Well I have now added another to our mutual music love attraction; Roxie Watson. We first heard Roxie Watson when when they played at Coosawattee River Resort's Pickin' on the Porch. I fell in love with this quirky, spunky, group right away. This talented group of women will keep you entertained from the moment they walk on stage, until the moment they walk off. They are funny, they tell stories, but mostly they play amazing music. They call their style Alterna-grass, which is Blue Grass with a twist. Most of their songs are originals, with words that will take you from tears to laughter in a single set. I can attest to that, first hand. I kept my eyes open to where they were playing so I could see them again. When I got the e-mail saying they were going to be at Crimson Moon, I knew we had to go! The Crimson Moon is in Dahlonega, GA , and the beautiful drive through woods and mountains at twilight was just the beginning of our wonderful evening. (It's less than an hour east of Blue Ridge, Jasper and Ellijay) If you have never been to the Crimson Moon, let me tell you what a wonderful place this is. Just imagine a big comfortable living room with delicious homemade food, all kinds of coffees & wines and 50 or so friends gathered to listen to one of your favorite bands together. This is what the Crimson Moon is like. Inside this restored 1858 house is what they call "a listening venue." That means the music takes precedence, and the band interacts with the crowd. You are all together taking part in an amazing experience. Robb describes it, "It's like a visit to "the Village" in N.Y. or to Key West, Florida, only a lot closer. I would say it is a unique experience that must be had, without any doubt worth the trip from Ellijay, Blue Ridge or Jasper." So put together Roxie Watson and Crimson Moon, and you have a memorable night of food, drinks and entertainment. I always order the hummus platter appetizer, by the way, it's delicious! (and vegan) All five women in Roxie Watson, Lenny Lasater, Beth Wheeler, Linda Bolley, Becky Shaw & Sonia Tetlow, are very talented musicians and singers but each are also well seasoned songwriters. Their lyrics speak to the warmth, and also the hardships of growing up around the Blue Ridge mountains. One by one, each introduces a song they wrote telling a little story about it. The songs are meaningful, emotionally moving stuff, written about life-changing experiences, like Lenny's Blue Creek Number Three, which talks about her experience working in a coal mine. Some of the songs discuss personal relationships both good and gone bad like, Becky's Chicka-Licka Moon Pie, which she wrote about calming down after a lover's quarrel. Then we finally come full circle and we are going to hear Sonia's and Beth's writing, as they all sing about their story of anguish and desperation. (hee-hee) The song? It's called "Sunday Beer" and tells the story of having a wonderful time on Saturday night, but how the party just couldn't continue because you can't buy beer on Sunday! By the end of this rousing rendition you will be singing and clapping along. Shakespeare it's not, but it is truly a comic tragedy, not to mention a really fun, funny and fabulous song. Hear it once and you will be hearing it your head for some time to come. All Roxie Watson's songs are catchy and once you hear them, you just can't wait to hear them again! They have two CD's out right now, and the third will be released shortly. I really can't think of a better time that Robb and I have had lately, then the night we spent in Dahlonega, with Roxie Watson at Crimson Moon. We hope to do it again, real soon. ( yep I meant that to rhyme, might just take up songwritingâ&#x20AC;Ś) Roxie Watson is appearing at the Blue Ridge Community Theater on October 26th http://www.roxiewatson.com You can see who's performing at Crimson Moon here.

http://www.thecrimsonmoon.com

Check The Live Music & Events Calendar For More Fun Things To Do! DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS The Next First Saturday Celebration August 3rd

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m beginning to believe it. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Clarence Darrow

am a huge fan of open mike nights, they are the ultimate "Win/Win/Win" The venue gets to have entertainment when in most cases they wouldn't otherwise have it that night. Live music fans get to experience a "Whitman's Sampler" of local talent, everything from new up n' comers looking to break into the scene. to old seasoned performers that prefer the ease of appearing at an open mic rather than lugging around a ton of equipment, and everything in between. Lots of performers use open mic night to try out new material, or just practice, it sure beats just sitting at home alone and playing

to the walls. When we first moved to this area I headed over to Rocco's Pub in Jasper. They have great food, which is always a plus for me, and they have a nice enthusiastic, supportive crowd. John Gardener, the host every Monday night is about as gracious a performer as I've met. He seems to truly enjoy when someone gets up there and "kills". After about two years running Rocco's has a nice steady flow of performers and this fall it happens outdoors on Roccos' new outdoor stage and covered outdoor deck. That is going to work out great, I'm sure. Wolf Creek Canyon Lounge & Barbecue in Ellijay recently started their open mic night and it is picking up steam. It's hosted by Daisy Chain a killer female duo with great singing, harmonies and sometimes for a special treat Michelle brings along her kick drum. I have enjoyed some great performances so far. One of the most interesting so far was Bubba Baker, the one and only, he plays the spoons while brother Nick Charles plays guitar and sings. Bubba doesn't need to bring an instrument with him, he just picks up spoons off the table. Don't miss these guys. A high energy duo, highly out of the ordinary. Then there's Donnie

Chumley & Danny Hatchet they've been poping in at Wolf Creek the last few weeks and were really excellent, don't miss them. Another venue in Gilmer is Gilmer Arts' "Acoustic Blends". This one is a bit different for both performer and listener because it's more of an intimate concert performance. There no food or alcohol and no conversation as a distraction. It's all about the music and listening. As a performer I found it a bit more intimidating knowing my audience was actually listening attentively, eyes on me and presumably all while completely sober. I've been to several Acoustic Blends and every one was a bit different, depending on who shows up but there wasn't one time it wasn't a very enjoyable evening. Rock, folk, bluegrass, "Americana", gospel, originals, covers, you name it. You really MUST see Linda Jones play the wash tub base, I'm telling you, THAT is entertainment! Speaking of which, her husband known as "Possum" is the master of ceremonies and one of the most naturally funny guys I've ever met. Besides great music, there always a lot of great laughs at Acoustic Blends. If you haven't played there or haven't shown up for this FREE entertainment, you haven't any idea what you're

missing. Blue Ridge... what's up?! I couldn't find an open mic night in Blue Ridge. I asked around to no avail. Let me know if I missed it and point me towards it if I'm wrong. I highly suggest and request that all area performers to come out to one or more of these events and support open mic night. That's right! Play for free! I know, you get paid other nights, but how about doing a set to keep Open Mic Night alive and thriving? Another question, where's all the comedians, impersonators, magicians etc., who says open mic nights are just for singer/guitarists? Is there not one comedian in Ellijay, Blue Ridge and Jasper? I've met a few real jokers! There has to be someone that does magic tricks, card tricks, slight of hand? Where are you? As it stands now Open Mike Night at Rocco's is every Monday at 7pm. Open Mic Night at Wolf Creek is Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Acoustic Blends in Ellijay convenes at Gilmer Arts every first Friday of the month. In Blue Ridge.... Open Mike Night seems to be non- existent, anybody there interested in putting one together? Whistle Stop Grill? Christy Lees's? Anybody?

If the lessons of history teach us anything it is that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us.

known as the American musician best erry Garcia was an iconic for the legendary band the Grateful st lead guitarist and vocali on August 9th, 1995 at the young ay Dead. Jerry passed aw acy of fine music performed and docd a leg The Grateful age of 53 leaving behin ing with bands including Duo, Old and In ord rec gh ou thr umented stic ou Ac an , Garcia/ Grism eral others. Dead, Jerry Garcia Band the Purple Sage, and sev Rosebud restauof ers Rid w The Way, Ne of r ne tive Chef and Ow Chef Ron Eyester, Execu both located in the Morningside neighr ba g Do ily ateful Dead rant and The Fam ated Jerry Garcia and Gr e Family dic de a is ta, lan At Th d an borhood of rs ita Gu s after one of Jerry’ t frequently tha ny fan. Rosebud is named pa com ns tio mo enties pro Dog is named after a sev in their events. Eyester is also a fan of ad featured the Grateful De untain folk rock band, Pioneer Chick’n mo te ori fav s ia’ org Ge rth ful Dead and No ers are fans of the Grate mb me ose wh Stand (PCS), with Chef Ron Jerry Garcia’s music. Chick’n Stand teamed up On August 1st, Pioneer r the music of Jerry Garcia on what hono Griff (Vocals and and The Family Dog to s 70th Birthday. Craig Mcss, Banjo, Harmonry’ Jer en be ve ha uld wo oxton (Vocals, Upright Ba Guitar) and Matthew Cr m of merry men and beautiful women ica) were greeted by a roo ay. Pioneer Chick’n Stand, based out of aw iece band but this ready to sing the night as a rocking trio or four-p d Croxton. s rm rfo pe y Ellijay, usuall an iff Gr just the duo of Mc evening was set up to be t with a great rendition of Deep Elem ou ht nig uld end PCS started the song first set of what wo g his ten a gh ou thr d ue tin con Garcia durin Blues and of songs all performed by version of the s set l ful ee thr ing be up highlight was an upbeat lifetime. An early first set s in the style performed by Garcia’s band rse Rolling Stone’s Wild Ho neer Chick’n Stand yone who has seen a Pio Old and In the Way. An expect flawless harmonies throughout show knows that you can s night was no exception. McGriff carried thi their performances and in the first set, but Croxton took the lead als voc d the bulk of the lea ton’s sweet and I Shall Be Released. Crox vocal for the set closer, h McGriff’s raspy strong voice to form a smooth voice blended wit cap off a great first set. d moving performance an off with an upbeat version of The Circle d rte sta set d on sec The along. The surt things chugging right Will Be Unbroken that go e in the Jimmy Cliff song The Harder cam prise song of the night the style of The Jerry Garcia Band. I bein ed rm rfo pe me Co PCS. Other secThey e this was performed by Sugaree, and tim t firs n, lieve this was the Pe a Tennessee Jed, Pig in soulful vocal st ond set highlights were mo the h all hang out wit it let iff Gr Mc lf. Wo e ed out the second Dir Sugaree. The guys round cover I’ve ever heard of Dire Wolf. of e as a cheerful set with a great version of the night was a fun on McGriff, Croxset al The third and fin gs. onstage for several son Chef Ron joined the band mlessly through Going Down the Road sea ton, and Eyester moved ur Love Light -> Deep Elem Blues (reprise Yo sion of Get Feeling Bad -> Turn on ed onstage for a great ver te of it. ain rem r ste Eye ). set t ry minu from firs d the audience loved eve Outta My Life Woman an third set highlight. McGriff and Croxton Dark Hollow was another d the night with a touching rendition of I an capped off the third set drummer’s Father they dedicated to their t tha ht Bid You Goodnig d away. ’n Stand did an who had recently passe music and Pioneer Chick ht This was a great nig of gements and performances paying triban amazing job with their arr rcia on what would have been his 70th Ga ry Jer of sic mu ute to the ay Jerry! old, two thirds of Birthday. Happy Birthd When he was four years with an axe by t: Fac n Fu a Jerry Garci off t cu r was accidentally Jerry’s right middle finge s steadying firewood for him while their wa ry Jer eer with nine his elder brother, yed guitar his whole car “100 pla He . ing on ati vac s family wa g Stone’s be ranked 13th in Rollin fingers and went on to ry. sto er Time” cov Greatest Guitarists of All Story & Pictures by J.R. Starr

Please, say thanks to our advertisers, our sponsors, for making it possible for us to bring you this FREE “FUNpaper”

Story by Thia Newman Photos by Robb Newman

have to tell you about what I did tonight. It was a very uplifting evening. I went to the Woodbridge Inn in Jasper to meet Chef Hans Rueffert. Not to do a food review, but to witness a rebirth. This man and his Inn are an inspiration. Hans had a long battle with cancer and had to have 98% of his stomach and esophagus removed. "The irony of a chef without a stomach does not escape me" Hans says. Robb first met Chef Hans several months ago when he attended a stock offering meeting. The battle with cancer had not only taken it's toll on Hans, but despite the best efforts of his family, it had taken a toll on the Inn as well. Chef Hans needed help. Without it there was little doubt the famous inn would close its doors. At that meeting Hans told Robb, "This is important, it's more than just about whether a restaurant will stay open. It's about the community. It's about saving something that SHOULD be saved." Robb told me how impressed he was at that meeting. How many came out willing to help; to write a check. It was clear the community agreed that saving The Woodbridge Inn was indeed important. Hans talked about all those that wanted to help but didn't have money to invest, "So many people (wanted to help) that didn't have the fiscal ability to be investors, so I've been telling people, just come out to eat, that's the bottom line. Word of mouth, share it on Facebook. If you tell people you had a great meal at Woodbridge Inn, either they will say I've never heard of it, where is it? or I haven't thought of that place in years. It refreshes, re-sparks the fire." Tonight, as Robb, Hans & I chatted at our table, Hans gave me an example of why he so deeply feels this restaurant had to be saved, "We had a family here last week, a guy about my age, 41, with his two young kids. I took them out back

and showed them the turtles and the honey bees. The guy asked me if I showed this to everybody. I said of course if I have time, I am so proud of this property. He told me that he used to come here when he was a little boy, and my Dad used to take him outside and show him around the property. How cool it is that thirty years ago he came here when he was a kid, and now he came here and brought his kids." We got a status report and the good news is that there is good news. The stock offering was successful, they raised $250,000. Hans explained, "These funds were needed to carry out the detailed business plan we presented at the meeting which includes refurbishing and remodeling the restaurant and Inn. This building was built in 1880, certain things have to be brought up to code before we do the expansion. The bathroom has to be done first." And the bathroom will get done, as will many other improvements. The Woodbridge Inn is beginning again. All the old world charm will stay, plus new features will be added. It will soon have a big indoor-outdoor patio with a full bar. There will be a place for weddings and banquets. The Inn is on track to be bigger and better than ever before. And Hans health? He overcame the odds (they gave him a 2% chance of

recovery) and is now cancer free. We, of course, had a great meal while we were there too. The food is so fresh. I asked if this is a farm to table restaurant. Chef Faye Stein tells us, "I'd more likely call it a backyard to table. This property has apple trees, fig trees, an herb garden and honey bees. And I buy the Heirloom tomatoes fresh from our local farmers. " I told Hans that his French onion soup is delicious. He says, "I ate French onion soup from age 4 to 18 every night of my life. Everywhere we went we would try their French Onion Soup. And I have never found better French Onion Soup." I agree Hans, your French Onion Soup is the best I've ever tasted. Ben Brown is the front-end manager. He tells us a story about a bottle of wine called Persistence. Persistence, being such an appropriate word for Hans and his Inn. " That does summarize not just my health issues, but this place. We've had a lot of obstacles thrown our way and we are still here." Hans says. Persistence pays off, and with the success of Han's fund raising falling into place, and his health improving everyday, I have no doubt Chef Hans Rueffert & his Woodbridge Inn will be here for many years to come. When you stop by, order the French Onion Soup, and tell them we sent you.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. –Tony Robbins

Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee.

o there I was, soaking wet and buck neked surrounded by a group of Albanian backpackers feverishly pointing and snapping pictures of me. What wasn’t scratched and scraped was covered in river mud. I was out of breath, covered in ants and wielding a birch branch like a samurai sword. But, let me digress..... It was mid-July 2012. I was hiking the Conasauga River Trail located in the Cohutta Wilderness Area. For those of you not familiar, the Cohutta Wilderness Area has approximately 90 miles of some of the most beautiful hiking trails county in North Georgia. Rivers, creeks, mountain views, wildlife - it’s got everything. I headed out from the Tearbritches Trailhead off Forest Service Rd 68. With the exception of the first bit or so, it’s a fairly moderate 3-4 mile hike down the mountain to a section where several trails converge along the Conasauga River. I reach the river and if there’s a piece of heaven on earth, this is it. Cool, crystal clear water rippling over rocks rounded and smoothed over the years by swift currents. Mountains to either side of me, thick laurels in bloom and the hot July sun casting dark, vivid shadows along the bank. Mid-July in Georgia is generally a sweltering level of hot and this day certainly didn’t disappoint. Needless to say given the oppressive summer heat, I’m lookin’ for swimming holes. Let it be known that when we Southerners come up on swimmin’ holes particularly those of the secluded type, we are inclined to go au-naturale. Or, in southern terms, “buck-neked”. Not “naked” with an “a” but “neked” with an “e” and pronounced “ne-Ked”. It’s a Southern thing. So as to not go against my Southern roots, I do what all good Southerners do at swimmin’ holes and that is to partake in a little buck neked skinny dippin’. A moment or two later, I’m au-naturale soaking in cool mountain goodness feeling totally insync with Nature. However, my moment of mountain Zen is quickly interrupted when I see something moving along the bank. Certainly not hikers. Too big to be a raccoon. Maybe a deer? Then, lumbering around a large outcropping of rocks, a black bear. The biggest black bear in the Cohuttas I’m certain and it was suddenly 10 feet from me. I’m not exactly prepared for an encounter with a black bear if you know what I mean. I’m, um, vulnerable. My clothes and shoes are on the bank folded on top of my backpack which just happens to be full of what would turn out to be scrumptious bear snacks. That said, I’m not certain if bears are accustomed to the smell or taste of cookies and Zebra cakes but it certainly didn’t take this bear long to determine these little snacks would be an upgrade over whatever else it was going to eat that day. The realization quickly hits me that this bear was about to begin shredding my backpack to

get at the goodies inside. I knew I needed to make a move. So, I stand up. Now, to the bear, I had been nothing more than a hat wearing head floating mid-river so why I make this ridiculous move to interrupt the bear’s snack time utopia, I have no idea. It’s now the bear’s move. Of course, this bear has sugary snacks on the brain and isn’t about to give them up. So, it stands up, ready to defend its Zebra cakes and cookie bounty from the strange neked water creature emerging from the river. Let it be known that being directly in front of a standing bear is a very quick reminder that us humans are not at the top of the food chain. As my brain tries to remember something from a “What to do when encountering a bear” article read years ago, my body decides it isn’t waiting around to find out what the brain decides. Splashing, flailing and stumbling around, I leap for the other side of the river. I hit the bank scrambling over rocks, climbing through twisty laurel and yelling in terror. My body’s in mo-

tion without the brain’s guidance. Midway up the bank, I stop, turn and see the bear looking at me, still standing. I grab a birch branch, wield it like a samurai sword and scream “Eyaaaaa”, just like I’d seen in all those old classic karate movies. Certainly this would strike fear in the snack stealing beast and it would move on so I could at least gather my clothes, but, not so much. Just as I was about let out another “Eyaaaa”, I look down. Ants! Everywhere! My fierce “Eyaaaa” becomes a terrified “Ahhhhh”. I start swatting and swiping wildly, still holding firm to my birch branch samurai sword. I run, no idea why, and no longer thinking about the bear which I’m certain is on its back, pointing at me and rolling in laughter while enjoying the last of my cookies and Zebra cakes. I wasn’t sure how far I’d gone and didn’t even really know where I was, but I stopped. Out of breath, bruised and battered, muddy. I’m so fully encompassed by my current state of peril that I’m completely void of any form of selfawareness. Still swatting ants and grumbling my displeasure about bears and Zebra cakes, I hear something. A barely audible smattering of talking getting lost in a growing roar of boisterous laughter. Despite my better judgment, I look up. To my total and utter dismay, I realize I’m standing in the middle of a campsite and that I’m surrounded by a group of European, nonEnglish speaking hikers. I have no idea what they’re saying which is probably for the better anyway. I later learned they were visiting North Georgia from Albania. Between their laughs, snickering and picture taking, they gave me some ill fitting shorts, flip flops, a red stripped tank top and sprayed me head to toe with bug spray. I eventually made it back to the trailhead looking like a misplaced Myrtle Beach tourist. I did, however, take great pride in knowing that I’ll forever be emblazoned in the memory of a small group of outdoor enthusiasts from Albania.

To Advertise In The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper Call Robb At 706-889-5851

Originating in Germany, Apple Kuchen is an Apple Cake that is perfect for autumn. This is an old recipe that my Nannie use to make every fall. When she passed my mother began making it and after I had my girls I would make it for them. It is a quick and easy recipe and can be made with fresh or canned apples.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 yellow cake mix 2 1/2 sliced and pared apples (Granny Smith) or 1 can (20 oz.) apple pie filling, well drained. 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup sour cream 2 egg yokes 1/2 cup flaked coconut

Instructions:

bout an hour & 1/2 drive from Ellijay, on a beautiful day, took us to the doors of Gwinnett Arena. We were lucky enough to attend The BLAST convention sponsored by Georgia Outdoor News Magazine. There was tons of things to do and see, from a really cool animal feeder ( and we got to meet the gentlemen who invented it), to a camp covered motorcycle. We particularly liked a couple of amazing UTV vehicles we saw, that were made for hunting and had a special comfy compartment for your dogs! Met some fun people, like a guy who runs an apple house right by us, and Bayou Betty,

who runs fishing tournaments and has written a story for us in this issue! We bought some sweet garlic jerky for Griz (my dad). BUT I have to say the coolest part of it all, was seeing Mountain Man from Duck Dynasty. This humble guy was overwhelmed with love by his fans. There was a line waiting to see him and take his picture. And the teenage girl who we watched meet him for the first time started crying and said she couldn't believe he had hugged her. It was like she met a rock star! Thanks MM, you are really a cool, inspiring guy. The Georgia duck calling contest was held,

and there sure was a lot of quacking going on! :) The Truck Buck shoot out with the grand prize of a brand new truck was won by a very lucky and skillful teenage boy. We have insider information that the convention is going to be held at Gwinnett Arena again next year because It was a huge success! We are already looking forward to going. Thanks for having us GON & Mindy!

Heat oven to 350. Cut butter into cake mix, until crumbly. Mix in coconut. Pat lightly unto ungreased 13x9x2 pan, building up slightly on sides. Bake 10 mins. Arrange apples on warm crust. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Blend sour cream and egg yokes; drizzle over apples. (Topping will not completely cover apples) Bake 25 mins.or until edges are light brown.(don't over bake) Serve warm. Makes 12 to 15 servings. I sometimes top with whip cream or make a simple carmel sauce. Enjoy! Nan

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. ... Will Rogers.

e decided we wanted to make apple shrunken heads. We had no idea how, so we checked out instructions on the internet. It seemed simple enough. In general it said to carve the apple, paint lemon juice on it, (you can add rice for teeth) and bake them on really low heat for hours. So we did, gave it a try. After about 6 hours on 170 degrees this is what they looked like. They came out pretty good for a first try. I'm guessing we should have peeled all the skin off the apple though, because the front looks good, but the backs are all mushy. So the back with the skin on it is more like a soggy baked apple, rather than a dried apple. Try if for yourself. The worst that can happen is you get to eat your mistakes!

Check Out Our >>>NEW<<< Website! www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com Lots of new stuff every day!

hen I was working on my gold mining article, I kept bumping into stories intertwined in history with the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears is the route walked by thousands of Cherokees when their land was taken from them and they were forced to migrate west. Without enough food, and in bad weather, four thousand perished during their perilous trek. The Trail of Tears goes right through our own area and is a very sad part of America's past. Truthfully I didn't know much about this important happening, and although it wasn't our usual happy kind of article, the more I learned about it, the more I wanted to tell this story. After talking to some very knowledgable people, many being Native Americans, I realized that while I might assist in telling the tale, there was too much information to think I alone could do a good job on this. So instead of doing one big article, I will take this a little bit at a time and let people more informed and who are personally involved, tell their accounts. I now think of this as a pilgrimage to learn all I can about The Trail of Tears, and the people who walked it. For my introduction to the Trail of Tears, I picked Jerry Ellis's book Walking The Trail. Mr. Ellis has lectured about his amazing experience all over the world. He is a Pulitzer prize nominated writer, who took a literal journey of his own. He walked the whole Trail of Tears, all 900 miles, to honor his ancestors, and he learned a lot about himself along the way. “I have purpose like never before. I'm doing what I believe in… I'm almost in step with my drummer. There's an old indian saying. A man's soul can only travel as fast as his feet can carry him. Perhaps between here and home I'll catch up with myself.” After reading his powerful story, I wished I had been with Mr. Ellis on his journey, but only on the good days. He however endured the good and the bad, and also was nice enough to talk to me about it. Here is our interview where he shares what it was like to walk the trail. On what part of your journey did you feel most connected to your ancestors who walked the Trail of Tears? I felt connected to my Cherokee ancestors all along the Trail, but the most intense connection came one night in Kentucky. I had pitched my tent in a field under the moon and was just about to try to go to sleep, when I had a very rare mystical experience. It yet lingers inside my heart, spirit and mind to this day. It fed my soul. How are you different, as a person because of your journey? My walk along the Trail of Tears was life-altering. I did the walk and all along the way I met so many caring people that I felt a spiritual rebirth of hope in Americans as well as myself. I hope it inspires others to try to make a positive difference in life. When I speak at high schools, colleges and universities about how I came to walk the Trail and what happened along the way, I always hope to get them fired up to follow their own dreams. Walking the Trail of Tears has also motivated me to write more books about the Cherokee to better educate people. In short, I found my true self on the Trail of Tears to become whole and try to better the world. If I had not walked the Trail I hesitate to think what might have become of me. It's now been more than twenty years since you wrote

Interview by Thia Newman Vintage Photos & Artwork are of various tribes

"Walking the Trail", what do you look back on most fondly about your 900 mile walk? Oh, that's tough question because every day on the Trail I found something new to savor. My bond with Nature was powerful but so was my deep connection to people I met, their many stories filling my heart. Certainly the spiritual awakening in me to feel the presence of those on the Trail in 1838 was profound. I must say, however, that the last day on the Trail was among the many high points of my journey. I walked 35 miles that day from Georgia over Lookout Mountain into Alabama and was befriend by a beautiful black lab. He finished the trip with me and I named him Crow Dog. You know from reading Walking the Trail what an important part of the trek he became. But, of course, we can't tell readers here and now what happened or that would take away a big surprise ending for them, yes? After all your years of research, what is your favorite inspirational/heartwarming story that you have heard about those who originally walked the Trail of Tears? Honestly, the Trail of Tears in 1838 was pure hell for those who were forced to walk it in the heart of winter-so heart-warming stories hardly abound. Only one comes to mind and it's bitter sweet. Chief John Ross's wife is said to have given her blanket to a child shivering in the cold. Ross's wife then got sick from exposure to the winter elements and died. What is the most important thing to you, that readers should learn about the Trail of Tears from reading your book? I hope readers are empowered with new Knowledge about what the Cherokee experienced and that readers are inspired to have increased empathy for Native Americans as well as all human beings. Natives believe in Medicine and the biggest Medicine is love. Thank you Claudia Croxton, for your introduction to Jerry Ellis, and thank you Jerry Ellis for my introduction to the Trail of Tears. You can find "Walking the Trail" on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. Please note that the book contains some adult subject matter.

<<< New Book by this author

Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world. —Lily Tomlin

ome of you may know me as the mushroom guy at Ellijay’s Farmer’s Market, but I gather much more than mushrooms. There are all kinds of edibles for the picking around our area and I enjoy searching out and harvesting them. My children love helping me find and pick food that will end up on our table, or the table of our neighbors. You’ll find my bounty in some of the nicest restaurants around here. There are hundreds of wild edibles in North Georgia. But we’ll concentrate on a couple of easily identifiable ones. The number one rule of hunting wild edibles is: When in doubt, throw it out! First, blackberries. I don't think I really need to explain these much. Pick and eat the fully black ones that aren’t yucky mushy. Avoid the thorns, ticks, chiggers and snakes. The wind is a jerk and will blow the thorns into your head and neck so be aware of your surroundings. Wild onions are easy to see and identify. They come up as a single tall shoot with what looks like a tiny onion on the top. Later this will turn into little purple flowers and seeds. Only thing to really confuse it with is wild garlic which is also yummy. Word of warning, wild edibles are different than store bought. When you pull up that wild onion bulb you'll notice it’s much smaller than what you see in stores. However, it has about twice the flavor. Rejoice! Inform your neighbors and POA that you don't have a lawn that needs mowing; you have a garden that needs harvesting. Dandelion and clover are both yummy edibles. With clover I just get the leaves for salad and the flower for tea. All parts of a dandelion are edible. Making a salad: Dandelion are a bit bitter so we mix them 1/3 dandelion leaves to 2/3 clover leaves are good for a salad. If that’s a bit much for you, you might want to mix them with regular salad greens until you are used to the flavor. While the stems are edible too, we find it best without just because the stems can kinda get stuck in your throat. As with all salad greens, wash well before consuming. Different times of the year yield different harvests. I've spent a lot of time this August picking wild blueberries. There are lots of other wild edibles, do your research! I research thoroughly before I eat anything new. Sometimes I don’t even eat it the first year I encounter it. But once you get the hang of it, there are tons of wild tubers, herbs, berries, roots, veggies, mushrooms and more to fall in love with. As my Mom tells me we have become too far removed from our food. She is right. There is something special about looking forward to making certain dishes when things are “in season”. Our instant gratification thinking has made food less fun and exciting. You’ll find that kids love being able to get their own food, and they can make money doing it. It’s quite likely that my 11 year old will have saved enough up from native food sales to buy his first car in 5 years. At the very least you'll have beautiful delicious wild edibles to compliment your meals each week! So, get that bug spray and sunscreen and get to foraging!

You are getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

uring the summer I am sure most people went out swimming, had cook outs, or did some other entertaining things. I think it went by a little too quickly, but that happens when you are enjoying what you are doing. I spent a lot of my summer working on my hobbies, and studying, but there were a lot of fun times too. Early in my summer vacation I spent time with my best

friend, Lillie. My mom, Lillie, and I left to take Lillie to band practice at Gilmer High School. On the way there we saw something in the road that looked like a large rock, but we paid no attention to it. However, on our way back, we looked more closely at it and saw it was actually a Box Turtle. I asked my mother to pull over and I got out and picked it up to move it out of the road. Once I picked it up I saw its shell was slightly cracked, so I decided to take it home. At home I set up a pretty decent habitat for it and my mom found out the gender of the turtle—a boy. I named him Gamera after the Japanese monster. I got online and looked up ways to take care of him. Once I started to, Gamera started acting more outgoing and like he was feeling better. Finally, after a week, he looked like he had recovered well so I decided to let him go. The second most memorable event that happened over the summer is the time Zac, (my mom’s boyfriend), my mom, and I went to watch the fireworks a couple of days after the fourth. We went to a hill across from the Cartecay Thrift Store and waited for the show to start. Once it got dark and more people had arrived, the fireworks finally started! We goofed off and took pictures while watching them. It was so much fun, but there was a downside. Once the fireworks ended and everyone was clearing out, we discovered our car had gotten stuck in the mud. We tried to get it out, but it only dug in deeper. After nearly ten minutes of trying, and failing, some people came to help us. Three guys and one girl helped us out. We had mom, me, and four other people pushing on the car. Because of how far the car was in the ground, we got covered in mud. In closing of the day, we got our car freed, thanked the people who helped us and went on our way home. The third most recent thing I did in my summer vacation was going to the Tellus Science Museum with my mother, and my bosses, Thia and Robb. That was possibly one of the best days of my life. The exhibits were wonderful, informative, and well set up. The activities they have, such as digging for fossils, panning for gold and gem stones, a play room for the kids, a wonderful planetarium, and a solar house you could go in and look at was especially enjoyable. I would recommend for anyone to go there if they wanted to have a good time. Last but not least was a concert I went to. The band was a Beatles cover band called “The Beatals.” When I got there with my mom, Zac, my sister Destiny, and my friend Karigan, we met up with Thia, Robb, and some other people and we watched the band play. They covered the songs really well and we enjoyed it very much. Once, when they had a break in the concert, Robb went on stage and played his guitar and sang the song “Yesterday” by The Beatles. After the concert was finished, a few of us went to go meet and talk to the members. I was especially excited because I have been a Beatles fan all my life and even though they aren’t members of the actual band, I thought George and Weyland were just as good. When I met the members of the band, they both hugged me and said it was nice to meet me. My mother, Thia, Destiny, Karigan, and I stood around talking to George and Weyland for a while before deciding to go home. In the end, even though I didn’t do anything really “fancy” like going to a different state to go to a beach, I still had a wonderful time during my summer just because I got to spend my time with my family and friends.

Check Out Our >>>NEW<<< Website! www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com Lots of new stuff every day!

100 100 100 100 100 1000 100 100 100 100 101 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 1000 100 100 100 100 101 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

If you carefully compare Apples to Apples (copies to copies, color to color) we are your BEST advertising bet!

100 100 100 100 100 1000 100 100 100 100 101 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 1000 100 100 100 100 101 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Story by Thia Newman • Photos by Robb Newman or courtesy of Nancy Brown

t one time in my life, many years ago, I worked as a clown who ran children's birthday parties. I played games and twisted balloons for the kid's entertainment. I made two balloon animals, a dog and a horse. Basically the only difference was that a horse had a longer neck. Obviously I was not too skilled at the balloon bending art form. So you can imagine how intrigued I was when I met a balloon sculpture who could change a lowly piece of blown up rubber into an amazing multicolored creation. I first met Nancyfangles Brown at a benefit where she twisted balloons for charity. A short time later I ran into her at the Blue Ridge Art Fair. Nancy and her balloons are everywhere, making smiles and friends with her art. And her art or "Nancyfangles Whimsical Creations" as she calls them, is breathtaking. I was curious how Nancy Brown became Nancyfangles, The Balloon Lady. How did you get started being a balloon artist? It was almost 30 years ago, I was a new Mom and being home with my son was wonderful, but I needed an outlet that would let me be creative, and allow me to interact with other people. I saw an ad in a local paper that some one was selling a balloon business for $100. I called and made an appointment to meet. On my way there, I thought of a million questions to ask, about balloons, helium... I was amazed at how much I seemed to be in tune with a business I had never before considered. The business(as it was) turned out to be a few bags of balloons, a little info on what the owner had done and

the ugliest hand made yarn wig that I had ever seen! I was sold, I knew that this was meant for me! I named my business Balloons in the Breeze, and did my first singing, costumed balloon delivery on Feb. 14th 1984...Little did I know that from then on, balloons would be a big part of my life, and that I would be transformed into "The Balloon Lady" When did you make your first balloon creation and what did you make? I continued to perform singing, costumed balloon deliveries and was rapidly adding new costumed characters to my repertoire. I had also started exploring the more creative side to balloons by incorporating some balloon decor and centerpiece design into my business offerings. One day during the summer of 1985, my balloon distributor invited me to a class on balloon twisting, taught by Marvin Hardy, the upmost authority on balloon twisting. Not knowing what to expect, I set out to take a class that would change my life forever... I was mesmerized as I watched Mr. Hardy, adorned in full tuxedo, effortlessly twisting long tubes of latex into recognizable animal shapes, and when I held my first inflated 260q balloon in my hands and started to manipulate it into a dog, I was (pardon the pun) Blown Away! I felt as if I had electricity flowing through my veins, and I KNEW, that Twisting balloons would be a part of my life, Forever! What is you favorite thing to make? My favorite thing to make is smiles, but I have a lot of fa-

vorite creations, The lady bug, the ice cream, but the most fun are my one of a kind Crazy Hats! I can get as wild and creative as my imagination and my array of balloon color, shapes and sizes will allow! What do your family and friends think of your career? My Husband is proud of me and has always been supportive of my career choice. He says if I went out and twisted balloons in the middle of the woods, it wouldn't be long before there would a line of kids there with me. It used to embarrass my kids when I would pull up in front of the school with balloon signs on my van, and kind of drive them crazy when we would spend longer at a restaurant making balloons after the meal, than it took us to order and eat the meal, but as they've gotten older they've kind of gotten used to it, and they probably won't admit it but I think they think it's kind of cool to have the "Balloon Lady" as their Mom. I guess the people who know and love me, Love me because I'm "Nancyfangles"...the crazy Balloon Lady. If you would like to meet Nancyfangles, check her upcoming events page on www.nancyfangles.com. Her favorite time of year is October, where you'll find Nancy at Apple Arts on the Square in Ellijay, October 12th and 13th, 19th and 20th. She says. "It is so exciting to spend four days creating whimsical balloon art creations and seeing them carried and worn all around town." Nancy can be reached at 706-889-6122

Don’t Forget the Georgia Marble Festival In Jasper October 5th & 6th • www.georgiamarblefestival.com/

We’ll See you at Downtown Ellijay’s First Saturday Celebration... Right? www.gilmerchamber.com

Dear Advertisers... Your Ad is now on the Internet FREE on www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget about Fall Arts In The Park in In Downtown Blue Ridge October 13th & 14th

My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too. - Rodney Dangerfield

Life is what happens to you while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re busy making other plans. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;John Lennon

“And In The End... The Love You Take, Is Equal To The Love... You Make.” - The Beatles