Mountain Lagniappe

No matter where I go on photo shoots, I always seem to find lagniappe along the way. Today, I'd like to share a little of the lagniappe I captured during our recent vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Blue Ridge, Georgia. This beautiful butterfly had stopped to get a drink in the parking lot of Fall Branch Falls, the waterfall we visited ... When we go to the mountains, I always hope to capture a bear (with my camera!), but these two little guys seem to be the only kind I ever come across ... Notice the acorn resting on this one's nose ... It rained almost every day we were there, and I managed to capture several pictures of clouds and the ever present mist hanging over the mountains ... Georgia Pines The sunrises were glorious ... I find mountain creeks and rivers fascinating, and love capturing the rocks along the banks, and the rushing water as it flows over and around the rocks. I wish my camera could record the sounds of its babbling, too. Toccoa River, after a heavy rain ... Old iron bridge, Dial Community I love the primitive stone columns supporting the bridge ... Just up the road from the bridge is a small mountain farm community named Dial, Georgia. Founded in 1834, Dial was one of the first communities settled in this region. There is no "town," only small farms and a hand full of modest homes that dot the fields and river banks. They say Dial has not changed in over 100 years and it was, indeed, a little like going back in time, as I captured some of the old out buildings and this beautiful Victorian farm house, which is called the Cochran-Davenport House ... Notice the way the floor of the old "spring house" curves. This beautiful and peaceful scene under the shade trees seemed to be beckoning to travelers to stop and "sit a spell." Fire pits are the up and coming thing for "outdoor rooms" these days, but I still prefer the real thing, like this one ... All of the buildings featured in the above pictures are part of The Sustainable Arts Society, which, according to their website, is an organization "fostering creative endeavors in visual arts, music, dance, drama, writing, and environmental sustainability in the rural, pristine setting of the North Georgia Mountains of Southern Appalachia." If you would like to read more about the Society, you can click on the above link. Not too far down the road from the Cochran-Davenport house, the 1941 movie classic, "How Green was My Valley," came to mind as we passed this breathtakingly beautiful valley ... I would love to go back to Blue Ridge in the Fall and capture its mountains and valleys and rivers and waterfalls and country mountain roads ... in all their Fall glory. I can imagine the endless "How Great Thou Art" moments that will be waiting there for someone to come along and discover them ... "just up the road a bit ... just around the bend ... or just over the hill."