A trip down Memory Lane

We had a wonderful weekend spending time with family and extended family in the foothills of the Appalachians... the Smoky Blue Ridge. The kids are great, having gotten quite used to me taking constant pics of just general life, they are excellent about pointing out beautiful shot potential. This was one of those moments. I was absorbed in mountains and scenery... and the kids shout, take a picture this way in a minute... wait for it, wait for it. Kaboom!!!They were dead on!!!

It was a perfect weekend, the weather, the activities, the togetherness, the nostalgia... you see, back on July 26, 2008, my wonderful groom (well, at the time, bf) took me to this same exact location to make a very special Proposal... ahh, the memories (I'm getting ahead of myself here). When we arrived at the cabin, it all came rushing back, the sounds, the smells, the memories of one of the most beautiful weekends ever (our wedding weekend is number one!)

So I, of course, explored Aunt Liz's beautiful garden, which was absolutely amazing!! I won't get off on my flower tangent like last time, but I will share with you a few of my very favorites...
Aren't they just sensational?! It was a great opportunity to play with my new camera, and it got my inspiration juices flowing for when we are laying out our garden next year. By golly... I haven't shared anything about our garden this year. Well, that's another post. Anyhow, what was I saying??? Oh yes, the nostalgia of this mini-family reunion was enough to take my breath away many times, but the "New"ness of it was pretty awesome, as well. You see, we were visiting my wonderful groom's uncle's house, but his father was also there, and then, it was coordinated that one of the other brothers would come up from Miami for a special visit. We had 3 brothers together, as well as portions of their extended family. It was wonderfully heart-warming, and I was honored to be a part of that. There were kids galore, and everyone had a truly terrific time. We roasted marshmallows for S'mores at our cabin. We played cards. We hiked. We rode an ATV. We visited. We cloud gazed (oh, nevermind, that was just me.) We explored the swimming hole. We climbed. We laughed. We read. We ate. We cooked. We picked blackberries. We chased butterflies. We talked. We caught up. We had a truly GREAT time! It was precious... and of course, we visited my wonderful groom and my special spot, Dry Falls in Highlands, NC. My new camera did it justice... I think. :D
Have an amazing day... as I write this, I hear rumbles of thunder. :)
~Dewdrop

Finding the perfect falls in Georgia to have a wedding!

First of all, if anyone ever tells you that they plan to explore 11 north Georgia waterfalls from 7AM Saturday until 2PM Sunday in early October, you can go ahead and tell them that I said, "No way!!" We sure did have the best of intentions, but we were exceptionally over-ambitious. Jack Anthony probably laughed heartily when he read our plans, but he was polite enough to let us figure it out on our own. That's not to say that we did not have a spectacular time because we most certainly did!

As I mentioned the fun actually started during the planning process. We did a tremendous amount of planning and research to narrow down our list of north Georgia waterfalls for consideration as THE PERFECT WEDDING SPOT. A huge thank you to all of our friends and family who offered great suggestions and information regarding our trip. It started out Friday afternoon. We headed up the road to stay with my wonderful groom to be (gtb)'s sister, just north of Atlanta, but on the way, we stopped to check out "High Falls" (not sure where that name came from--it's anything but high), just south of Atlanta. With a very unimpressive trickle feeding into it, we didn't bother with much of a stop, didn't even take pics there. Then, we were on our way to gtb's sister's house. Thanks so much gtb's sister, for letting us stay with you!!! We awoke Saturday morning and headed to the local bagel shop for some sustenance for our big waterfall adventure. Then we were on our way. Our first stop was Amicalola Falls. On our way though, we came across a HUGE llama farm, where there were babies. Of course, we had to stop... I'm wondering if it's these little impossible-to-pass-up detours (Hey, it's a Dew thing) that keep us from accomplishing everything we set out to do. We headed on to Amicalola Falls after that. I have to tell you, gtb did a great job of plotting our route, so it was very easy to travel from one to another.

Amicalola Falls: Well, we hiked up a trail (oh my goodness, are my calves on fire now, or what?! Ugh!) to the "base of the falls", where we saw a slight cascade behind us, ... barely catching a glimpse from there of the greater and much more magnificent upper falls up above us, a decent gathering of folks on the platform and a choice... climb the 100 something stairs to the viewing platform above or drive up. We drove. We had too much on our schedule to waste unnecessary time climbing. We arrived at the higher level and took the short, nice rubbery hike across to the observation foot bridge, which was the best viewing spot for the falls. The problem was that everyone else thought so too. It was crowded, but beautiful. That being the top choice on the list before the trip though, I got a little anxious that we wouldn't get "the feeling" about "the one". (Just a side note, the drought has really impacted the falls of north Georgia powerfully. They weren't nearly as beautiful as their potential.) We left the observation bridge and didn't even consider climbing the 400 some-odd steps to the top of the falls. We drove. The view of the mountains up there was breath-taking, we snapped a few shots and headed to our next spot... Dahlonega. Dahlonega: Gtb and I were both taken aback by the small town charm of Dahlonega, GA. What a quaint little town with such a warm spirit. We loved it and quickly decided that it might be the perfect spot to spend our first days as a married couple together. While there, we were able to attend Jack Anthony's art show at the Hummingbird Lane Art Gallery, where he featured 40 of his amazing waterfall prints. We chatted with him briefly, thanked him for all his help in offering up some of his expertise which was instrumental in planning our trip. Congrats on the exhibit, Jack. You do tremendous work! Of course, while we were there, we got his coffee table falls book that I told you about, which he personalized with a kind message to us... and of course... you know me... While we were there, he told us about his absolute favorite Georgia waterfall, which ironically was the next stop on our tour.

Dicks Creek Falls: We arrived at Dicks Creek Falls and at first went to the shoals above the main falls, without fully realizing it wasn't all there was...... thinking that perhaps the water level had hurt the falls... There was a group of people there (all together) swimming in the wading pool and having a good time. It was beautiful but not breath-taking... at that point, I thought we were in big trouble, that is until one of the swimmers told us about the main falls around the bend. We walked up and around and when we came down on the other side... We just looked at each other and beamed... we had found our wedding spot!I, of course, took 10,000 (give or take) pics there. We LOVED it! We knew immediately that it was our wedding spot, just two falls into our chase (YAHOO!), we had found the perfect wedding spot. The hike was easy, relatively private, GORGEOUS! Who could ask for anything more? Gtb and I will be married at Dicks Creek Falls!
Well, after the rush of finding the perfect spot, we were able to take a more leisurely and enjoyable route around the Chattahoochee National Forest, seeking out falls for comparison against Dicks Creek Falls...

DeSoto Falls (Lumpkin County): The hike to Desoto Falls was decent. My calves didn't start burning until the next day... it was a mostly up-hill, 3/4 of a mile hike. The platform used to observe the falls was slightly crowded, and the falls, though magnificent in their cascading dance have been struck hard by the drought. We got someone to snap our picture (not a photographer)... and it turned out really blurred, so I am not sharing it here.

Helton Creek Falls: A truly magnificent falls with a decent path leading to both the lower and the upper falls. This falls has also been struck hard by the drought as well and failed in comparison to Dicks Creek Falls, but I loved the waterfall drop down to the pool, which offered a wonderful rocky terrain below. A nearby observation platform would have been ideal for guests as we could have performed our nuptials on the nearby rocks closer to the falls. It didn't come close to topping Dicks Creek Falls though...At this point, we were running out of day light. As we raced to our last stop for the day (our 5th falls after eliminating Duke's Creek/Blue Shoals/High Shoals Creek for the hikes involved), we realized that twilight was breathing heavily down our necks. Then, we took a wrong turn and ended up at Lake Hiawassee, where we got some amazing shots of the lake with the mountain back-drop, and we were able to drive right up to the water's edge! So, we decided to save Denton Branch Falls for the morning, and instead headed up to Franklin, NC, where we had an AMAZING dinner at the Caffe Rel, which is located in the Hot Spot gas station. Go figure... ignore outward appearances (and the restroom) and stop by if you are ever in the area; the food was truly devine! They even put orchids (my FAVORITE flowers) on the entrees to enhance the appearance. We went from there to gtb's aunt and uncles cabin, near our proposal spot (Dry Falls), stayed the night and woke up sore, snoozed a while and finally got on our way. After a quick stop at the City Restaurant in Franklin, we headed back down to Clayton, GA, to make our turn and head toward Denton Branch Falls (stopping for scenery and gtb's favorite, yates apples along the way).
Denton Branch Falls: (our last stop)Tate City's best kept secret... I'm sorry, where? Yes, Tate City. You have to mean to go there... the town exists on a stretch of the unmarked Forest Service Road 70. What a ride though... You drive alongside the branch through a winding gravel road with heavy canopy and cascading falls and shoals throughout. Fishermen gathered at several spots all decked out in gear. It was almost like that movie "A River Runs through It". It was wonderful, and I am so glad we chose to do it with sufficient daylight as opposed to racing daylight to get there.... for more than one reason. You see, as it turns out... Denton Branch Road is less a road, more of an unmarked trail off the side of FS70 at about 6.4 miles. You drive down the trail until you can't drive anymore, travel on foot across the branch (be cautious about the green rocks; they're slick!)... and follow the trail up-hill 300 yards into the woods alongside the branch. We got especially nervous when we stumbled upon bear droppings and foot prints... yikes. (I made it small, so you would click on it, to see the footprint). It wasn't a bad hike, except for nerves. The reward at the end though... my, my. Spectacular!In that last shot, I was cracking up... you see, in those poses, he was holding me out of the shallow branch, so I wouldn't get soaked. In that last shot, we didn't quite make it...lol It was gorgeous, but in the end, the desolate route, uphill/cross branch hike and danger of bear inhabitant (with a possibility of cubs to be protected in the spring--wedding time)... we opted not to choose this beauty for the big day.

As I mentioned, that was our last falls of the weekend. We took our sweet time enjoying this trip, and time ended up getting away from us. It was time to head back home before we knew it. It's all for the best, as Jack told us that Minnehaha was not wet enough, most likely, and we read that Angel Falls and Hurricane Falls were too grueling of a hike for our exhausted muscles. Great trip. No need to kill ourselves.

WE HAVE A WEDDING SPOT!!! In the end, Jack Anthony wins the contest. You're invited.Dicks Creek Falls, it is!

Have a lovely day!
~Dewdrop

The Once Tropical Storm Laura... don't blink.... awww, ya blinked.

Well, just like that, Tropical Storm Laura became extratropical as she moved into the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. She held onto that tropical storm status for a day... but I'm fairly certain that she will be well forgotten in no time, that's by those who even knew about her... considering the "storm" on Wall Street seems to be hogging the limelight. Times like these make me glad I don't watch the news.

As the time approaches for our weekend perfect-wedding-spot-finding trip, I am getting more and more excited. I did a little attempted research and was getting increasingly frustrated with the falls on Ward Creek (the second falls on yesterday's list), so I contacted a Georgia waterfall expert, Jack Anthony, who told me how to find it, but suggested that it might not be worth the trip AND suggested an alternate spot... Dicks Creek Falls, so, check out the new list... since he also gave me several other helpful morsels regarding our list of prospective falls. I have decided to link the list of falls to their respective pictures that Jack has taken for the sake of you seeing what our weekend should be like...

• Amicalola Falls (Dawson County)- Thanks, JJ!
• Minnehaha Falls (Rabun County)- Thanks, gtb's "sister"! (Might not be enough water)
• Angel Falls (Rabun County) - Thanks, neighbor-man!
• Hurricane Falls (Rabun County) - not an easy one to get to, so doubtful, but how AWESOME would that be?!
• Duke's Creek Falls (White County) Alternate shot (steep walk to falls-deck though)
• Blue Hole Falls/High Shoals Creek Falls (Towns County) (steep walk to falls-deck though)
• Denton Branch Falls (Towns County)
• Helton Creek Falls (Union County) - Thanks, my dear Winder friend!
• Dicks Creek Falls (Lumpkin County, not Rabun) - A huge thank you to Jack Anthony!
• DeSoto Falls (Lumpkin County, Georgia) - Thanks, Meso Mike!

Oh great, now we're up to 10 11 waterfalls. I'd like to buy some time please! Here's the most incredible part... if we choose one of these falls for our PERFECT WEDDING SPOT, Jack has actually published a coffee table waterfall book including these falls that he would autograph. WHAT A PERFECT MOMENTO! It is definitely looking like a Georgia wedding!!! Also, Jack invited me to a photo show he is having in Dahlonega with 40 large prints of his falls! Also, there is a push pin show there, and I could pin up my work! Jack has been invaluable in planning this wonderful and adventurous excursion. Thank you, Jack!!!

That's it for me for today!
Have a lovely day!
~Dewdrop

The Quest Continues...

Well, Subtropical Storm Laura is persisting in making her way into the north Atlantic Ocean. She was trying all day yesterday to go tropical, but it is doubtful that she will become tropical in the cold environment she has now entered. Looks like she will only amount to a sub-storm, and most likely, she will soon be forgotten as the nothing storm. With much of the country still struggling to overcome all sorts of storms (not just those occurring in nature), Laura, the subtropical fish, offers us a collective sigh of relief.

Yesterday, I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing a sun dog as I was leaving the office. It was a brilliant one initially but quickly faded into nothingness as the sun dipped lower into the horizon, and I watched as it slowly drifted away.The coolest part, in my opinion, was that you could almost make out the faint halo in the area just below the sun dog. Sun dogs are amazingly beautiful, and I am always amazed to see them, but I was really amazed when I saw my first (and only... so far) complete solar halo, which wasn't yesterday. It was AMAZING.

Speaking of amazing natural occurrences, my wonderful gtb, my fabulous bf (that's the same person, in case you were confused) and I are planning a trip this weekend to visit 8, well, 9 waterfalls in north Georgia for consideration as the perfect spot for our nuptials. As I posted, back in August... we were looking for ideas for our ideal wedding spot. We have gotten loads of incredible suggestions from so many of our dear friends and family members. This weekend, we will visit 9 of the many spots that we found through those suggestions and our own research. We will visit waterfalls in north Georgia, north Alabama and southwest North Carolina until we find THE PERFECT SPOT. I am certain that we'll know it instantly when we see it, and we are holding out for "the feeling". In the meantime, it has been wonderful sharing thoughts and ideas with my wonderful gtb about the trip, plotting our route and narrowing down the search. At this point, all we know for certain is that we want a beautiful waterfall, and we want it to be one that we can get close to... We are looking at the following:

• Amicalola Falls - Thanks, JJ!
• The Falls on Ward Creek near Justus Gap... unless someone can tell me how to get there...
• Minnehaha Falls - Thanks, gtb's "sister"!
• Duke's Creek
• Blue Hole/High Shoals Falls
• Gurley Falls
• Helton Creek Falls - Thanks, my dear Winder friend!
• DeSoto Falls (Georgia) - Thanks, Meso Mike!

Looks like a full trip, huh? 8 (well, technically 9) waterfalls in two days. I'll keep you posted, and... of course, I should be able to offer a full photographic study. It should be an exciting and action packed weekend! Stay tuned!

Have an incredibly wonderful day!
~Dewdrop

P.S. 11AM Update... looks like I spoke too soon...

1100 AM AST TUE SEP 30 2008

WHILE SOMEWHAT OF A PARADOX...LAURA BECOMES TROPICAL...BUT NOT FOR LONG...

The Beautiful Stages of a Thunderstorm

Happy Sky Watch Friday!! It's post time!!! (Please visit our host, Tom, Klaus, Sandy and Imac's Sky Watch blog (click here or on the logo to participate) to participate in Sky Watch Fridays. So much fun!!! I highly recommend it!) Today, I have chosen a stormy sky to post in honor of summer thunderstorm season and hence, my soon-to-be-temporarily-relieved SDS (Supercell Deprivation Syndrome). Specifically, this shot was taken in my backyard before a summer thunderstorm in 2006.
You can see in this shot that one cell has lost much of it's energy and is deep into the dissipation phase (The large cloud in the back which has a wispy appearance, where the edges are fuzzy and lack distinction); however, in that same shot you see a solid tower rising, most likely having stolen the remaining energy from the dying cell and rising now in its cumulus stage up to its own maturity.

STAGE 1 CUMULUS STAGE
The sun heats the earth's surface during the day. The heat accumulates on the surface and warms the air around it. Since warm air is lighter than cool air, it starts to rise (known as an updraft). If the air is moist, then the warm air condenses into a cumulus cloud. The cloud will continue to grow in height as long as warm air below it continues to rise. The formation of a cumulus cloud takes only a few minutes.

STAGE 2 MATURE STAGE
When the cumulus cloud becomes very large, the water molecules in it become large and heavy. They start to fall through the cloud when the rising air can no longer hold them up. Meanwhile, cool dry air starts to enter the cloud. This is known as entrainment. Because cool air is heavier than warm air, it starts to descend in the cloud (known as a downdraft). The downdraft pulls the heavy water molecules downward, making rain.

This cloud has become a cumulonimbus cloud because it has an updraft, a downdraft, and precipitation. Lightning and thunder start to occur, as well as heavy rain. The cumulonimbus is now a thunderstorm cell.

STAGE 3 DISSIPATING STAGE
After about 30 minutes, the thunderstorm begins to dissipate. This occurs when the downdrafts in the cloud begins to dominate over the updraft. Since warm moist air can no longer rise, cloud droplets can no longer form. The storm dies out with light rain as the cloud disappears from bottom to top.

The whole process takes about one hour for an ordinary thunderstorm.

That's my weather lesson for today.

Things locally are getting exciting over the next couple of days. Today just barely to my north and heading out to the coasts of the Carolinas, we see a slight risk for severe weather as a cold front dips down into near my neck of the woods, which is generating a slight chance for damaging wind, hail and heavy downpours. This drought-stricken region can definitely benefit from the rain, and hopefully the cloud cover will aid in cooling things down from the dangerous record temps we've been seeing. Meso Mike and Rick are hooking up in hopes of chasing some lightning. I will provide sporadic radar support as the need arises. Thursday... ugh.

A huge thank you to Rick for developing this adorable magazine cover and posting it as a surprise on the chase team blog. SO CUTE!... and a terrific lead in for a reminder about the suggestions for OUR WEDDING LOCATION CONTEST, please do send them my way (leave a comment, send me an email, drop me an IM...) My future groom (who cringes at the idea of me abbreviating that to mfg since he doesn't like the idea of being called mf anything... sorry, my fabulous fiance) and I will be touring locations throughout the southeast over the coming months, scoping out locations (your suggestions) for our picture-perfect and very much stress-free nuptuals. For information about the contest, read this blog (click here) or just see the post below. Thanks for the many great ideas we have already received.

5PM Skies... Have fun, guys!Have a wonderful day!
~Dewdrop