Arabia Mountain, Atlanta...

It was a hot, blustery day about a week ago and we were at a bit of a loss as where to go for our roadtrip adventure.

Too lazy to drive far?  Check.

Broke and needed something free/cheap?  Check.

Quiet place without hordes of crowds?  Check.

The answer to our search was the lovely and desolate Arabia Mountain area...

Arabia Mountain is older than Stone Mountain, which is a major tourist attraction here in Georgia, and is considered somewhat of a secret.  I can see why since there isn't too much to do other than hike/bike but this kind of thing is just perfect for us.  The sky seemed huge up there on the mountain...reminding us of Montana and Wyoming just a bit.  I wish I was a better photographer so the picture would really tell the story of how big the view can be. 

Let is be said, however, that photos don't capture the sound of wind rushing through the brush and trees and that was something I won't forget.  It sounded like a cross between a burbling creek and a grade school recorder/flute.  It matched the vista just right...

We spent most of our time hiking the mountain but there were also several abandoned quarries that we spent just a few minutes in since they were too spooky and too hot, as well as an animal rehabilitation program that we were immediately denied entry to.  Turns out we wandered onto that property a bit by accident!  Oops!

Oh, and there is something that grows up on the mountain that is unique to Georgia, rare and only in rocky outcroppings - diamorpha!  Also known as elf opine, this plant is quickly becoming endangered and there were notices about being very careful when hiking as to not disturb the growths.  It appeared that most people have heeded the advice but we did some damage to areas where the diamorpha lay dormant.  *don't like*

And you may be wondering what the heck the dome/cairn things are in the first picture?  Arabia Mountain is pretty big and most areas really look similar so they have the piles of rock there as a guide.  Even with them there you can easily get turned around if you wander too far from them...

We ended up the day with a bit of sunburn and windburn but our tummies full of some seriously good Thai eats we found in a very out-of-the-way location.  Gah, that basil fried rice we had haunts my food dreams!

My Life In Pictures...

Left to Right & Top to Bottom: Clematis // Stick worm in the roses // Tea time anyone? // Porch sitting // Hammock weather // Rye whiskey flight = happy Brady // Agua Fresca every spring and summer // This camera failed me but was quickly replaced // Hi there Atlanta! // An unusually bold dress for me // Another picture of Brady in yet another one of his plaid shirts // Postcard Swapping // A fallen, abandoned nest becomes mine // Exploring Winder, GA

Y'all, I am so happy to be back on Instagram and to have my phone camera apps once again at the ready.  You. Have. No. Idea.  I have to control myself and take around one photo a day or else I'd would flood everyone's feed and then no one would want to follow me.  It's a challenge for sure...

Here's a little honesty for you: I started this post about a week ago with every intention of including a variety of links and sassy sayings and the like.  Now I can't remember any of the stuff I was going to talk about and I have to admit that I haven't even really been on the computer very much as of late.  Too busy enjoying this last bit of cool weather we've had here in GA and the fact that Athens is a quiet little town now that the students are mostly gone for the summer.  Let's just say that life is good and I'm a happy camper.  And in a little over a week that last statement will be a literal reality.  Gah.  Vacation!

I do have some fun things happening before I leave for a week - a special tour of a favorite place, a day trip with the hubby to hike, hopefully a kayaking adventure - but I'm just so excited to head to places I've never been and use my new camera/film and put up our new camping tarp and hopefully stay in a neat-o hotel and definitely see some roadside attractions.  Maybe instead of me typing all of this I can just share with you my Pinterest link and you can see what I'm talking about, eh?

Happy Tuesday!

ATL For The Day...

I still felt a wee bit woozy yesterday but I sucked it up and made the trek to Atlanta.  Gosh, I'm so glad I did!  While we didn't get to see our friends (sorry Cliff and Jeremy!) we did get to go see the Frida and Diego exhibit and the GoGo Ferguson (she lives on Cumberland Island, GA where I spent every summer til I was 16) exhibit at the High Museum, take a quick trip to IKEA (quick is the key word since I tend to get overwhelmed by large stores), stopped by a 'meh' Goodwill in Decatur (ATL folks, any suggestions for good thrift stores?...I'm a bit lost on where to go), visited the DeKalb County Farmer's Market and then took in 18 holes at an Adventure Golf locale.  After all that I crashed and had to be ushered home ASAP for bed.  Whew!  It was a stellar day and we had a blast.  I love spending time with the hubby no matter what the occasion.  Well, the tag office isn't fun for us at all but you know what I mean, ya?

Sorry there aren't more pics from the museum but the photography rules are strict for traveling exhibits.  Which I'm sure you don't mind too much since I overloaded you with photos from the last visit!  There were so many people there I probably wouldn't have had any good shots anyway.  Really, we were packed like sardines!  But funny enough, most of the folks tended to swarm Diego's side and left Frida's portion of the exhibit with more space to stand and contemplate.  And since I'm not a fan of Diego Rivera's work except for a few landscape pieces and a portrait or two (for example: this and this), I was more than happy with the way things turned out.  Frida's work and her personal expression just resonate with me...

Now I'm off to make some goodies with some special cookie cutters I found at IKEA and wrap up some school work and check on my freezer pops.  Here stops my use of parentheses for the day as well...

Happy Saturday!

My Life In Pictures...

grey muzzle and liquid eyes / channeling Hogwarts / kitties are looming / quilt dreams / booze / more booze / my 2 loves / my new knitted press cozy is just perfect / Diana of Versailles at the High Museum / hipster chops / smile / Howard Finster / Brady's place of work is shutting down *sad face* / love

Looking at these pictures makes me realize that I didn't even begin to document 1/4 of what happened this past week.  Gah, so much.  So much!  It wasn't all booze, bad fashion and museum snapshots, m'friend.  It was our last taste of freedom before a new semester started for Brady, and for me too.  That's right...this gal's back in academia.  Yay...?  No, really, it's a good thing and I'm glad that I'm finishing up.  *fingers crossed*  I'm hoping that by the time we both graduate (him with undergrad and me with this master's extended certification) we'll be ready to move on from Athens and maybe find work in our fields of study.  Ah, dreams of fiscal responsibility that will probably change soon enough.  I tend to want to live in a van down by the river when things start to get tough...

Speaking of tough...how about a dental appointment at 9am that required some tooth grinding with no Novocaine?  Yep, that was my morning but I'm thrilled with the results and I'm now proudly sporting my pre-teen tooth gap aka midline diastema!  After years of braces, fillers, etc, (all of which were pushed on me as a kid) I finally found a dentist willing to remove all the fake shit and leave my front teeth just like they were when I was a kid - gappy!  Well, not quite the prominent gap of my youth thanks in part to the power of those braces but still slightly noticeable.  I love it!

Not loving right now?  Growing out my bangs.  Bleh.  Luckily I found this.

Glass corn?!?  Beautiful...

My obsession with wind chimes is growing.  I reallllllly want these.

All 3 of our cats are murder kitties.  Just ask the half eaten squirrel they left on my pillow a while back...

Speaking of murder kitties, mine are constantly trying to whack me too.

Woodie Guthrie's New Year's Resolutions.

If we actually settle down again then I'd like to try my hand at growing so many goodies...

This article both infuriated me and made me think.

Adam is coming to visit again and he's taking us to see Justin Townes Earl.

Part of my trip planning for Atlanta involves a visit to Six Feet Under...a pub with a view of Oakland Cemetary!

Do you know how bad I want these Armadillo gloves?!?

Big thanks to all who bought ads in the latter part of 2012!  I made several donations to BARC (Valdosta, GA) and the monies help pay for helping with the medical bills of kitties and doggies alike!

Happy Monday everyone!
 

(Kind Of) Athens Life - The High Museum...

Even though I grew up in Georgia, lived here 75% of my total life and now live only an hour or so from Atlanta, I'd never been to the High Museum of Art.  How?  How did this happen?  Well, regardless, Brady and I remedied that situation on Wednesday when we took a quick jaunt to the A-T-L to a) get his keyboard repaired and b) take our minds off his impending unemployment.  Yes, the hubby is losing his job and Athens is losing its original video store...ah, thanks urban sprawl and the ever growing lack of community that's running rampant around the world.  But that rant is for another time so let me get back to the museum, ya?  Ya.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots:

That's a Pyrex iron in the corner there!

Recyclable chair options = pressboard and, yes, crochet...

This installation was about the civil rights movement and grabbed our attention like nobody's business...

Howard Finster = amazeballs

We allotted ourselves 3 hours to see the sights and it still wasn't enough time.  That means we just might be heading back to Atlanta again soon...maybe for a belated anniversary getaway?

Just to clarify...these images are not of my own artwork.  Oh, and I don't know why in the heck my skirt is doing weird flippy things either.

P.S.  I'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the 100 Before 40 goal list!