Bob and Bill wandering the back a bit. Bill did pass on a number of tips regarding projects yet to be done around the house. When my list calls for new entries, I'll start on Bill's!
Same players... Bob and Bill deciding it was better to sit and talk about projects to be done than do them. This was an excellent decision as it was a normal hot, sunny day in Georgia.
Susan, Jane and Bob. Jane was the primary picture taker for a lot of these so she's not in front of the camera very much. This time, front and center.
Jane stood close by as I got the ribs out, skinned them, and split them and now it's time to start the cooking.
It was a very fun afternoon and my smile is quite real. I had a constant flare-up in one corner of the grill that was giving me gas and that got the ribs in that area a bit more crisp than I would have chosen but otherwise the process went rather well.
OK... time to take the slabs off and cut the ribs through so make them individual. Why? So they could be tossed into the pot which right now is at my feet and then doused with a bit of sauce and then shaken to cover nicely. Then they're dumped back on the grill to let the sauce soak in a bit, then back into the pot for a bit more sauce and a bit more shaking and that's it. Next stop for the pot... the table.
And here we are, less Jane taking the photo, ready to begin. Not yet on the table but brought out pretty quickly was a nice warm, wet rag for cleaning our fingers, once licked. After all the talking and laughing that had gone on for the previous 4 hours or so it got absolutely quiet :)
After dinner we relaxed a bit, had some dessert, and then took a ride around the neighborhood on the golf cart. The ladies were in back, facing backwards, and told us guys up front that it was all they could do not to fall off the back when we went up one of the somewhat steep hills in the area. Coming back in Jane and Bill got out the maps to check their destinations for the next day and it became pretty funny. Nothing worked for any of them because the one thing they seemed to agree on was that their destination town, Helen, wasn't on any of the maps they were holding. Of course it was but they couldn't see it because the nice AAA lady had highlighted them and who looks at the highlighting? Notice Jane's look as she watches the two of them pretend they know where they're going.
Sunday morning began quietly with Bill and Jane at their end of the house and Susan and me at our end and we all met in the middle for coffee, or at least the guys did. The plan was for Bill and Jane to take us out for a bit of breakfast and then they would take off for north Georgia where they will be adventuring for a few days. I decided to go with them in my own car because 1) I had not been to the state park they were headed for and 2) I really, really didn't want to plant any more flowers and bushes. So, after a rather wonderful breakfast we got in our cars and headed for Amicalola Falls State Park.
This is a great shot of the backs of Jane and Bill. We're standing on a walkway that spans the top of the falls. It's a cascading waterfall but a waterfall nonetheless. Impossible to capture the view looking forward but take my word for it, it was rather nice.
And this is what they were looking at. Looking down at the top of the falls, or at least a part of it.
Near the walkway where we started was a sign indicating that there was a set of stairs that led to the base of the falls. The sign also said "Strenuous" and "Caution" and "453 steps." Well, what's a few steps. Jane made it down a few landing where the view opened up a bit and I stopped with her. After a bit I decided to keep on going to make it to the bottom, knowing full well that would mean having to come back UP! This was the view about 2/3 of the way down.
And this is the view at the bottom looking up. It was quite beautiful and quite noisy with the sound of the falling water and the water rushing under the boardwalk I was standing on. It's a good drop... you can kind of get perspective by looking at the tree in the top left of this photo. All in all, everyone was very glad to have made the trip to this beautiful spot. We also looked at the neat cabins, lodge, and other amenities available.
Leaving the state park we drove toward Dahlonega which was on the way to Helen, the ultimate destination for Jane and Bill. Bill needed to pump some petrol into the 'beast' as he calls his vehicle so near to Dahlonega we pulled into a gas station. At this point I decided to head for home and let Jane and Bill continue on. I'm sure they made it, after all Jane had her trusty AAA book and as long as they got on RT 115 the 2nd time, not the 1st time, they'd be fine. We hugged and parted and went our separate ways. It was a wonderful, happy, fun time and I don't want to wait another 15 years to repeat it!
Just before we parted... love 'em :)
