Callaway Gardens

Friday we went to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain.  J had needed to work late several nights earlier in the week and he was able to have all his hours done by Friday so he had the day off.  Before we went into the gardens, we stopped in at a market to get a couple of fresh peaches to snack on.  We were approached by sister missionaries!  One was from Germany, the other was from Sandy.  When they first approached us, I thought they had spotted the Utah license plate, but it turns out they were just proselyting and they thought I looked nice.  They were surprised when they found out we were members (we didn't ask, but they must have a small ward/branch in Pine Mountain).  It was fun to run into them!

Callaway Gardens is huge!  We didn't even cover half of the whole place--partially because a storm blew through, but also because it is a big place.  Aside from the main gardens, there are golf courses, beaches (which we were unable to go to because of the lightning), shows, bike and walking trails, pioneer cabins, a horticulture center, a butterfly emporium, and much more.

When we first arrived, we decided to go to the butterfly emporium first (thinking that it would be cooler inside) to give us a break from the heat of the day.  What we didn't realize is that inside the butterfly emporium was more humid and hotter than it was outside.  In fact, after being inside the emporium, the outside, which had a heat index of 103 felt almost cool by comparison. 

Despite the heat, Zuri was a perfect angel the whole time at the gardens.  We brought her stroller and she was content to sit in it as we hiked and walked around. 

The butterfly count for this week was 2808.  I don't know how many of you have tried to take pictures of butterflies, but it can be quite tricky!  Still, we were able to get some amazing shots.  We took so many pictures that it was hard to choose!  If this post is a little too picture heavy, then I apologize; we hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we do!

The last few are what I like to call a "bee" butterflies.  The markings look a lot like a bee and are designed to warn off predators from above.

Some of the butterflies were very cleverly camouflaged. 

This is one of my favorite pictures (above)

Here are a couple more butterfly pictures--but they weren't taken in the butterfly emporium!

After the butterfly emporium we took a walk along a few of the trails and wandered along the river.  We went through the azalea bowl but it is the wrong time of year to see azaleas in bloom.  We noticed that a few of the trees were starting to turn colors.  Unfortunately, we are in the middle season--too late for the spring and too soon for the autumn, so while we still had beautiful gardens to look at, we missed the full scope of what the place really could be.

On our walk, Zuri fell asleep.

We then went to the horticulture center, where Zuri woke up from her nap and felt ready to explore.  It was beautifully designed, starting enclosed but opening out into the open in such a way that you almost don't even realize it!

They had this really cool rock wall where plants grew out.

There were at least ten different types of banana trees, and a couple papaya trees, all bearing fruit.

Flowers of the gardens:

Can you spot the grasshopper?

These two pictures (above and below) were taken as just before we left, in the rain.  I love capturing water droplets on the petals of the flowers!

This little flower has become my favorite Georgia wildflower.  I love all the colors and the rows of little flowers all making up the bigger flower.

The Day chapel.  We just missed a concert.

While we waited for the Birds of Prey show, we took some time and looked out over the water from the bridge.  This was Zuri's favorite part of the day.  She got excited looking over the edge at the turtles, fish, and ducks swimming in the water.   She would go from one side of the bridge to the other and just be so excited.  While we were on the bridge, we heard the storm sirens--meaning that there had been lightning strikes within five miles of the gardens.

 

There was a fish food dispenser, and you could tell that the fish were used to being fed!  All you had to do was lean over and tons of fish would swim to where you were.  The ducks and turtles also got in on the action.  J counted about a dozen turtles. 

We were able to catch the Birds of Prey show before the rain started.  We drove around in the rain for a while to see a little more of the park, but eventually the rain grew too heavy to see anything, so we headed home.

The first two pictures are of the harris hawk, and the last of the great horned owl.  Zuri really wasn't interested in the bird show--she had more fun playing in the dirt.  Even though we got rained out--we had a lot of fun--there is so much to see!

Tallulah Gorge and Falls

Saturday we took a trip up to Tallulah State Park and walked the trails along the gorge to see the falls.  They only offer 100 permits a day to actually go to the very bottom of the gorge into the river itself, and unfortunately by the time we got there (still pretty early in the day) the permits had all been handed out.  We went as far as we could though, starting at the top (over 750 feet) and traversing down to almost the very bottom (about ten feet).

Zuri was fairly lethargic at the beginning.  She actually wanted her stroller (which is unusual for her).  It could have been the heat--we are still in the middle of a "deadly" heat wave, and Zuri does not like the heat.  She didn't complain though, just enjoyed her cozy stroller ride.

It seems like overnight the leaves have started to turn.  We first noticed the leaves changing yesterday at the Callaway Gardens, and we saw quite a bit of color starting to pop through the green on our hike today.  It is too bad we won't be here to see it all in the fall--it will be beautiful with all the trees out here!

 This is the southern view of the gorge.  Oceana falls is directly below.  We are at the top of the gorge at 750 feet.

                                                          Wildflowers still in bloom

We went all the way down the steps.  All 1062 down and 1062 back up!  It was crazy!  Zuri loved it and didn't want to stop to enjoy the view of the falls.  She wanted to go right back up the steps.  She went almost the whole way--she was picked up a few times to let others by.  People kept laughing and making comments about how cute she is, and how would it be to have that energy again! 

The three of us on the suspension bridge.  It was the weirdest feeling, because when you first get on the bridge, it feels really stable and you think it won't move, but as more people come on, it wobbles up and down a bit.  The more people who are on, the more it wobbles.

Hurricane falls and the bottom of the gorge. 

After the falls, we ate a late lunch by the lake. 

Since we were so close to the border of South Carolina, we decided to take a drive on over.  Zuri had fallen asleep and we thought she could get a good nap while we drove.  Unfortunately, the roads were too windy for that to happen.

We stopped in at this little market.  Peaches out here are so delicious!

Why I love Fridays

Friday is now my favorite day of the week, but not because of the reason you think.  Earlier this summer I got a nook from Barnes and Noble--it's an e-reader.  On this gadget I can store over 1,500 e-books on the 2 GB memory.  I can add music and audio books and even surf the web.  I can add additional storage with a micro SD card.  Right now I have 59 e-books on my nook and most of them were free.  Every Friday, Barnes and Noble has what they call "free Friday," where they either highlight a book which has recently become free or offer a book free for a limited time.  The week before last, they offered two titles for the free Friday promo.  The books are generally from authors who have made The New York Times bestselling list.  They are also running another Friday promo for the summer, where they are offering twelve of their classics for free.  So, in essence, on Fridays I can conceivably get thirteen books for free.  How awesome is that?  Not to mention the vast library of free books that Barnes and Noble already provides.  E-books are also (in general) cheaper than printed books because there are no printing costs.

Every business day they highlight a book--whether it is a new author or a new book coming out.  Oftentimes they will offer either the book or one of the books from that author at a discounted rate.  Two days ago the featured book went for $0.79.  By Monday it will go back up to full price.  I have been introduced to authors and a wide variety of books that I otherwise would have never even given a second thought.

The whole reason I got the nook was because due to an unforeseen event, I was without a vehicle for most of the summer.  There are no bus routes near our apartment and the streets are not pedestrian friendly, which means that I have been limited to the apartment, and there is only so much time you can spend at the pool with a two-year old in the sun and heat.  During the time that I did have the car, I discovered the nook at the Barnes and Noble at the Mall of Georgia.  I did some extensive research on e-readers and ultimately decided on the nook because it supports open format as well as Barnes and Noble content (whereas with the Kindle, you are limited to Amazon content).  J, knowing how much I wanted one, and being the sweet husband that he is, got one for me!  I have loved the nook--absolutely.  For any of you wanting to know what to get me for my birthday (*hint hint*), a Barnes and Noble gift card would be the ultimate gift!

A Change of Mind

The following conversation happened earlier:

J had just gone to the store and came back with a two liter bottle of soda.  He poured some into a cup and after having his fill, he offered the rest to me.  My immediate response was "I don't want it."  Then less than a nanosecond later I grabbed the cup and asked "what is it?"

We both laughed so hard. Good times.