National Tea Party Convention

began today.

[Excerpt - Worldnet Daily.com]
[Watch Farah Live at 1st National Tea-Party Convention]

Not only is C-SPAN slated to broadcast the event on cable television from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, PJTV will stream a free live feed of the convention, including Farah's address and tea-party strategy workshops, from its website. Online viewers must register an e-mail address to watch the events via the Internet.

Tea Party Nation is hosting the convention until Saturday at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Farah will present his speech tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern.

"To say we are thrilled Joseph Farah is speaking is an understatement," Phillips told WND. "He was a tea partier before there was a tea-party movement."
[...]
Farah joins former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and other prominent speakers such as commentator Andrew Breitbart; WND columnist Judge Roy Moore; Phil Valentine, popular radio talk-show host and author of "The Conservative Handbook"; Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton and Fox News Political Analyst Angela McGlowan, among others. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., opened the event.
[...]
The speaking schedule is as follows:

* Today, Feb. 5
9:30 a.m. EST: Steve Milloy and Mark Skoda
2 p.m. EST: Judge Roy Moore and Tom Fitton
9 p.m. EST: Angela McGlowan and Joseph Farah

* Saturday, Feb. 6
10 a.m. EST: Andrew Breitbart and Ana Puig
9 p.m. EST: Sarah Palin

[End of Excerpt]

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*Note* - PJTV's website has listed Sarah Palin to speak on 2-6-10 at 8:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m.

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Tenth Amendment Summit

Politics are heating up not only in Georgia but all across the US as 2010 is election year. Coming up in February is the Tenth Amendment Summit to be held in Atlanta, Feb. 25th and 26th. Tickets are $50.

Speakers are: Judge Andrew Napolitano - former NJ Superior Court Judge, now a political and legal analyst for Fox News, Chief Justice Roy Moore - candidate for Governor of Alabama, and Ray McBerry - candidate for Governor of Georgia.

I wish that I could be there, I'm sure that this is going to be an interesting and powerful political event. Hopefully, the summit will be videoed and put on dvd for sale - I would love to own a copy.

After thought...
I also wish that I could be a *fly on the wall* in liberal/marxist hotspots - wherever that may be - because events like this throughout the year are going to heat up November, especially with the election of Scott Brown (R) to late Teddy's seat.

A Long Month

I would wish everyone a Happy New Year but given that it is the last day of the month - it seems kind of LATE...:)

January *sneaked in* - barely noticed. The New Year marked hardly any distinction from 2009 - indeed, the two years seem to want to blend together. And considering the forecast for 2010, they probably will.

Some days, when I'm out walking, my concentration scatters - it's almost as if I can sense a vile wind approaching. It doesn't stop there - 5 times in the past month, the dogs surround me in my dreams, and in one dream, one bit my left thigh. Could all of this be premonitions of future events? Hopefully not.

I have spent my free time procrastinating - and being undisciplined.

Some events over the past year or so are enough to almost break the spirit...

Notice that I said *ALMOST*.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and once more Christmas time is here. This past few months have been hectic, a lot to do, so there has been very little time for blogging. For most of us this is a time of yearpeace and serenity - but for one close to me, it may be his last Christmas. This is a time of year to cherish because sometimes it turns out that memories are all that you will have next year - and for everyone, may they all be beautiful.

I'd like to wish everyone who lands on this blog (and those who don't) a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Dixie

Hiking the Yellow Trail

Sweetwater Creek State Park - Part 4


Bridge at Ferguson's Crossing Destroyed (built 1998)

Destroyed by the flood waters in September 2009, this is how the military surplus bridge now looks that only a few months ago provided passage across Sweetwater Creek and access to the east side of the Yellow Trail. This picture doesn't do the site justice - the view from the creek bank looks as if the middle of the bridge collapsed - apparently it did - for some of the bridge lies on the east bank and some lies on the west bank. More pics are in the Picasa album below to get a better understanding of the destruction of the bridge and erosion of the creek banks.



Slipping in the Back Door

Back in October, I was told that the bridge was out - therefore no access to the east Yellow Trail - but that if I really wanted to hike the trail that I would have to go in the back way. The way to do this is via Thornton Rd. to Factory Shoals Rd. to Douglas Hill Rd. There is no place to park so I arranged to be dropped off and picked up. The gated road leading into the park is what I assume was once part of the old Factory Shoals Rd, that at some point has been rerouted. There is a yellow sign on a log beside the gate that states, *Boundary - Georgia State Park*.

The road that leads down to Sweetwater Creek is eroded - but is only about a quarter mile. It ends right before the creek bank and near where the bridge should be. Over to the right a huge tree was lying partially on the bank with the remaining part in the creek. It was no surprise to me - apparently the flood waters were very high, strong and swift in this area. On both sides of the creek, trees are destroyed, many laid down against the bank and/or in the water.



Erosion

Facing the creek, the east Yellow Trail begins to the left. A yellow marked sign/post directs you down a set of wooded steps. This part of the trail basically follows the banks of Sweetwater Creek. The banks and trail are heavily eroded and much debris is laying across the trail. Difficult to travel at some spots, but it is still passable. Considering all of the trees, limbs, and leaves that I had to climb over and through, I'm just glad that a sneaky snake wasn't slithering around - luckily they were hiding in their holes for the winter! It's unusual to walk along Sweetwater Creek and not see at least one snake either on the trail or wrapped around the limbs of a bush.



A Good Hike

Once you leave the Creek area and begin the climb up into the hills, the landscape changes dramatically. For the rest of the hike, the trails are almost perfect. Plant life (bushes and such) are almost non-existent - this area is mainly hardwoods and pines. Natural streams spring out of the hills and flow down to the big Creek below. Green moss is plentiful and every now and then you can see a group of ferns - but mostly you see only trees and leaves. The leaves were very thick. I made such a noise as I walked that there is no wonder that the only animal I saw was a squirrel - who acted as if it was irritated that I was being so loud and disturbing (squirrels, like rabbits, do not like loud noise).



The Ancient Shelter Rock

The highlight of the trail was the Ancient Shelter Rock. This picture shows how it looks on the trail without zooming in. The natural cave actually goes back a bit into the bank. According to the literature at Sweetwater Park (see: Hiking Trails), ancient fire pits, flakes from chipping stone tools and smoke on the ceiling are evidence that Native Americans made use of this shelter rock.


Zoom in on the rock just a little - see those brown spots on the rock? You probably can't tell by this pic unless you know what you're looking at - but with a pair of little binoculars you can clearly see that those little brown spots are *Dirt Dauber* nests, or what's left of them. There are hundreds of them!

According to a Wikipedia article that I just read, the males stay and protect the nest while the females go out and search for spiders, obviously to paralyze and stuff down in the holes of their nests for dinner...

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the brick pits - the leaves were just too heavy. I'll have to catch that site next spring.

Sweetwater Creek State Park - Hiking the Yellow Trail




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See also:

Part One - Sneaky Snake

Part Two - Hiking the Red Trail

Part Three - New Manchester Mill Ruins

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King Tut

Now when I die
Now don't think I'm a nut
Don't want no fancy funeral
Just one like ole King Tut!

Steve Martin - King Tut - SNL 1978

Thanksgiving 2009

Once again, it's that time of year - wishing everyone who stops by here the best of Thanksgiving...:)

Little Kennesaw Mountain

This is a pic of Little Kennesaw Mountain taken a few weekends ago as I was walking down the big Mountain road back to the info center. The sun was going down but still it was almost blinding. This is a great time of year to hike the mountain(s) because the colors are beautiful.

I've hiked all along Kennesaw Mountain and Pigeon Hill but I've never taken the trail from either one that leads to the summit of Little Kennesaw Mountain. (All 3 are joined, Little Kennesaw stands between Big Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill.)

On this particular day, a Sunday, JK and Larrie decided to go along with me. We parked my truck at the info center and got dropped off at Pigeon Hill. The sign at the beginning of the trail says "Confederate trenches 500 feet" but I must say that the 500 feet is straight uphill. Yes siree, straight up - not only to the trenches - but to the rocks and boulders - and what I now call 'The Valley of Godzillas'. Lizards everywhere - big ones too!

After you get to the summit of Pigeon Hill, the trail levels out for a short distance before the incline begins again. The scenery is pretty and some of the rock formations are spectacular. Huge rocks and boulders are everywhere, some of them large enough to sit or stand in.

Right before you get to the summit of Little Kennesaw, there is a great view of the skyline of Atlanta - a very different view from what was seen in 1864.

On top of Little Kennesaw:

A sign reads Fort McBride, apparently constructed by the Confederate Army - but never *really built*. The Confederate soldiers on Little Kennesaw mainly fought in skirmishes and their main battle was for Pigeon Hill and surrounding area.

According to the info on Little Kennesaw there was originally 9 cannons on top of Little Kennesaw - today there are only 4. Those cannons were used in defense of Pigeon Hill.

So were the rocks and boulders.

Hiking from Pigeon Hill to Little Kennesaw



See also:

Cheatham Hill - The Dead Angle
Kennesaw Mountain Demonstrations

Tomorrow They Wake...

A section of the Halloween graveyard set up by a neighbor's kids. Fog and live zombies to be included!



[Update Nov. 1, 2009]

West Virginia storyteller Susanna Holstein has a great collection of ghost stories on her blog. Click here to check them out! Check Susanna out anytime - she always has a great story to tell..:)

Flooding at Sweetwater Creek State Park

A section of George Sparks Reservoir at Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs, Georgia.




Today's weather was just right for a walk around Sweetwater Creek State Park. The leaves are beginning to turn and the area is very beautiful in the fall.

But all was not good. I visited the info center, there was particular information that I was looking for - namely the location of the old New Manchester cemetery. I then inquired of the Yellow Trail; I was told that it could not be accessed at this time. The flood waters completely destroyed the bridge that crosses Sweetwater Creek and leads to the main body of the Yellow Trail. I was also told that many parts of the trail (including the Red Trail) were heavily damaged - so much so, that it will probably never be the same again, at least not in our lifetime.

I did find out how to access the Yellow Trail by going in the back way - so I plan on doing that at some point in the next few days. There will be no where to park, so I will have to be dropped off and picked up. It will be a long hike, but I think worth the time.

Mable House Storytelling Fest

Saturday, October 24th, was a good day. Cloudy and cool, the weather was just right to attend the Storytelling Festival at the historic Mable House in Mableton, Ga. This is a pic of Cathy Kaemmerlen performing a tale of haunting gourds...and other things.

The next storyteller was Joanna Maddox. In this pic, she was performing a tale of a slimy green monster in the forest.

Both storytellers were excellent - and in case you haven't seen them perform yet, try to catch them around town. Joanna Maddox will be at the Mable House again on December 12th, at 6:00 p.m. - See: Concerts in the Tea Room


Envy loved the outside activities - the storytelling, the music, the arts and crafts, the animals, and the Bar-Be-Que. Of course, I couldn't wait to get inside the Mable House, I like to look at the antique furniture.

Check out this 19th century bed - isn't it cool? I've made up my mind that I want one just like (or similar). Now I have to find someone who can build it. I might even try my hand at making my own mattress.

Mable House Storytelling Festival

A Letter From Tennessee

State Republican Susan Lynn continues the fight for State Sovereignty. Posted on The Tenth Amendment Web Site is a copy of a letter from Tennessee to the other 49 State Legislatures.

They Can't Push Us Around Forever

We send greetings from the Tennessee General Assembly. On June 23, 2009, House Joint Resolution 108, the State Sovereignty Resolution, was signed by Governor Phil Bredesen. The Resolution created a committee which has as its charge to:

* Communicate the resolution to the legislatures of the several states,
* Assure them that this State continues in the same esteem of their friendship,
* Call for a joint working group between the states to enumerate the abuses of authority by the federal government, and
* Seek repeal of the assumption of powers and the imposed mandates.

It is for those purposes that this letter addresses your honorable body.

In 1776, our founding fathers declared our freedom in the magnificent Declaration of Independence; our guide to governance. They established a nation of free and independent states. Declaring that the purpose of our political system is to secure for its citizens’ their natural rights. The Constitution authorizes the national government to carry out seventeen enumerated powers in Article 1, Section 8 and the powers of several of the ensuing amendments.

[...]

There are clear limits to the power of the federal government and clear realms of power for the states. However, the simple and clear expression of purpose, to secure our natural rights, has evolved into the modern expectation that the national government has an obligation to ensure our life, to create our liberty, and fund our pursuit of happiness.

[...]

The role of our American government has been blurred, bent, and breached. The rights endowed to us by our creator must be restored.

To be sure, the People created the federal government to be their agent for certain enumerated purposes only. The Constitutional ratifying structure was created so it would be clear that it was the People, and not the States, that were doing the ratifying.

The Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that which has been delegated by the people to the federal government, and also that which is absolutely necessary to advancing those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. The rest is to be handled by the state governments, or locally, by the people themselves.

The Constitution does not include a congressional power to override state laws. It does not give the judicial branch unlimited jurisdiction over all matters. It does not provide Congress with the power to legislate over everything. This is verified by the simple fact that attempts to make these principles part of the Constitution were soundly rejected by its signers.

With this in mind, any federal attempt to legislate beyond the Constitutional limits of Congress’ authority is a usurpation of state sovereignty - and unconstitutional.

Governments and political leaders are best held accountable to the will of the people when government is local. The people of a state know what is best for them; authorities, potentially thousands of miles away, governing their lives is opposed to the very notion of freedom.

We invite your state to join with us to form a joint working group between the states to enumerate the abuses of authority by the federal government and to seek repeal of the assumption of powers and the imposed mandates.

Georgians can help support Ms Lynn by clicking here:
Georgia General Assembly

See also:
Sarah Palin Signs Alaska Sovereignty Bill
(includes info on Tennessee)