Oh my there's dragons in Georgia.

It's been awhile since I have posted. I wasn't feeling up to par for a couple weeks. I have lupus and sometimes it starts to flare. The aches and pains come and go from time to time, but at times it's almost unbearable. I just keep positive and keep moving. My poor Kit has RA and we have learned to just keep active and it helps keep them at bay.

Nova (our beloved furry female kid) had an incident a few weeks back. Nova has had this thing with bikes ever since a little boy tried to intentionally run her over. Kit was running with Nova and she decided to jump out at a poor unsuspecting biker. The biker was not injured and stopped to ask if Nova was okay. She seemed shaken at first, but upon further inspection I saw that she had chipped her tooth and when I took her to the vet we found out it was two teeth. Our poor girl has been in a lot of pain, but on antibiotics to stop any infection. Nova is scheduled for surgery on Thursday to perform root canals on her two k-9 teeth that were broken, one is almost completely gone and has the root exposed. If you want to keep up with Nova and her recovery, please feel free to follow her and our other fur babies on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/k9xplorers

Poor Nova resting.

The last few weeks have been hectic, but Kit and I have been staying active. We bought ourselves bikes and have the perfect place to ride them. We love riding and feeling the breeze on our faces. It makes me feel like a kid again to ride, plus it's great exercise. In doing some research we have also found a great hiking spot less than ten miles away from us and may have overlooked it altogether if Nova hadn't been injured, since they don't allow dogs. The Sawnee Mountain Preserve is a mile and a half steep climb to the top and the vantage point at the top is unbelievable. It is well worth the climb and we have been a few times and plan on going back tonight with a picnic dinner. Kit and I just sit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us, it is just so peaceful and quiet up there. This has become one of my favorite spots and I love looking out and connecting with nature.

This past weekend we went to a Dragon boat festival. It was so much fun to see all the different cultures that were there. There were some Indian dancers that were just amazing and I couldn't stop photographing them. Then watching the dragon boats racing across the water was nice too, seeing them paddling and working as a team to make it to the finish line. I was impressed, on one of the boats there were men and women probably in their 60's. Then at the opening ceremony there were dragons, dancers, and fireworks. They even had a flower ceremony at the end for cancer survivors. I highly suggest you check out your area for festivals that may be going on in your neck of the woods.

Until next time, 

Kat

Exploring in the Backyard

Hello fellow explorers.  Does anyone else get the feeling that you need to go to exotic places or you are not really exploring.  Often we are driven by the "need" to travel to the famous sites to capture the grandeur of nature.  It is almost a status of us full time travellers to stake our claim to Yellow Stone, the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls or you just aren't exploring.  I really wish that we were in the position to go to one of these premium locations, but my career is currently keeping me tied to Georgia at this time.

So we are keeping our focus on the local.  Indeed, there is much to see wherever you are.  Every location has its own unique history and narrative.  We want to uncover the beauty of the local.  While everyone is looking for greener pastures ... elsewhere.  Maybe, we can help them find those patches of green in their neighborhood.

In that spirit, we have begun exploring a place that is only 8 miles from our home base.  We nearly ignored it because it does not allow dogs.  The place: Sawnee Mountain Preserve. 

 
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What did we find?  Only a very easily accessible location to monitor and track the emergence of Autumn in the Blue Ridge/Appalachians without have to trek to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee.  Now for some of the breathtaking views from this backyard gem.

 Here are some bright blue skies and a picturesque horizon.  Amazingly, 20 minutes later, we were scurrying down the mountain in a pop-up thunder and lightning storm.

 This picture, taken from the Indian Seats which are at the pinnacle of Sawnee Mountain, shows the view that the Cherokee and Creek had as a lookout and place of meditation.

Kat taking in the view

Kat and Kit catching a glimpse and braving the heights.

Kit does not fear heights, only falling

Here bear!

Kit examines a relic left from the Georgia Gold Rush, an abandoned mine.  Whew!!! No bears this time.

On our second trip, we managed to capture this couple enjoying the view.

From this vantage point, we will capture the change of seasons over the next few weeks. 

Until next time - Kit.