Atlanta Botanical Garden Thursday Sept 29th

Atlanta Botanical Garden is adjacent to Piedmont Park and next to the exclusive Piedmont Driving Club. We went there Thursday evening to the monthly cocktail party offered on a Groupon. It looks different since our initial visit several years ago before they built the Kendeda Canopy Walk.

Groupon had an offer to get in at a substantial savings. It was good for any Thursday for the Happy Hour through September, which was from 6 until 10pm. We were to meet a married couple there, but after trying several dates that each had problems, we found ourselves left with the last offered date. The male half of the couple was sick, but the wife met us a little after 6 pm.

As we entered the Visitor Center a man pointed to a cashier’s box as he said, “Groupon people go there.” I wonder why he looked right at us when he said “Groupon?”

The whole area was superbly decorated with a theme of Fall and Halloween. There was a bar within a stone’s throw almost any place in the park if you wanted a drink .










I wonder if some parents covered their child's eyes when they first glilmpsed at the above?



The Kendeda Canopy Walk is the subject of the next 5 pictures. It made headline news during construction when it collapsed causing many workers to be injured, one loosing his life. With this elevated walk you are high above beautiful nature giving a nature walk without having to make contact with nature. You don’t have to worry about stepping on critter dung or whether you're safe from an angry critter like a chipmunk attacking you. But remember, the squirrels and birds can still get you. Boo! I think the walk would even be better if it was in a glass tube with climate control temperatures and maybe a nice flat Screen TV showing nature scenes about every 50 feet or so.











High up in the trees is the Kendeda Canopy Walk, where we were earlier.










Gothic Pumpkins

















I'm beginning to learn how to use the close-up lens of our new camera.


While I was photographing the above, a young lady walked up and said something like, "Isn't that a beautiful arrangement?", which I concurred. She was proud of everything there since she was part of the staff. The upper part of the arrangement is a batch of okra, which she added, "And it was delicious!" She said she cooked it herself. I asked if she was from Georgia since everybody eats okra in Georgia. She said she is from Mississippi, and they like okra there too.

She described the upcoming ABG event themes, like Thanksgiving, Christms lights, and Spring.
We were in the edible area. On display was edible foods that was grown there with a huge line waiting for a taste. They ran out of food and we were glad we had decided against being in the line. The young lady told us the Orchid House is nice and was available right around the corner, which we did. There just was not enough light to enjoy the flowers there. Orchids need their beauty sleep too.* It was time to go home anyway.

*aka Photosythensis

Enon Cemetery in Woodstockl, Ga Tour

Yesterday I took a guided tour of Enon Cemetery in Woodstock. I thought it would be interesting and I was right. Anna and I both have a number of relatives buried there.

The docent was Cherokee Tribune columnist Juanita Hughes. Mrs. Hughes did an excellent job. She has a southern accent and southern charm to boot. I think she was on pins and needles, it was her first tour. She spoke with enthusiasm and apparently well-researched the cemetery.

She had some interesting stories about some of the residents, some sad and some academia.

Her daughter handed out hand-outs showing a drawling of Enon Church built on the edge of the back of the cemetery property, or the way the roads went in 1871, the front of the cemetery.

Juanita mentioned she moved to Woodstock in 1965. In was sort of an introduction to a little amusing story. In 1965 there was only one subdivision in town. The native Woodstockons did not refer to the new subdivision by its real name but just by “the subdivision” and others would know exactly where they were referring to. It also gets back to my theory that you just about have to be on the outside looking in or new in an area to fully appreciate the locals and their systems.

I think she is a volunteer at the Woodstock History Museum which used to be Dean’s Drug Store. She said she has access to the medical records kept in the store. I’ll like to drop by and see if I can find out any more about William and Emaline Ray Hunter, and their children.

I read or heard the cemetery tourists were limited to about 15 people. I didn’t count them but I think they were nearer to 25. Three of my relatives came, father, mother, and son of the Poor family. The father and son are descended from Arminda Hunter Poor. She was married to Lewis Poor and their graves are at the end of the video. Arminda is the daughter of my great grandfather William A. Trammell/Hunter.

A Chicken-fat reader was there also. Not only is he a Chicken-fat reader, he had, I feel, developed into a friend. I don’t dare call him a chicken-fat groupie or fan. He reads Chicken-fat because of the local tainting I do.
Also, I heard one young lady mentioned her last name is Peed. I jumped right in the middle of her conversation (I hate me when I do that) and asked her if she is any related to an ex-coworker of mine with the same last name. Yep, that is her uncle. Small world. OK, go back to your conversation.


A couple things to look for in the video: Just to make it a little more interesting: There are two markers in the same clip that their names kind of relate or complement each other. And the other is a marker bordered by what looks to be holly berries. What is the first name on the marker?

Marietta History Tour Trolley

Yesterday Anna, my mother-in-law Marie, and I went on the Trolley History Tour of Marietta. The name of the trolley is Ruban.

As far as I could tell they had a staff of three: (1) the ticket seller who I am pretty sure jointly owns the venture with her husband; (2) Charley the Trolley driver; and (3) Brad the docent and ticket taker.

The tour is designed to last about one hour, which it about did. I didn’t time it or anything. But you have to allow for sometimes heavy traffic and trains coming through.

Along with your ticket you receive a brochure-size map of downtown Marietta and some of the outskirts which has numbers scattered around ,but mostly on the main thoroughfares. Each number on the map represents a location in the real world that Brad will point out an item of interest. There are 33 items on the map.

I think Brad cheated, I think he went beyond the 33 and pointed out between 35 and 40. The reason I think Brad did this is because Brad is very enthused with his duties. It was obvious that Bard loves history and gets a kick out of sharing what he knows. He did his job with a gusto. He spoke clearly and loudly. He made it interesting.

Of course the elite of Marietta , the different generations of the Glovers, the Brumbys, and the Clays were mentioned a lot. The railroad was talked about a lot along with the Civil War and some of the famous that once lived here, such as Joanne Woodard and Virginia Hill.

The ticket lady/owner told us in no uncertain terms we would learn something we didn’t know about Marietta already even if we were natives. She was right.

Being a local history enthusiast I can say that Brad got the dates rights of the many dates to remember.

All the information was interesting at the moment. But I doubt if I retained all of it. So the question is if you don't retain all the information you learned on a history tour, is it money wasted?

I think Brad learned quiet a bit about the Civil War beyond the Marietta city limits. He has carried a group to Gettysburg and told us a good bit about an upcoming event in Chickamauga Battlefield. . Good for him.

Charley the driver was faced with the huge job of getting a ship-size vehicle down some small narrow streets and making sharp 90◦ turns. As I mentioned, many of the sites were on main-drags in Marietta and most days are “business as usual days” so Charlie could not slow down. And of course, stopping and having everybody get out for a photo opportunity was out of the question.



It was a very enjoyable tour. They also transport the Ghost Tour around. I would like to get in on that someday.

I think there are a few more historical items that should have been mentioned that has made nation-wide attention… but I guess there is just so much you can cram into an hour.

We humans have a short attention span.

Elvis Presley Died For Your Sins!

Wait! Actually He died for His sins.

On this date 30 years ago Elvis died. Four or five years ago we paid homage to him and toured Graceland.

About the only thing I know to say about him is that he sure could sing.