Life in Lamar

Farewell B'ville

2011-01-07T17:50:00.003-05:00

After two amazing years in the beautiful small town of Barnesville our time has come to an end.

Blame it on the economy. Blame it on brain drain. For several reasons the vortex that is Atlanta picked us up and splashed us down a mile outside I-285 and we are now sloshing about in the waves of the giant capital city.

Thank you for faithfully reading and following this blog. For now we will stop posting new stories from Lamar county. We hope that one day our paths will cross again on a warm, sunny day under a big tree on Thomaston Street.

Farewell for now.

Grillin'

2010-07-07T21:20:00.002-04:00

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 7

2010-06-22T14:29:00.004-04:00

"Zucchini"

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 6

2010-06-21T14:54:00.004-04:00

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 5

2010-06-20T16:45:00.002-04:00

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 4

2010-06-19T20:51:00.004-04:00

"Canopy"

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 3

2010-06-18T10:57:00.003-04:00

No need to guess _where_ this is; it's in my backyard. Just thought a shot of the last spring flowers was appropriate. This is a hosta bloom on a variegated plant.

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 2

2010-06-17T11:48:00.003-04:00

Almost Summer: Seven Pics in Seven Days, Day 1

2010-06-16T17:08:00.004-04:00

We're saying farewell to spring and welcome to summer with seven shots from around Lamar County in seven days. Recognize this local landmark?

The Mansion

2010-06-04T12:11:00.003-04:00

Does anyone know the story behind this aging beauty? Please share in the comments if you know its history.

Also, normally I never manipulate photos on this blog. To date only one has been manipulated and that was a shot by my wife on Sep 20, 2009. That picture was cropped and made black and white to enhance the subject and subject matter.

However, the photo above was edited on picnik.com which is a free and fun site for photo editing post-camera. For this shot I used picnik's "boost," "vignette," and "frame" features. Here'e the original for comparison:

Hay There

2010-05-12T16:15:00.010-04:00

This morning I was privileged to sit in on a meeting of local photographers. REAL photographers with real cameras! Several of them have their own business and are paid to do what they love. It was great to hear their experiences. I have no idea what they were thinking to invite me but I'm glad to have been there. Maybe I can sneak in next month and some of their magic will rub off on me!

If you want more info please join us on the facebook page UNITE-Southside of Atlanta.

On the way home from the meeting, actually on the very road where we met, I passed the field seen above and had to stop for some pictures. (The truth is I noticed it on the way in but thought it was a little pretentious to stop and take pictures half-a-mile from the meeting place. What if REAL photographers saw me out there pretending and then I showed up at their shindig?)

The last two weeks have been the time of year when all the local farmers cut hay. It is an interesting process to watch as they mow and rake and form it into giant rolls. Since last week I have stopped in two different areas of the county to snap shots of the newly harvested crop. All over Lamar and surrounding counties you will see these giant bales perched on hills like fat marshmallows floating on steamy hot chocolate, except in this case more like floating on a greenish, soy latte. It is Middle Georgia at its pastoral best. Eventually most are lined up in rows at the edges of the fields. Some will be wrapped in plastic and stored for local use. Others will be sold and carted away.

The one thing that is impossible for me to pass along via blog is the actual smell of freshly cut hay. No doubt allergy prone readers are already sneezing at the thought. But standing next to one of these giant rolls was like putting on a brand new straw hat, fresh and sweet and natural feeling.

The two shots above were taken near our meeting on Piedmont Rd., west of Barnesville. The two below were taken on Fredonia Church Rd., east of Barnesville. The sun was on the wrong side of the field for great photos on these last two, but you get the idea here of the raking and baling process.

Green Gripper

2010-05-10T22:24:00.003-04:00

This frightened little guy was blown into our large, grey, plastic, city-owned garbage can during a recent windy storm. It took us a few minutes of smelly work to fish him out. He finally acquiesced, jumping into a five gallon bucket so we could move him to a tree in the back corner of the yard. Once there he clung on for dear life, reorienting himself to the bright light and freedom. He matched the newly sprung dogwood leaves almost perfectly making it easy to see why he normally would go unnoticed only a few feet from the house. After walking away for a few minutes to give him some breathing space, he moved on home. I hope he knows about the cat.

First Flowers of Spring

2010-04-03T14:28:00.003-04:00

These are the first of the spring flowers to pop up around our place this week. We are definitely reaping where we have not sown. Not bad, eh?

Happy Anniversary!

2010-03-26T09:10:00.018-04:00

This week we are celebrating our first year as a blog! We hope you have enjoyed the pictures and feature stories about Life in Lamar County, Georgia.

A big thank you goes out to barnesville.com for carrying this site on their blog roll. Many of our visits come from that site.

For the geeks (or geek curious) among us here are some graphs and stats from the last year, humble as they are:

Total Visits:
We had a total of 3,612 unique visits and page views of 5,978.

Visits by month:
Visits by country:
We had visitors from many places, including Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Taiwan, Turkey, and Wales.
Visits by Distance from Lamar County, GA, USA:
The heart of Lamar County is about 50 miles south of Atlanta, GA, and most readers are local. However, we have many visitors from around the globe.

Nerd stats:
The following charts show the percentage of visitors by Operating System type and by Domain, respectively. What do they reveal? 45% of our visits come from XP users, while only 5% are Macs. ( I prefer to think that the 2% of "unknown" systems are Borg surfing from a distant galaxy.) At least 6% of readers are accessing from school campuses.
Home town stat:
By far the majority of readers are local or at least on the East Coast of the U.S. This makes sense considering the subject matter.
Thanks for making it a great first year! We appreciate your support and look forward to sharing more in the year to come.

Want free stat tracking for your site? I have used sitemeter for six years on various projects and am pleased at what I get for the price.

Scarecrow

2010-03-22T09:14:00.005-04:00

The planting of our spring veggie garden coincided with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migratory birds headed north. These fomenting flocks of flighty fellows descend with a voracious appetite each afternoon, picking through the grass, dirt, leaves, and bushes in our neighborhood. Fortunately, their survival instinct is strong, as the slightest intentional noise to frighten them sends hundreds up into the air, swooping in broad arcs that join with other airborne flocks until they regain confidence and dive bomb us on another kamikaze like sortie.

So to preserve the freshly planted seeds we spent Friday evening putting this little guy together. The body proportions turned out to be eerily accurate--we've done several double takes out the kitchen window to see whose kid is in the yard!

The picture below is not the best but it gives you an idea of the amount of ground even a small number of these villainous kleptos can cover and how fast they could wipe out not only our vegetable garden but also the new grass seed spread in the front. The birds are so jumpy that it is very difficult to snap a good shot before they scatter; this one was taken through a front window as dusk fell.

Thankfully, the scarecrow seems to be doing the trick. Since he went on duty we've been able to relax a little more. Which is good. I wondered how long before we got a reputation among the neighbors. Last week I could be seen darting off the front porch, clapping my hands and yelling, throwing sticks and acorns at the ruthless, pecking thieves--a scene which I had hoped not to act out until I was senile and in retirement, shod in the requisite black socks with sandals, guarding my perfect and precious lawn like it was the last, critical beachhead in my crumbling empire. Not so attractive when you're still in your thirties!

Hunger

2010-03-12T08:21:00.021-05:00

--1.02 billion people do not have enough food.*
--65 percent of the world's hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic --Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
--Every six seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes.
--One out of four children -roughly 146 million- in developing countries are underweight.
--Lack of Vitamin A kills one million infants a year.
--Iron deficiency is impairing the mental development of 40-60 percent of children in developing countries.

--In 2008, 49.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.4 million adults and 16.7 million children.**
--In 2008, 14.6% percent of households (17.1 million households) were food insecure, an increase from 11.1 percent (13.0 million households) in 2007.
--Georgia ranks fourth of the fifty states in households with food insecurity at 14.2% of all households. Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas hold the top three positions.

These statistics are disconcerting to Lamar County High School sophomore Somer Rowe. Several months ago Somer was watching the evening news with her family when confronted with the facts of the severe, ongoing drought in East Africa. That story made an impact on her and reignited a long-held inclination to act. In a recent discussion Somer told me, "Things about Africa sit heavy with me."

Somer, fifteen-years-old, granddaughter of the late Lamar County physician George T. Henry, decided to do something to help those in need, specifically those who go to bed every night hungry.

The first step was research. A hopeless picture began to develop. Hunger has some ugly side effects aside from the obvious malnutrition and sickness. It is common for tribal wars to break out in areas severely affected. On the individual level, many young children walk the streets because families simply turn them out. There is not enough food to go around, so in East Africa children as young as ten sleep on the ground in garbage dumps or in drain pipes, eating trash and literally fighting for their lives with older bullies and even government workers who have been tasked with managing them. Many turn to sniffing glue to deal with the constant physical pain and mental anguish.

With this burden growing inside, Somer also researched organizations which try to help. There are many but eventually she decided to partner with the World Hunger Fund. This charity was formed by her church's denomination to help with those suffering hunger and its consequences in North America and around the world. Because the denomination already has nearly 10,000 career workers spread all over the globe it makes it possible for all donations to the World Hunger Fund to be used in their total for direct deployment to those in need whether in Atlanta or Nairobi; 100% of the receipts of this annual collection go to relief.

But what could she do locally to get others interested and acting? Somer talked with her pastor and they came up with a plan to host a World Hunger dinner. Sounds ironic until the details emerge. Most Wednesday nights the First Baptist Church hosts an evening dinner at 5:45pm allowing busy families to eat together and still participate in various church activities on campus. The plan developed that for World Hunger night the regular menu would be replaced by a simple meal of rice and beans. However, diners would still pay the normal meal price and the profit made would be donated to the World Hunger Fund.

In order to further illustrate the discrepancy between those who have and those who don't, the dinner had a special twist. One out of every ten people in line would receive a "normal American meal." The stark contrast in the two plates side by side would really help people understand the gap between rich and poor in the world. So while most people plowed through their bowl of basics a few fortunate enjoyed a plate of chicken, pasta, beans, bread and cheesecake.

For the special dinner held February 24th, Rita Kinney, Food Services Director at First Baptist, prepared rice and beans for 150 folks and a further 12-15 "normal plates." She said that the price to feed the 150 was $45 while the price for the 15 regular plates was $50 to $60. Doing the math the benefit could raise at least $720 for the World Hunger Fund based on meal prices of $5 each. Without the one-every-ten-special-plates the profit would have been closer to $800 but educating the diners was a major part of the push. Just as Somer's vision started with the confrontation by facts and research, others in the community needed to be made aware of the needs around them and around the world.

"A lot of people are quite happy to ignore the hungry. A lot of people are quite happy to sit there and not think about it," Somer told me. When I asked if this issue was important among her friends, the teens of Lamar County, she replied, "Not really on the whole. Maybe [to] a couple." When I inquired what people can do every day to help the hungry she suggested, "When shopping, avoid frivolous purchases. If you have a job, save money for special needs offerings."

In addition to the profit from the dinner plates, those in attendance were also able to donate larger amounts to the Fund, raising the offering even higher. Children were included and each was given a small "piggy bank" in the shape of a loaf of bread in order to collect change for the hungry. Altogether these gifts will be compiled and sent in for distribution in the near future. While these efforts on the local level may seem modest, when combined with national gifts the effects are significant. In 2008 the World Hunger Fund provided 5 million meals to the hungry in North America.***

So what's next for Somer? She said, "I hate to feel useless and it's nice to be able to do something." In the future she still imagines helping Africans more directly. "I've always felt strong about Africa and I want to help." Children have a special place in her heart and she may explore ways to work with kids. Like many teens it is not obvious to observers if she has concrete plans yet. When I asked what she thought she could do to prepare for her future she flashed a glance at her dad, smiled back at me, and quipped, "I haven't thought about it yet." Something tells me there may be more in her heart than she's willing to share at this point. We can't wait to see the impact she will have for good in our world and in our community in Lamar County.

*World hunger statistics are quoted from the United Nations World Food Programme.
**U.S. and Georgia hunger statistics are quoted from Feeding America, the top charity in the States focusing on domestic hunger.
***Statistic quoted from the World Hunger Fund.

Barnesville Blanketed in Snow

2010-02-15T08:13:00.011-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the snow storm from Friday, Feb 12th. Believe it or not, it's Monday and there is none left to be seen. Yesterday was in the mid-50s and roofs could be seen dripping while snow crashed onto the ground with a loud crunch. Today it's back to the muted greens and browns of winter with spring just around the corner.

About the pictures... Above is the Stafford St. sign on the corner of Thomaston St. Below, in order: the Lamar County Courthouse, two homes on Thomaston St, my favorite tree in Barnesville.

I couldn't resist a shot of my favorite tree in town. For comparison, scroll down to the entry from Nov 23rd when we featured this tree in its fall colors.

Deep Freeze in the Deep South

2010-02-13T13:07:00.006-05:00

We normally don't get much if any snow 50 miles south of Atlanta. Yesterday was different. Unofficial estimates say we received 3-5 inches here in Lamar County. It made for a beautiful 24 hours. There are too many pics for one post so I'll put some up today of our neighborhood and then some others later...

And we're back

2010-01-29T16:13:00.007-05:00

It would be nice to blame a life of luxury and holidays on our absence this month, so if that makes your impression of Life In Lamar more idealistic, please, believe whatever you want! However, real life (work, kids, busyness, cold and flu season) hits us in Lamar too. Reality isn't nearly as exciting as fantasy most of the time, but it is reality, and binds us together for the long haul.

Thus life presses on here in rural Georgia. Some have fallen on hard times and several businesses have closed. Yet our surroundings are still beautiful on a January winter's day as seen in these gray shots from the Redbone Community...

2010 Calendar Now Available at The Cedar Stump Store in Barnesville

2009-12-12T17:08:00.019-05:00

Still looking for that perfect gift for the friend that has everything? If you live in Barnesville you can now pick up our 2010 calendar featuring the gracious homes of Barnesville at The Cedar Stump on Market Street.

At $12.99 each you will save two dollars off the Internet price by making your purchase in the shop at 13 Market Street, Barnesville, GA 30204. Phone: 770-358-9968. Plus, no shipping and handling fees when you buy on site!

Be sure to tell Rickey and Melanie that Life in Lamar sent ya!

(Don't worry, if you don't live near Barnesville you can still get your calendar online by clicking on the ad in the sidebar of this page.)

Pecan Pickin'

2009-11-30T16:12:00.008-05:00

One of the benefits of living in an old pecan orchard...
Our lot is small and has mostly oak and dogwood trees. We do have two pecan trees on one border. But as a whole our neighborhood was covered by pecan trees and many have survived the decades of development in town.

If you have a good view of certain large yards you can see how the former orchards were laid out. As far as I know most are not tended. Many have been topped at some point and the branches have regrown.

The leaves and branches shed a lot throughout the year and heavily in the fall. The nuts fall at this time of year and cover the yards. Some bear more than others and owners say that some taste better than others. I'm guessing those that get fertilized by accident with lawn maintenance are producing the most.

Those in the picture above (about a plastic grocery bag full) were picked up under one tree in the front yard of a neighbor.

Winter Wonderland

2009-11-27T09:23:00.007-05:00

This is a shot of the crowd mingling after the annual Illumination Ceremony downtown Barnesville. The event, held November 25th, was sponsored by the Lamar County Ministerial Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the ceremony a Community Thanksgiving Service was held at the First Methodist Church.

This year's theme was Winter Wonderland (though it was a pleasant 54 degrees at start time!) and showcased performances by the First Baptist Choir, the Kim Ozier Studio of Dance and a powerful rendition of "Oh, Holy Night" by Leadership Lamar's former President Tonya Walker.

Santa made an appearance appropriate for Buggy Town via horse drawn carriage and headed to Al Adamson's Main Street Advisers for pictures with the kids. Many shops were open and owners mixed with customers while passing out cookies, hot chocolate, and spiced teas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:01:00.004-05:00

A breakfast recipe for Thanksgiving which my wife found on the Life as a Mom blog:

Ingredients for one sweet turkey...
1 cinnamon roll
1&1/2 biscuits
2 chocolate chips or raisins
Candy sprinkles
Icing

Directions
We used the pre-made, refrigerated biscuits and cinnamon rolls.
Cut the 1/2 biscuit in half again. Cut one quarter into the feet. The other 1/4 is the face/beak.
Cut the whole biscuit into 4 feathers. Dip into colored sprinkles.
Assemble all the pieces on a baking sheet with other sweet turkeys.
Place chocolate chips or raisins on face as eyes.
Bake per directions (about 10 minutes).

Enjoy with the icing which comes with the cinnamon rolls...

Beautiful Fall

2009-11-23T09:54:00.004-05:00

So far it has been a beautiful Fall in Lamar County. Mild temperatures, mostly sunny days, and plenty of community activities like football and Halloween have made it a special time. This picture was taken on November 6th while there was still a tinge of green to be seen. One of my favorite trees in our neighborhood...

2010 Calendar Now Available!

2009-10-05T22:00:00.002-04:00

Life In Lamar is pleased to present our first collection of published photos in the all new "Barnesville Homes, 2010 Wall Calendar."

This full-color, 12 month, hanging calendar was carefully photographed over the sunny months of 2009 and features many of Barnesville's finest homes. You will be charmed as you view the stunning detail and warm southern weather reflected in these homes which date from 1875 to the mid-1900's.

To preview or purchase your own copy please follow this link: Barnesville Homes, 2010 Wall Calendar.

Each 11" x 8.5" calendar is coil bound for ease of hanging and is printed on bright white 100# paper for outstanding graphic appeal. There are a total of 23 color pictures. The calendar includes pre-printed holidays and plenty of room to note your own special occasions.

The cost of one calendar is $14.98 plus shipping. Standard USPS shipping is $3.99 and faster options are available. Discounts apply to purchases of 5 or more calendars.

Click Barnesville Homes, 2010 Wall Calendar to purchase your own copy.

2:47

2009-10-02T21:12:00.006-04:00

It was actually the color of the sky that made me take along a camera yesterday as I ran some errands.

I would like to go back and attempt some better shots of Town Hall seen here. It sits on the corner of Forsyth St. (Hwy 41) and Merchant Way, which means it's a busy spot and tough to get in the best position for a photo due to traffic and difficult to get a full building shot without a vehicle in the frame. Motorists were either determined to be in the picture or so courteous as to be dangerous to other drivers. An interesting mix. It was also a good time for bright-light shots, but that also meant heavy traffic at that time of day.

Here's another shot of yesterday's inspiring sky...

Buggedy Buggedy Buggedy

2009-09-20T16:20:00.012-04:00

As I write this there is half-an-hour left in the official Buggy Days weekend. We are exhausted from walking, standing, pushing through the crowds, jockeying for chairs at the food court, and fighting the humidity on Sunday afternoon. But it's a good tired. I'm pretty sure the number of visitors this year was affected by the constant threat of rain. All in all though, we had a great week of fun, amusement, and catching up with friends all over town. My wife, Melissa, took the picture above.

The view down Market Street on Sunday, Sep. 20, 2009...

A member of the Ocmulgee Blacksmiths Guild demonstrates on Main Street near the train depot...

This is Culloden resident Joel White with his 1930 Ford. Joel has organized the classic car entries in the annual parade for 17 years...

The cars on parade down Spencer Street...

Lamar County High School teacher Scott Turner demonstrates his wood working skills. In the foreground are some of his creations. Scott has works on display at the Lamar Arts gallery...

Buggies and Rain

2009-09-19T08:19:00.010-04:00

Between downpours Buggy Days is going well. I waited all day Friday for the sun to come out and then ran into town and took these pictures of buggies on display.

Among other events so far this week was the Almost Anything Goes game competition on Thursday night at Summers Field. On Friday night Lamar County High School held homecoming activities during half time of the football game where they beat Macon County 39-20. Also, the street dance was held last night. Though I didn't attend it sounded like everyone was having a great time.

Today is a big day with a slated 150 vendors, food court, people watching, and a giant parade at 2:00pm to look forward to. Sunday will conclude the weekend with vendors on hand from noon to 5:00pm.

Evidence that "when it rains it pours." We have had a very wet week here.

Buggy Days

2009-09-15T20:43:00.005-04:00

The biggest week of the year for Barnesville kicked off tonight with Children's Night. That's right, it's Barnesville Buggy Days again--a week long celebration that will bring 50,000 visitors to our laid back county seat which is home to fewer than 6,000 year-round residents.

We'll do our best to update several times this week with news and pictures of all the excitement. If you have a chance, Saturday is always the highlight of the week with scores of vendors and a parade downtown starting at 2:00pm.

Where is it?

2009-09-10T19:13:00.007-04:00

Let's call this a photo scavenger hunt. For those who live here in Lamar County, I saw this while out taking pictures this week. Do you know where this dandelion eating bunny lives? I admit, for our first scavenger hunt this is a very difficult, close-up shot in a very specific place. Maybe you just happen to live nearby and know the answer. Let me know your guesses by posting in the comments and the winner will receive eternal fame on the Life In Lamar blog!

Oh, and for my crunchy readers, here's a cool blog on everything dandelions...
dandeliontea.org

Update:

Sep. 23, 2009... Drum roll please. The little bunny is located on the steps at 402 Zebulon St. in Barnesville. If you look closely there are several interesting items fixed to the front side of the stairs. There are a couple other rabbits, some beads that show the street number, and lots of glass and pottery pieces. There are matching bottles in the large planters on the walkways.

The view of the steps from Zebulon St...

The view of the home, which is currently for sale...

Unfortunately we do not have a winner who guessed the correct location. Next time I'll post something a little easier to spot and maybe bigger than 4 inches high!

Thomaston Street--Part 2

2009-08-20T13:25:00.008-04:00

In May I posted a few pictures of the homes on Thomaston St. in Barnesville. Here are a few more I took this week. These in no way do justice to the experience of actually driving or, better yet, walking the length of the street and enjoying the view and the friendly waves from front porches. It's definitely worth a drive from most anywhere in Middle Georgia. Buggy Days is coming up the third week of September so that's a great time to see the residences in all their splendor, dressed up for company.

Today's pics are the houses on the West side of Thomaston, which face the morning sun. And by the way, a good number of homes in town are for sale, if you're in the market for a good deal in a very pleasant place to live. Just don't tell too many people. It's our little secret!

Seen Around Town

2009-08-05T08:13:00.003-04:00

Cruise In

2009-07-21T10:25:00.014-04:00

Hot rods on hot pavement--another summertime classic in Middle Georgia.

Every 2nd Saturday, April to September, from 6-9pm the parking lot at Mabel White Baptist Church in Macon, Ga is transformed into a showroom for classic automobiles. Here are a few that were on display July 11th.

Sharing the fun with the next generation is part of the joy for many car enthusiasts.

The finish on this car was remarkable, like a mirror. Notice the reflections on every surface.

According to the owner this was the first 2010 Shelby Mustang sold in Macon. He also said there is only one other currently for sale locally.

This car claimed to be a "Beck Lister" Corvette. I tried googling it but came up with the artist Beck and his single "Corvette Bummer" from the 1994 "Loser" album.

The next Cruise In is slated for Saturday, Aug 8th, 6-9pm. Anyone can display a car. There is no entry fee for car owners or spectators. (I know some of you are wondering--I felt no pressure from anyone as far as it being held at a church and anyone trying to trick me into going to church there or anything like that! There was a low-key information tent and you could register for some door prizes by filling out a contact card. However, even that card allowed you to opt out of further contacts.) Mabel White Baptist Church is located at 1415 Bass Road, Macon, GA 31210. It was a 28 mile drive from downtown Barnesville. For more info contact: (478) 474-7577.

A House Divided

2009-07-14T10:31:00.028-04:00

I am from a divided house. For many in Georgia this means that part of your family cheers for the University of Georgia while the others cheer for Georgia Tech (or, heaven forbid, Auburn or some other out-of-state rival) every Saturday during football season. And that is true for my family as well. But there is another way we are divided and that has to do with the history of the United States.

I was born in Georgia. My mother was born in Georgia. Her mother was born in Alabama and her father in Kentucky (which, being a border state during the Civil War, declared neutrality, leaned North but had a sizable population of Southern supporters). Their families do not remember where they were from before Alabama and Kentucky, except to say, judging from names and culture, it must have been England, Scotland, Ireland, etc. They were decidedly Southern. My father was born in Indiana, as was his father, and his grandfather, and his father. The same is true on his mother's side. Obviously they had scant Southern blood or connections, especially 150 years ago. They knew they were from England and Scotland via Virginia (so someone was perhaps Southern at some point) and Canada before settling in Northern Indiana. (My wife's family is blissfully undivided being forever Middle Georgians on all sides. I'm sure they talk about me behind my back but they are very warm in person!)

Recently I watched the films "Gods and Generals" (depicting the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville) and "Gettysburg." As a Georgian you watch these epic dramas like you watch a week-old recording of Andy Roddick vs. Roger Federer in this year's Wimbeldon final: you already know who is going to win but you are rooting for your favorite underdog because of national allegiance despite the predestined outcome.

Among the angst inducing features of those movies is hearing the officers refer to their friends from old days who are now leading the troops on the opposite side of the battle field. It truly was friend against friend, brother against brother. A house divided.

As an American, when the film is over you are still proud of our country and thankful for the freedoms we enjoy. The fact that we pull for Andy Roddick over any non-American in tennis shows that we are fully Americans in heart and soul, not just living-in-the-past, chip-on-our-shoulder Southerners. Of course, if a Southerner makes it big we will cheer for him all the louder.

Many great things resulted from the Union being preserved, not least of which was the end of slavery across the entire nation. (In a time when the term "czar" is being thrown around in Washington, some of us are more inclined than ever to long for states' rights over federal, centralized power, but we are proud U.S. citizens nonetheless.)

After watching the Civil War movies I wondered more about the local experience during the war. I know almost nothing about it. Living here I discovered a couple of historical markers regarding five Confederate hospitals which popped up immediately following the Battle of Atlanta (July 1864). 155 wounded were evacuated here and nursed in makeshift clinics in the various buildings in downtown Barnesville. The medical care at the time (another of the horrors often portrayed in the Hollywood reenactments) resulted in a section of the town cemetery being designated for Civil War soldiers. So if you visit the Greenwood Cemetery on Adams St. you will see the Confederate battle flag flying over several straight rows of short, stark, marble grave markers.

Like any cemetery there is a somber air, even on a beautiful Southern day. Reading the tombstones you can't help but wonder about the stories behind those with names, and the "Unknown Soldier" markers seem so insignificant and undeserved for a young person who made such a grand sacrifice.

OK, I have admitted to knowing little of this local history, so here are some of my questions for those of you who may know and want to comment below. One of the historical markers in town mentions "two Federal troopers" that are "buried with the Confederates and each Memorial Day receive the same tribute." In walking the rows of gravestones at Greenwood Cemetery I was unable to locate any designated as Union soldiers. Does anyone know their location? And do we give tribute to any of these soldiers on Memorial Day? Many of the older gravestones have been replaced with new ones. Does anyone know the story behind this renewal project? I also noticed that some of the new stones have spelled the soldiers' names differently than the former spelling. (For example, "Laughinore" replaced "Larthermore" and "Lenthecum" replaced "Luthercum".) Was more research done into the soldiers' lives that resulted in these changes? What year was the large monument erected? Did any of the extant buildings in Barnesville host a hospital? Any suggested reading for Civil War history in Middle Georgia?

To visit the Confederate portion of the cemetery head over to Adams St. Then go see the historical markers located downtown. The marker mentioning the soldiers is found in the town square near the Odd Fellows building and is dated 1955. The marker referencing the hospitals, dated 1957, is in the median/cross walk near the corner of Main St. and Market St.

In my generation brave members of my family (Northern and Southern) are helping fight new wars, ones which are also divisive and interpreted variously at home. But thanks to their sacrifice and the sacrifice of those in the past, the only fighting here in Georgia this year will be over how bad the Yellow Jackets will defeat the Bulldogs at Thanksgiving. After sending two kids to UGA my dad will root for Georgia in that game and he's learned to pull for the Braves over the Cubs. But since he's from Indiana he'll die a Hoosier and would rather watch college basketball than almost anything else imaginable.

Day Trip--Lane Southern Orchards

2009-07-07T16:28:00.014-04:00

From time to time we do venture out of Lamar County! When possible we will highlight especially good Middle Georgia destinations within a couple hours of Barnesville.

Recently we took a day trip to Lane Southern Orchards (known to locals as Lane Packing) in Peach County near Ft. Valley, GA. It is 44 miles from Barnesville to Lane and took us about an hour to drive. Just head south on 341 until you come to 96. Take a left through Ft. Valley and it is 3 miles down on the left on Hwy 96. For mapping it, the street address is 50 Lane Rd, Ft. Valley, GA 31030.

Georgia is the second largest producer of peaches in the U.S. after California and 90% of our peaches are grown within a 50 mile radius of Lane Southern Orchards. Though one immediately thinks of peaches when they think of Lane, it also produces pecans. Georgia is the largest producer of pecans in the country and the orchards are stunning as seen in the photo below.

Lane is one of the largest and most accessible orchards to the public. They boast more than 250,000 peach trees. An early season tree will be allowed to bear as many as 350 peaches while later season trees can bear as many as 600. These days peaches are shipped from Lane up and down the East Coast, made possible by the development of sturdier peach varieties.

Since it is a public-friendly working farm you can take a guided tour ($6 for adults, $4 for children above three) and see the entire peach process from the picking to the sorting, grading, boxing and shipping. A friendly employee named Mr. Red drove us on a tram pulled by a Jeep for a 30 minute behind-the-scenes look. The tour featured a recorded monologue of facts about the process and Lane history and a little Georgia-themed Country and R&B music between segments.

If you don't want to spring for the paid tour you can still visit the factory for free by utilizing a brightly lit catwalk which hovers just a few feet above the workers and their assembly lines. You do feel a little self-conscious eating peach ice cream while watching migrants sweat through the rigors of sorting thousands of pieces of fruit. On the other hand, maybe after taking the tour your kids will decide to study harder this fall when they get back to school and they'll know more about how our food gets to the supermarket.

Five generations of Lanes have worked for the family business and the public has never enjoyed the fruits of Lane labors as much as now. Lane Southern Orchards is designed for guests and has a full restaurant ($3.99 for a kid's meal, $4.99 to $6.99 for adults), dessert shop, gift shop, retail market featuring all kinds of peach, pecan, and peanut products (in any quantity you want, including shipping), a huge rocking chair front porch, a patio, a play ground and a pavilion for events. It has been busy every time we've been and it's always a treat on a hot summer day.

The Red Rooster

2009-07-02T11:02:00.009-04:00

Follow the link below for a review of our local coffee shop written by my friend Drew. The Red Rooster is located at the corner of Main St. and Market St. in downtown Barnesville. It is open 7am-4pm, Mon through Sat. Drew raves about the frozen drinks but my favorite is a hot caramel latte!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-rooster-barnesville

Business of the Month--The Farmer's Market

2009-06-18T16:35:00.010-04:00

Fast Facts:
Business: Barnesville / Lamar County Farmer's Market
Location: Market Street, Barnesville
Sponsor: Lamar County Soil and Water Conservation District
Hours: Every Thursday, 2:30pm-6:30pm during the summer
Cost: Free admittance; $5 per space for vendors

The Barnesville / Lamar County Farmer's Market is held each Thursday afternoon (2:30-6:30pm) in the heart of Downtown Barnesville. I visited today and found a variety of offerings from regional farmers. Everything from homemade breads, to fresh fruits and vegetables, to worm castings was available to purchase.

This booth by the James family farm from Griffin sold homemade bread, cookies, pies, lemonade and veggies.

The Justice family from Crawford County had some beautiful corn, tomatoes, green plums and more. The peaches pictured at the top of this post were also from this booth.

The Horst family sells all sorts of Amish-made goodies: jelly, noodles, cider, butter, honey, even cheese.

One of the coolest products I saw was Stim Gro Worm Castings available from Barnesville's own IGW Farms. Pat Jenkins raises and produces the product from beginning to end using night crawlers. This organic fertilizer is all the rave among trendy landscapers in big cities who prefer a chemical free garden or for indoor potting as well. Even lawns can be fertilized with this very organic, yet odor free, all natural formula. For more info, prices, or to order see their web site at IGW Farms.

Enjoy the Farmer's Market while you can and help support independent farmers. Why not swing by after work and then patronize one of the downtown restaurants, all within walking distance of Market Street?

Town Square

2009-06-07T14:48:00.005-04:00

This is the town square (with fountain in the foreground) in downtown Barnesville. I love the way the real sky matches the gradation in colors of the mural on the building to the right. This shot was taken with my cell phone (Sony Ericsson w810i, 2mp cam) on a bright spring day.

Gordon College

2009-05-24T15:08:00.019-04:00

Named for two-term Georgia Governor and three-term U.S. Senator John B. Gordon, Gordon College is a four-year, residential college, part of the University System of Georgia.

The school, with roots tracing back to 1832, is located on a mature, serene, 200 acre campus within the city limits of Barnesville. It evolved over the years from a small, private institution to a vital branch of the University System in Middle Georgia. Along the way it served as a high school, junior college, and military college. In 1972 Gordon College finally joined the University System and granted its first four-year degrees in 2009. Offering two bachelors degrees (Education and Nursing) and 60 other fields of study, the college has nearly 4,000 students annually with about 800 living on campus.

For a school with such a long history the campus is remarkably modern and fastidiously kept. It is a great place for locals to take a stroll and for students to be inspired to learn.

The facts in this post come from the Gordon College web site.

Friday Night Lights

2009-05-16T23:54:00.025-04:00

Running. Passing. Throwing. Diving. Tackling. Cheering. Normally you don't get the excitement of small town high school football until fall. But this was an unusual week for Lamar County that culminated in a great exhibition game on the new stadium field Friday night, May 15th.

Hundreds of fans showed up to cheer for the Trojans during the annual spring Blue/White game. The rising middle school team started the evening, followed by the high school as the sun set. What made the event so momentous, however, was the venue.

Tuesday was ribbon cutting day at the brand new Lamar County Stadium. Anticipation built each day in the community as folks waited for the first game later in the week. This state of the art facility features the latest technology both on the field and off. A digital scoreboard with an led video screen overlooks the beautiful artificial turf which is said to drain as much as 20 inches of water per hour. The field is remarkably realistic and soft and springy to the step. It never needs water, fertilizer, mowing, or painting which will allow the field to pay for itself in lower maintenance costs through the years. A gorgeous rubber track circles the field and all new seating, press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concession stand complement the facility. It is stunning to behold under the lights. We can hardly wait for autumn, cool weather, crowds and games to come.

Thomaston Street

2009-05-09T18:07:00.010-04:00

Leaving Main St. in Barnesville, headed southwest, the street name changes to Thomaston (indicating that if you keep going that direction on Highway 36 you will be in Thomaston in about half-an-hour). Thomaston St. in Barnesville brags some of the nicest homes in Middle Georgia. You could feature one a day and have enough blog entries for a month. Here are a few for today and we'll post some more another time.

Business of the Month--The Cedar Stump

2009-05-01T00:00:00.006-04:00

Fast Facts

Business: The Cedar Stump

Location: 13 Market St., Barnesville, GA 30204

Phone: 770-358-9968

Web Site: http://www.thecedarstump.com/

Proprietors: Rickey and Melanie Miller

Housed in one of Barnesville's amazing antebellum buildings on Market St., boasting a foot-thick (or more) limestone wall and a history that includes operating as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War, the Cedar Stump is a 2800 square foot feast for the eyes and other senses. In order to really get a feel for this special place we recommend visiting several times. As owner Melanie Miller says, "Things are always changing."

And thanks to Melanie's knack for interior design the floorspace is a wonderful mix of handmade log furniture (which Melanie's husband Rickey makes), selections from multiple local artists, and unique regional finds. There truly is too much to list: antiques, including an 1850's pump organ, a genuine Dr.'s buggy of the kind that put Barnesville on the map, organic herbs, handmade candles, canned jellies, and much more. You'd think a store with this much to offer would be crowded but it actually feels just right. It's as if you took the best handmade items from a Cracker Barrel and a Stuckey's and hired a professional designer to decorate the interior of your mountain cabin.

The Cedar Stump allows selected local artisans to consign pieces to the store without charging rent. The store receives a percentage of the artist's sale depending on where it is located in the store (18% for wall or shelf space, 20% for floor space; an additional 2% is charged to the consignee for credit card sales. Prices for the customer are the same.) Among the local artists featured are jewelry makers, painters, photographers, and sculptors.

Among the larger impressive pieces on display are a 1908 wood-burning stove, a Coca-Cola themed diner booth, a General Store within the store, the aforementioned Dr.'s buggy and the handmade log beds. Rickey Miller began working with wood back in high school. Later he worked for the Lane furniture company and then a couple other cabinet shops. In 1988 the Millers decided to build a log home and eventually did. Once completed they needed furniture that complemented it. After shopping and buying expensive items they realized that Rickey could make pieces of similar quality and eventually this became an enjoyable pastime. The Millers began to attend craft festivals selling their handmade log furniture. They even tried setting up shop in other middle Georgia towns before settling in Barnesville about three years ago. When asked why they chose Barnesville, Rickey was quick to give credit to the caring people in this community and the feeling that small businesses are wanted here. "They will come in here and [we] check on each other," he said. It was also mentioned that having a store front was much easier than carrying log furniture to one festival after another!

The end result is a win-win situation. The Miller's have a place they really enjoy doing business and the townsfolk get a quality selection of interesting and useful furniture and decor items, most of which have a local connection. More than once the topic of partnering "locally" came up. The Miller's strongly believe in this. Rickey said, "We know firsthand how it is to get started. If we can help locals by putting them in our shop [we do]." Concerning paying a little more for something made locally, Rickey responded with the feeling that the quality of an item could be trusted and that, "Handmade items are one of a kind."

My advice: Visit The Cedar Stump soon and then go back often. You will not be disappointed in the selection, the quality, or the ambiance. For more info see The Cedar Stump website.

Church Picnic

2009-04-28T09:45:00.020-04:00

Life in Lamar would not be complete without church picnics. These photos were taken at "The Rec" during the First Baptist Church picnic on Sunday, April 26th.

Those in attendance munched on grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, garden salads, lemonade, sweet tea, and a table full of desserts. My favorite: the sour cream pound cake.

The food was headquartered in the large pavilion. From there the activities spread out in all directions. The pics above show some of the crowd-pleasers. The kids (and wannabe kids) watched a calf roping demonstration (Don't worry; it was a metal fabricated cow, though I'm pretty sure back at the ranch that's only used for practice!). Also on display was a hand-powered mechanical bull, a saddle on a saw horse, and a small goat named "Clare." As in "I declare," the cowboy told us.

A church picnic in spring or summer is made extra special with a dunking booth. Staff members and teachers took turns getting dunked by their friends and students. The students were being rewarded for reaching their high attendance goals for Sunday School.

A modern twist was added to the event with a new favorite, the jumping castle. These inflatable playgrounds are popping up at birthday parties, festivals, and anywhere a group of kids can be found outside of school.

The adults relaxed with games of softball and badminton or sat in the shade watching their little ones on the playgrounds.

Click this link for more info on First Baptist, Barnesville, which is at 200 Zebulon St. The Rec complex is located on Gordon Rd, east of Gordon College near the intersection with the Hwy 41 bypass.

BBQ and Blues

2009-04-27T22:08:00.006-04:00

One of the best parts of living 4/10 of a mile from downtown Barnesville: festival time. You can really feel the excitement building through the week ahead of a big event. The 5th annual BBQ and Blues Festival was held April 24-25th and it did not disappoint.

Hosted by the Barnesville-Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and a slew of commercial sponsors, this two-day celebration encompasses most of downtown and draws thousands from all over the Southeast to enjoy the food and music.

This year's festival showcased the expected cooking competitions and live music throughout Friday evening and Saturday. Awards were given for best sauce, wings, chili, and stew. And, of course, best BBQ. Bands played on a stage behind the First National Bank both days and festival goers could sit on the grass or pull out a lawn chair and listen as long as they liked while feasting on hot BBQ sandwiches and ribs. For the kids there was an entire parking lot full of inflatable castles, slides, and mazes which were available all day after purchasing a ten dollar arm band. There was a classic car show at the United Bank on Friday night. You could even go home with a complete set of new BBQ equipment: everything from utensils to grills to patio furniture was on sale on Market St. The picture above was one of many styles from which to choose.

The party revved up on Saturday night with musical headliners Smokin' Jo Kubek and Bnois King taking stage at the Ritz Park Amphitheater next to the Post Office. Admission for that concert was ten dollars. Live music could also be heard on the deck at OB's BBQ restaurant on College Drive on Saturday night.

If you've never lived in a small town I think you might like it. At least in this one. Barnesville knows how to throw a party.

The official BBQ and Blues Festival web site can be found here. And here's a link to the Facebook group for the festival which includes more pictures.

Third Place

2009-04-18T14:59:00.005-04:00

This is a picture of "Clyde" who participated in the Second Annual Dolly GoodPuppy Society's "For Fun" Dog Show held at the Barnesville Civic Center, Sat April 18th. According to it's web site the Dolly GoodPuppy Society "is a non-profit organization centered on pet knowledge, care, and training."

Saturday's event featured all kinds of dogs, from purebreds to rescued mixed breeds, that competed in various categories such as Best Tail Wag, Owner/Pet Duet (Yes, that is singing, which was won by a Daschund after the odds on favorite Beagle suffered from stage fright!), and Best Trick. For five dollars owners and best friends could participate in one of several Cake Walks. While traditional Irish music played in the background, pet and owner would walk around a series of numbered cones. When the music stopped a number was picked from a bucket at random. Whichever couple was standing next to that cone would win the prize. Cone number three had a lucky streak as it was selected for at least two different games.

There were two more advanced events. In the Dash a handler would hold the dog at the end of a long fenced corridor or chute and the owner would call to the dog from the finish line at the other end. The dog with the fastest time was declared winner. Saturday's show also featured a nice Agility course for more experienced owners and animals.

So how did Clyde do? While he wasn't so lucky in his Cake Walk, he did place third in the Owner/Pet Look-A-Like contest. However, my family felt like they were by far the cutest combination of puppy and four-year-old owner of the day.

For more info on the Dolly GoodPuppy Society click here.

Spring in Lamar

2009-03-25T00:22:00.006-04:00

Spring is in full bloom in Lamar County. The azaleas here are blooming as brightly as in Amen Corner at Augusta. The dogwoods are glowing and the pines are spreading their neon yellow dust over everything in sight. People are already showing bronze faces from playing outside and getting the lawn mowed for the first time this year. Basketball leagues have given way to soccer. The grills have been dusted off. Front porch furniture is being used later and later into the evenings each week. This is a great time to be in a great place to be.

The pic above is at the former Train Depot on Main St. in Barnesville, now home to Lamar Arts.