Trip reports don't write themselves

(Woodrow, Emily, and Doris at Anna Ruby Falls)

We went to Helen, Georgia for a few days. It was very near heaven. I really needed some North Georgia mountain time, and I got it, plus some faux-Bavaria time, and some Hansel & Gretel fudge time, and just a smidge of Wildcat Creek time.

The weather was pretty rotten for the first couple of days -- cloudy, rainy, and downright cold in the evenings and mornings -- but it became sunny for our last day.

I introduced Woodrow to that part of the world and told him ALL the stories I could think of that stemmed from my time spent in those parts. Including the time that Wesley came to visit me, and I found him in Helen on the payphone, having already drunk too much beer, really, and his friend Chip reached across his shoulder to hang up the phone for him, and Wesley almost decked him until he saw me through bleary beer-soaked eyes and totally forgot that he was almost ready to get into a fight.

We laughed a lot on this very short vacation.

We also took Doris Daylily with us. I have never traveled with a dog, so this was a brand new experience for me. I have to say that it was incredibly pleasant, and I recommend it. Doris was amazingly well-behaved and a wonderful traveling companion. She didn't complain and seemed to love everything and everyone.

Even more interesting, everyone seemed to love Doris Daylily. All kinds of people came to visit with her whenever we took her out of the hotel room --which, of course, was whenever we walked out of the hotel room. Everyone seemed to want to pet Doris, and they would come to see her when we were dining or walking around.

I have a theory -- I think people leave their pets at home, and when they see a pet out and about, they pay attention to that pet to assuage their lonely souls.

Or something like that.

Whatever -- Doris loved the trip. She didn't love the carpet in the motel room, though. It kept her from sliding. Doris loves to run and slide.

And I bought a ton of food souvenirs -- other than the aforementioned fudge, I also bought Farmer Cheese at the Old Sautee Store, flat crisps, and ginger snaps; deep-fried peanuts and muscadine-flavored cider Fred's Famous Peanuts; and I got a gorgeous, handmade butter bell from Mark of the Potter.

We didn't get to slide down Sliding Rock or tube on the Chattahoochee -- the weather was a mite cool -- but it was a fabulous trip. Y'all should get out, too. You look pale and listless. I'm not just saying that. I mean, I'm really worried about you. Can I recommend North Georgia? It did a ton of good for me. I'm just sayin'. Is all!