Around here, the answer is unequivocally AUTUMN!  After suffering through an unbearably hot, dry summer (which was punctuated by a few gullywashers that caused long power outages during 90+ degree heat!), we are all so happy to welcome cool days and downright nippy (“I can see my breath”) nights.

The mountain communities, for whom hospitality is the primary industry, come alive this time of year.  In Ellijay, which is the “Apple Capital of Georgia”, these first 2 weekends of October are the best!  It’s Apple Festival, which brings folks from near and far to buy apples, cider, sweet potatoes, and homemade goods/crafts from over 250 vendors.  Our little town is a huge traffic jam!  Under normal conditions, we drive through downtown to get home from shopping, etc.  But, it became imperative to discover the back roads that lead to the house.  The downtown business district consists of a roundabout, (which, under normal traffic conditions is not for the faint of heart!) and it’s chock full of booths, tasting stations, and pedestrians.  Downtown is to be avoided at all costs unless we want to partake in apple activities.

Yesterday, after Sunday brunch at the Blue Door, we made like tourists, and visited shops and took pictures.  A popular Apple Festival activity is called “The Scarecrow Invasion”.  Since early September, scarecrows have been popping up everywhere: in
front of stores and restaurants, climbing telephone poles, sitting on benches,
and leaning against light posts.  Every business in Ellijay builds one, and some of them are so life-like you have to do a double-take to see if they are breathing!  We took a few pictures of our favorite entries from our walkabout yesterday:

In between all of these festivities, we are still busy as beavers working on the
house.  The holidays are just around the corner, and we have company on the way.  My sister is coming back to celebrate her birthday the first weekend in November,
and our dear friend Eduardo is coming from Brazil to visit the second week in November.  We will also be hosting family for Thanksgiving.  There are so many projects we would like to complete by then, but really, not doing them won’t matter,
either!  I will be pleased if we can finish the woodwork in the upstairs (guest) bath, and complete the “redneck bar”, which is looking quite elegant, and bears no resemblance to the “moonshine venue” it started as.  (Pics will follow as soon as Greg finishes the wine racks!)

Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely time of year.  ‘Til next time…