Grayish hair almost white

Frames a boyish face

Filled with might

Observant eyes

Charming smile

Humble when he speaks

All mask the brilliance

Only a few will be blessed to see

E.A.Fussell

End of Day Eight: Saturday , November 25, 2017

It is the eighth day of our nine day road trip. Last night we stayed in Dillard, Georgia. Construction work has instilled in me an alarm clock which wakes me earlier than most. Even on vacation my internal alarm clock continued to awaken me. So I went for a walk then made my way to the lobby of the quaint inn to wait for my traveling companion to get up and about.

There were only two tables in the continental breakfast area and one of them was occupied so the empty table received my Bible, journal, and me. Sipping hot coffee and lost in stories from God’s word my reverie of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar was ended when a handsome stranger asked if he could share my table. “Absolutely” I responded with a smile.

Over coffee we discussed what had brought us to this small Georgia town for the weekend, where we call home, a little about our faith and other basic information that strangers tend to share on their first encounter. I learned that he lives in North Florida and is in the process of retiring. He recently opened an ice cream parlor in honor of his parents and hopes to play a part in supporting the local business economy. The long holiday weekend offered him an opportunity to get away to the mountains and unwind. Our unexpected encounter was a pleasant way to start the day. By the time our coffee was gone other travelers had awoken and the tables were in high demand. We said our goodbyes, he went off to explore the mountains and I went off to see if my traveling companion was awake.

Sharon was awake and ready for more treasure hunting. We had breakfast at a small cafe and then took a short drive to Sky Valley the highest point in Georgia. We pulled over at a lookout point and enjoyed the view before proceeding on our journey south. The view of the valley was beautiful. My photo falls short in showing the true perspective viewed by the natural eye. It is at times like this the idea of purchasing professional camera equipment comes to mind.

We crossed into North Carolina and for a few moments contemplated disappearing into the mountains for a few more days. Reluctantly we managed to get ourselves turned around and headed back down the easterly Georgia state line zigzagging into South Carolina as we made our way south.

A lookout stop near the Chattooga Rive in South Carolina allowed me to take a brief walk to view the river more closely and the desire to go whitewater rafting rekindled in my adventure seeking soul. Hopefully next year it will be added to my list of experiences actually experienced. That was our last stop in South Carolina, the remainder of our day would be in Georgia.

For lunch we stopped in Athens and during an after lunch walk discovered Avid Bookshop. Bookshops to me are like quilt shops to Sharon. Avid is a charming little shop where my decision to revisit the classic “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott was made. After snapping a few photos of other points of interest my walk took me back to the car and we continued onward.

The next stop was Attic Treasures an antique shop owned and operated by Charles and Joann Stewart. I asked Joann how she came to be an antique dealer. She explained that they had opened the shop in the 90’s in an effort to clear out some things in their own home. When they were done selling their own items they still had two months left on the building lease and decided to try buying and selling antiques as a business. Their decision turned out to be a great idea. They have enjoyed looking for items to offer in their shop and have an interesting array of antique from delicate crystal to rugged war relics. Sharon found a few treasures including an antique quilt rack.

The most fun we had today was a surprise visit with my niece, Stacia Hanes Greer, and her family. She saw my Facebook post about Dillard and reminded me via messenger that she lives in Douglas. Interestingly her message came through at the very moment we were refueling in Douglas. Sharon agreed that we could stop for a visit so a few minutes later we were ringing Stacia’s doorbell, no one was home. Sharon asked, “Did you tell her we were stopping by?” and I replied something like, “What fun would that be? I want to surprise her. How often do you ask a relative hundreds of miles away to stop by and within minutes they are at your door? “ A quick call coordinating where to meet and a few minutes later we were all hugging and laughing as we sat down to enjoy dinner together.

An hour or so after dinner and we had arrived in Valdosta for the night. What a day it has been, meeting a handsome stranger this morning, driving through the colorful landscape of South Carolina and Georgia, finding treasures, and a beautiful surprise visit with family. Needless to say peaceful sleep arrived the moment my head hit the pillow.

E.A. Fussell

“Vernon”

A talented woodworker and

An adventurous heart

Reside in a

Most interesting man

I am honored to have met

Look in his eyes

You will be unaware

Of his age

A spark from his youth

Still shines in their depths

Georgia born

His accent

Still rings with charm

Men may miss his appeal

But the ladies

Bring him baked goods

His heart hoping to steal

Such a bundle of life

It surprised me to learn

One of his projects

Was his own wooden coffin

I refused to view it in person

When I was there

To see past his aliveness

Was unthinkable to me

A picture shared today

Revealed the finished box

If I had seen it

Without knowing

It’s purpose

A beautiful work of art

It would appear to be

But knowing

What It’s for

No beauty do I see

He is too alive

He is too real

He is too much of a man

For me to accept

A wooden box

Could ever hold

Such an adventurous

Youthful soul

E.A. Fussell

End of Day Nine: Sunday, November 26, 2017

It is the last day of our nine-day road trip. We managed to visit a total of fifteen states counting our home state of Florida.  Surprisingly exhaustion has not set in. We spent the night in Valdosta, Georgia and took our time getting on the road. Possibly because subconsciously we didn’t want our little adventure to end.

Today we traveled from Valdosta, Georgia to LaBelle, Florida then I continued on to Fort Myers. Under normal conditions the traffic on Florida’s highways and byways is heavy. Today it was intense due to the combination of it being Thanksgiving weekend and a big football game weekend, Florida-vs-Florida State. Yes, Sharon Curry was still ecstatic that Florida State chopped the Gators.

We expected I-75 to look more like a long narrow parking lot instead of the high speed death trap it normally is,  so we determined to avoid major roads as much as possible. With the exception of a very short on-one-exit-off-at-the-next involving I-75 we managed to stay on the back roads and avoid major traffic. The route we took was new to both of us and proved to be very scenic and peaceful. We even discovered a small restaurant called Mayo Café in Mayo, Florida that offers delicious traditional country cooking.

Our homeward bound route took us by the charming shop, Point of View, which we had discovered on our first day of travel. It is in Fanning Springs and offers a variety of merchandise. While checking out I questioned the clerk, whose accent is obviously German, how she had come to be in Fanning Springs. She explained that her sister and brother-in-law own the shop, they opened it approximately fourteen years ago. The site was originally a motel which became abandoned and put on the auction block. At the time her sister and brother-in-law lived in Clearwater and spent weekends in the Chiefland area playing on their four wheelers and such. Her brother-in-law decided to put-in an offer on the property never expecting that his would be the winning bid. Much to his surprise he won the bid and landed himself an old rundown motel. It was torn down and the current building constructed. Then they had to figure out what to put in the new building. After doing some research they decided on allowing multiple vendors to share the space. Their goal was to offer people an interesting place to experience old fashioned customer service and hospitality, a place they would want to revisit. Multiple boutiques merge into each other offering an eclectic array of treasures from the very old to the very new, from the very beautiful to the very odd. It is a delightful experience to wonder through and look for treasures while sipping on a glass of complimentary tea. They have accomplished their goal. We are planning a weekend trip to the area to revisit the shop and explore the area more.

We made it to LaBelle around 8:00pm. As we rounded the corner Sharon Curry caught sight of her home and was treated to the evidence that her family had done some Christmas decorating while she was gallivanting around the countryside. Her home was sparkling with Christmas lights. Sharon’s don Bubba and her dogs, Louie and Jasper greeted us happily and Bubba helped us sort through the packages in the back seat. It wasn’t difficult to tell whose was whose. I had five books and two rocks, one from the railroad track at Gee’s Bend and one from the beach at Lake Michigan and Sharon had bags and bags of fabric, an antique quilt rack, crafts, trinkets, etc. etc. etc.

As I drove home to Fort Myers I replayed the trip in my mind. Wonderful memories to be enjoyed for years to come.

E.A. Fussell