Granite City

To quote your average Georgia conversation, “Ah’ll tayell yew whuuut …” This area LEAFS out in the spring! We’ve been here before in March and April, but this year, what with all the Jan’Feb rain, and the cold March, a few days of 80 degree weather and Georgia EXPLODED in buttery greens and dogwood pinks and whites and redbud galore. The azaleas are out in every color, the wisteria hung like heavy purple grapes on every upright surface, and the pollen? Oh, Lord. We’ve never seen anything like it, either. During the worst of it, everything was covered in a fine yellow soft suede dust. wuh.

We had a wonderful time with Jason and his family at High Falls. We managed to get to the Bluegrass Festival, the wildlife park, the downhome barbecue, and had lots of s’mores! The kids went out on the lake in paddle boats and only one fell in … poor Becca, a year ago she wouldln’t have cared, Grampa called her “Gater bait,” but she has turned into a girl and is probably still checking her hair and clothes for leeches.

We just finished another Georgia job, a park in the northeast, about 60 miles NW of Athens. We were startled to find the town of Elberton is known as the granite capital of the U.S. One-third of all the granite monuments, memorials and markers come from this little town of about 15,000. Elberton was the home of Old Dan Tucker and many Revolutionary war heroes. The town surrounds a granite bowl seating 2,000 people, some seats being benches carved right out of the bowl. It’s home to the high school Blue Devils … gimmee a B!!

There are 45 quarries and 87 processing plants, with 1,800 employees here in the granite industry. Everything is granite: mailbox posts, address markers, benches, buildings, counter tops,, and the grave markers of everyone who has died here in 150 years. Elberton granite has a fine grain in the mix of feldspar, quartz and black mica, and a pleasing, smooth blue hue. Not surprising, when your town is built on the granite industry, everything looks like a monument.

Elberton is home to Richard Russell State Park, which we just mapped, and now we are at Elijah Clark State Park, 60 miles away, but also on the Savannah River. This area is known for really big bass and wild turkey. Lots of fishermen in both parks. Elijah Clark looks across the river at McCormick, South Carolina. Greg and Cathy Jensen paddled right by our site here, on their journey cross country by canoe back in the day.

Occasionally one of you will ask for photos of the people I talk to, in particular the people whose amusing accent or words I submit for a chuckle. I’m so aware that I’m nearly making fun of folks, and I couldn’t possibly ask for their picture, and then put it on my blog! And be aware, that a fair number of these folks are wall-eyed and missing teeth … how could I? I can share one picture, though. This is Andy Mathis, a veterinarian in Elberton, who has a great sense of humor and is a very fine watercolorist. Really fine. Thanks, Andy.

Love, Sam