20150917 – Jasper the First Mountain City; A Log Fire and Smores

 

Have to take the Hertz mobile back and to save a $75 one way charge we’re dropping it off back in Marietta, so it’s an 80 mile drive back down in our home exchangers car, with Wendy following in the Hertz mobile. Well I use the word following in a distant sense of the word.

On the way back we make the most of it and call off at few places.

Firstly we call into Jasper, the first mountain city – see pictures. With a name like Jasper we could hardly give it a miss. Pleasant little place. Very small town America, how it gets classified as a city is a real stretch of the imagination. Amazing though it has a court house. Does make you wonder about the crime rate in America, mind you America is reckoned to have the highest prison rate.

Wendy has lunch in the local cafe, heavily frequented by the local sheriffs. Heavily is a good choice as there’s a lot of them and some of them struggle to get through the door.

Try to find the Talking Rock. Wanted to know what it said? Perhaps it’s a Muslim rock and according to Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 791 these rocks yell out ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!’

Turns out it’s merely a tiny hamlet (do they have them in “BIG” America). Must be really desperate for tourist attractions as it warrants signposting on the highway. Talking of which we stop off at a “Scenic Viewpoint”. About as scenic as looking down Audley Range at mosque opening time. Turns out to be a view down a dual carriageway to some hills with yet more trees. Well there’s one thing they’re not short of round here and that’s trees, but it seems that worthwhile tourist attractions are in shorter supply than bibles in an Iranian bookstore.

But we’re not daunted and make a foray into Ellijay. Another quaint little town that turns out to be the antique, well I call it tat and bric-a-brac, centre of America.

Steak for tea.

Hugger-mugger
Meaning: To act in a secretive manner.
Origin: 1530s
As in: I’m sick of all these sneaky types, creeping around and hugger-muggering the whole time.

 

 

Time for yet another lazy day after all this excitement. Chance to enjoy our log cabin in the wilderness.

Take a short stroll down to Whispering Lake. My it’s hot. The mere thought of walking in this heat makes you feel like you’re being water boarded by your own sweat.

Find the bird seed and feed the birds. By tea time we’re inundated. Everything from exotic humming birds through to your common or garden Cardinals. Not a boring sparrow in sight.

One of the real “benefits” of mountain living, slow Internet. Think the electrons must be getting here on the back of a Sloth. Brings back memories of the good old days, 64K modems and the lesser throttled modem mating call.

Trees, trees, trees as far as the eye can see. A tree huggers paradise, they’d have sore forearms before you can say “save a rainforest”.

Crapulous
Meaning: To feel ill because of excessive eating/drinking.
Origin: 1530s
As in: The morning after St. Patrick’s Day. I feel crapulous.

 

 

Off down to the Saturday market in Blue Rdige. All 4 stalls of it, two selling clothes, one selling rocking chairs and one giving away stray dogs. Have a pleasant stroll around this quaint tourist trap, full of cafes and typical shops selling loads of “stuff” that has no practical use other than to collect dust or contribute to landfill.

Call in and get a Muffaletta for me tea (A traditional style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone. The sandwich is sometimes heated to soften the provolone.)

Brings back fond memories of a double dipped Italian beef sandwich from Chicago. (A sandwich of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll. The bread itself is often dipped (or double-dipped) into the juices the meat is cooked in.) A cholesterol special. Sorry my gastric juices are making me digress.

Put bird food out and we’re inundated with them. Watching all these colourful birds makes you think. Why are the males so colourful, surely it makes them more visible to predators. Well it turns out that the brighter the colours, especially yellow, corresponds to the healthier, therefore better partner males.

Also it would seem the more subdued colours of the female species, gives them better camouflage, helps them survive better when they’re nesting.

What are the black feathers for, then? Well, in many birds, these melanin patches are related to how aggressive males are and how willing they are to compete for territories or mates. The bigger the black patch, the better fighters they are. The black cap may tell other males: “Stay out of my territory!”

Don’t you just love evolution.

You know you’re in America when even the cats saunter slovenly and sloth like across the road in front of you. Surprised they don’t have a mobile phone strapped to them. I think this ones a confederate cat, judging by the flags flying in these backwoods. But do it again tomorrow and you’ll be converted to a Davy Crockett hat.

Light a fire in our outside lounge / dining room, brings back memories and makes you appreciate the modern convenience of a boiler and thermostat. Muffaletta for me tea by our open log fire, followed by a smores cooked, using traditional recipe ingredients (marshmelow, that disgusting Hersheys chocolate and honey Graham crackers), by my very own hands. Oh and a drop of red wine just to help the American wine industry.

Then a few more episodes of Prison Break. Up to season 4 now and it’s got a lot better, good job as we were ready to give up on its frustrating and improbable cliff hangers.

Jargogle
Meaning: To confuse, bamboozle.
Origin: 1690s
As in: I don’t get quantum theory. It utterly jargogles my brain.