Today,
Jack and Jackie had the opportunity to meet some friends for lunch. So, Paul, Sandy,
Charlie and I drove to Target to get our own Five Crowns game. Sandy does not get
the opportunity to shop at Target much, there is not one in Lake Placid. So, we
had to walk up and down almost every aisle! After we got done, Paul had
mentioned a working Grist Mill we could visit.
So,
we took the scenic route, no Interstate today, and headed toward Warrenton
Georgia. We read that the Ogeechee River Mill, was a corn mill that has been in operation since
1826, and the mill still grinds the corn like it did many years ago. It is located
on the beautiful Ogeechee River at the Warren and Hancock County line. Charlie
said we drove for hundreds of miles … but really it was about 45 miles. It's a
dying art now but once the Miller was an important part of every community.
After the corn or wheat was harvested, farmers around the countryside would
gather the entire family for the trip to the mill. For the farmer, it was a
business trip but also a meeting place where he would visit with other men from
different parts of the area. They would discuss the weather, varieties of
seeds, possible new crops, hunting and all the male things only other farmers
understood. For the wives, it was a social event to catch up on the latest
gossip and have a welcome break from the daily monotony of housekeeping and
childrearing. Youngsters saw it as an exciting adventure, it gave them the
chance to fish and play with friends they saw only rarely. Children prayed that
the lines of corn loaded wagons would be long and they would have to camp
overnight at the mill.
Driving
through Warren County Georgia, you find a beautiful spot where time has stood
still. Just at the South Carolina line, the classic lines of a red clapboard
building perched on the banks of the Ogeechee River take you back to the 19th
century. The Ogeechee River Mill, the Ogeechee's only remaining water powered
mill, is still in operation. I learned that in 1933 the Reynolds family moved
the mill, build by the Quakers, to its present location on this side of the
river because that side tended to flood more frequently. The dam that operates
the mill is a beautiful sight to behold and the river both above and below the
mill filled with some of the best tasting fish in the country. The Ogeechee
River Mill is a unique piece of Georgia's cultural history. Too bad, the Grist
Mill is on private property and fenced off. We could only see one side of it.
We
came back into Thomson and decide to stop for a late lunch. We decide on Hogie
Joe’s Sports Grill, because Paul & Charlie wanted a beer! Your first
thought might be “isn’t it ‘Hoagie’ and not ‘Hogie?'” Technically, yes, the
traditional name for the sandwich is “hoagie.” But they are having a little fun
with it since “Hogie” is the nickname of one of our original owners, Mike Hogan
aka “Hogie.” Sadly, “Hogie” passed away after a brief bout with liver cancer on
May 26, 2011. So who is “Joe”? Joe is Joey and Amy Kiel are the owners &
managers of Hogie Joe’s. It is like the perfect mix of locals and visitors.
Can
you get a hoagie at Hogie Joe’s? They call ’em sandwiches, but yes. They sell
’em. They also specialize in fantastic burgers, wings, steaks and salads. Sandy
had a Reuben that looked fantastic, Paul had a Philly Cheese-steak, Charlie had
a Cheeseburger Quesadilla and I had a grilled chicken salad, all were
delicious!
When
we got back to the campsite, we got to meet Jack & Jackie’s friends from
South Carolina. After we visited with them for a while, we checked out a couple
empty sites near us and took the opportunity to put our toes in the water.
Those of you that know me, know I have to do it … every time I am near a body
of water, with a shore!
Well,
some of us put our toes in the water, others stood on the site and waited for
us!
As we
walked back to our sites, Paul and Sandy spotted a big spider web, with this
guy in it. I researched it and this is an orb weaver spider. These guys can
vary in size and coloring but are often mistaken for brown recluse spiders.
They are known for creating distinctive sheet webs with an escape tunnel at the
rear. These webs can be up to 3 feet in diameter. Many orb weavers are brightly
colored, have hairy or spiny legs and a relatively large abdomen. Orb weavers
are typically nocturnal spiders and many species will build or do repair work
on their webs at night. Orb weavers do not pose a threat to humans. They will
bite if cornered but the bite is comparable to a bee sting.
The
girls walked the trash up to the dumpsters and checked out the Chimney Swift. Chimney
Swifts are very small birds with slender bodies and very long, narrow, curved
wings. They have round heads, short necks, and short, tapered tails. The wide
bill is so short that it is hard to see. Chimney Swifts nest in chimneys and on
other vertical surfaces in dim, enclosed areas, including air vents, wells,
hollow trees, and caves. They forage over urban and suburban areas, rivers,
lakes, forests, and fields. Which is why they built these boxes for them. We
rounded out the evening with more games of Five Crowns.
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