The Georgia Guidestones - May 5, 2022

 Did you know there is a place in Georgia known as America's Stonehedge?  Well, there is...just a few miles north of Elberton, Georgia (about 50 miles south of us).  Considering the fact that The Guidestones consist of 6 enormous granite stones, it makes sense that they would be near Elberton, the town that is known as The Granite Capital of the World.

Out in the middle of nowhere stand these astronomically placed monoliths. In 1979, someone calling himself R.C. Christian commissioned the Elberton Granite Finishing Company to produce the stones for this structure.  Each of the four nineteen foot outer stones contain 10 "guidelines" written in a different language on each side of the stone...English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi; Hebrew; Arabic; Chinese; and Russian.  The center stone has three carved openings.  The capstone has an ancient language inscribed on each end: Babylonian; Classic Greek; Sanskrit; and Egyptian hieroglyphics with the message: Let these be guidestones to an age of reason.

The guidelines cause concern to many.  The first one limits the world population to 500 million.  The intent of all of them seem to be to maintain a balance in nature in a new world order.  At the top of this photo, there is a portion of the Egyptian 'glphs on the capstone.

 

The writing on the slab to the left of me is written in Swahili; to the right in Spanish.  The capstone edge is carved with Classic Greek lettering.  Behind me is the centerstone with one of the openings right above my head.  The purpose of that orifice is to track the sun's solstices and equinoxes throughout the year.

At true noon, not day light saving time, the sun is supposed to shine through this opening and create a beam on the ground.  One website says the beam lands on a stone that shows the day of the year, but there is no such stone on the ground.  We planned our arrival there for noon, but didn't take into account we were on DST, and we didn't want to wait the extra hour.

 

The third opening allegedly points to the celestial pole, The North Star.  Again, we weren't going to wait around to prove that.

 

And this flat stone several feet from the monoliths is basically a legend for the guidestones, describing their astronomical and physical features, as well as the languages on the stones.  It also states that there is a time capsule buried six feet under this stone, but the date it is to be opened has not been engraved...yet another mystery to this mysterious landmark!

 

Two Outings in April 2022

 On April 13th, we drove up to Lake Toccoa, Georgia, and had lunch at Ping's, a restaurant on the grounds that had great reviews.  Good thing we got a chance to try it...Ping's went out of business less than a month later! 

 Lake Toccoa's recreational facility has a golf course called Links,  paddle boats, pavilions, walking trails...

and even a small waterfall.

On Sunday, April 24th, we drove northeast to Traveler's Rest (the one in South Carolina) to meet with Bob's daughter Debbie and her friend, Victor who had come down from Murphy, North Carolina, on business.

It had been a long time since we had seen Debbie, and the first time we met Victor, so it was great to get together.

 
And boy, was she surprised when we gave her the bronzed shoes which were the first baby shoes she wore that Bob had kept these past 50 plus years.

Out for a morning ride March 28, 2022

 For some reason, a piece of mail from the county to us was delivered to our old address at the campground.  One of our friends there retrieved the letter and held it for us.  So, we drove to Townville to visit with them and pick up our mail.  They told us there had been new owners and many changes to the park, not all for the better.

But, it looks as though they have a little sense of humor.

On the way back home, I asked Bob to stop at an old building we often passed that I was curious about.

We found out it is the Center Methodist Church and cemetery.

The current building was erected in 1879 and replaced an earlier structure from the 1850s. The earliest gravestone was set in 1884 for a young girl who was killed when a tornado hit the school she was in. Services were held here until the 1930s.  However, twin sisters across the street by the name of Mason cared for the building, and when another  tornado tore off the roof in 1990, they oversaw that the roof was replaced.  In 2012, the interior was restored and community services are held here throughout the year. 

2022 Brings Snow

 Even in South Carolina, we need to get at least one snowfall a year, and this year one came on January 16th.  Having lived in Florida for way too long, it is always a treat to see snow!

Too cold to be outside, so this photo is from a kitchen window.

No partridges in a pear tree, but plenty of cardinals in the wild cherry.

Nothing much prettier than an old barn in the snow.

And even pretty the day after when the snow is already starting to melt.