Our little "vacation" at The River's Edge Lodge

Gary and I decided last Sunday to spend the week at The River's Edge Lodge since it was vacant. We packed up our stuff and pretended that we were guests. I have read that in your own home it's a good idea to stay in your guest room to make sure that your guests have everything they need, and even provide things that are over and beyond their imaginations. The moment we walked into this mountain home, it felt like a home and not a cabin rental. Even though Gary built this house, and I decorated it, you never really get to fully experience the total package until you stay in the house. It's been a lot of fun experiencing the river, taking long walks, enjoying wine in the evenings on the outdoor deck, as well as adding new touches and making The River's Edge better. The days have drifted into each other, and yesterday I had a heck of a time trying to decide what day it was! I was convinced it was already Thursday, but my daughter, who's almost 8, kept telling me over and over it was Wednesday!

Since we home school, it's an incredible environment for learning and doing assignments. Before the snow came yesterday, our daughter would take her school assignments and go down by the river and "do school" - while the days were somewhat warm. While she was down there the other day, some Canadian Geese floated by and hung around. That led to a nice little rabbit trail in our studies - to learn about Canadian Geese and their habits! There are also so many birds around here - from woodpeckers, cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, to chickadees and titmice. We're going to put bird feeders up here so that watching birds will be even more rewarding. We have enjoyed great nature studies while here.

We will leave tomorrow to go back to our home, Royal Mountain Lodge, which will soon be a fabulous mountain rental in the coming months. In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying our stay here. There is absolutely nothing like listening to the white waters of the river right below - so beautiful and calming to the senses.

Why we love what we do

An e-mail from a recent guest who stayed at Riverview Lodge:

Gary and Lissa,

I know you must hear this a lot but I needed to let you know how incredible your homes are. My husband and I were in awe of the breathtaking view, it was as if we were living in a postcard every day. You have thought about every need that your guests could possibly have and your attention to the little things comes though. You have a gift, an art, which is a blessing for all who visit the homes that you build. This gift of joy you provided us, as well as all the other guests who stay in the cabin, will come back to you and your family two fold.


Sincerely,

Mario and Leida

More pictures of our Swinging Bridge outing

Rick took a picture of our family along the Toccoa River, and then we took a picture of Rick running down the Swinging Bridge, causing it to swing! Yikes!

A Fun Day at the Swinging Bridge

Before all the cold weather came down on Blue Ridge, we enjoyed a wonderful day at the Swinging Bridge with some very dear friends of ours. Rick Hughes, of Rick Hughes Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. and his family visited us and we had a most memorable time together.

The Swinging Bridge is a great place for hiking, great scenery, picnics, and in the summertime you can take the kids for a swim in the Toccoa River - there are shallow little pools at the river's edge that are perfect for small children. It's also a neat place for a romantic outing - take a picnic with a good bottle of wine and find a cozy spot near the river, listening to the rushing waters. This is one of our favorite spots in Blue Ridge.

Snow, Snow, Snow in the North Georgia Mountains of Blue Ridge, Ga

Today, Saturday January 18, 2008, it snowed again! This is the second time in 2 weeks. I was concerned that it was going to come in as freezing rain, but thankfully it came in as wonderful white snow. Can't wait to go outside and take pictures. Here are a few from my I-phone.

Fall Colors from the covered porch of Majestic Lake Cabin

This afternoon Gary, Travis (our 1 year old little guy) and I went over to Majestic Lake Cabin in our mule to take some panoramic pictures of the fall foliage, as it was just too pretty and the weather was so warm! Here it is November 14th and this is peak time! It came late this year, due to lack of rain. Thankfully we will be getting lots of rain tonight as a frigid cold front blows in. After all the high winds we'll be having tonight and tomorrow, most of this beauty will start to diminish. Just had to capture the colors while it lasted!

Fun hike to the Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River

This past weekend some friends of ours, who have a second home up here in Blue Ridge, took an afternoon hike (short and easy) to the Swinging Bridge and gave us a call on their way up. We planned dinner that evening at our house, and they said they would be done with their hike in a couple of hours or so.

That evening as they described their great time, they mentioned that that was one of their favorite hikes and they do it quite frequently. They take a backpack with some wine, grapes, cheese and crackers and have the best time. With the fall colors, they said it was just absolutely beautiful the other day. They also mentioned that in the summertime there are these little ponds that kids love to swim in. Now that our little baby boy will be almost 2 next summer, we will be sure to take our kids on that fun little adventure!