August 2016: Putt Putt Fundraiser and Freddie Trip

Putt Putt for Readers:  August 6, 2016

I thought I'd bring you up to date on what we have been doing this month.  First, the Sullivan County Imagination Library had a Putt Putt for Readers fundraising event in Bristol on a steamy, hot August day.  (We won't make that mistake again.)  We made about $3,700, almost all from sponsorships, so we were happy with how it turned out.  I worked with a great committee and board, doing the planning for the event, and Alan was a wonderful helper, hauling his truck full of heavy supplies and helping with the hard work of setup and takedown of all the stuff for the event.

Lots of the children just played with the balls, which was fun to watch.

We gave door prizes.  This was tickets to a Theater Bristol production of Madeline.

I was interviewed by Channel 5 for the evening news.
They did a nice 2- 3 minute spot on the event.

We had a photo booth, where kids had fun.

It was a great family activity.
It was the first time to play putt putt for many of the children.

Snow cones went over well.

Freddie trip to Vogel State Park, near Blairsville, Georgia:  August 11 - 18

Alan's sister Susie alerted us to the fact that the Perseid Meteor Showers would be going on in mid-August, so we decided to meet her and Ed at Vogel State Park, which is near Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia.  We went to the meteor showers on Brasstown Bald and enjoyed the wonderful waterfalls and scenery in the mountains of northern Georgia.  We have been to Vogel several times, and it is always a lovely place to visit.  They have really nice cabins, as well as a great campground.  We had site #14, which overlooked a creek and woods.  

Vogel is where we went with Alan's mom and dad, Susie, Ed, and the boys,
when Alan and I announced our engagement in the fall of 1991,
so it has special meaning to us.

We went up to the top of Brasstown Bald to see the meteor showers
 from midnight to about 2 a.m. two nights in a row.
The first night was so overcast we saw nothing,
but the second night we saw quite a few "shooting stars."
Seeing them with Susie and Ed was lots of fun!

Vogel has a lovely lake, with a swimming area and boats to rent.

Helton Creek is a fun waterfall to go to if you want to play in the water,
drive on gravel roads, and ford a couple of creeks on the way.
Ed's friends accidentally came this way on their way to Vogel. 

Nice swimming area at base of Helton Creek Falls

This is a wonderful cascading waterfall near Helen, GA.

This is only a tiny portion of the Dukes Creek Falls.
It has many parts, coming all the way from the top of the cliff,
cascading around rocks, and down along a really nice walkway--
sort of like a mini Watkins Glen.