Good times in South Georgia..but no flying cows

And there I was...standing again beside Lake Blackshear in South Georgia this past weekend. We were there for my cousin's wedding, and we had a room booked at Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club. Soon after David and I got settled in and fed Kenley, we walked down to the dock to take in the view. A scene so calm stirred up crazy memories of parties and old friends on the water..but perhaps the wildest memory of all was the time I saw a cow fly over that lake. No, I never partied that hard, but I really did see a cow in the air over Lake Blackshear. When I was a reporter at WALB-TV in Albany, I was sent to Cordele to cover a dramatic rescue of a cow that had waded to an island in the middle of the lake while the water levels were lowered for people to repair their docks. The cow was at serious risk since he had already been stuck for days and was emaciated, plus the water was beginning to rise again. A rescue crew sedated the poor cow and strapped him into a harness that was attached to a helicopter. I knew then as I watched the chopper lift that cow into the air and across the sky that I was looking at one of the most unusual sights I would ever in my life see in-person. But this was still the sort of odd shenanigans I thought only possible to be witnessed in South Georgia. I could only wonder what might be in store for the weekend.

David was photgraphing the wedding so we got up early on Saturday..and drove through cotton fields and down what David refers to as "clay" roads (as opposed to dirt) towards the church in rural Americus. Before we were really expected to arrive, David and I scouted the interior and exterioir of the church for photo opportunties. A smart move since this prep work allowed us to quickly snap shots of the bridal party outide without too much disturbance from the raging heat and pesky gnats. Oh how I miss gnats flying up my nose and onto my food. David said he felt like he was in a third world country with bugs sitting all over his face. He just couldn't beleive how it didn't seem to bother the locals..and he couldn't believe yet that people actually still drive on "clay" roads to get from a point A to point B. City Boy :)

David worked his rear-end off taking pictures. And while I was tired from being on my feet most of the day too; I had fun eating, dancing and laughing with my family at the reception. Since Nana and Paw-Paw were around to babysit Kenley, David and I decided to meet folks out later for a nightcap. Too bad we stayed up until 5 a.m. with the bride and groom..sitting in the back of a big red truck, talking about land and crops and other good ol' country stuff. Yep..South Georgia never dissapoints and never does the beef jerky at Striplings General Store in Cordele. Always another highlight of being in the area.

This blog post is dedicated to all my Cordele, All-binney and Channel 10 friends. Miss ya'll!!

Jaguars Game Day Survival and the SSS

Sunday..9/12/10..Jaguars vs. Broncos. Was it really the Jaguars that motivated thousands of people to brave the brutal heat for this year's season opener or spotting a #15 Broncos jersey on Jacksonville's Everbank Field? Tim Tebow was the talk of this town, but when it was all said and done, our hometown hero didn't walk away with the day's big headline. Neither did the Jaguar's 24-17 victory over Denver. The water cooler chat on Monday was the excrutiating temperatures during Sunday's game. David and I were at the game. We're usually not wimpy when it comes to being outside, especially at major league sporting events, but we felt like eggs frying on a skillet. The temperature was 90 degrees at kick-off and reached 93 degrees at the start of the second half with a heat index of 105..making this the hottest game in Jaguars history. We headed for the Bud Zone after the first quarter to try to cool off. This was a failed attempt. It was crowded, smelly and sweaty. We decided to bolt. So did the sky. Storm clouds rushed in, and the game was suddenly delayed due to lightening. Whew!..we patted ourselves on the back for getting out of there early. 

When we left, we waited for about six minutes to board a JTA SSS (Stadium Shuttle Service) bus. Hallelulah..The air conditioning was such a relief. The bus took us right back to where we started at the Convention Center off Forsyth street downtown. Parking at the convention center was a last minute decision, but it was a good one. Free parking and $7 per adult to get on a bus which zipped us right to the stadium. Neither me or David had ever been on a city bus in Jacksonville, and we were both pleasantly surprised at how clean and comfortable it was to ride in one. And it was actually sort of fun. It doesn't take much.

Anyway, we stopped for some drive-thru chinese food and went over to Granny and Grandpa's (David's parents) to eat,  hang out with the fam and finish watching the football game on TV. I filled my tummy with seseme chicken and fried rice, took to the floor on the baby's blanket and fell asleep between all the big plays. hmmm..the day felt like football season afterall. Nice.

Super Models, Crab Legs & Motorcycles

Sunday..Labor Day weekend. I decide to have everyone get dressed up for family photos at Alpine Groves Park, a property that was once home to thriving orange/lemon groves in northwest St. Johns County. The park lends a lot of character for photo backdrops...rustic barns, the river, tree canopy forest and some other things. We went into this super model style and dressed in cold weather clothes since the look and feel we were going for with the pictures was cool weather/fall. It was hot so I was proud that no one really complained..not David..Kenley..or even me. As far as the pictures go, we got away with a hand full of keepers so I was happy..but even more thrilled at realizing there was so much more at Alpine Groves for us to enjoy. We meandered through a butterfly garden, saw some interesting plant life, played with Kenley on a nicely kept playground and strolled down a winding path through shady wetlands that lead us to some spectacular views of the river. Man, I wish we had packed lunch! What a nice place to picnic. Next time.

Speaking of food, we left Alpine Groves and headed south towards Outback Crab Shack. Holy Crab Legs! Two pounds for $24.99 and they were huge..definately enough to feed both me and David. The only downside at Outback Crab Shack, I burned the roof of my mouth with a fried pickle. I didn't see that coming.  Meanwhile, if you're into motorcycles, this seems like a popular spot for riders so you'll probably see some beautiful bikes. Nearly a dozen shiny Harley's sat outside the restaurant. Pretty cool.

Cold Beer & Connect 4

So it's labor day weekend, and David and I would just love to get out of town, but we've got some trips already planned over the next two months so we decide to stay in Jax and find things to do here locally. David told me in advance to come up with some ideas for the weekend so we wouldn't be without a plan. No plan + 1 baby = not likely we'll be leaving the house.

Okay, so Friday night..that's easy, dinner and a movie date night. We hadn't been to the theatre since Kenley was born. That was more than 6 months ago and now Eat Pray Love is out. I read the book and liked it so here was my chance to see the story unfold on the big screen. I actually really liked the movie,  and I'm even a little embarrassed to admit that I liked it better than the book. I was also happy with our dinner choice at Seven Bridges (even though I couldn't understand why my tacos had a hard and soft shell combined).

Saturday morning...Riverside Arts Market. David and I had visited this Saturday market before. My first impression was blehh, but I was open to giving it another shot b/c I'm pretty sure I was cranky and pregnant the first time. I'm so glad I gave The Riverside Arts Market another chance. Of course, Kenley was with us now and she seemed to enjoy it every bit as much as her mommy and daddy. A very talented fire juggler was the most entertaining street performer. And then there was a hula-hoop girl who could really cut a rug while she performed her hoop magic, not really magic..just a little mesmerizing and made me wonder if I should take up hula-hooping so I could be as fit as this girl. Oh yeah, and some people also got married on the main stage. That was sweet although it made me feel a little bit like a wedding crasher to stand and watch. We took some family pics by the river and then agreed it was too hot to stay any longer. Beyond the Arts Market, I had no more ideas. Work, baby, fatigue, etc. had prevented me from getting any further during my pre-planning.

Since we were already in Riverside, I suggested I introduce David to Bold City Brewery; a pub/locally owned brewery. I had only been there once before for a small group social hour with the Junior League. That's right, Junior League ladies like to drink beer. Anyway, since we had Kenley, David was hesitant. He felt it would be too much like a Sweet Home Alabama "You have a baby...in a bar" moment. I convinced him otherwise by emphasizing the establishment was more of a brewery/unique local attraction than an actual bar.

It's a little after 1 pm when we get to Bold City. The pub area is small, dim and feels a little English village like. Plenty of folks were already there, but it wasn't crowded. The air conditioning felt nice too.  I'm thinking David is into it. Meanwhile, we've got Kenley in the car seat carrier, and we're just waiting for some funny looks as we find our way to our table. Okay, so no one's judging. Awesome!

Our server brought us a free beer sampler so we could decide which of their beers we would like to order. The samples ran from light to dark. David and I both preferred the cream ale Killer Whale so that's what we ordered. We noticed a bookshelf full of games so we played a little Crap or Fact and then we broke out the Connect 4. I won our best 3 out of 5 championship and felt victorious. Shortly after that, our server came to the table to ask if we wanted to go on the tour. Well, yeah. So I grab Kenley and David grabs the camera and off we went to find out how the beer is made. The tour was interesting. David was snapping away and there I stood in public with a baby on my hip and a beer in my hand.

After the tour, we were ready for lunch so we wrapped things up at Bold City and headed for Eurpean Street in San Marco. I ordered a roast beef sandwich. I think it was the best roast beef sandwich I've ever eaten...just thought you should know.