helen pictures

FINALLY. Yes, it’s been a month since we were in Helen. At least. And if I don’t post these now, we’ll go to Charleston and I’ll lose interest. And it’s another day of adventure at work and I’m tired and I just want to do something mindless now. Well, this isn’t mindless, but you know what I mean. It’s not work.

Cute little Alpine shops. And flowers!

Yay, flowers! This was particularly exciting a month ago, when we had NOTHING up here. We’re just now seeing signs of spring, thanks to it dropping to about 20 degrees for several days in April. When I came back from Asheville weeks ago and it was full blown spring there, and the trees here STILL looked like the dead of winter, I decided something was seriously wrong and this needed looking into, like by the X Files guys maybe. I mean, we’re always a couple of weeks behind them, but that was ridiculous. Finally the trees started beginning to get a few leaves about a week and a half ago. Like, the FIRST of MAY. Turns out, I was right. Apparently that late freeze killed all the leaves and they’re just now coming back out. Now we’re a month behind usual, and usual is bad enough. The late freeze killed a lot of stuff, including my wisteria blooms.  It’s getting leaves again, but was covered in teeny blooms and I’m sure it won’t put out more after that.

My point, though, was that it was REALLY nice to see things blooming.

More Alpiny shops.

Anna Ruby Falls, right outside Helen. We were just unbelievably impressed – they were very touristy, and even had – horrors – a paved path, but they were gorgeous. Just breathtaking. This is from a distance still, where you’re going, "oh my GOD, is that the FALLS???"

This is closer. Sadly, photos seldom do waterfalls justice. It  was an amazing fall, though.  It was amazing falls? It were amazing falls? Whatever.

This was a weird thing. RIght outside town, this … mound. With a gazebo thing on top. That looks like the top of a church. It was an Indian mound, and whoever owned the land had added a top to it.

This was SUCH a cool old place not far from Helen. Somewhere in North Georgia. We were driving around on back roads and stumbled across it. It had apparently been a store at some point.

A view from the side.

Bizarre windows. They were covered in what looked like wrapping paper.

Okay. I’ve got Lomos too, but that will have to wait. For another month. No, really, maybe I’ll do it tomorrow. They’re scanned and everything. Now it’s nearly time to go home, hooray!