Stone Mountain Sunday And Giveaway Winners!

 Hey! We just bought a new camera which was a floor model so we got a great deal on it.  It has a 12x zoom lens which is three times better than the one we had!  Richard is the photographer.  Let's see what it can do on Stone Mountain!   The photo above is at the beginning of the walk up trail and the sun looks and feels so nice coming through those pine trees... 

 And the sunlight falling upon those rocks...just such a lovely sight!

 Up ahead there, is just about the steepest part... you might recognize it from some of my earlier posts on Stone Mountain. 

 This little cedar tree was at the top of the mountain and I took Richard's photo beside it... Richard said to say that this was really some tramp on top of the mountain, but you know it's him, right? ( That just reminded Richard of an example of bad grammar from his old school textbook: the gist of it was that the police were searching for a vagrant in the forest but the student had supposedly written that the "police had gone for a tramp in the woods." )

 Okay, I've given the camera back to Richard now and that's me in the pink jacket with the Atlanta skyline in the distance.  Atlanta is about eighteen miles away....

 The blue of the sky and the blue of the water... I really loved this shot!

 Guess what?  We stopped and spoke for about ten minutes with this man who likes to walk up the mountain and play his guitar and sing.  His name is Tony Taylor and he told us he saw the filming of a movie just that week.   They actually filmed it on the walk-up trail at Stone Mountain and the movie is called "The Killing Season" and stars Robert DeNiro and John Travolta.  So, watch out for the movie when it is released and let me know if you recognize Stone Mountain!

 This is the Confederate Memorial Carving on the face of Stone Mountain. It is really very large but since the mountain is so big, it's a bit hard to imagine how big it is until you see some close up photos of it.

 This is an erythronium or "trout lily"...called "trout" due to the mottling of the leaves.  These were just beginning to bloom.   This is on the Cherokee Trail which skirts around Stone Mountain and goes in front of the Confederate Memorial Carving.  Most of these plants were just pushing themselves up through the rich earth and thick layer of leaves.

 There, can you see me in my pink jacket?  Look how small I look next to the trees and the mountain.  The book that we have on Stone Mountain says the trees have the nutrient-rich  minerals which wash off the mountain, and therefore that is why they are so healthy.  This explains why everything that is on this trail is so magificently beautiful...  We took photos on this same trail in the autumn, if you go back and look at the early November posts from last year, this walk when the leaves are turning color are just a stunning sight.  Even the winter has a charm all its own.  It was still very sunny, we are just in the shadow of the mountain...

 We would like to know the name of this tree which has a very smooth bark and holds its leaves through the winter...it was so pleasant to walk and hear these leaves rustling as we passed...

 Now, we have made it to  the Grist Mill, back in the sunshine!  Richard and I had our coffee here and he gave me the camera and I took a few shots! 

 The lake beside the Grist Mill is just so blue and looks so pretty with that blue sky!

 There are lots of trees and bushes that are quite old near the Grist Mill.   A camellia is a welcome sight, especially in February! This flower was above my head (it must be old since it is so tall) and I used the zoom lens on it!

Richard has the camera back now, and he has taken a photo of the mountain as we are going back to our car to go home.  This is the Crossroads Area which has the shops and the stores and activities for the young and the young at heart!

Now, for the giveaway!  I had 14 commenters and have just written all the names on slips of paper and asked my son to draw a name from the hat and it is... 
Scriptor Senex! (www.scriptorsenex.blogspot.com)  Congratulations! I hope you will like the book on Stone Mountain! Look at my profile and please email me your address!

  Oh wait, couldn't we just have something that I have crocheted as a second little giveaway? Sure, I can, it's my blog!  Another name has been drawn and it  is ...Audrey! (www.audreygoeslocal.blogspot.com).  Audrey, would you please send me an email and I will get this in the mail ASAP!
 That was fun... I'll have to think of another giveaway soon!  Thank you all for reading my blog and commenting!  I really appreciate it more than you can know.