Peep, Peep, Peep

Just ordered my baby chicks. Nine sweet day old furry friends arrive August 11th. Bantams and all. Gotta get the coop ready....

RECIPE: Best Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

6 fresh ripe home grown tomatoes peeled * and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
¼ Vidalia onion very thinly sliced
½ box Boar’s head precooked bacon cut into small pieces
1 /4 pound Boar’s Head Canadian cheddar graded
2 cups Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
Piecrust (home made or store bought)
Salt and pepper

Put piecrust in pre headed oven until it sets up firm but isn’t done
Dry sliced peeled tomatoes on paper towel, salt and pepper
Line bottom of pre cooked piecrust with thinly sliced onion
Layer on tomato slices
Layer on bacon and cheese
Cover with Mayonnaise

Return to oven and cook until cheese is melted and mayonnaise is slightly brown.

* to peel tomatoes cut a small X on the bottom and place in boiling water for 1 min. Remove and place in ice water to cool. Skin slips easily off.

TODAY - Handmade Market at Birmingham Village

Landmark Milton Roadside Garden

Pete Mansell. As in "Mansell Road" family.  Cool, huh? A super nice guy.  Look at that smile.

Charles and Blanche: A Love of Gardening (and each other). Really Great Folks.

Charles Castleberry's Garden, corner of Freemanville and Mayfield.

The Very First Tomato!

Summer Is Here

Nothing better than sitting on a porch swing in Milton, Georgia.

Milton CSA: Moss Hill Farm Vegetables Are Ready!

Locally grown organic food available at Moss Hill Farm for the week of May 18-24....
1.   Turnip greens about 1 pound is $2.50 an order
2.   Leafy cabbage is about 1 pound at $2.50 an order
3.   Bloomsdale Spinach is about 1/2 pound at $3.00 an order
4.   4-5 Young beets with greens about 1 pound at $2.50 an order
5.    5-7 young spring onions is about a pound at $2.75 an order
6.    One head of lettuce is about a pound at $3.75 an order
7.    Poke Berry, young leaves is about a pound at $3.50 an order
8.   Dandelion leaves is about 1/2 pound at $3.25 an order

To place an order just email me at the address below of what you would like on what day and time of day.  If I can not accomodate you I will email you.  Payment can be made on the time you pick up the vegetables, if I am not around there are instructions below. I use the honor system with a money box at the vegetable stand. I accept cash or check. Thank you so much for supporting my farm.

Please read the following information:

Farm Profile:
Moss Hill Farm is a small market farm located in urbanville Milton in North Fulton at 13230 Freemanville Road about 1/2 mile north of Milton High School. It is about 1 acre of intense close companion planting. I use the mulched, no till, organic method of raising healthy, flavorful, wholesome vegetables and herbs. Moss Hill commitment to organic farming practices means NO synthetic products are used, including fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are used on any of the vegetables. This is a "drug-free", chemical-free farm! The organic status (not government certified) is the customer's assurance that there will be NO Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), Sewage Sludge, or Irradiation used in the production of these agricultural food products. I have tried to get as close to the way God grows things as anyone can, to produce these vegetables. I honor our environment!
Mostly heirloom varieties will be grown this year that date back to the 1940's, with some even into to the 1800's.
CSA offer:
This year I will be offering a modified CSA only to those on my email list. I also will have a limited supply of surplus vegetables at my vegetable stand (located at the address below) that many of you visited last year. I will publish what is available for the following week:
1. A picture of what the vegetable is,
2. How much for a week serving, and
3. The cost for each variety.
Each vegetable will normally supply a family of four.... two adults (teens have adult appetites), and two small children, to compliment your family meals. OR If yours is a vegetarian home, the amount is usually sufficient for one to two, depending on your unique eating habits. You will be able to modify the amounts by ordering extras if you feel you need it. I welcome your input to help me adjust a fair amount.

It will be a first come first serve, if the vegetable runs out you will be notified that it is sold out for the week.
Freshness Plan:
Last year one of the things that the vegetable stand disappointed me in was that because of the heat, usually by the end of the day the produce looked old even though it was picked that morning. What I plan to do is take orders by email or phone call for specific days that you would need the vegetables. I will pick it within hours of when you need it, if you are not there to pick it up, it will be put into an iced cooler for your pickup. Payment will still be the honor system if I am not around at the vegetable stand. There will be a place to leave the money or check.
Absolute Guarantee:
My guarantee is that if you ever buy anything from my farm that you do not 100% agree is the most flavorful and fresh, I will refund your purchase for whatever reason. Some of it will be ugly and not perfect like you see in the commercial stores, but they will not be able to compete with the flavor. Often the heirloom tomatoes are called ‘ugly tomatoes’ because of how they look with their motley colors, cracks and odd shapes, but they will be the best tasting you have ever experienced or your money back. Is that fair enough?
Nature Rules:
At the farm, we plan, plant and manage the growth of our crops in succession so we won't run out. There are times that in spite of all the dedication and prayers, nature does not cooperate with our schedules and best intentions. When this happens there may be less of some crops. Nature always has the upper hand! Our members understand the natural processes we work with. Since we replant at regular intervals during the season, what may be lacking one week will show up in future offers.
Visits to Moss Hill and Event Days:
Members are welcome to visit the farm at almost any time -- BY APPOINTMENT! Since I am not always here (I do have other off-farm chores and activities) I encourage you to CALL AHEAD! We also hold volunteer work & fun days, encouraging members to get involved. Hands-on classes are offered at least once a month covering the various aspects of organic gardening located at the farm. I strongly urge you to do the garden tour before becoming a customer. I would love to show you the process that your food will be grown, it takes about 20 minutes.
Soil Fertility:
I plant cover crops (green manure), rotate our vegetable plant locations, and use only natural minerals, compost, herbal, and other organic preparations. I say I do the no mechanical tilling, but I do have thousands of tillers at work in the soil. These workers are the lowly earthworms; you can go to any place in my garden and find 100’s of them.
Insect Pests:
We introduce and encourage habitat for beneficial insects, birds, bats, and other creatures that prey upon unwanted insects. At times, our “Food -For - Work members and we actually go on patrol, with a bucket of soapy water, to hand pick and dunk the pest insects! You will notice the wooded habitat around the garden and numerous birdhouses to attract the birds. Frogs are numerous because of the pond, and spiders help control the flying insects.
Weeding:
No matter what I do, there seems to always be an abundance of weeds. Good plants in the wrong place. I love this definition of weeds: they are like teenagers, they only want a place to stay, to eat and find a way to reproduce. Weeding is done by hand, by hoe, "flaming" or other safe practices.

Irrigation:
You will notice the overhead sprinklers in the middle of the garden. This is the primary method of applying water, from either the pond you see out front or well water which supplies our personal residence next door. I only have to use it a few times a year because the mulch retains the moisture so well.
Plant Diseases and other Problems:
The goal is to treat my plants like you do your children. If you give them a pleasant place to live, provide good wholesome food for them, and make sure they get plenty of exercise; they will stay healthy warding off the unlimited germs and viruses all around them. The same is true of plants, make a healthy plant and they can fight off the diseases. These problems are mostly avoided by my pledge to use sustainable, healthy, environmentally friendly practices.
Cleanliness and Quality:
This is always the #1 priority! I use unclorined well water to wash all the vegetables. There still may be some small insects on the vegetables, but because I do not seek to kill them, you will still need to wash them yourself. They are coming from a natural environment and are not as ‘sterile’ as in a commercial store. Freshness, variety and the TLC from Garden to consumer have rewarded us with a favorable reputation in the North Fulton area!

Here is my contact information:
Floyd Keisler
Cell: 770.815.2815 (please leave a message)
Email: keisler1@bellsouth.net
13230 Freemanville Road
Milton, GA 30004
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M28667

A Well Worn Flag

Memorial Day Weekend in Milton, Georgia

North Fulton Feed & Seed

Since I finally ordered my new chickens from MyPetChicken.com, I went back to the place I go to get feed.  North Fulton Feed & Seed. For years, I've been greeted my the little black dog.  I can always count on her to say hello.

Visiting with Miss Fannie

Driving along Mayfield Road, I always see Fannie Holcombe at some point during the day tending to her garden.  She keeps a really large one every year.  You know the place by the large Holcombe Machinery sign right there near Freemanville.  Her son, Bobby, is always close by working with her. I saw them out there the other day and stopped with the car full of kids so they could see Miss Fannie again.  They love roaming around her place with all the old stuff, tractors and barns. 

Stopping by to see our Milton friends are always such good, warm times.

Local Underground: D&M Greenhouse

Mr. English, one of our Milton Neighbors gets his tomato plants here at D&M Greenhouse every single year and he is part of the farming underground here in Milton, Georgia. When I met him in Crabapple a couple of months ago he told me which kind he grows best - Super Fantastic. The only place he knows to get the best plants is at D&M. In fact, if you're a local then you already know about this place. You'd really have to be in the know, though. The Mansell family (as in Mansell Road, that family) has D&M grow their family's tomato plants especially for them every year. It's a jewel of a find. You've got to go and check them out!

Take the back country roads to get there from Milton: Birmingham Road West turns into Hickory Flat. Turn left at Stop Sign at Sugar Pike. Go straight until it ends at Hwy 140 and turn left onto highway. Take right at Mountain Road and drive down a couple hundred feet. It's on your left.

RECIPE: Scalloped Potatoes (a la Milton Cowboy)

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons minced garlic 2 pounds all purpose potatoes, like white rose or long whites, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 cup grated Gruyere, or Swiss cheese
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the and garlic and cook 1 minute. Spread a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the prepared dish, slightly overlapping the slices. Season with salt, and top with a layer of the onions followed by more potatoes and onions. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Add the cream, top with cheese and cover with foil. Roast until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown and bubbly, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Tip Its good to place a pan under baking dish incase it boils over in the oven.

The Mayor's Family Pet

.... The new Golden Lab puppy sure is sweet but this one is my favorite.

The News on this Day in 1955

Click to Enlarge Photo

A Handmade Market Coming to The Paisley Farmhouse

Crafters & artists, this is a call for entries to join The Paisley Farmhouse at our first annual Handmade Market art and craft fair. Mark your calendars: Saturday, June 6th at the Birmingham Village Shopping Center (980 Birmingham Road, Milton, GA 30004).

During the day, all the shops in the village will be hosting fun activities! The Paisley Farmhouse’s activity will be the Handmade Market fair. Around 8:30, the shopping center will kick off the first of many summer evening "Movies Under the Stars"!

If you are a crafter or artist and would be interested in hosting a table at our outdoor daytime event, please contact shanda@paisleyfarmhouse.com. Tell us a little about you, your art/craft, and attach some pictures of your products. We are also interested in food vendors (jellies, candies, baked goods, and more). Space is limited to about 20 vendors, and we want a nice variety, so we cannot accept every entry. We don’t have much time, so we hope to hear from you soon!

Now, don’t be shy ... let’s see your stuff, email or bring us your submission by May 16. We’ll let you know by May 20 if you’re in.


The Nitty Gritty:
Submission deadline is May 16. We’ll let you know by May 20 if you’re in.
$20 entry fee after accepted and 15% commission on all sales.
The Paisley Farmhouse handles all your transactions, cash, credit cards and bagging.
The Paisley Farmhouse will mail checks (payments from event sales) to you no later than Tuesday, June 9.
Once accepted, a list of your inventory and projected quantities must be submitted to the store by Monday, June 1st so we can enter every item in our POS system.
The spaces are first come, first serve. Please provide a table, table cover, chair and whatever props you need to create a nice display. Let us know if you don’t have a basic table and we will try to figure something out.
You are welcome to bring people to help with your booth to ensure that it is open for business all day.
Feel free to do some sort of free mini workshop or demonstration at your booth to get more buzz. We can list these things on the program to attract families looking for activies and neat things to see.

Happy Mother's Day

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

-Tenneva Jordan

RECIPE: Easy Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Flour

1 cup Milk

1 stick Butter, melted

1 can Peaches (or other favorite fruit)

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and milk.  Pour over butter, stir and press into pan. Add fruit. Cook in bottom of oven at 450 degrees until brown.

Cool Event: Digital Scientists

Grand Opening May 13th

Digital Scientists

21 S. Main Street, Alpharetta

Win $1000 in services for your school, club or charity.

Be one of the first 25 in line on May 13 at 12pm, and 

receive a $1000 gift certificate for the non-profit of your choice.

Digital Scientists To Open Second Office in Historic Alpharetta, GA 

and Donate $25,000 in Services to Area Non-Profits 

Check out the official press release:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/alpharetta/webdesign/prweb2327684.htm
Even a few plugs in there for sustainability . 

RECIPE: Chicken Pot Pies

I felt like making a Chicken Pot Pie the other day and used the easy recipe off the biscuit box and no one in my family would eat it.  It looked beautiful but they thought it tasted very "pasty".  I love Pot Pies so I thought I can't give up yet, I'll have to find another recipe and give it another go around.

So I looked in the first place I thought of and that's the cookbook by my Milton Cowboy friend. He has hundreds of pages of his favorite Southern, and all his other favorite, recipes. Here's the one I found under Chicken Pot Pies....

Ingredients:

8 Tbs. (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose Flour

4 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 cup each chopped Onions, Celery, Carrots, 

      white button Mushrooms, and red skinned Potatoes

1 cup Chicken Meat

1/2 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas

Salt and freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

4 (6") squares Puff Pastry

1 Egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 -2 minutes.  Slowly add broth, whisking until smooth; bring to a boil.  Add thyme, bay leaf, onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms.  Cook until tender about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes, chicken, peas, salt and pepper.  Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  Divide mixture among 4 ovenproof bowl; place on baking sheet.  Brush pastry with egg mixture.  Bush rims of bowls with water.  Place pastry square on top of each bowl, pressing edges lightly.  Bake until puffed amd golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

4 Servings

Go Pick Some Strawberries...

The strawberries are in at “pick-your-own” farms around the state. 

The whole family can enjoy picking their own fruit right off the vine and taking it to the dinner table. The strawberries are ripening at most berry picking farms, so why not spend a Saturday morning with your child filling a bucket or two? Pick-your-own farms like Washington Farms in Watkinsville and Loganville, Adams Farm in Fayetteville and Southern Belle Farm in McDonough are open and ready for business.

Kids love to pick berries and eat them straight from the vine. It’s a great lesson on “where food comes from,” as well as just good, quality family time.

There are many pick-your-own farms around the state—strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and more can all be picked by families during the season. Choose one near you and call ahead to make sure it is open. (Sometimes farmers have to close the berry fields for a day or two so they can replenish.) Remember, it’s best to pick in the morning when it’s not so hot. Then, grab your sunscreen, a hat, plenty of drinking water, and maybe a snack or two—and go pick!

You can find more information about pick-your-own farms or other Farm Experiences in Georgia HERE.

Projected ripening dates for U-Pick crops:

Strawberries:  mid-April – June

Blackberries:  end of May – June

Raspberries:  mid-May – mid-June

Blueberries:  June 1 – August 1

Down Home Derby at Shannondale Farm

This past weekend the Down Home Derby was held at Shannondale Farm in Milton, hosted by The Shannon's and Child Development Association (http://www.cdakids.org).  Guests included Milton Mayor and his wife, Joe and Dawn Lockwood and Donna Smythe of CDA with the "Derby Winner" (pictured below). 

Nikki Haslett photographed the event. You can view more of Nikki's photos HERE.

Food Stop, Our Local CSA

Benefits of Participating in a Local CSA 

(COMMUNITY SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE:

Local Food Stop is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program serving Alpharetta, Johns Creek & Roswell. Our expansion in 2009 will include stops in: Dunwoody, Marietta, Norcross & Sandy Springs.

How does it work? Based on seasonal availability, we choose 2-4 varieties of fruits and 5-8 varieties of vegetables to create your CSA bag. Our food comes from local & regional farms, and sometimes farms outside of the southeast, but it is always USA-Grown and it is always Certified Organic.

Our new menu is updated on the website every weekend for the following week's deliveries. We encourage our CSA members to 'eat with the seasons' and experiment with more uncommon foods, but we will accommodate tastes and allergies with substitutions. For example, if you don't like plums but you love oranges, we will eliminate the plums from the bag and give you extra oranges. As an incentive to go beyond your 'cooking comfort zone' we offer easy coordinating recipes with each week's produce bag.


CSA programs are a system that connects people who live in urban areas to an environmental and socially responsible source of food from a local farm.

People who join the program receive a weekly or biweekly box of farm-fresh foods conveniently delivered to a neighborhood host site. Each week on delivery day the pick up site becomes a community hub for good food and healthy lifestyles as people stop by to pick up their organic groceries.

The program provides a framework for a relationship that allows consumers and farmers to collaborate efforts in order to ensure and sustain a safe and healthy food source in their community.

A Mother and Daughter Story

Remembering My Mother

by Dianne Harvey, The Paisley Farmhouse

It's hard to believe it's been two years since I lost my mother.

Growing up I was the baby of three girls— Debbie, Donna, and (Me) Dianne. Mama was the center of my universe! I was pretty spoiled, I guess, but she loved us girls with all her heart & soul, as did my daddy.

In 1973 my oldest sister Debbie was killed in an auto accident at only 17 years old. Our family was crippled with pain and grief, and we didn’t think mama would ever be the same. But because of our strong faith (and a peace that surpasses all understanding), in time, we went on to be happy and lived life the best we could without Debbie.

Years later my sister and I got married and had our own kids. Both of my parents came alive again when grand babies arrived! Memories of those days are so special to me. I’m especially thankful that our kids grew up with devoted, loving grandparents. To this day they are filled with amazing memories of their Nannie and Pop that will be with them for the rest of their lives.

What my parents chose to have written on their headstones was "the parents of Deborah, Donna & Dianne"; We were the most important things in their lives. That hit me so hard after my mom passed away. They wanted to be remembered for that above anything else.

I wish so badly that I could spend Mother's day with my mom now. For all of you out there who still have your mom here's a tip: It's not about the gift. (I know strange coming from a gift shop owner, right?) It's about spending (unrushed) time with her.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there; you do God's most important work!

(In memory of my mom and dad—Helen and Hubert Satterfield)

Roosters Need New Home

FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE

Alison Byrnes is looking for a home for her 2 young leghorn roosters (born 2/18/09). She has adopted a full grown rooster and is afraid they won’t all get along!

Please contact Alison Byrnes:
byrnes7@mindspring.com
404-394-2213

Milton Garden Club

Milton Gardeners,
We are so blessed to live in an area with so many gardening enthusiasts, amazing nurseries, and abundant free composted fertilizer! All of the rain has my garden off to a great start this year and I pray that we continue to receive such nice, soaking rainfalls throughout the season.

For those of you who couldn't make our last field trip to Bailey Farms and Gardens, I highly encourage you to take advantage of any opportunity (scouts, school, etc.) you might get to go on a tour of their grounds. Bill Bailey's knowledge of native plants, invasive plants, and his candid tales of his trials and tribulations gardening in Milton were enlightening and enjoyable. Braving the cold was well worth it, as we were able to see abundant naturalized hellebores, trilium, and so much more!

At our last meeting, Reagan Ferguson of Blossom and Bloom's Nursery gave us a tour of his greenhouses and showed us many new and spectacular flower introductions this year. As always, he was a gracious and informative host and we appreciate the time he spent teaching us about his industry and about plants in general.

UPCOMING EVENTS
May 9-10 Gardens for Connoisseurs
A self guided tour of Atlanta area gardens. If anyone would like to organize a group outing please send me an email. I will not be able to attend this event on Saturday so I am unable to take the reins on this one. You can find out information on tickets and locations at the following website: Atlanta Botanical Gardens

May Meeting - Everything Orchid!
We will enjoy the fellowship of our neighbors and fellow gardening enthusiasts while we enjoy wine and hors devours and learn all about orchids. The orchid experts at Rainbeau Orchids as well as an orchid expert from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens will lead this seminar.

June Meeting - Organic Gardening seminar
June Seminar - Composting
July Meeting - Square Foot Gardening Seminar
August Meeting - Preserving and Cooking with Herbs

Our meeting topics are chosen based on your responses to the survey that was taken at the first meeting of this season. Club members overwhelmingly were interested in composting, organic gardening and square foot gardening so we are going to address these topics in a series since all three go hand in hand and complement each other.

You may have noticed a new look for our website! As the Meetup.com site grows in popularity so do the options that they offer to participating clubs and one of those is new and interesting backgrounds. I love change, so I may be changing the look of the website now and then! More important than the look of the website is the functionality of the website. We are now able to solicit sponsors and embed their logo into our website, soon we will start taking payments for dues via online payments through Meetup.com, and the message boards have more organizational features that makes them more user friendly. And again, I encourage you to use these message boards as often as possible because it is a fast and efficient way to communicate and share information with all of our club members.

Please note that meeting minutes are posted under the left hand tab labeled 'Files'. If you miss a meeting you can always find the meeting minutes under this tab. Our Secretary, Carol Wahl is very diligent about posting timely and detailed minutes. Thank you Carol!

Our Treasurer, Eileen Prybol has now registered all members who have paid their dues with the Garden Club of Georgia. We hope to begin receiving communications from them shortly.

Abby Laboda, our philanthropy chair has many new and amazing projects for our club. If you signed up to help with philanthropy you will be hearing from Abby soon!

If you see Carol Rump at a meeting make sure you smile and introduce yourself! She is our historian and she takes many pictures of our events to add to the beautiful scrapbook that she has made for the club.

Priscilla Kahale, Co-president, has been busy with a long term teaching assignment at Northwestern Middle School so give her a pat on the back if you see her because she has been working hard!

Garden on!
Sharon Murphy
Co-President

Cool Event: HOME RUN Wine Tasting Fundraiser

Restaurant Review: Veranda (again!)

I went back to Veranda with some friends for lunch and this time had a better camera with me to take some photos of the amazing Tapas dishes.  Each plate costs just $5 and so far is the best Greek food I've had, outside of Greece.

A wonderful surprise was meeting another Milton neighbor there, Laura Deen, the wife of Walter Deen who I met about a year ago while he was cleaning up the sides of Freemanville Road as part of Adopt-a-Road.

Laura Deen

Lamb Tapas

Calamari

The Veranda Salad

Flaming Cheese

Zucchini Cakes

Hummus, Pita, pickled Beets and Peppers... and other delicious things.

Farm Fresh Eggs For Sale

Grown right here in Milton.  Support your local farms and gardens.  You'll find another roadside sign on Henderson Road (near Birmingham), at Hassel Farms.  

And a really groovy green barn.

Classic Milton Moment: Turtle Crossing

We were taking a drive along Freemanville, heading north towards Henderson, when I saw the little something in the road. But by the time I could stop I would have been way past it so I carefully judged the distance to drive over it with out smashing the thing. Slowly stopped and went into reverse, and there he was - the Every Summer Road Turtle heading across the street. Uh-o, Oh-Noooo...here comes another car and so I couldn't back up after all.

Well what do you know, they did the exact same thing. Slowed. Stopped. And then as we waited ahead to see what would happen, a boy got out of the passenger side, ran around and picked up the little guy and very gently carried him across the road so he could get there safe and sound.

That was a classic Milton moment. Still slow enough to live and see turtles. And wild turkeys, and bunny rabbits.

Celebration of Life: Miss Verna Morris Wright

As if by Divine intervention, this morning it stopped raining just in time and stayed dry for several hours while much of the original Milton community sat in Hopewell Baptist Church for the funeral service of Verna Morris Wright.  She passed away last week at age 96, but had been in the very sanctuary I was sitting in for her entire life.   And now, her final resting place is at Hopewell, as well.

Hopewell was her roots.  All those she touched sat in the pews thinking about what her grandson and former pastor of Hopewell Baptist Alan Sutton said about today being a celebration of her life and the fact that she had long been ready to go back to where she knew as Home.  If you knew her, then you absolutely knew that.

Miss Verna Morris' entire life was centered around her faith, her family and friends, and her piano.  Over and over, we heard stories about her infamous Front Room. It's the place where she played the piano by ear while her only daughter Marion, Bud all the grandkids - and whoever else was around visiting - would sing with her.  Good old fashioned hymns and folk music.

Miss Verna Morris had a garden.  A real big garden just like all the other real Milton families. One story that her son-in-law Bud Sutton, also a former pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, told us was how she liked to keep on moving.  Never stop.  He thanked all those at the service today who over the years had brought over pecans, and peas, and peanuts.  Whatever they brought, Miss Verna Morris peeled and shelled and cracked.  Bud asked her one day, "Maw-maw, why don't you give your hands a rest for awhile.  She replied, "Better to wear out, then rust out."  That's the way she saw it, always.

If you ask folks that really knew her, much more than I did, then you know what a impact she had to those she helped along the way of Life.  And she always smiled at you.

Alan read a bible verse that describes well the character of Miss Verna Morris Wright...

"10: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13: She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14: She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15: She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 16: She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17: She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18: She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19: She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20: She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21: She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22: She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24: She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25: Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27: She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28: Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29: Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31: Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates" (Prov. 31).

With those words in heart and mind, we all began to sing as loud as we could with the beautiful and magnificent sound of the chorus in front of us.  I thought to myself that surely Miss Verna Morris was smiling down on all of us from above shouting... I love you all and now I'm on my way.  Praise the Lord.

Jennifer Taylor Grew Up in Birmingham Park

Jennifer Taylor Hohenberger, affectionally known to her family, friends and old Milton neighbors as "Fudge", grew up in the only home still standing in 202 acres of pristine parkland in the the City of Milton, now called Birmingham Park.

Last Saturday about 400 volunteers cleaned up the grounds and the home which had been vacant for quite some time. Jennifer always tells me stories about growing up in Milton and how much she loved her horse called Noble. She also loves to talk about her grandfather, Christopher Lamb, lovingly referred to as "Pop-pop" by all those who knew him, young and old.

Before Pop-pop passed away, he asked his family to do only one thing. To spread his ashes around the pasture on the 4o acre parcel they had owned and lived over 19 years. Jennifer asked the caretaker of the property who said yes, and with her family had a memorial service for Pop-pop. Then they all watched as Jennifer rode Noble around the pasture spreading his ashes. After she circled in one direction, she and Noble turned around and spread fresh flowers over the ashes.

Jennifer grew up with her five sisters in that home once addressed 16050 Old Bullpen Road. Her parents, Bill and Karen Taylor purchased the home and 40 acres back in 1980 and lived there until 1997 when Fulton County purchased their land.

I told Jennifer I would do everything I could do to encourage the City of Milton to name a trail after her Grandfather. Lamb's Run.

Honor those who have gone before us.
Luckily in our community, Milton tries to do just that.

Charles Castleberry is Getting His Garden Ready!

If you see him out there, as with any Milton neighbor, just honk and wave in support of our local roadside farmers.  They love to wave back and say hello.

Friday Fishermen

Driving along Mayfield Road early this morning, I spotted though the trees two men fishing on the pond on a little pontoon right there in downtown Crabapple.  It was wonderful!  I wonder who these men are and if they actually caught anything....

Fresh Eggs For Sale in Milton

Wendy McGrew raises backyard chickens and calls the coop "The Taj".  Now we can all enjoy their produce. To earn some money over the Summer months, her boys have opened an honor system Fresh Egg Stand at their Home Sweet Home on Freemanville Road, just south of Dinsmore Road.

The eggs are beautiful, in all different colors. Go and support a local farmer, or two!

Raymond & Edna Westbrook's Garden

As I was driving by The Westbrook's, I noticed Edna and her friends Bobby and Winona Cagle in her garden. Since Raymond hasn't been feeling so great these days, Edna is in charge of planting this year. And just like the good folks in Milton have been forever, they still help each other in times of need. Like now...

Milton Headline News....

Harmless Or Health Hazard?
by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers
April 24, 2009

There is a heap of trouble brewing on Birmingham Road — heaps made of horse manure, to be exact.

The two piles of manure constitute either a harmless compost heap or an odorous health hazard, depending on which side of the fence you are on.
They sit on the 6.25-acre horse farm owned by 15-year Milton resident Cynthia Chandlee, just about 45 feet from her neighbor's kitchen window.

Chandlee says they are compost piles that break down into rich fertilizer, which is then picked up by a local landscaping company.
But her neighbors of eight years, Ricky and Kim Crittenden, say that's a load of, well, manure.

Their position is this is not proper compost, and that in certain times during the summer, the smell and flies get so bad they can barely go outside. They say it washes into their yard and is an environmental hazard.
"We've had company come over, and it's embarrassing," said Ricky Crittenden.
He said their property is surrounded by horse farms, which they love. Of course, none of the other farmers place mounds of waste 10 feet from the property line.

All they want, Crittenden said, is for Chandlee to move the piles someplace farther away where no one can be bothered by them. They said that request goes back to when they bought the land for the home from Chandlee in 2000.
Not surprisingly, Chandlee says the mounds are placed in the best area for them and her.

In April, the Crittenden's called Fulton County's Department of Health and Wellness and alerted environmental specialists to the mounds — part of what Chandlee calls "an ongoing feud" between the two families that has in the past involved Milton's code enforcement division.
Fulton County Environmental Specialist Lindsay Charles cited Chandlee April 8 for both keeping conditions conducive to breeding flies and maintaining "putrescent" material. He gave her two weeks to clean them up.

The problem, said Chandlee, is that horse manure compost piles don't breed flies — the chemical process that breaks down the material creates a reaction too hot their eggs to survive. Also, she said the piles don't smell like fresh manure because of that same process.
So when Charles came back April 22 to check on the clean up, Chandlee hadn't removed the piles. And now she's going to court May 1 for it.

"You have to be kidding me," said Chandlee. "I'm going to court for horse poop."
Fulton wants her to clean up all manure from her five horses twice a week.
"We're trying to go green, and they want this to go to a landfill. No horse manure should ever go to a landfill," Chandlee said.

April Majors is public affairs officer for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. She said compost or not, Chandlee was cited because it was determined the pile had the potential for producing a nuisance.
"It can attracts files, mosquitoes or rodents and can cause problems for both homeowners," she said. "It is our responsibility to investigate, and upon investigation there was found to be a violation."
Chandlee is perhaps most livid she could be cited for the potential of flies and smell.

"That's like giving someone a speeding ticket when they're sitting in a parking lot," she said.
For the Crittenden's, the situation has become a nightmare. When Chandlee was cited April 22, she began calling media outlets to tell the story. They say they weren't aware of any "ongoing feud" between them and Chandlee — whom they almost never speak with. They said they decided to only go through "proper authorities" and are distressed they are now involved in a saga playing out in the newspapers.
"Those claims of a feud are untrue," said Kim Crittenden. "I'm a private person, this is so embarrassing for me. I'm just not that kind of person."
They say they are now worried that the horse community in Milton might be turned against them.

"This has nothing to do with horses, nothing to do with farms," said Kim Crittenden. "It has to do with not being a responsible horse owner."Her husband agreed."This is between Fulton County and the property owner," said Ricky Crittenton. "I don't even know why names have to come into it. We just want the homeowner to take appropriate responsibility for managing her manure."

The whole situation has been creating quite a headache for Milton City Manager Chris Lagerbloom. He said the city was first called to Chandlee's farm by the Crittendens in 2007 when Chandlee began composting the material instead of having it hauled off. Chandlee said that was due to rising costs of having it transported.
At first a code enforcement officer asked her to move the piles 100 feet from the property line. Then Milton reversed its position after Chandlee did some research and provided her findings. Chandlee apparently wasn't composting commercially, which would have required the 100-foot rule, so there was no violation of city code.
Lagerbloom said since then the calls have continued — which the Crittendens refute — and no violations have ever been found, "You can only investigate the same thing so many times," he said. But Milton can't tell Fulton what to do."They [Fulton County] have a health code that they believe at this point has been violated," said Lagerbloom. "Our opinion is that we can't stop the Department of Health as much as my personal interest might be to say, 'Come on guys, let's not let this get out of control.'"

Chandlee maintains she has been unfairly targeted. There are at least five horse farms that surround her property on Birmingham Road, none of which have been cited.
But that's because no one has ever complained."It's selective prosecution," she said. "If it applies to me, it applies to every horse farm in Milton."

The Crittendens feel the whole situation is "very unfortunate.""This should be handled as neighbors," said Kim Crittenden. "It's a waste of our officials' time and a waste of taxpayer money."

The outcome could set a big precedent for the small town, which is rife with horse farms and even bases its image on them."We have a lot of horse farms, and with horse farms come horse poop — it's just a fact of life," said Lagerbloom. "There could be the risk that the people who are upset with a neighbor or don't like the smell or the visual appearance of it [could file] a complaint to an agency outside the city of Milton's control that does have the ability for enforcement action."

******************************************

A conflict between a homeowner and a neighboring horse farm is threatening Milton’s beloved horse community.

Ricky and Kym Crittenden complained to the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness about two waist-high manure piles next to their property line.

Environmental specialist Lindsay Charles on Wednesday cited horse owner Cynthia Chandlee with creating an environment that can smell and breed flies. To comply with county regulations, Chandlee must haul the manure away twice a week instead of once a year as she says she does. Chandlee has three horses and a donkey on her 6-acre farm.

The citation has sent a collective shiver through the horse community in Milton.

“Word is traveling very fast,” said Laura Bentley, who owns an 8-acre horse farm with four to six animals. “For some, hauling it away isn’t an option. It’s very expensive. This makes us all vulnerable. It threatens our ability to keep horses.”

Jim Grogan, who was in the waste-hauling business for 30 years, said it would cost $600 to $1,400 a month. Usually, people haul the waste off every two weeks to once a month. “This is a way to put the horse people out of business,” Grogan said.

Many horse farms spread manure over the pasture because it’s cheaper than fertilizer. “Only the biggest farms haul it away,” Bentley said. “You have to have a lot of horses to justify the expense.”

Bentley said it seems to be another clash between Milton’s image as a pastoral refuge and the reality of animals next door.“It’s like anything. What do you want?” Bentley said. “If no one has horse farms, then say goodbye to the world we live in here. “

Bentley estimated Milton has between 150 and 200 horse farms.

Horse culture permeates the city. A horse emblem adorns city vehicles, city stationery and the city Web site. Road signs warn motorists to watch for equestrians.

Mayor Joe Lockwood said the city doesn’t have any authority in the case, but he said he will try to intervene if the case does threaten the horse community at large.“We’d certainly support the horse community,” he said. “It’s our identity and something we want to preserve.”

The Crittendens bought their land about nine years ago and said Chandlee promised to move the manure piles then. Chandlee said she mixes in pine shavings from the bedding to create a compost, which she gives to a landscaping company.

Kym Crittenden, who grew up with horses, said she’s tired of battling flies and the smell in the summer from the manure piles. She said she believes the piles could be moved, so that it’s not a problem. Chandlee said that it makes sense to have the manure piles near the barn.

Chandlee maintains that the county is citing her for a problem that doesn’t exist. Charles told Chandlee when he cited her Wednesday that the law doesn’t allow an environment that is likely to smell and breed flies. Her case goes to State Court on Friday.

Crittenden said she had hoped the dispute would be handled quietly. “My whole thing has nothing to do with the horses,” she said. “I hate that the horse community is up in arms.”

-Doug Nurse, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Miss Verna Morris Wright R.I.P.

At 5:45 this morning, we lost a special woman in the Hopewell Community, Miss Verna Morris Wright. At age 96, she was the eldest member of Hopewell Baptist Church in Milton, Georgia.

I met Miss Verna Morris several years ago at the church and then went to visit her one day at home while she was living with her daughter and son-in-law, Marion and Bud Sutton.

The thing I remember most is how soft and cool her hands were and how she held mine while I talked with her. She always had a sweet smile and loved to talk about growing up here in Milton.

Miss Verna Morris's late husband, Virgil Wright, is the first cousin of the mothers of my friends, Joyce Walker Samples and Byron Burgess. Joyce told me today that she remembers Miss Verna Morris as someone who always had a smile of encouragement to all that knew her. And she always loved to play the piano by ear.

Miss Verna Morris was loved by all in the Hopewell Community and beyond. She will be missed but all who Believe say she has gone to be with the Lord and have Peace in knowing this to be true.

To my Sutton Family friends, I thank you for opening your home, and your hearts, so that I could spend time with such a beautifully faithful woman who loved to sing. I can almost hear her now in Heaven. God Bless.

CLICK HERE for more about Miss Verna Morris Wright.

Mrs. Verna Morris Wright, age 96 of Alpharetta, passed away Wednesday, April 29, 2009. She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil T. Wright.
Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Marion and Bud Sutton of Alpharetta; grandchildren, Cynthia and Scott McWhorter of Cumming, Tim and Mary Lou Sutton of Woodstock, Loren and Denise Sutton of Cumming, Alan and Sandra Sutton of Cumming; brother, Willis H. Parks of Smyrna; sister-in-laws, Annie Ruth Parks of Palmetto, Winnie Wright of Alpharetta, Evelyn Estes of Cumming; 8 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren, special friend, Helen Avery.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 2nd at 11:00 am at Hopewell Baptist Church with Rev. John Lummus, Rev. Kenny Collett, Rev. Alan Sutton and Rev. Lee Gaddis officiating. Mrs. Wright will lie in state at Hopewell Baptist Church at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Ingram Funeral Home on Thursday, April 30th from 2:00 pm until 9:00 pm and Friday, May 1st from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm.

Shelia Foote

As I passed by Bea Haney's place on Providence Road I saw her blonde hair.  I knew it had to be Shelia Foote. Made a U-Turn, and it was her. I haven't seen Shelia in over a year.  She was gardening.  And loving it.  Just look at that smile!

In case you haven't met Shelia, she used to have a BBQ place for many years at the corner of Providence and Freemanville Roads, where The Union Restaurant sits now.

RECIPE: Grilled Zucchini With Mint and Red Chili

This recipe requires a little patience because it’s best to let the flavor of the zucchini develop slowly on a not-too-hot grill, rather than just char them quickly. They get a wonderful, almost fried flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
5 medium-sized zucchini (each about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a dozen large mint leaves, finely sliced
as much very thinly sliced red chili as you can handle
coarse salt
Preheat your grill to medium.

Cut each zucchini in half crosswise and then cut each half into 1/8" planks. In a very large bowl, toss the zucchini with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Lay the zucchini on the grill and cook for about four minutes per side, keeping the heat moderate so you’re sweating them and not really giving them a ton of color. Turn the heat up to high and grill for about a minute more on each side to mark them. Depending on the size of your grill, this may need to be done in batches.

Remove the zucchini to a large platter. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with the vinegar, mint and chili (I just use the bowl I originally tossed the zucchini in). Drizzle this over the zucchini, being sure to evenly distribute the chili, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

SERVES: 8
TIME: 15 minutes

Bimingham Park Clean Up a HUGE SUCCESS!!

Many hundreds of folks showed up in their grubbies, with chain saws and shovels in hand, to clean up the most beautiful open space in the City of Milton - 202 acres of spectacular land called Birmingham Park. What a great day of service, fellowship and lots Fun!

Volunteers, of all ages, help clean Birmingham Park:

My friend Jennifer grew up in this home, the only house on the 202 acres of parkland:

City of Milton Employees, City Council, CH2M Hill, LDS Members & Volunteers:

Lunch and Rest Hour:

Many Thanks To Our Local Food Sponsors:

The Park:

12 Goats Found Roaming Lost in Milton

Todd Nadler and Bob Solly just found 12 goats roaming lost in Milton. They were first found near Chicken Creek and are now located safely at Bob Solly's farm on Wood Road. Do you happen to know where they live?

Contact Bob Solly directly at 770.752.1898 or email miltonville@gmail.com

Birmingham Park Clean Up TODAY!

Don’t Miss the Big Clean Up at Birmingham Park!

In preparation for the city-wide volunteer effort to clean up Birmingham Park, Mayor Joe Lockwood has spent a few days clearing some of the park's many open areas. "I think the City is so blessed to have this park," said Mayor Lockwood, who spent last Saturday and this past Tuesday on his tractor gearing up for Saturday's big event. "Birmingham Park is twice the size of North Park, and when it is all said and done, our residents can enjoy all aspects of recreation in their City."

The clean up takes place this Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

The project, spearheaded by Milton Grows Green and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is part of two national clean-up programs, "The Great American Cleanup" and "Day of Service." Residents are encouraged to join in this major park clean up by contacting: cleanupmilton2009@cityofmiltonga.us.

Big Numbers Expected at Birmingham Park Clean Up!

It appears as though there are going to be quite a few folks at Birmingham Park for the "Day Of Service" event. The following are some of the food vendors who are offering up free food in support of the day. Thanks to all of you!

The food should arrive shortly before noon!!
Here’s the “skinny”:
Firehouse Subs – 40 sandwiches
Dominoes – 10 pizzas
Subway at Bethany Village – 45 sands, 36 cookies
El Azteca – 60 burritos
Starbucks – iced tea for 300
Birmingham Publix – water
I Love NY Pizza – 10 pizzas, Stromboli, garlic knots
Olde Blind Dog – 50 club sandwiches
Milton’s – 80 chicken salad sands + house made chips
Crabapple Kroeger – 10 cases water
Subway at Crabapple – 30 sands
La Parilla Crabapple – beef/beans/rice for 20
A&W/KFC – 25 two piece chicken dinners
McDonalds – 100 chicken wraps
Chipotle – 100 ½ burritos, 100 chips and salsa
The Red Hen – 25 cobb/chef salads
Roasters – 80 cornbreads, 80 rolls, butters
Macaroni Grill – rosemary bread for 100
Brooklyn Joes – 10 pizzas, pasta
Chick Fil A – 100 sands
Cici’s – 12 pizzas
Costco – 10 cases of water
Zaxby’s – ice, iced tea
Wal Mart at 9 and Francis - $30 gift card
WalMart at WindwardSuper Target - $20 gift card
Philly’s Pretzel Factory donated 500 pretzels

Meet Milton Artist Marcia Blake

Marcia Blake has the most beautiful garden right here in Milton, Georgia.  Full of flowers and quaint walking paths.  Including an art studio which sits out back of her home in Kensington Farms.

It's an artist's dream come true.  Marcia looks out a gigantic floor to ceiling window as she creates her art.  And everything is perfectly white in the background of the amazing colors in her artwork.

I had the privilege of meeting Marcia at her studio several months ago and asked if she would allow me to exhibit her work at City Hall as part of the Milton Arts Committee. She graciously accepted.  It is perfect timing with the celebration of Earth Day.  Her work is all about green things.

This month begins a new art exhibit at Milton City Hall featuring Marcia's photographs. Photographing flowers are her passion and her work can be found adorning the walls in the Council/Court Room.

The show runs now through June at 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Milton GA.

Below is just a tiny sample of her work.  The colors are amazing up close.  

Stop by and Smile.

Milton Earth Day Grocery Bag Project

Local Children and Earth Day Bags at Crabapple Kroger

One of the store managers helps bag groceries

Roswell resident Heath Waller.  Look at all her Earth Day Bags!

Her daughter did this same project with the Girls Scouts over 20 years ago!!  

Think Green EVERYDAY not just on Earth Day.....

Summit Hill Elementary's Environmental Education includes this year a brand new project called Earth Day Grocery Bags.  Chairs of the committee, Gina Schwendel and Kathy Johnson, spearheaded this wonderful project at the school and I was lucky enough to pick the winners (based on certain criteria) which are now displayed at Milton City Hall.  This year Crabapple Kroger and Birmingham Publix had the colorful bags.  Next year they hope to include all the local schools.

Also on display at Milton City Hall is art by local artist and Milton resident, Marcia Blake, which I will tell you more about tomorrow.

Go by Milton City Hall located at 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Milton, GA 30004.  Art is displayed in the Council/Court Room.

Happy Earth Day 2009!

Gotta LOVE Marcia Blake's (an Artist and a Milton Resident) Actual License Plate.

So Cool...

RECIPE: "Poke" with Figs

A reader's recipe for the fig jam I found under the tree.

Go down to Publix and get yourself a pork tenderloin. Be sure it is a plain one and not marinated in something.

Dry it (because it makes it brown better) Put some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a pan and quickly sear the tenderloin on all sides.Remove tenderloin and set aside. Geglaze the pan with OJ (or white wine) and save.

Deglaze= heat up pan,pour in OJ in and scrape all the stuff (fond=juices/pieces of meat, etc) off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and set aside.

Put seared tenderloin in a preheated oven and cook at 350 for a few minutes, maybe 25 (depending on how pink you like your pork).

The last few (5) minutes brush on some fig jam.

Heat the OJ and reserves (pan drippings or fond) to serve as gravy.

Remove pork from oven and let sit 5 min before slicing into medallions. Slice, plate up, and drizzle with OJ gravy.

Nice side dishes are white rice and sautéed pineapple rings.

Assuming you haven't cooked much pork tenderloin. (How'd you guess? Was it the Passover post?)

It's really very versatile but you gotta be careful and not overcook it. Like pork chops and other pork that doesn't have alot of fat it can dry out quickly and become tough. If you pull it out of the oven and it's too pink, don't worry, just slice it and put the medallions in the pan and cook them to your desired doneness.

Pork roast, Boston butts, picnic hams and pork shoulders have so much fat you can cook them r-e-a-l slow for hours and the meat will fall apart (a.k.a. Bar-b-que) but we'll save those recipes for the 4th of July.

Bon Appetit!

What's the Difference?

So, I get this call from Abbe Laboda asking me what is the difference between a donkey and a mule and I know that my Milton Cowboy friend has told me but I forget so I looked up the answer again for her (and me!).

Dear Abbe (that sounds funny):

Many people question as to what the difference between a donkey and mule is. The differences are mainly physical, and can easily be seen from those who know what to look for.

When concerning species, the donkey itself is a species. The mule, however, is a direct result from a male donkey (jack) and female horse (mare) mating. Interestingly enough, mules can not reproduce, since they are in fact sterile. Donkeys, on the other hand, can reproduce at will.

As far as physical differences go, mules are usually slighter larger than donkeys. This makes sense, because mules are a result of a horse and donkey mating, and the mule inherits genes from both animals, including the horse’s height. Also, the donkey has a distinct bray, while the mule will have a combination between a whinny and a donkey bray.

As far as usage goes, mules can be used in any application that horses can. From sports, harnesses, cutting, or roping, the mule can do many things the donkey can not. Since the mule is a hybrid, it gets traits from the donkey and can carry more weight than a horse, and has much more stamina. Another interesting feature that mules have is their ability to jump- up to a few feet from standing still in place, much more than a horse could do.

Even though mules have much more uses than donkeys, the downfall is that they can not reproduce as a result from being sterile. The American Donkey and Mule Society claims donkeys outnumber mules about 10 to 1.

Even with all of these differences, one can easily mistake a mule and a donkey. With this guided knowledge, you should be able to now tell a donkey apart from a mule, which can prove very useful in many situations.

I have some other blogs on this subject. If you look on the right side of this blog and scroll down to "donkey", you'll find more information about donkeys and mules in Milton.

REPEAT: Charles Day, The Barber

Woke up this morning thinking of my friend, Charles Day and his family so I've decided to post this story again. Enjoy.....

Mr. Charles Day and His Barber Shop

By Patti Silva and Abbe Laboda

March 2008

(Unedited version of the story in today's Milton Herald)

Close your eyes for just a moment and picture the tiny chocolate brown building facing Cogburn, just south of Francis Road. It sits behind a majestic oak tree guarding a home-built red barn. The sign reads: Tuesday and Thursday Open 7:00pm. You have probably passed it a thousand times during Milton’s rush hour and wondered what it is and who is inside. This is Mr. Charles Day’s barbershop. The barbershop, the barn and his home, which he shares with his beautiful wife Carolyn, were built by Mr. Day in 1961.

After passing it for some time, leave it to Patti to stop and say hello. The next thing I know we are sitting in this tiny building on a Tuesday night getting a history lesson, not to mention a lesson on haircutting. We were touched by the heart on his sleeve, inside-out warmth of this 80 years young barber and how he stood on his feet for three hours cutting hair and relating stories. We learned about horses and buggies, old storehouses, crops, how to make butter and how folks stored sweet potatoes. There were tidbits of Milton families and about old Milton County. (He started a story on his Granddaddy McClesky which we will revisit at a later date.) We learned that Mr. Day also has a barbershop in Sandy Springs and his patrons included Eddie LaBaron, Jack Nix, Lester Maddox, Jim Aldridge, Charlie Brown, Sid Bream and Wally Fowler.

On that Tuesday night a few of his customers included Randall Cagle, whose father Edward Cagle pastored Boiling Springs Baptist Church on Birmingham Road for almost 40 years, and Milton’s first mayor, Joe Lockwood, and his second grade son, Charlie. Surprise and laughter filled the room when, upon arrival, Charlie and Mr. Day recited each U.S. President in exact order. Afterwards, the quick-witted Mr. Day recited the Smithfield Address for us in another lesson.

He had lots of stories to tell, but one stood out in particular. It's about growing up in this area during the Depression through the late 1950’s, and what life was like back then. It is best told in his own words:

“My Granddaddy McClesky, old home place is the house on the hill, across from the church on the corner of Hopewell and Birmingham.” (It is said to be one of the oldest houses in Milton and Fulton County which was built in the early 1800’s. Some people refer to it as the Hopewell House, others refer to it as the McClesky house. It still has a painted ceiling in the parlor of a Moravian Star of Bethlehem. The Moravians were a group of missionaries that came through the area about 1820.) “My granddaddy McClesky bought that house sometime between 1910 and 1915. He thought that was the most beautiful he’s ever seen.”

“I lived there 11 years until I got married and moved here. Our family were sharecroppers. My granddaddy didn’t own his own farm, so he borrowed money from his brother, who owned Seven Gables Farm, to start a country store. That was H.D. McClesky’s granddaddy. He was very tight with his money. My granddaddy ran that country store on the barter system. He had eggs, butter, chickens, rabbits and more. We would trap rabbits, which was legal at the time, and sell them. That’s how we made a little extra spending money. You see, I was born during the Depression. We didn’t have money, but we had plenty to eat. (If you, our readers, remember our column on Dorris and Hazel White, you’ll recall Dorris said the same.) I can remember Christmases when we would get a little bit of fruit and maybe a chocolate or two and what a treat it was and how proud we were.”

“We didn’t have loaf bread like we have today, but we had home biscuits, country ham, home canned vegetables and sweet potatoes. To preserve them [sweet potatoes], we made a pile and then laid sticks and straw, and then some boards or whatever we could find and packed it with dirt. We built it up like a tepee. It was a lot of work. Then in the winter when we needed some potatoes you’d scratch out a hole to get them. A lot of people did that when I was a boy.”

“People raised hogs and dairy cows. I can remember when I was in high school everybody in the county had a dairy cow. I remember when I saw a dairy truck pull up. I couldn’t believe it that you could get your milk from a truck. It was about 1953 or 1954, while I was a senior in high school. If somebody would have told me that when I raised my three children that we wouldn’t need a dairy cow or had to go out to a well to raise water or go out to the outhouse on a cold morning I wouldn’t have believed it. We didn’t have electricity and lived in shotgun houses. It was just the way of life, but we got by.”

“I have the perfect solution to our water crisis. Back then we had all the water we wanted. We had to go out to the well and draw it in a bucket and bring it back in. Give everybody all the water they want. Put a spigot out in the street that would be impossible to hook up a water hose. They could have all the water they wanted for free, but they had to go out and get it. Then when you have to go out and get that stuff and bring it in the house (it won’t be wasted). But nowadays we are so spoiled. I’ve seen my own mother and sister let the water run in the sink in the kitchen. I can’t stand to see that water run.”

“I used to have a barber who worked for me. One day he was shaving a man and he let the water run. I timed him and he let that hot water run 57 minutes wide open. There’s no sense in that. I was the one who had to pay the bill. People take it for granted. Staying too long in the showers. All this stuff has been mentioned in the paper. I can still see my brother and sister with a 1/3 glass of water brushing their teeth. Why 1/3 glass and not a full glass? Because we had to go out and get it. You think about what you’re doing. You use it wisely. We got by. Again, give everybody all the water they need, but they have to go out and get it. The ones that are not able to go get it, let the neighbors get the water for them.”

“When I was a boy the men folk help the widows in the community. They would help get the water and keep their woodpile high. The men saw to it that they had what they needed.”

“In 1940, we lived at the Campground, the family whose house was closest to us had all caught the old fashioned flu and were in bed. That winter we had a lot of snow, about a 1 ½ ft. Mother and daddy were tending to their livestock and to the well. Remember nobody had electricity. It was close to zero degrees and it was cold. I remember I was almost five in January. The snow drifts were so high you couldn’t see where the ditches were.”

“Mother didn’t have any boots so Daddy would take a stick through the snow while he walked to the neighbor’s house and packed the snow as he went. Mother took two fertilizer bags and lined her feet with them and tied a string to keep them on, then follow daddy’s footsteps over there. She’d start a fire in the wood stove, milk their cows and tend the chickens. [The neighbors] were so sick they had to use portable potties or buckets and it was so cold they would freeze so she would have to warm them up and pour it outside. The two teenage girls were so sick that they were vomiting and had disentary and messed up their bedclothes. Momma would wash their clothes and bed by hand and have to hang them in the house so they wouldn’t freeze. On the third day their medicine was starting to run out. So daddy walked to the country store up at Joe Percell’s. That store burned and now it’s an antique store. Joe Percell started telling people as they came into the store about them and what was happening. Well, we had only been in that community for one year but the word spread. Oh, the people started to come in the next day and they sat with them around the clock. They set a fire night and day and tended to them until they got well. Mother was like a nurse, bathed them, helped them on the bed pan, whatever needed to be done. They kept that family from dying.”

“In 1943 my daddy nearly died from double pneumonia. My brother and I plowed part of our land with George Turner. He got all the neighbors to help out one morning. The men plowed our garden and the women carried the manure out of the barn by baskets full to put in the garden. They planted nearly 15 – 18 acres of cotton and 20 acres of corn. There were 39 teams of mules and everyone was working on our farm. They had it done by 11:00 that morning.”

“That was when neighbors knew how to be neighbors.”

It was inspiring to listen to the recollections of a past generation. There is no doubt that the older generations of our Milton today deserve all the respect and kindness we can provide. Our generation is one that can learn from the past to curb our hurried and self-centered lives and strive to be better individuals by lending a hand to our neighbors by simply being kind.

If you want an honored experience that you’ll never forget, take a moment one Tuesday or Thursday evening to stop at Mr. Day’s barber shop for an old fashioned, expert haircut. Then later, when you drive by Mr. Day’s, remember to wave and show him that neighbors still know how to be neighbors.

TP War Going On Now

If you've driven thru the streets of Milton, Georgia during the past few days, you can't help but notice all the trees decorated with toilet paper.  It's Junior-Senior War time.  When kids go nuts TPing the homes of fellow Milton High School students, their parents go nuttier trying to get the stuff off.

I think the most outstanding TP job is at the home of Marci Byrne on Freemanville Road.  I drove by just as she was trying to get some of the mess off the ground.

I called Alison Byrnes (similar name but no relation) to comment on the TP job at the front entrance of her long driveway and she couldn't believe the Junior's even came all the way down her long driveway to play "war".

I think the funniest comment I've ever heard about this TP War is when Alison said, "...and they used Scott toilet paper!  Can you believe that?  They could have at least used Angel Soft or Charmin!"

Well, what's the difference, I asked?  She said, "Scott is the expensive stuff!"

Midway Meal House Morning

Yesterday I told y'all about Tim Sutton of Sutton's Service coming to repair my fridge.  Well, it was Mike Sale who showed up to do the work and we talked about the Sutton's and other great families here in the Hopewell community of Milton.  One person he brought up was Lee Sosebee.  I know his son Mike Sosebee from occasionally attending Hopewell over the last few years.

So, this morning my dear friend Joyce Walker Samples and I had breakfast over at the Midway Meal House.  And who do we see right there at the next table but none other than Lee Sosebee! Always amazes me what a small world it is around these parts.  I mean it's not like I see these folks every day but the connection factor is what makes me smile.  I'll be thinking about someone or meet the kin of someone, and then next thing I know I'm running into the person we were just talking about.  It's a small, small world in Milton, Georgia,  Even if I just heard that Milton has the most square miles of any city in North Fulton County.  Hard for me to believe.

Also sitting at the table across from me and Joyce was another Miltonian, Leon Cole.  I've been with him on several occasions at Milton City Hall.  He is a tenacious, devoted man dedicating much of his retirement hours to taking a stand and speaking up to preserve what's left of Milton.  Turns out he and Joyce used to work together over at Northwestern Elementary School, which used to be over on the land where Crabapple Baptist is now.

On his way out, Leon, Joyce and I talked about the name for the new elementary school over on Birmingham Highway and asking our elected officials to consider naming the new school just plain ole Birmingham Elementary School or Birmingham Community School.  Why aren't they considering this instead of adding Trails, Bend or some end sounding like a frilly subdivision name.

Then on the other side of our table was Gerald Sweatman.  Joyce remembered his face from years ago when she listened to him sing at a local church.  He remembers Lee Sosebee from his days killing time (and staying outta trouble) at Lee's gas station down the road on Highway 9. (in fact, it's still there.  A real old fashioned service station!) I asked for Gerald's website so I could look him up.  He's been singing and writing gospel music a long, long time.  Joyce said she loves his voice.  I almost asked him to sing a few bars on his way out of the meal house.

So far this morning, it's been busy and now I'm getting on with the rest of my day.  The sun is out and the birds are singing.  

And, I'm wondering who else I'll be running into later.....

Sutton's Service

My refridgerator is on the blink so I called Tim Sutton today who runs THE BEST service company in our area.  Tim is son of a former pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, Bud Sutton. And Bud Sutton's best friend is my "uncle" Steve Rosenthal, also the best Allstate agent. Buds's other son Loren also called me this morning about something else.

It's gonna be a Sutton Family day for me.  Tim comes by this afternoon to fix the fridge.  Maybe he'll tell me a funny little secret about his Dad.  I love that guy.

Anyway, if you ever need an appliance repair company or any referral for that matter, just call Tim and he'll help you out.  Honest, reliable, local and all the best of adjectives to describe a man and his company!

Sutton's Service

Tim Sutton

82 Marietta St

Alpharetta, GA 30009
(770) 442-3778

Happy Easter!

We hope the Easter Bunny leaves you all lots of chocolate eggs today!!

Roadside Gardens Popping Up All Over Milton

As you drive through town, notice all the families starting their roadside gardens, getting the dirt ready for all those Summer vegetables!

Sheep Sheared on Providence Road