Fort Mountain State Park

We took a short trip last week to a new place we have never visited before. We had hoped for some spring flowers but the elevation was a bit too high and spring was not really in show.

We visited Fort Mountain State Park near Chatsworth, GA. The park is at an elevation of about 2,832 feet and spring has not quite made it to the top of this mountain yet. But we did find an interesting place.

At the top of this ridge stands an old fire tower, as seen in this photo, and a stone wall. The wall was built around 500AD, and the builders are not known with any certainty. There are many theories regarding who the original builders were but no one has made a concrete determination. It is thought either Native Americans built the wall or Price Madoc, a traveler from Wales may have built the wall on this mountain.

The photo of the firetower shown here, was taken in the afternoon and shows you how the trees have still not started to have any leaves or buds. We took the photo with the sun highlighting the front and at our backs. A good way to take advantage of natural light, the light at this time of day always makes for a decent photo.

Spring Birds

The birds are enjoying the spring flowers as much as I am. We have a young weeping cherry tree in our front yard and as you can see this little titmouse is loving the spring blooms.

I really look forward to spring and all the birds and flowers, it gives lots of color to everything. I have been spending time sitting on the front porch with my camera in my lap waiting on an Eastern Blue Bird to come and pose. She has a nest in a birdhouse we have hanging in the front yard. The problem is, she is not very camera friendly. We have to play a waiting game each evening.

I come out onto the front porch and she flies away, across the street into a big tree. She sits in the tree or on the gutter of the house next door and watches me and waits. I sit in my chair on the front porch and wait on her to return to the birdhouse or my yard. Guess who wins.

Yep, I typically give up and go inside before she gives in and returns to the yard.

About five minutes after I go into the house, I look out of the window and she has returned to the front yard again.

One of these days I know I will win.

Watching the Birds

It is Spring, the birds are just so happy. I step outside and all I can hear are the birds singing in the trees.
We have an Eastern Blue Bird nesting in our bird house just outside the front door. She is tending to her nest and we can watch her from the window.
The only problem is we can not sit on the front porch in the evening now. If we sit there she will chirp at us and stare until we leave. I sat there for over 20 minutes last evening waiting on her to go to her nest, she refused to go to the nest but she would not go away either.
Guess who gave in an left the porch.
I can't wait to see the babies when the leave the nest.