5-8-18 last walk in Ivy Creek Greenway:

Can't get enough of this place!  But, sadly, this will probably be the last time I see it.  Tomorrow we pack up and move 2 1/2 hours South.  Won't be fighting the traffic through Atlanta and up 85 just to revisit my greenway.  I love how there's always something here to catch my attention.  So many wildflowers: some that bloom in the spring; some that bloom in the summer; some in the fall along with trees changing colors; and winter with ice and snow on the river bank is even interesting.  So what will I find today?
Looks like mountain laurel are in full bloom now.

The Wisteria has given way to the mountain laurel.

Have no idea what this bush is, but it's white flowers are really pretty right now, too.

the trail by the steps I've taken a hundred times to get down to the trail from Mall of Georgia Blvd by the shops I often walked, too.

coming up on our apartment complex.

Would have liked to walked more of the trail one last time, but there was more packing to be done!  This was one of the highlights of living here at the Preserve at Mill Creek.

5-3-18 back to the Ivy Creek Greenway:

Gotta get my last few walks in along the greenway.  I will miss it!  So just about everytime we're driving back from anywhere, I have Ken drop me off by the shops and I walk down to the trail and to the apartment.
There are so many interesting wild flowers growing along the way.  Today there was an abundance of white ones.

4-26-18  Dicky Doos and Ivy Creek, too:

Before Angie and Josh moved to Perry, they gave us a $25 gift certificate to Dicky Doo's that Josh had won at a work party.  So today Ken and I decided to go check it out.  I was impressed!  Quite an a variety of entrees and sides!  And it was all very good and cheap.  We did manage to spend the whole $25, but we both got drinks and dessert with our meals. 

 Cute little place.  Too bad we didn't know about it sooner.  Don't know how often we would  have gotten there since it was a pretty good distance away---20 minutes or so when traffic on I-85 is good.  It's just scary to get on I-85---you never know when it's going to come to a complete stop.

 Back at the apartment complex, we stopped at the dumpster to throw some trash away.  I'm always amazed at the stuff people throw away.  This time I found this tri-pod there.  This is a $100+ tri-pod!  It is missing the quick release piece, but they're easy to find online and only about $15.   Ken also grabbed the yard stick.

 Back at our apartment, Ken had managed to get most of the garage items into the 5x8 trailer to haul down there this Friday.  It hasn't been this empty the whole 2 years we "lived" here!

 Later I headed out on the Ivy Creek Greenway.  I'm really going to miss it!  Even though the traffic here is awful, the preserve the runs along our apartment complex is convenient.  Often when Ken and I are out, I have him drop me off up by Costco and I walk back through the preserve.  I've heard people express concerns of safety there, but I've never encountered anything strange there.

 Except maybe some of the wildflowers.

 and flowering vines.

 Quite a few people do use the trail, even though it may not look like it here.

 The apartment amenity area of the trail---which leads up into the complex.

 the stairs and ramp to the complex.

 I always take a break here and enjoy the sounds of the creek.  Great place to sit and drink the water I often bring with me.

There will be a lot I won't miss about this area, but the Preserve is one place I will miss!  Hopefully I can find somewhere to go that's conveniently close to our new place in Perry, Ga.

4-3-18 a walk on the wild side:

With the weather being so beautiful the last couple of days and more cold weather on the way, it was time to get back into the preserve and look for wild flowers.  So I had Ken drop me off by Costco on our way back from the bank and I headed to the stairs to the preserve from Mall of Georgia Blvd near Costco. 

heading down the stairs.

4-1-18  Easter!!!

Layla's first Easter.  Sporting her cute little Easter dress from Once Upon a Child. 

 Love how Angie's recording all these special events with Layla

 While we waited to head over to Angie and Josh's for Easter dinner, I prepared a bunch of food:  salad; dressing; deviled eggs; strawberries; and even some little pizzas to just have in our freezer.  Then I took advantage of the nice weather and took a little walk.  First to the trash bin to throw away our daily trash (and find treasures---this time I retrieved a large plastic linen bag.  Figure it'll come in handy in a couple weeks.).  Then I headed down to the Ivy Creek Greenway.

 Even walked down to the river.

 I keep thinking this would be a great place to bring a beach chair and just sit and enjoy the sounds of the water, but I haven't done it---yet.

 It's so soothing listening to the cascading river.

 Love seeing the flora come alive, too.  I would guess this is a wild dogwood?

 Looking up at the overlook from by the river's edge.

 Looking down the river.

 a wild orchid?  There were several of them along the river.

 one last look at the river. 

I'm going to miss this when we move.  So close and convenient!

About 4 pm we went to Angie and Josh's.  Thought we were eating early, but they had gone to lunch after church, so weren't hungry yet.  So we visited until about 6, then started dinner.  It was great: Honey Baked turkey; dressing; salad; deviled eggs; mashed potatoes; green beans; and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Then we played our usual Sunday Social Mexican Train Dominoes.  Josh managed to win tonight.  But it was fun and Layla was really good.

3-30-18  a walk along Ivy Creek

Haven't been on the trail for a couple weeks.  So I had Ken drop me off up by Costco on our way home from dinner and I went down to the trail for a little walk.  Wanted to check out what Springtime things were happening there.
Don't know what these little bell like flowers are, but they were cute.

 as were these little yellow flowers

 I also don't know what these purple hanging flowers are, but they grow all over the trees this time of year.  Pretty now, but a parasite to the tree.

 The falls at the old mill was really roaring today.  We did have lots of rain last night.  But, at least it's warming up finally!  All week it's suppose to be getting up in the 70s, although I'm not sure it made it there today. 

 Dang phone camera didn't know what I wanted it to focus on.

Gonna miss the greenway, too.  Wonder what I'll find by our next place?!

2-27-2018  picnic at Ivy Creek Greenway

All the while we were on Maui, I kept seeing TV ads for Arby's Roast Beef!  It's been a long time since I had one.  I guess advertising does it's job!  I've been having cravings for them.  So Ken suggested we go to Arby's for lunch today.  I eagerly accepted.
Once we got our lunch, I suggested we have a picnic at the picnic area by our apartment complex overlooking Ivy Creek.  Ken agreed---so we had our first picnic there (in almost 2 years!). 

 In fact, it was Ken's first ever time even coming down to the greenway!  I love this area of the greenway and it's right by our apartment complex!

1-8-18  finally!!!  Warmed up enough to take a walk on the Ivy Creek Greenway!

I've been seeing lots of pictures on Facebook of icy waterfalls in the N. Georgia mountains.  That got me wondering if the little waterfall by us on the Ivy Creek Greenway froze at all.  It's not suppose to get that cold here in the Atlanta area---so I've been told!
On my way to the Greenway, I decided to walk by the pool area.  I was surprised to see they put a cover---sort of---over the bar b q pits 

 and added a lot more loungers to the pool deck.

Nov.   Ivy Creek Greenway and Mill Creek Nature Center:

Still having unseasonably warm weather, so it was time to get out on the trail again.  This time I walked East.
The top of the falls at the "mill".  

11-13-17

 pretty reflections in the creek today.

11-13-17

10-9-17  a walk in Ivy Creek Greenway:

Another late walk.  Didn't have to worry about the sun throwing shadows on the water---it was already low in the sky.  This is by our apartment complex overlook and picnic area.  I like to sit here and cool off after my walks or bike rides.

 The river just past the rapids---on it's way to our building.

9-2-17  walk into Mill Creek Nature Center and Ivy Creek Greenway:

For over a year now I've been referring to all my walks through the preserve adjacent to our apartment complex as walks on the Ivy Creek Greenway.  Today I actually realized that the area off the Greenway, where the Boyscouts have made trails, boardwalks, and bridges, and some viewing platforms, is actually Mill Creek Nature Center.  I haven't often gone into the Nature Center since it is about a 2 mile walk just to get there, but I have discovered it is pretty nice in there.  I was going to group my walks in the Greenway pretty much by month now, but I took my Olympus TG-4 with me today and took a bunch more pictures then I usually do, so am making this a post by itself.
This guys was actually still in the apartment complex grounds as I was walking to the greenway.  I had to watch him awhile to make sure he really wasn't just a leaf. 

 When I got to the Greenway, I headed East.    This Gulf Fritillary posed for me.

8-19-17  walking around in the preserve:

It's been so hot and humid lately that I've spent more time walking on a treadmill then walking in the preserve, but I do still make it out there now and then.  Instead of  recording my walking finds on a day by day basis, I figure why not group a bunch together?  So this is some of my finds between the last week in July and August.

7-29-17

 Ivy Creek right by our apartment complex preserve entrance area.

7-30-17

7-4-17  walking West on the Ivy Creek Greenway by our apartment:

Decided to change it up today and went West on the Greenway.
This is the winding bridge right at the exit from our apartment complex. 

 an interesting fly on the rail of the bridge.  Surprised he let me get this close.