Oh I am worn out! Sarah has been working me so hard this week so I had to take a little sunning time on the porch this afternoon. I have been digging and digging and digging with little appreciation from Sarah. She has been getting ready for a photo shoot by Alabama Public Television this week. We both worked hard in the yard this weekend and then the wind came on Sunday. So we had to clean up all the mess in the driveway and in the yard. She was planting impatiens and begonias to complement the Rhododendron blooming on the mountain. I kept digging holes for her but she never liked where I was digging. So I just decided to go chill out on the porch and enjoy the sunshine and the birds chirping.

Lookout Mountain and Mentone continue to look beautiful as the Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel are beginning to bloom all over town and along the river. On Sunday, we hiked over at DeSoto State Park on the Azalea Cascade trail and down along Little River and Indian Falls. The river is running strong and the banks are lush with foliage and flowers. Mentone is busy this week getting ready for the annual Rhododendron Festival. It is an arts and crafts festival with live entertainment and good food. The bonfires on Friday and Saturday evenings are very popular. Discover who is entertaining on the website www.mentonefestivals.com. It is a fun small, town festival. There will even be boat rides on Little River starting at DeSoto Falls. Don't forget to buy a ticket for the handmade quilt that will be raffled off on Sunday afternoon.

Spring is here and the mountain is beautiful. All the dogwood trees are full of blooms and are all over the woods. See how pretty the Main House at Mountain Laurel Inn Bed and Breakfast looks surrounded by dogwoods. Some Rhododendrons are starting to bud and to bloom. Wildflowers are showing up all over the woods. DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon are having Wildflower walks this weekend. Sarah and I have not gone looking for Lady Slippers yet but I bet there are some showing their beautiful blooms. The great rains we have had lately are keeping the waterfalls full both at DeSoto Falls and Little River Canyon. It is a great time to be on the mountain. Sarah has even invited her mother up to Mentone to enjoy Mother's day next weekend.

Sarah, however, has been a bit gloomy this weekend. She has been training on her road bike to go to Chattanooga this Saturday and to ride the 3 Mountain 3 State ride. It is a bike ride that travels through Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee over Suck Creek Mountain, Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain. This would have been the third year that she and her friend have completed the ride. However, the 80% chance of thunderstorms kept them from going. She says it is scary enough coming down the mountains when it is dry so with water and lightening, it did not sound very fun. In fact, this morning when we delivered coffee to the guests at the B&B, the lightening and thunder was pretty bad. (Too bad we didn't get to sleep in with the rain.) They will try to find another century ride in the area soon.

Despite the hard rain this morning, the sun came out in time this afternoon for us to take a walk. I'm sure Sarah will get on her bike tomorrow and ride down to Valley Head and back up. I guess I will stay here and let guests just love on me. Sarah did give me a bath this week so I am looking mighty fine. Someone asked Sarah the other day if I run along side her while she bikes around the mountain. Little do they know- I am not made for perspiring. I prefer my A/C in the house. I will let Sarah do the sweating.

Best Regards, Lickety-Split

Hiking to DeSoto Falls in Mentone, Alabama

Sarah and I put on our hiking boots today and headed out to DeSoto Falls. It is an easy ten minute hike from Mountain Laurel Inn Bed and Breakfast but we do not enjoy this hike as often as the guests do. Sarah wanted to take some photos while the 102 foot Falls is full of water and the water is still a beautiful blue, green color. The weather was perfect today with warm temperatures and an expansive blue sky. Sarah meant for this to be a quick trip to the Falls but as it always happens, she cannot help to keep on hiking. We hiked to the top of the Falls and she got some great shots from the dangerous overlook. She does not let me get out on the ledge because if I get nervous, I try to crawl up in her lap. She got right out on the dangerous overlook and took some pics. The river is roaring and looks beautiful. I stood guard a good distance away from the edge. I am certainly glad Sarah is not a klutz since it is almost 125 feet to the rocky bottom.

We headed back down the trail to start the descent to the bottom when lo and behold a groundhog came hopping up the trail towards us. She was as shocked to see us as we were to see her. Doesn't she know that Groundhog day is in February? She took off and Sarah freed me from my leash so I could give her a good run for her money. I never quite caught up wtih her so I headed down the cliff with Sarah. It was a little treacherous going down to the river. Sarah thought she was going to need to carry me down some of the rock faces. We got to the pool at the bottom of the Falls and I was in heaven. I love running around and running into the water. Every once in awhile I just settle in for a cool soak. I love that cold mountain river water especially on a warm day when I am still wearing my winter coat. We had a blast with Sarah taking pictures and me running in and out of the water.

After awhile, we headed back up the trail until Sarah realized that she was going to need to lift my soaking wet and not so sleek body up the rock faces. She decided we would adventure a little more instead. We didn't go up the cliff but headed down the river. The path is a bit vague but she was hoping to know which rocks to take a left and head back up the cliff to the bed and breakfast property. We overshot the property a bit but we made it back up fine.

It was a great hike today! Hiking on Lookout Mountain is awesome. Sarah was even impressed that I was not totally a "miss priss" and loved romping in the woods and the river. However, she does need to give me a shampoo, massage and a manicure now.

Bed and Breakfast Biker in Alabama

After serving breakfast at the Mountain Laurel Inn B&B and serving lunch to the Seniors at the MERF community house, Sarah is off on her bike again. But today she took her Trek Hybrid which she rarely rides. Don't tell her but she sort of looks like the wicked witch of the west on that bike. She just needs to add a basket and ToTo.



She rode over to Camp DeSoto for some tree climbing. She gets this way every Spring. The 8th grade from Athens Academy in Georgia, where she used to teach, comes up to Mentone for a 3 day retreat. She has been helping with this retreat for over 20 years now. She goes over to Camp DeSoto before the kids get here so she can climb some trees and get back in shape. She helps with the high ropes course so she has to remind those muscles what it feels like to carry her body up that tree on those small steps. She loves climbing trees especially with students and hopes to still be doing it when she is seventy. She's getting closer every year.



I love when the 8th graders come because I get lots of attention and love from all the students and the teachers. But the best part is that my dog friend, Harris Tillman, comes to play too. He and I have a great time running around Camp DeSoto and discovering plenty of people that haven't given us enough belly rubs or finding a great swimming hole in the local pond or river. Sarah likes to trick me and call my name when she is 40 feet up in the tree. I just believe it is a squirrel jealous of my natural beauty. The kids have a great time as they get to go horseback riding, canoeing, rock climbing, rappelling, flying on the V-swing, bonding on the low elements and climbing on the high ropes course. They also get to play games and enjoy a campfire with hot dogs and s'mores and hike to DeSoto Falls. Life couldn't be any better.



Not that I need it but I must go get some beauty rest!

Lickety-Split loves Darius Goes West

It's another beautiful day in Mentone so Sarah is out riding her bike. That gives me time to sneak onto her computer and do a little blogging.

Back in January, Sarah had some of our friends over for a Meet Darius party. She served them dinner while they enjoyed a DVD called "Darius Goes West" It is a documentary about 15 year old Darius Weems from Athens, GA that has Duchenes Muscular Dystrophy. His form of MD is 100% fatal and had killed his older brother, Mario, several years ago. Darius had never left Athens before. Eleven college age boys decided to take Darius out West to the MTV show "Pimp My Ride" to have his wheelchair pimped. It is a fun adventure as they travel across the country in an RV allowing Darius to see the ocean for the first time, the grand canyon, Carlsbad Caverns and many other places. The documentary also informs the audience about wheelchair accessibility and the disease. I loved Darius' great laugh and his wonderful outlook on life. He and his mom know how to live life to the fullest. Logan Smalley, the director and Darius' good friend, shows us what it means to be a friend. All of the crew is impressive. Sarah did enjoy seeing Daniel Epting, her former student, playing a great role as the crazy RV driver. You need to watch this DVD and find out what "Goslabi" means and "I'll walk to Atlanta". See their website http://www.dariusgoeswest.com/ and become a 13th crew member. You will not regret meeting all of these guys especially Darius and Logan. You can also come stay at Mountain Laurel Inn B&B and watch a copy of the DVD while you relax here in Mentone. Sarah is trying to share it with all of her guests.
I better run or go take another nap before Sarah returns from her ride.

Hello from Mentone, Alabama

Life has been good on the mountain this week. Saturday brought the second snow in ten days . I love chasing the snowflakes and playing in the snow. Many people came to Mentone this weekend to see the snow. Unfortunately, Cloudmont Ski Resort was not able to be open since we have had warm days in between the snow days. Today was another beautiful spring like day so Sarah and I took an hour long walk. First we stopped by DeSoto Falls and as always, we were amazed as to how beautiful and powerful the Falls are with the extra rain that we have had lately. And the water is an emerald green and blue this time of year which almost looks like the water at Six Flags or another amusement park. Little River is so full, we can hear the Falls at the Inn too. The woods are beautiful on the mountain with the sparse look of winter with trees and rocks but then daffodils and crocuses are blooming all around. Sarah hates to pick the daffodils because they look so perfect in the woods but they also look great on her breakfast table. I just enjoy rolling in the leaves in the woods. Thanks for reading my first blog I have ever written. I taught myself how to type on the computer when Sarah wasn't looking. I hope to tell you more about the wonderfull area I live and play in so check back often. I'm off to take a snooze.