"this is the life" (alt. title... "ass in the mud")

{Wetplate image taken at Pickett's Mill - Dallas, GA by Wendell Decker. May 31st, 2008.}

Well here I am; back in ole Iowa once again. If you've been keeping up with my blog, you'll know I went off to Georgia last Wednesday and just got back on Tuesday. I'm going through withdrawals already! I had so much fun; it's hard to know what to write about. I think part of the fun I have at these things is the good friends I hardly get to see coupled with the experience of re-living the past. Wednesday I drove to St. Louis to hook up with my good friend Silvana and from there we hitched a ride with our Kansas City buddies. We started out around midnight or 1a.m. and drove through the night; all 9 hours to Dallas, Georgia where the Pickett's Mill historic site was located. What an absolutely gorgeous area this is!! Words cannot express the beauty in that neck of the woods. From Thursday through Sunday we had the most wonderful 1850s cabin to stay in. It was a dream come true. I've stayed in cabins before and old structures from the early to mid 19th century, but this building really was in great shape; better than most I've seen. Suffice it to say, I was totally impressed. Even the guys we drove with were jealous we got to stay in the building and not them. But they got to sleep in the original trenches that are still there today on the battlefield, so they didn't complain too much. ;-)


{Picture taken just before our tintype was made.}

I won't go into detail about the weekend, because there was just too much that happened. My friends I miss terribly and the experiences I'll never ever forget. There were lots of laughs on the drive in the car filled with five guys and the two of us girls in the back, along with another truck with two guys caravaning the whole way. Those boys are some of the sweetest and most thoughtful people I know and I'm so fortunate to have them as friends. I could probably write a book, but instead I'll leave you with a handful of pictures from the weekend. Most of them were taken discreetly or before/after the event. 'Cause ya know, my camera isn't exactly "period correct" for 1864. ;-)



{Silvana and I fightin' and being silly, as usual.}


{Liz and I trying to look tough.}


{The incredible 1850s cabin we got to stay in.}


{More structures being built, located behind the cabin.}


{Getting ready for dinner Thursday evening.}


{TJ, Kelly and Jay rolling around in the GA dirt. Dirty boys. ;-) }


{A bunch of our fellows. They're all sweethearts.}


{On the drive with our KC buddies: Mike and Forrest in the front, Jay, TJ and Kelly (who you can't see in this picture) in the middle seat. Silvana and I were giggling in the back seat, like any girls would do in a car full of guys. teehee. :) We had waaay too much fun.}