Meeting Randall Franks

Randall Franks (center) with The Watkins Family

This past Saturday (April 14th, 2012), I had the pleasure of representing the non profit radio station I work for at "The Solomon Bunch" red carpet premiere in McDonough, GA. This family and faith-based film shot on location in our listening area is absolutely fantastic! It also featured a guest appearance by bluegrass legend Randall Franks.

Since I host a bluegrass gospel program on the weekends, I've been wanting to meet Randall Franks and had the chance to do so at this event. The table for my station was set up across from his, so I introduced myself and invited him to come on my program at a future date. He was delighted to do so and gave me three of his albums to include on the program. It was an honor to meet such a legend.

Franks resides in Catoosa County, GA and is known as the "Appalachian Ambassador of the Fiddle". He was a member of the legendary "Father of Bluegrass" Bill Monroe's band, and played with bluegrass greats Jim and Jesse, the Marksmen Quartet, and has performed with Jeff and Sheri Easter. On top of that, he also played Officer Randy Goode on "In the Heat of the Night." And has appeared in many other movies with Christian Slater, Dolly Parton, and legendary western star "Doc" Tommy Scott.

Not only is Franks one of the best Appalachian fiddlers in existence, he is also an author and historian of Appalachian culture. He also operates an Appalachian music scholarship foundation called Share America Foundation. You can learn about all his accomplishments and contributions when you visit RandallFranks.com

Before "The Solomon Bunch" premiered, the audience enjoyed a performance by Randall Franks and The Watkins Family. It was great!

Jesus Donkey

Just before Easter we had some listeners invite us to their family farm. I had previously told them that my wife and I were homeschooling and so they thought it would be a fun field trip for the girls -- which it was!


They rolled out the red carpet for us and even had a farm fact sheet printed out for the girls. First on the itinerary was breakfast which consisted of pig in the blanket sausages and cinnamon rolls. Next, they took us to their fields of red clover which was at peak bloom. We snapped a few photos of the girls standing in the waste high (to them) clover. After that we took a golf cart ride through the cow pasture.


Most of the cattle were black angus with a few jersey cows. In a lower field they had a few donkeys which the girls fed with some left over bread. One of the donkeys had the marking of a cross on it's shoulders and our friends referred to it as a Jesus Donkey. The donkeys were quite nervous and I was warned not to get too close to them as they would deliver a pretty strong kick.


With it being so close to Easter and smack dab in the middle of "Passion Week" the story of the Jesus Donkey and their skiddish nature to strangers revealed to me a hidden miracle of Jesus' day.


 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” Matthew 21:5


Here-in is the miracle. Jesus riding on a colt that had never been ridden. And moreover, the donkey's mother paying no never-mind. I couldn't even get close enough to feed these tame donkeys without the threat of having my brains kicked out. And here is Jesus, the King of the Universe riding on an unbroken donkey's colt -- that donkey knew who he was carrying, don't doubt that!


And just think about it, the donkey knew, but God's own people failed to realize! For it was later that week that his own people crucified him on the cross. I pray that today God's people will be as smart as that donkey in the gospels. May we recognize our Saviour for who he truly is!


Just a quick lesson I learned on a farm tour one morning.

Rock's Ride and Run

About a year ago, my boss approached me with an idea for a new feature on our radio stations. The program would be a sports devotional called "The Winner's Circle" and would be hosted by Coach Rock Knapp (who came up with the original idea).

Coach Rock is one of the most fascinating individuals I have had the pleasure to know and work with in my 11 years of broadcasting. Before I met Coach Rock, he was a winning high school football coach. Most noticeably he was the head coach at Sherwood Baptist Christian School -- the same place Facing the Giants was filmed.

A few years ago, Coach Rock was diagnosed with two terminal forms of cancer, but despite this setback Coach Rock has not slowed down one bit. Coach Rock is very involved in the community bringing hope to other cancer patients and spreading the Gospel. He is also working on publishing a children's book geared for children battling illness.

Recently Coach Rock stopped by the studios to cut a Georgia Town Crier program with me. This edition of the program will focus on Rock's Ride and Run -- a duathlon taking place on the west side of Atlanta. Proceeds from this event will help support cancer patients who cannot make various household bills due to their incredible hospital payments.

The Real Life Center of Tyrone has partnered with Coach Rock on this venture and the whole thing kicks off on June 23rd. You can find more info and register as an athlete or sponsor when you visit www.RealLifeCenter.com.

Georgia Bluegrass: Stone Mountain Village

On March 31st, the family took a day trip to the Stone Mountain Village Bluegrass Festival. There is nothing more American, more organic, than bluegrass music. Bluegrass evolved from the music that the Scott-Irish immigrants, who populated the Appalachian mountains, brought with them.

Eventually it would be brought to the mainstream by the likes of Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys. The actual genre of bluegrass derived its name from this group. Of course all sorts of greats like Flatt and Scruggs, The Osborne Brothers, and many of the early pioneers of this musical format was influenced or were members of Bill Monroe's band.

Just before the Stone Mountain Festival kicked off, one of the all time greats of bluegrass -- Earl Scruggs passed away in Nashville. Scruggs brought the three-finger picking style of the banjo to the forefront while performing with Bill Monroe in the mid-1940s. That moment was broadcast live on the radio during the Grand Ole Opry. It was a musical moment akin to Elvis shaking his hips on live television -- but well received. Generations of banjo players would imitate Scruggs style of picking, which allowed the banjo to be played faster than the typical claw-hammer style that was prevalent before hand.

At the festival, many of the banjo pickers played one or both styles. There was a main stage set up for the headliner bands, and then assorted groups would gather along the main drag of the event breaking into impromptu jam sessions. It was pure heaven for a bluegrass lover. Of course the thing I love most about bluegrass is that one can go from singing about corn whiskey into a gospel song that is more theologically sound than most preachers I've heard.

Now I know there are those reading this blog that will poo poo bluegrass as being unrefined and hillbilly. But to disrespect this genre is akin to burning the American Flag in my humble opinion. For there is nothing more Americana than bluegrass -- it is America's music. Brought here by immigrants and refined into what it is today by their offspring. And that my friend is essentially American.

Rite of passage

What America needs in 2012 is an honest conversation. Many people will agree that America is "off course" and that she has "lost her way." But is the solution to getting back on track a political one?

Just a couple days ago, I was listening to an interview program airing on my radio stations. The host of this particular program was discussing the new movie Monumental with producer Kirk Cameron. Monumental tackles the subject of America and where we are as a nation opposed to where we were at the beginning. One question from this interview got seared into my mind. The host asked Kirk, "where will change begin?" Kirk's reply was that real change in America will not come from the White House, but rather real change in America will come from parents talking with their kids around the dinner table.

A few months ago, I was interviewing Jim McBride, executive pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia and executive producer of the movie Courageous, about his book "Rite of Passage". The message of this book was that parents today are failing to usher our children into adulthood, thus failing to prepare them for the rigors of life. His suggestion is that we need to create a rite of passage for our sons and daughters that are unique to them. For boys, this would mean creating a moment when you tell your son that he is now a man your eyes, and for girls that they are now women. Fathers need to be involved in each ceremony if they have sons and daughters.

Jim also suggested that as a part of this "rite of passage", that you surround your children with hand picked adult mentors that they can rely on throughout life, including yourself. Doing such a thing would insure that whenever they have questions they can always feel they have a source of wisdom to tap.

I couldn't agree more with Jim McBride, or Kirk Cameron for that matter. Coming from a background where my dad was distant and not involved in any sort of a "mentoring into manhood" capacity, it is my goal to be that sort of father to my daughters. So often I hear people complain about the way America is today, but it is my sincere belief that we are where we are because parents have failed their offspring.

Some may disagree, but if you take a good look at the economy today and the rise in poverty -- I dare say one can draw a correlation between the rise in poverty and the breakdown of the traditional core family unit. Divorce, having children out of wedlock, families where the parents would rather shove their kids into daycare than take the responsibility of raising them properly -- all this contributes to the economic mess we are in today. Look at the debt crisis that brought about the most recent economic collapse. Did families really need all that stuff that was bought on credit? Or ask yourself this, could we have focused more on our families living on less, but having each other? Certainly that can be done.

One of the biggest lies that we bite into as parents is that we need to provide our children with the things we didn't have when we were children. Hogwash. The only thing I am providing for my children that I didn't have is an involved father. The material things I didn't have, well, I never missed them. I never wanted them, but I do remember wanting parents that were involved. You have to think like a child. I dare say children today would give anything for the attention they deserve from a parent. Turn on the news and you can see children who longed for an involved parent acting out in society in many harmful ways.

So my message to America is in line with Jim McBride's and Kirk Cameron's. Be that involved parent you need to be. Step up to the plate of responsibility and start taking care of your own. Engage your children, talk with them, guide them, instruct them. Set up a "rite of passage" where one day at the appropriate age you hand them the baton of adulthood and surround them with wise counsel. This is where real change in America will begin. 

GA Legends

One of the things I love about my line of work is all the interesting people I get to meet. At NewLife FM one of the programs I produce/host is the Georgia Town Crier (GTC). GTC is a fun interview program that is about a half hour long and focuses on issues, events, and the people of Georgia.

A couple weeks ago, Georgia legend Okefenokee Joe sent me his latest single "A little more Sunday everyday". The song deals with the crazy times we currently find ourselves in and how we need to focus on Jesus to get through. I liked the song and thought the music video on youtube was clever, so I decided to see  if he would come on GTC to discuss the song and talk about his life -- which he was more than happy to do.

Okefenokee Joe is quite the character. Back in the 1990s, he made an award winning documentary on the Okefenokee swamp called "Swampwise". You can still watch it online on the Georgia Public Broadcasting website. But before that Okefenokee was actually known as Dick Flood. This was back in the 1950s-60s when he had a career as a country singer/songwriter. Although he wasn't well known, some of his songs were picked up by Roy Orbison, Porter Wagoner, and other contemporaries.

Later in life Dick Flood moved to the Okefenokee swamp and lived on Cow House Island with his dog swampy. It was here that Dick Flood changed his name to Okefenokee Joe and had sort of a religious experience living off the land. Today Okefenokee Joe travels Georgia doing snake shows at schools and teaching children that mankind can live in harmony with God's creation.

During our visit on GTC, Okefenokee shared his heart about the state of America and how he is concerned with the direction we've taken politically -- how we've parted the path our forefathers. And how we've thrown morality and faith in God out the window. Then we discussed wise stewardship of creation.

Okefenokee Joe shared his take on how we can live in harmony with snakes. "Leave them alone," was his advice. They don't want to be your friend and they don't want to be bothered. Even the poisonous ones -- just leave them alone. Don't kill them and they won't bother you.

His advice on nature in general -- everything serves a purpose and works together the way God created it too. If you can't use it, leave it alone. Only use or take what you absolutely need.

My final question was one of personal curiosity coupled with a bit of soul searching. I asked Okefenokee Joe, "you've seen some difficult times and you've been on this journey called life longer than  me, what would your advice be to the next generation of Christians following in your footsteps?" His answer was simple, he clarified the fact that he was not a preacher and stated that his advice would be to stay in contact with Jesus, keep your faith strong, and stay as close as you can to Him.

Just a little bit of "Swampwise" wisdom.

Mountain top reflections

If you stand on the roof of my house facing south, you can see the ridge line that eventually turns into Pine Mountain, GA. Pine Mountain is one of my favorite places to go for a day trip, or for a weekend camping trip. Just a 45 minute drive by car and one Sunday afternoon I did the Meriwether-Pike scenic route (which included a run through Pine Mountain) on my motorcycle.

As far as Mountains are concerned, Pine Mountain is not very tall only reaching about 1400 feet. However it offers some of the best views this side of Atlanta. (There is another Pine Mountain on the north side of Atlanta).

Pine Mountain offers a vast array of hiking trails with primitive camping, mountain bike trails, and picnic spots -- not to mention a great selection of stone cabins built by the CCC during the great depression. In 2010, I took the family there for a weekend and we stayed in one of the cabins. The cabin was completely furnished with a kitchen and large fireplace. The girls had so much fun and we took them swimming in the spring fed pool that FDR used.

Pine Mountain and the nearby town of Warm Springs played a huge role in the life of FDR. It was where his Little White House was located, and the photo above is of the very bbq pit his people made on Dowdell's Knob. FDR would come there a lot during the Great Depression and during WW2...making 41 trips between 1924 and his death. I can see why he liked it too. Often I like to sit and reflect on life from Dowdell's Knob.

Going back to the camping trip we took in 2010, it was so much fun. The girls had so much fun making s'mores on the campfire and Noelle caught a lizard. Just a short hike from the cabin there was a great place to watch the sunset on buzzard's roost. At the end of the camping trip my car battery decided to die and I had to be jumped. It was a Sunday so no place was open to get a new battery and I was also running on fumes, but glory to God we made it all the way to LaGrange where I found an open Auto Zone.

Now that spring of 2012 has arrived, my wife and I have decided to purchase the $50 yearly pass to all GA state parks. I'm looking forward to going back to Pine Mountain and tent camping with the girls. Staying in cabins and hotels is fun and easy, but the expense is for the birds. Folks who can't enjoy roughing it in a tent and waking up to campfire cooking and cowboy coffee seriously don't know how to enjoy life. Same goes for folks who have to bring all sorts of junk with them on a tenting trip...keep it simple. Unplug, unwind, and get back to the basics. And a few chiggers never killed anyone...just remember to bring the clear nail polish.

Country Kitchen Recipes: Grits revisited

A couple weeks ago I decided to take an adventure and bought some quick grits. Originally I wanted to buy real hominy grits, but couldn't find any at Ingles. The difference, for any yankee readers, is similar to the difference between quick oats and steel cut oats.

After reading and comparing several recipes for breakfast grits, I decided to try my hand at cooking. The first and only (to date) recipe I tried was simple. Water, salt...boil...then add grits and cook for 5-8 minutes. Despite what many may be thinking grits are not "gritty". These grits turned out rather creamy, sort of like cream of wheat. To add my own twist I topped the grits off with sharp Cabot cheddar cheese, a perfectly poached egg (yolk was runny), and a dash of pepper. It was really good! A couple days later I even made the same recipe for my wife.

Needless to say, I'm hooked on grits now and I can't wait to try some other recipes.

This dry and barren ground

I feel the closest to God when I'm in my garden. It's a spiritual experience to take a patch of dry and barren ground, work it, and then see the fruits of your labor spring forth.

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread..." Genesis 3:17-19


This curse is brought forth in fullness in a half acre patch of my backyard. The area in question is thick with  thorns, weeds, poison ivy, and all sorts of ilk. But last summer I was astonished to find that growing in the midst of Adam's curse were the most beautiful and fragile flowers -- passion flowers. It was like they were breaking through the curse and offering hope to a hopeless stretch of ground. Their beauty seemed to overshadow the ugliness just a few inches below. How could something this beautiful survive this treacherous landscape?


In some sort of spiritual fashion, nature was playing out the salvation story. When God cursed the ground and dealt the punishment Adam deserved for his disobedience, it was God who also provided a means of salvation and hope. He promised Adam that one day his seed would rise up against the curse and conquer it. That happened when the passion of Christ led him to the cross and in the cursed ground he spent three days only to rise in splendor. Much like these passion flowers.


Later that summer the passion flowers turned into the most incredible and sweet passion fruit. And as I savored the fruit I was reminded yet again that the best things in life are freely given to us by God.

Front Porch Conversations: Back Deck Memories

Recently my wife has taken up the art of knitting. One of the items she has knitted for each of us in the Chagnon household was a toque (if you're french-canadian), or a toboggan (if you're southern). Still have no clue as to what I'm talking about? Take a gander at the photo to the left and the item on my head.

March can be a surprising month in Georgia -- much the same as it was in Vermont. Just two days ago it was 76 degrees, but today it was pretty nippy. So naturally I wanted to wear my toque before heading outdoors this afternoon. As I was trying to get the toque to fit properly on my head, I looked in the mirror and was reminded of a funny childhood memory.

My dad used to smoke Marlboros when I was a kid. However, my mom didn't let him smoke inside -- so it was a common site to see him on the back deck of our house taking a cigarette break. Again I refer you to the photo above because in the winter that is how my dad used to wear his toque. I always thought my dad used to wear his hats funny. Anyway fiddling with my toque this afternoon reminded me of my dad's funny toque wearing style.

But even funnier than the way he wore hats, was the one time he came out on the back deck to smoke and as he was lighting his smoke, he slipped and slid head first down the steps cursing all the way. It was hilarious -- the toque thing just made it even funnier. I always knew smoking was bad for your health.

Country Kitchen Recipes: Kiss my Grits

After 15 years of living below the Mason-Dixon Line, I finally found enough nerve to buy grits. Okay, so they are not hominy grits -- but baby steps okay?

Lately, and due in part to rising food costs, I've been curious about cooking cheaper foods that I normally wouldn't pay attention too. The 2lb bag of quick grits in the photo to the left was found at WalMart for $1.26. As soon as I got home I browsed the Internet trying to find some simple yet out of ordinary uses for grits -- you know other than slathering them with butter and cheese, which by the way I heard was a good use. I mean come on, being from Vermont sometimes the only coaxing I need to try a new food item is to be told it goes good with cheese.

But this time the thinking needs to be outside the normal "cheese box". So I put forth this personal challenge. The challenge is to find three recipes that incorporate grits as a breakfast item, a side dish, and as an intrinsic part of the main course. The next challenge will be getting my entire family to sample the dishes. 

Front Porch Conversations: February Frogs

While growing up in Vermont, there were two things I looked forward to in the spring time -- the return of the Robins and the Spring Peepers. To me nothing said winter is finally over like the chorus of those night time frogs.

It's been a life time since I've gone through a Vermont winter, but here in the south I've come to recognize the signals of spring. One is the migration of the thousands of Sandhill cranes that fly directly over our house, another is the Spring Peeper. The nightly chorus is enjoyed on my front porch in the early spring free from the pollution of the summertime cicadas that dominate the southern night.

But despite the fact that I've lived in the south for just about as long as I lived in Vermont, I'll never get used to the spring peepers making their debut in February. In Vermont they usually debut in late April or early May. However, they are a welcome sound as they lift up their joyful noise and signal the end to winter. The pond across the street from my house is full of them this year, but I'll never forget when we first moved into our house -- they were a lot closer then. 

The previous owners had a swimming pool that was unused and stagnant. It was my goal to tear it down once we were fully moved. But I ended up leaving it over the summer. Several dozen frogs had made the pool home and I came to the realization that the sound of frogs is best enjoyed at a distance. 

None-the-less, to all my yankee friends who may stumble across this blog...I leave you with the following video of spring peepers in February. May you enjoy them in a few months too.

Front Porch Conversations: Storms

Storms -- whether physical, spiritual, or emotional -- are a part of our existence. In the physical sense, there is nothing I enjoy more than a good thunderstorm with a front row seat on my porch. But here in Georgia, a thunderstorm can go from spectacular to devastating in a matter of seconds.

As I write this blog, at the end of February, Georgia is in that dangerous transition stage between winter and spring. Atmospherically it is one of the most turbulent times of the year as cold and warm air masses clash in spectacular display. This atmospheric battle results in our spring tornado season. But as last year showed us, it doesn't matter whether you live in the South or the north -- storms will affect you. However, for me I can find peace in the middle of the storm knowing that God is in control. This was played out in a fascinating way during last April's super tornado outbreak.

As is often the case in Georgia, the severe weather moved through during the overnight. Severe weather at night makes it difficult to physically see tornadoes, so we were huddled in our guest bathroom watching the weather radar on my blackberry. At one point I knew there was a tornado tracking in our general area and I went out on the front porch to see if I could catch a visual in between lighting flashes. (okay so I'm the type of guy that runs to storms, not away)

While on the front porch the storm got eerily still...little did I know that just a couple miles away an EF-3 was tracking through the town to our south. The next morning I actually found ripped shingles in our front yard from the tornado. The tornado had hopped skipped and jumped for several miles. Not only did that tornado come too close for comfort, but another one had touched down a just a couple hundred yards from one of my station's radio towers. It was a miracle we didn't get any damage.

Still another tornado from that night hit the town in which I work. This tornado destroyed the Christian Women's Center -- a home for abused women -- but miraculously no one was seriously injured. Recently I had the ministry's founder on the radio and we were talking about the recovery process. That in itself is another miracle and story of God's protection and provision. The community rallied around the Christian Women's Center and now they are building a brand new facility that will house even more hurting women and greatly expand their outreach.

So yes, living in the south you have your fair share of storms. But your safety during such turbulent times depends not on your location as much as it does who is sheltering you. Even in the middle of one of the worst tornado outbreaks in the history of the U.S., I felt completely safe knowing that God was watching out for us. And the stories of people I know who did get hit only point to the awesome restoring nature of that same God.

Front Porch Conversations: Wicker Rocking Chair

Imagine a front porch with two wicker rocking chairs. What if I told you that you could spend the evening on this front porch with one person of your choice whom you've always admired. Who would that person be, and what would you ask them?

Every Sunday evening I host a radio program called Front Porch Bluegrass Revival. When producing this program I try to create a little "theater of the mind" and make the listener feel as though they are stopping by for a visit on the front porch of our radio station along with many bluegrass greats both past and present.

One of the bluegrass greats that stopped by for a visit was Rodney Dillard who performs a couple of my favorite songs Wicker Rocking Chair and Don't wait for the Hearse to take you to Church. I'm sure many of you are already familiar with Rodney Dillard especially if you've ever watched the Andy Griffith Show. Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band played the role of the "good natured trouble makers" -- The Darlins. Today Rodney is still performing and recently released a new CD and in conjunction runs a ministry that evangelizes using the small town principles and life lessons of the Andy Griffith show.

It was a fun time talking with Rodney and hearing about their humble beginnings back in the 1960s. Back then it was make it or break it and you had to make courageous decisions. Theirs was hitting the road with only $5 and then happening to run into Andy. I love success stories that start with humble beginnings.

On the program we also play Bill Monroe -- the father of bluegrass, Alison Krauss and Union Station, The Osborne Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, but the person I would love to spend the evening on the front porch with is Dr. Ralph Stanley. The good doctor will be 86 this year and just last year he released one of the best bluegrass gospel albums -- A Mother's Prayer.

Ralph Stanley grew up in the Primitive Baptist Church and his signing style reflects the old shape note singing style of that church. One cannot listen to his music and not hear the "years" of wisdom and experience reflected in every note. One reviewer correctly notes that the album showcases the "sad" spiritual ratio between mothers who pray and fathers who don't -- for how often do you hear a song about a father's prayer? The same reviewer notes that Stanley's unique singing style is displayed the best in John the Revelator, and the final cut -- What kind of Man -- gives the listener a rousing portrayal of who Jesus is.

 I'd love to sit on the front porch with Dr. Ralph Stanley and just ask him questions about life in general. About how to cope with bad times, lean times, and success. And I'd love to discuss his lifetime experience of following Jesus, but for now I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with gleaning what I can from his music.

So who would you like to invite to the front porch?

Georgia Stay-cations: Mountain Apples

Growing up in Vermont one can take mountains for granted. When the Lord called me into the ministry, He moved my family to many different areas. We've lived on the Gulf Coast, the Chesapeake Bay, the hills of Mississippi, and now the Georgia Piedmont.

About two hours north, lies the North Georgia mountains. The highest peak is Brasstown Bald -- about 400 feet taller than Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. This past fall we went up to North Georgia for a mini stay-cation. Our trip took us near Ellijay during apple picking season.

I'm not sure how many varieties of apples God invented when He created the earth, but mankind has certainly developed quite a few more. The one orchard we ended up picking at had about 50 different varieties -- macintosh, gala, red delicious, golden delicious, winesap, etc...but the variety we were after was Pink Lady. Pink Lady apples were developed in Australia and require hot long summers, thus making Georgia the perfect growing climate.

The girls had so much fun picking and eating the apples (which was encouraged by the growers). We must have sampled just about every variety -- except macintosh, which is picked in August. Just as much fun as picking, was the large apple house gift shop filled with all sorts of apple products. As a tribute to my Vermont heritage, I bought the family a dozen cider donuts.

I have to say my yankee heritage was surprised at the amount and size of the apple orchards located near Ellijay and in Gilmer County, GA. Yankees will not be disappointed if they decide to make a trek to this region to sample the apples and apple products. But our trip was not over yet. We decided to stay overnight and camp at Plum Nelly campground.

Plum Nelly was a very nice family campground that charged $15 per night for a tent sight. The girls had so much fun cooking hotdogs over the fire. Of course you can't have a campfire without smores! Later that night there was even some live folk music.

The next day we decided to take a trip through the mountains and sample some of God's great scenery. Our trek took us to the head of the Appalachian Trail and Amicalola Falls. We drove to the top of the falls and then took the trail down (over 700 steps) to the bottom of the falls. The girls walked the entire distance without having to be carried -- much.

Later that day we drove over to Dahlonega where the great Georgia Gold Rush took place. After a quick lunch at Moe's we headed back home. Needless to say the girls were pretty tired.

Front Porch Conversations: Traveling Mercies

Deer collisions are just as much a part of living in Georgia as peaches and pecans. These collisions are not isolated to rural areas of the state. There have been plenty of times when I've come close to hitting deer in the suburbs of Atlanta.

My first and only (at the time of writing this blog) deer collision in Georgia happened in 2009. I was in the process of interviewing for a job at a local radio station and my whole family was with me at the time. We had been driving all day from Tupelo, Mississippi and my reaction time was little slow.

My wife was the first person to see the doe running along side of our car and I knew the deer was going to run out in front of us -- it was just a matter of seconds. I slammed on the breaks, the car slowed to about 20 mph, and I caught the deer in the rump and flipped it up on the hood and she slid all the way to the roof. How we got away with minimal damage and why the deer didn't come through the window is beyond me. The deer actually got up and ran off after a couple minutes. This all happened on I-85 just outside of Newnan.

Once we decided to take the job, there was a lot of traveling back and forth between Tupelo and Atlanta.   God granted us plenty of traveling mercies during this period of our life. Besides the protection during the deer collision, there was an issue with my car overheating during these 12 hour hauls back and forth. I thought it was just a thermostat issue but it was much deeper.

The issue was actually a blockage in the radiator that created so much pressure it eventually blew out the manifold gasket. It was a miracle that it didn't happen during one of these long hauls because there was this stretch of highway 78 in Alabama that was in the middle of nowhere for a couple hours.

When it did finally blow, we were at the Atlanta airport. We had parked there in order to take Marta up to the Georgia Aquarium. When we got back all the coolant was on the ground. Luckily I had another gallon in the trunk and by some miracle we made it all the way back to Griffin (some folks know how big of a miracle that really is in Atlanta traffic) with the gasket blown. Then just as we entered Griffin, the whole coolant system gave way and I couldn't drive anymore.

Fortunately the car decided to breakdown right next to a Christian repair shop called Griffin Motors. All I can say is that the Lord was looking out for us. Traveling mercies...they are more than just a polite pleasantry.

Random thoughts on peaches

One cannot live in Georgia and not be fond of the peach. Last year, my oldest daughter and I went peach picking for the first time and filled up a five gallon pail for about $5 -- a great deal for any money-wise yankee.

This got me thinking though and after a bit of research I concluded that for a mere $50 I could have the beginnings of my own peach orchard. As of late, I've been reading up on all things peachy and here are some interesting peach facts.

Peaches need at least 1,000 chill hours where the temperature gets down below 50 degrees at night. In 2011 the state of Georgia redesigned it's license plate and ran into some controversy when some folks mistakenly thought that "In God We Trust" would be mandatory instead of optional. This also drew attention to the winning plate design which incorporated peaches -- some readers thought the peach on the new plate looked a little too much like a  *ahem* horses buttocks.

Whenever my family and I drive through Atlanta there is this giant peach design on top of some building...I think it's the AirTran offices. Anyway, whenever my daughter sees it she says, "look at the big pumpkin." And finally what kind of yankee would I be if I didn't find a way to incorporate Robert Frost into all of this. Sitting on my mantel, I have a first edition copy of "A Further Range" by Frost and in that book is contained a poem about a little frozen peach tree -- "There are roughly zones".

In this poem, Frost contemplates whether or not a little transplanted peach tree will make it through a harsh New England winter and whether man is over reaching the boundaries of nature's natural ranges for plant species. As for me -- I'm glad I live roughly in the right zone for peaches.

Country Kitchen Recipes: Cowboy Chili

Confession time, ever since I can remember I've always been a sucker for a good cowboy movie and a good recipe. My wife knows me all to well and in 2001 she bought me this cowboy cookbook featuring recipes from legendary cowboys both on and off the screen (see pic on the left).

Rabbit trail: In 2003 the two of us spent a week in Colorado Springs where we further indulged in my cowboy fascination at the Flying W Ranch supping on BBQ beef, cornbread, and cowboy coffee. The evening was topped off with cowboy music reminiscent of Sons of the Pioneers.

Back to the main story: So today was rainy and cold, perfect chili day! The business manager at the non profit radio station I work at makes a mean chili recipe and I had her email it to me, but today I couldn't find it. While I'm searching for this recipe suddenly I remember this cowboy cookbook and figured I'd just use a recipe out of that book. After a few minutes of searching, I found a great basic recipe by Gene Autrey. Folks who know me know I can't leave well enough alone so I tweaked the recipe to my liking. Below is the recipe I ended up with...

2lbs of hamburger (seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce)
1-28 oz can of Laura Lynn crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1-16 oz can of Laura Lynn chopped tomatoes
1- 16 oz can of chili beans
1-16 oz can of black beans
1-16 oz can of sweet corn
1 - 4 oz can of mild green chilis
2 tablespoons of chili powder
5 - 1/4 teaspoons of garlic powder (each one equals a clove so you can use 5 fresh cloves if you choose)
1 medium onion

After browning the hamburger, put it all the ingredients in a crock pot to simmer. You can freeze what you don't eat. Usually this recipe gives me four 2-serving meals.

To compliment the meal, you can serve the chili with a spoonful of sour cream and some Laura Lynn shredded sharp cheddar cheese. And if you'd rather skip the greasy, salty corn chips -- serve with skillet corn bread using Martha White Hot Rize corn meal.

1 cup Martha White corn meal with Hot Rize (for goodness sake!)
1/3 cup AP flour
2/3 cup sugar (for the yankees)
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 egg beaten

Pour this into a well seasoned and greased skillet and bake at 400 for 30 minutes (in a small cast iron skillet -- 20 minutes for a larger skillet)

While whipping up this delicious Country Kitchen meal, I recommend putting on some good ole fashioned Bluegrass -- anything with Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, or Bill Monroe!

Country Kitchen Recipes: Cooking with Rosemary

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs due to its versatility. Fresh Rosemary can be expensive when purchased at the grocery and the dried Rosemary at the grocery to me seems a little bland.

This past spring I was delighted to find Rosemary bushes at Lowes. I purchased one to include in my herb garden and the results were fantastic. It took root easily and has since tripled in size. And since Rosemary is an evergreen, it is available all year round.

This past fall, I snipped off a bunch of the new growth and dried it in my herb closet for several weeks. After the drying period I used a mortar and pestle to break up the leaves and filled two large herb containers. The difference in taste and fragrance is out of this world. Because Rosemary is an evergreen, it has the sticky pitch just like a pine tree (same family). And I think the difference between the store brand and homegrown is that I let the leaves mature a bit more and it had more of that pitch that really boosted the flavor.

Recently I made some dipping oil with the dried Rosemary to use with some french bread I purchased at Ingles bakery. It was so good my wife made me make it again the next night. Guess it was a good thing that Ingles had their buy one get one free bake sale! Other herbs that I grew and dried this past year include Tarragon, Thyme, Sweet Basil, Sage, Italian Parsley and Rose leaves.

I encourage everyone, even if you don't have a green thumb, to try growing and drying your own herbs. I was nervous at first, but it has proven to be worth the work.

Front Porch Bluegrass Revival

One of my favorite exhibits at the Atlanta History Museum is a fully restored homestead from the 1800s. On the front porch of this old homestead was a little room with a bed for you see back in the day the only way people got around was by riding horses or walking. And as you can imagine trips took much longer than they do today. So one of the ways folks provided rest for the weary traveler was through this simple hostel system on the front porch. 

One of the reasons folks back then allowed strangers to utilize the front porch room was much the same reason folks create social media accounts. In exchange for a place to reside, the stranger would sit on the front porch and share the news that they picked up along their way. Most often this was the only way folks back then got their news and depending on where their final destination was, they might have been asked to pass information along. But alas, with the invention of the telephone, radio, television, and then this modern digital age -- the front porch has become an icon of a time long past and is rarely utilized anymore.

When my wife and I moved to Atlanta, we searched high and low for the perfect house -- with a front porch.   In conjunction, I came up with a program concept called Front Porch Bluegrass Revival. This program serves two purposes, to introduce people to great bluegrass gospel music old and new, and to revive the front porch concept. 

Each Sunday evening, listeners are invited to stop by for a visit on the "front porch" of our non profit radio station to exchange ideas, enjoy great music, and spread news with a heavenly focus. The imaging of Front Porch Bluegrass Revival even includes the creaking of the front porch rocker and if you listen carefully you can hear the neighbor's hound dog baying from time to time. 

So I invite you to join us on America's first ever social media site, the front porch. Sunday's from 6:30-8:30 pm. on NewLife.FM.