Community Blog

This weekend, Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 1-5pm, will be the Arts on the Creek in nearby John’s Creek.  It’s a quick trip- at the intersection of Medlock Bridge Road and Old Alabama Road.

They have a really eclectic line up of performers scheduled- everything from jazz to ballroom dancers.  They’ll also  have art, music, food, a NASCAR car exhibit, kid’s activities as well as a movie night.

After you’ve enjoyed a full day of live music, artist and festival vendors, you take in a free movie.  It starts at 7pm and they are showing Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  You can bring a picnic blanket and dine alfresco under stars while watch it on a big outdoor screen.

I can’t tell you how much money I spend annually on coffee drinks. There are so many times I think I could be spending this money a bit more wisely. Well, the Land Of A Thousand Hills Coffee Co. lets me do that and have my yummy coffee drink too. It’s like having your cake and eating it too! Imagine that And it’s nice to give those “corporate” coffee shops a break, we won’t name names.

We have all heard about the awful circumstances in Rwanda over the last decade and a half, right? Have you wished you could do something to help? Well you can! Founder Jonathon D. Golden really wanted to help the people of Rwanda and in 2001 he recognized a simple and tangible opportunity to make a difference over there. Introducing specialty coffee and teaching the countrymen to harvest it properly. This provided an uncommon opportunity for a notoriously clashed country to rebuild their homesteads and to work together toward lasting peace. Their commitment to excellence in coffee has brought dignity and hope to a nation that history suggested would never recover.

Lucky for you all at Willeo Creek, this coffee shop is right down the road, approx. 2.5 miles away. They have all those fancy mocha, cappuccino, iced and frozen frozen drinks, etc. and of course your traditional black coffee. I have been here many times and it is so yummy!

Do you suddenly see parents with a new form of expression on their faces, a smile? This is a sign school is back in full swing and don’t be alarmed if some parents bust out into spontaneous skipping. With the stress of getting kids back into school, making sure they have all their school supplies, new clothes, shoes, back packs, lunch boxes, etc., I’m thinking the last thing you want to do is spend money on Labor Day weekend. As exciting as sending the kids back to school, it can be just enough to put you over your summer budget. But Labor Day weekend is really the last opportunity to take advantage of doing something with the family before the kids get super busy with projects and extra curricular activities. So, why not see what your community has to offer you for Labor Day weekend? There’s always the traditional cook out with neighbors and swimming  at the Willeo Creek pool. Labor Day is usually the last opportunity to go to the pool and soak up some rays. If you’ve had enough pool time for the summer and are looking to not be in the direct sun, there are many beautiful hikes waiting for you up in North Georgia, most only an hour away. One hike that I have done myself is Panther Creek. It’s about a 6.5 mile round trip hike and the best part, when you get to mid point, there’s a beautiful water fall. Wear your swim suit and cool off after the first part of your hike.

Maybe you have kids that are too young to do such a long hike, but you are interested in getting outdoors. Poole’s Mill Park in Forsyth County offers picnic areas, hiking, play grounds, and best of all giant rocks you can slide down in the creek. Since we’ve been getting a lot of rain recently, there’s no telling what the water levels will be, so take caution and bring a tube, the rocks can be a bit painful, I know from personal experience.

How do you feel about science fiction, fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film? If you have interests in those things you might just want to check out Dragon*Con! Dragon*Con will be held in Atlanta this year from September 3^rd – 6^th.  For more information and find out who will be there, check out

Last, but never the least! Saying goodbye to the summer always means saying hello to Football! This is probably the best way to stay inside and keep cool during the last weeks of summer.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr: andycoen

here birdie, birdie, birdie...

Looking for an early morning nature walk?  Well the Chattahoochee Nature Center has just the thing.

This Saturday, August 21, from 8 AM–10 AM you can take an early morning bird watching hike.  You can join Atlanta Audubon Society President, Stacy Zarpentine (who is also a volunteer at The Center) for an early morning walk along the river.  She’ll be pointing out the local avian population and teaching hikers about the birds.

If you’re a member of the Chattahoochee Nature Center it’s free. Otherwise, non-members can pay 8.00 for adult or 5.00 for children (age 3-12).  Wear good walking shoes (hiking boots are not required) and pack binoculars and a camera.

Lots of residents here at Willeo Creek walk around the apartment complex enjoying the summer sunshine.   So this Nature Center bird watching hike might be a great way to start off your Saturday.

image courtesy of flickr: botheredbybees

The Gulf Coast has been in the headlines for months now and we all know that the economy there is in desperate need of support because of the oil spill.  Buying Gulf Coast seafood is a great way support local fisherman but did you know you could also drink beer to support their economy?

A large part of the Gulf Coast economy is tourism-based and you could use a road trip.  Mobile draws large crowds every year with their Mardi Gras festival- the oldest in the country.  Mardi Gras is six months away however, so how can you help them out now?  How about a good old fashion beer festival?

Next Saturday, August 28th, from 6-9pm downtown Mobile will host the 13th Annual Dauphin Beer Festival.

Tickets are extremely affordable at only 20.00 and they are going to have almost 100 different craft beers and micro brews for you to sample.  You can buy them from many of the downtown merchants like Liquid Lounge, Blind Mule, Serda’s and Corner Bar

The festival is from 6-9pm and afterwards you can hit downtown Mobile where all the businesses will be open late-night with specials and events.

Next Thursday, August 19th, the City will be hosting another Alive After Five in historic Roswell.

At the Roswell Square- in front of Go With The Flow- James Henley will be performing.  There is no indication that James is related to Don…phftht…sigh…

Plum Village will have the Bone Rockers playing and at Eclectic Finds/Sweet Pea Cottage you’ll find Mike Watson playing.

The restaurants, galleries and shops will all be open throughout and hosting various events that evening.  Parking is easy and the weather should pretty pleasant-considering it’s August in Georgia.

or 1799 or 1849.. or whenever the Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and the Smith Plantation were built.  One date I am sure of is August 21st 7-11:30pm for the 2nd Annual Trilogy Trolley Crawl.

Each historic home will be a destination with Barrington Hall decorated like Las Vegas, Bulloch Hall decked out like Nashville and the Smith Plantation made to look like New York City.  They are going to be serving up food and drinks as well as live music performances from those three cities as well.

You can buy Southern Trilogy Trolley Crawl tickets for 40.00 through the City of Roswell

Did you know that nearby Milton is home to a best-selling author?  Her name is Karen White and she has made North metro-Atlanta her home for almost 20 years.  She’s written 13 books in the past decade and has landed herself on the New York Times best sellers list (#34 on the extended list but still, she’s on The List) with her May release “On Folly Beach.”  The book, obviously set in South Carolina’s Folly Beach, is an historical fiction about the town in the 1940’s.

White is best known for writing southern fiction with strong female protagonists and has a 13th book coming out in November called “Falling Home.”  That’s right, two books released in one year, not only is she popular, she’s prolific.

image courtesy of flickr: Zitona

southern shuffle baby!

Roswell’s Riverside Sounds Concert Series has monthly concerts showcasing southern performers and southern musical styles.  This Saturday they are playing host to the Randall Bramblett band from 7-9pm.  Randall Bramblett has been cutting his teeth in the Southern music scene for years and can cite REM and The Allman Brothers as fans.  This impressive musician is playing a free outdoor concert at Riverside Park.

So pack a picnic and a blanket and enjoy some great tunes under the Roswell night sky.

Gearing up for another school year

All Fulton County students go back to school on Monday, August 23rd. This means that Willeo Creek students attending Roswell North Elementary, Crabapple Middle & Roswell High School get to enjoy two extra weeks of summer.  I’m sure this was purely a budgetary decision by the school board and not because they are super nice

Roswell North Elementary has a new principal Mrs. Kendra Smith and she has posted an open letter to everyone on the school’s website.  The open house for families at the school will be Thursday, August 19th- if your last name is M-Z visiting hours are 8-9:30am and A-L last names can visit between 10-11:30am.  Registration for new students for Fall term will be every Tuesday and Thursday 9am to noon.

Crabapple Middle School will have its family readiness day August 18th, from 1-5pm.  And the school’s supply list for students is posted on their website.  New student registration for Fall term will be Tuesdays- the front office is open 9am-3pm.

Roswell High School Seniors have a letter addressed to them and their families that contains all the upcoming important dates and information- you can download a copy online.  9th Grade orientation will be Wednesday, August 18th from 8am-1pm for students and 8-10am for the parents of a 9th grader.  The summer reading list for the 2010-2011 school year is also posted on their website.

Wow, only a few more weeks left to gear up for the school year.  they summer has flown by!

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