Black Friday and a Trip to the Old Mill

I hope everyone is preparing for a wonderful Thanksgiving.  No "Black Friday" for me.  I am not against the day after Thanksgiving shopping frenzy that takes place, but I really see no logic in it at all.  People get up (or never go to sleep) and go to their local store for some cheap items that the store may have only one or two of.  What happens from there looks very similar to a bad nursery school scene where someone tossed a couple of toys to twenty or so children waiting to play with them. 

As a society, we have become so materialistic that the real reason we are buying Christmas gifts has escaped our minds.  I absolutely refuse to participate in the madness.  Adults should always be setting an example for the younger generations.  The stores have become so greedy (for lack of better words) that they will not allow their employees to spend the whole day with their families.  I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing that I need bad enough to stand in a line waiting to possibly get trampled by some crazy and senseless person trying to run and grab the one or two large electronic items that a store has to lure them in to shop.  I value being with my family and teaching them the true meaning of the season.

OK, enough of the crazy Black Friday rant!  I was spending time with my children while they were out of school today for the Thanksgiving holiday.  If any of you have ever watched "Gone With the Wind" and have noticed the old mill in the opening scenes of the movie, then you may recognize some of the following pictures.  Although it shows a year of 1832 on the sign on the mill, it was actually built prior to the movie being filmed.  There are parts of it that date before the building of the mill, but it really isn't as old as one would think.  If you want to read more on it, you can click here.  My children really love going there, especially to take pictures.  I love taking pictures there in the spring when everything is blooming.  They really keep the grounds beautiful and the flowers planted there are wonderful!!  We took a lot of pictures today and the fall colors are actually very pretty against the mill.  So, enough of the talk, here are the pictures we took today.

 

 

 

This is one of the lakes known as the Lakewood Lakes.  The part here is actually private.  I thought the way the trees lined the lake was really pretty, especially with the full range of fall colors!!

 

Side view of the old mill.  You can go inside the house.  During the spring and summer, there are all kinds of beautiful and colorful flowers in bloom.

 

Some berries on a bush at the old mill.

 

A beautiful Japanese Maple tree.  The red color of the leaves is really pretty.  Behind the tree is the wheel of the mill.  It is in working condition.

 

Front view of the mill.  The sound of the water and the wheel turning is so relaxing! 

 

 

One of the pools around the house. The reflection of the mill on the water along with the leaves on top of the water make for a great fall picture.

 

And, a picture of my twins.  The bridge they are on goes from one side of the park to the other across the lake.  All of it is made from stone and a mixture that is made to look like wood.  None of the "wood" you see in the pictures is actually wood, except for the living plants and trees.

 

Thank you for stopping by and listening to my soapbox speech about why I do not like Black Friday.  Also, thank you for looking at the pictures I have shared with you.  Hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving (or had if you are visiting after Thanksgiving).

 

~hugs, mel