Strolling along Lake Acworth

In my last post I was recollecting walking on the Allatoona Pass Trail, which runs along Lake Allatoona, on Thursday 7 November.  The following day, Friday November 8, 2013, was another bright and sunny day.  This time we went even closer to home.  We drove 8 miles or 12 kilometers to Acworth, Georgia - it only took 15 minutes.  There is a lake there and a small trail running along part of the lake.

Until the early 1830s Acworth was a hamlet in the Cherokee Indian Nation.  It became a town after the Indian were expelled.  It was a railroad stop and was named Acworth after the home town, in New Hampshire, of a Western and Atlantic Railroad engineer and was incorporated as a town in 1860.  During the Civil War the town was captured by the Union forces and burnt down by General W. T. Sherman's army.  When Lake Allatoona was formed, the Acworth citizens were afraid that their town would become a swamp. They petitioned the Government for a second dam.  This dam was built resulting in Lake Acworth.  Lake Acworth is not a part of Lake Allatoona but empties into it.  At Lake Acworth there is a beach, a community beach house for up to 100 people, a gazebo, a fishing dock and boat ramps, picnic table, playground for children and a bathhouse, dedicated in 1953 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  You can see the brick bathhouse behind the red tree in my picture below.  It was sunny that day but not warm enough for swimming in the lake and, in any case, the beach closes on Labor Day.  (Click on collage twice to enlarge.)

Acworth also has a historic downtown with old advertisement murals and antique shops. I took the pictures below when we went to eat in a pub in downtown Acworth last March.

We started walking along the lake with me, of course, stopping often to take photos.  I looked back and saw my husband taking his binoculars out and looking in a direction close to me.  What did he observed in his binoculars?  I looked but could see nothing.

 Maybe he was just admiring the lake - it was lovely in the sun and so peaceful.

There was a boat dock close by.  I walked on it to take more pictures of the lake.  Not all the trees had changed color yet, another couple of weeks were needed.

I slowly walked to the end of the boat dock - gingerly in case some wood was rotten - I was not ready to get wet!  But then, I saw what my husband was watching ... it had been hidden by the tall weeds.

I used my Lumix camera which has a long telephoto lens while trying not to scare the bird off.  It was a heron, but I am not sure of what species.

I could not get any closer or I would have fallen into the lake for sure.  We observed the bird for a while then we saw a bridge on the side and decided to walk to it.

The trail went along the lake and up a little hill with a picnic table placed at the top.  It would be nice to have a picnic there - so scenic and peaceful.  Through the trees I could see ducks.

Crossing the bridge on our way back I spied a turtle sunning on a log.

We had seen more wildlife than when we went to Lake Allatoona: a heron, wood ducks, a turtle and as shown below another duck was coming our way, a Mallard.  It was going to join the other two ducks in the little cove on the other side of the bridge.

We left promising to return more often.  This very pretty lake is so close to home and now that we are retired we can go there during the week when there are few visitors.  We drove off.  My husband said "Stop - look!"  After braking I looked ...

There were three does munching on grass.  One of them had seen the car and was watching us anxiously.  We did not move then I slowly turned down the window to take better pictures with the Lumix that I always keep in my purse.  The does went on eating for a while then looked at us and suddenly took off.

We were pleased to have seen these does - but no turkey!  I guess they hide when it gets close to Thanksgiving ... I did find a painting showing a flock of turkeys as you can see below.

 Autumn Landscape with a Flock of Turkeys, by Jean-Francois Millet, French 1814-1875

But I'll end up with this vintage postcard, circa 1911, to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving with all the trimmings.

And for my blogging friends who do not eat meat ... here is another vintage postcard with hearty Thanksgiving greetings.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Note:  Blogger Break - post pre-programmed.