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Hats off to the people who brought the moving Vietnam Memorial to Tallapoosa. In spite of the rain that fell every day and night it brought a lot of people out to see this tremendous tribute to people who paid a price for freedom. Sammy Robinson, Tommy Allen and the other Vietnam veterans that served from our area, we appreciate your sacrifice and we will long remember the ultimate sacrifice paid by the names on that wall. Jerome Lowe's name is on the memorial wall and every time I have gone to Washington D. C. I make a visit to see former classmate Jerome's name and remember him as a fun-loving, talented fellow who adored his family who also loved his country. My single biggest regret in life is never having served in the military. Have you all noticed the beginning of the change of color on the trees. Autumn began last Tuesday but the leaves began changing color just days ago. I take the scenic route to Tallapoosa from Cobb County. I love Georgia Highway 120 from Dallas to Tallapoosa and the scenic simple beauty of farms, pastures, and woods that dot the rolling hills like Pumpkinvine and Rose's Store communities of Paulding County and when I look at Sea Breeze lake I recall Max Burgess teaching me to ski there when I was an adolescent lad. The lake some days looks like a giant mirror reflecting the blue sky above. When I get to Beech Creek, my blood pressure rises and my pulse picks up because it means I am nearly home. When I turn on to Bowdon Street my heart beats a little faster and in moments I see the First Baptist Church and recall that Sunday in July of 1963 and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior at a revival held by Rev. S. T. Skaggs. First Baptist Church is where I learned about wild life and nature from my Sunday school teacher and hero Bud Jones who taught me about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and also taught me to respect the beauty of a white tail deer and r ed tailed hawks and that a copperhead snake will not make a good pet. Bud taught us about the environment and respect for nature long before it became a fashionable thing in the media. The rain we have had the past couple of weeks reminded me of when we got a more than abundant amount of rain and that the bridge on George Hagood's dairy farm and McBride's Bridge on the Tallapoosa River were overflowed by the water's might. It has rained so much in Cobb County that I saw a Coast Guard cutter going down I-75 in Kennesaw. It has rained so much here at the university that swimming to class is permissible. The backstroke has replaced skate boarding on campus. I almost sold my Harley for a jet ski this past week. I no longer love Eddie Rabbit's song "I Love A Rainy Night". "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters is not on my Ipod anymore. "Rain" by the Beatles also has been removed from the play list. My Blackberry smart phone has now mildewed. Ladies and gentlemen I'd like to formally declare the drought officially over in the state of Georgia. My cousin Tommy Meunier grew up in our town. He was a Tallapoosa Red Devil playing guard on the football team, served in the Army in Korea, graduated from Southern Union and West Georgia College and spent almost a quarter century of service to the Atlanta Falcons football organization. Tommy is recovering from recent surgery at Piedmont Hospital at his home in Bremen. He has wonderful care being provided by his wonderful bride of four decades, Patsy. I look forward to the first weekend in the fall of 2009. Larry and Beverly Bentley are to be congratulated on the wedding of their daughter Jessica who becomes the bride of Caleb Adams this evening at 7:30. Larry has rented a pontoon and a bass boat in the event the rain doesn't let up. I am spending the weekend at the house on Rhubarb Lane watching football or maybe "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted". I watch those shows to keep up wi th friends and relati ves. I might just make a crock pot of chili. Somebody chop the onions, shred the sharp cheddar, and open a bottle of Tobasco Sauce.