So last night we found ourselves in Northern Georgia.  A hotel with limited internet access and bleary eyes from days on the road led up to an interesting chance meeting.

As I researched Tennessee counties for possible land, I punched in the wrong county – or so I thought. What resulted was a lovely discovery of a land so loved and cared for that the owners first sought to have it protected in conservancy before placing it on the market to sell.

The land is many times more acreage than we anticipated, but the owners want it to go to people who will continue the tradition of stewardship that they began, and have priced it fairly.

I had to suppress my eagerness to go immediately to the site, and enlisted the help of friends who are also researching on our behalf. Their amazement told me I was not overly enthusiastic about this possibility, and, as is our way, the vote was unanimous – go to see it. And so we will.

But tonight we meet with more people interested in this project at the home of dear friends in Atlanta. The care that we have been given has been sweetly received and much needed – hours in the car are starting to take their toll. Yet the enthusiasm from young and old, the hope for what is simple and obvious is fueling this journey, and while I look forward to the smell of sheep and the comfort of home, I am walking this discovery with confidence and joy.

Tomorrow we meet with more people. Northern Georgia was lovely as were the mountains of North Carolina. On Sunday, Tennesee.