Welcome to Georgia!

Just a few short blocks from the Georgia border on a soon-to-be-stormy Saturday afternoon, two families pulled off the side of the road to say hello.
First, Kenneth & Heather Hoats. The Hoats both work in education, Ken as a counselor and Heather as a P.E. teacher. They knew I wasn’t the everyday, average passerby headed for the Georgia border.
Jerry & Tammy Ledbetter had added me as Facebook friends over two years ago, while colleague Garth Poorman, who walked from New York to New Orleans, stayed with them as he walked through the area. Had Facebook not alerted me that it was Jerry’s birthday on the very day in which I was to walk through his small town, I would have otherwise not known to contact him with hopes of meeting him while passing through.
After Kenneth & Heather stopped near the closed-down textile mill to introduce themselves, Jerry & Tammy and Family pulled off some five minutes later to say hello. To my delight, they all already knew one another!
The Ledbetter Family had just eaten by the time I caught up with them. The Hoats, however, were ready to invite me to lunch with them. They had a couple of suggestions for the small town, and we ended up settling on the classy local pizza parlor– a fun, locally-owned venue which was their top choice.
After stopping by their house to collect their teenage son, they all met me at the Georgia state line, where they took some pics as I walked across…
I may end up staying with a friend of the Hoats family as I pass through the Atlanta area…