On the south side of Cavender Creek stands a white sign which is outlined by little white Christmas lights. The sign, which points the way to the R & R Auction House is all lit up on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Better come early, because the old gravel parking lot is usually full by 7:00 on the weekends.

This isn't your typical auction...at least not to what I am accustomed. The house is filled with mostly local people with a few non-locals scattered throughout the old wooden pews in the house. The auctioneer, Randy and his wife, Rachel act as our emcees for an evening of entertainment. You can take your personal things up there and they'll auction them off for you at the beginning of the night. Dealers auction off their wares the last half of the evening.

It's not a "serious, stoic" auction like many I've attended in the past. It's a warm, family atmosphere. Last Friday night, they had a gospel-singing up there the first hour. Saturday they had a costume contest for the kids and adults alike. They had a professional magician entertaining, complete with live rabbit and dove. There was even a live Elvis performance. Elvis looked good, sounded good, but must have been out of the loop for a while....he had trouble remembering the words to his own songs. It was obvious he had not aged a day, hair still dark and shiny.....even though he had quite a time keeping his sideburns attached through his show. But he certainly had no problems leading the auction the remainder of the evening!

Much of the atmosphere of this auction is a direct result of the personality of Randy, the auctioneer, aka Elvis. He's a large, friendly, jovial man full of the typical southern 'darlin' and 'y'all' and 'folks', always wearing a smile. He thanks folks for coming and leaves you with the southern "Good to have ya!! Y'all come back now, ya hear", leaving you with a sense of Southern belonging, as if you'd been coming here every weekend for years. He has a robust voice with matching laughter and personality. and freely dishes out hand shakes and hugs during the evening. Rachel has been known to model outfits being auctioned, dancing around in front of their "stage", or just hooting and hollering at items being presented. She'll give Randy a hard time and keep him on his toes, creating a casual air full of spontaneity and laughter.

You'll see some regulars up there, folks who seem to belong to the place, folks who have probably frequented the auction since its opening. Each of which add their own personality to the house. Russell is another jovial man who helps out up front from time to time or sits in the front row, inside corner. He has a great sense of humor, wears a perpetual smile and cuts up with the best of them. Then there is Ms. Gurlie who sits in a chair along the inside wall. She adds an air of elegance and class to the room. She's very stylishly dressed, a beautiful, tall, slender, grandmotherly-type with silver hair, dancing eyes and a very warm, soft smile. You can tell by watching her she must have been drop-down-dead gorgeous as a young woman, because even in her senior years, she has retained a radiant beauty far younger than years allow most of us.

They have a little kitchen up there and will sell you a homemade dinner for a great price. I fed a family of 5 up there one evening for $12 total, consisting of homemade chili, burgers, tater tots, drinks and german chocolate cake ala mode. The menu is varied, with everything from corn dogs to pintos and corn bread. Later in the evening they sell chances at homemade goodies such as cakes and pies. They have a jackpot drawing for cash to spend at the auction that evening. A good time is had by all.

The house is full of "warm fuzzies" and personality, full of character and laughs.....a place to just go, relax and have a good time, even if you don't see anything on which you'd care to bid. People will stop and talk to you, sell you fresh items from their gardens, or just share the local going-ons for the week. It's a "local" experience for the most part, very much unlike any you'd find in a city.

But for this displaced country girl who not so long ago moved here from a big city, it's a comfortable experience. It's something pleasant and relaxing to do on a weekend. It's friendly faces who are starting to feel like neighbors, friends and family. It's a feeling that Dahlonega really is HOME.