Archive for June, 2009

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Fontana Lake

June 8, 2009
Fontana Lake, North Carolina. May 30, 2009.

Fontana Lake, North Carolina. May 30, 2009.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a wonderful place to visit.  Most people visit the Tennessee side of the park since that’s where the towns of Gatlinburg and Sevierville are located.

The North Carolina side of the park is more remote and doesn’t have as many visitors, but it also has many gems.  Last month Betsy and I drove through the park from North Carolina to Tennessee, stopping at just about every overlook we passed.

The picture above was taken at one of those overlooks.  The lake is Fontana Lake, which is one of the deepest lakes in the region.  In some places it is over 400 feet deep.  The lake is roughly 30 miles long and is at an elevation of about 1700 feet.  Nestled in the mountains, Fontana Lake offers boating, fishing, hiking, and camping.  It may be remote, but it is well worth a visit for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors.

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Posted in Travels | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday # 47

June 7, 2009
Morning view at the Otto cabin. May 30, 2009.

Morning view at the Otto cabin. May 30, 2009.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

I lived in Black Mountain, North Carolina, from 1972 – 1985 and learned to love the mountains of western North Carolina.  So when our friends Judy and Charlie invited us to join them for a few days at their cabin near Otto, North Carolina, it didn’t take us long to take them up on their offer!

The picture above is the view from their deck, looking west in the not-so-early morning.  But the mountains and the Carolina Blue sky make it a scene to enjoy over and over again.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 13 Comments »

Be Careful What You Wish For

June 6, 2009
Roses on our dining room table. June 5, 2009.

Roses on our dining room table. June 5, 2009.

As many of you know, we had two years of drought up here on the Plateau.  That meant carrying a lot of water to water the roses and other plants.  During that time we kept hoping for rain.

This year we have had slightly more rain than average, so everything is lush and green.  As a matter of fact, we’ve discovered a downside to all this rain.  It rained here on Thursday when we went to Hendersonville to check on my parents.  When we got home Thursday evening we noticed many rose stems beaten down by the rain.  Yesterday I spent an hour or so cleaning up the rose beds.

But I couldn’t just throw out all of those blossoms.  I try to bring Betsy a rose bud each day so we have several bud vases.  But yesterday I brought in enough blossoms to fill them all.  Our dining room table is a little crowded, but it sure does smell good in the house!

And speaking of the drawbacks to all of this rain, the grass is so lush and green that I’m spending more time mowing than I did last year.  And don’t even get me started on the weeds!

Don’t get me wrong — I’m delighted with the rain.  It’s just that between the trips to Hendersonville and the yard I’ve got way behind on visiting my blogging friends.  Please don’t give up on me —  I haven’t forgotten about you.

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Posted in Weather | 15 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 47

June 5, 2009
An Evening View from the Otto Cabin. May 28, 2009.

An Evening View from the Otto Cabin. May 28, 2009.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  Last week over 350 people shared their view of the sky.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

Betsy and I visited our friends Judy and Charlie last week in the mountains of North Carolina.  It rained fairly hard the first afternoon we were there, but it cleared up in the early evening.  That’s when I got the picture above.  The sky was clearing but there were still clouds over the mountains and fog was rising from the valley below the cabin.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 22 Comments »

The View In Our Front Yard

June 4, 2009
Our Big Rose Bed, Fairfield Glade. June 2, 2009.

Our Big Rose Bed, Fairfield Glade. June 2, 2009.

If you have visited here on a regular basis you may be tired of hearing about and seeing roses.  But Betsy and I enjoy them and enjoy growing them and we can’t help ourselves in wanting to share them.  The picture above was taken Tuesday from the edge of our driveway.  We rather like the view.

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Posted in Garden | 13 Comments »

Ahhh … To Be Young Again

June 3, 2009
Running Nantahala Falls, North Carolina. May 30, 2009.

Running Nantahala Falls, North Carolina. May 30, 2009.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday, a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweeetnsaxy of Eyes, Mind, Heart.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

When we came back from our friends’ cabin in North Carolina on Saturday, Betsy and I had our GPS bring us home by the back way.  That usually means  we will see some beautiful scenery and, with luck, will see some waterfalls.

Saturday we saw both and more.  We made a detour through the Nantahala Gorge and stopped at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Wesser.  Our guidebook said there were some waterfalls (they are actually rapids) nearby and we did some hiking to see what we could find.  What we found were rafts and kayaks shooting the rapids at the end of their run down the Nantahala River.  It was a beautiful day and it looks as if every one is having fun.  What could be more fitting for Watery Wednesday?

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 19 Comments »

My World # 34

June 2, 2009
The old Lake County Courthouse, Crown Point, Indiana. July, 2000.

The old Lake County Courthouse, Crown Point, Indiana. July, 2000.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Louise and Fishing Guy.  Last week there were at least 74 people sharing their worlds (problems with Mr. Linky).  To see more of our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

The picture above was taken in 2000 of the old Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana.  The courthouse was built in 1878 and served as the seat of the county government during the time I lived in Crown Point.

A new courthouse was built in 1970s  and for a while it seemed that the old courthouse would be torn down in order to create a parking lot.  But a group of citizens succeeded in getting the courthouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and the building was saved.  It now contains shops and a museum.

At the bottom of the picture you can see the a tablet containing the Ten Commandments.  The tablet used to be vertical, but was broken off its pedestal by vandals.  The tablet was then preserved in this position and is still there.

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Posted in My World | 13 Comments »

We Came Home to This

June 1, 2009
Wildfire Rose, Fairfield Glade. May 31, 2009.

Wildfire Rose, Fairfield Glade. May 31, 2009.

When Betsy and I got home Saturday night from our trip to North Carolina we found the beauty above in our rose garden.  Wildfire is one of our favorite roses, but I’m not sure any picture can do it justice.  Wildfire is a red-orange-yellow blend and which color is dominant depends somewhat on the lighting.

But trust me — Wildfire is a beautiful rose.

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Posted in Garden | 15 Comments »

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