Archive for October, 2009

Watery Wednesday # 56: Little River in Autumn

October 7, 2009
Little River at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.

Little River at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

Autumn is slowly coming to our part of Tennessee — the trees are starting to get some color.  Betsy and I haven’t had a chance to get to the Smokies since things have been hectic around here over the past couple of weeks.  The picture above was taken a couple of years ago at Metcalf Bottoms Picinic Area along Little River Road in the Smokies.  The trees along Little River had the definite look of autumn when this picture was taken.

My World # 52: Autumn Color

October 6, 2009
Our front yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee.  September 28, 2009.

Our front yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. September 28, 2009.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Louise and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Cooler temperatures and rain mean that autumn colors are starting to show up here on the Plateau of Tennessee.  Our dogwood tree and some of the trees across the street are starting to turn.  The picture above was taken after I had mowed and cleaned up fallen leaves.  So the grass is green and the roses are still blooming.  Autumn couldn’t be much nicer than that!

Yorktown, Virginia

October 3, 2009

On a sad note we learned that Betsy’s brother, Ray, died yesterday (Friday) afternoon.  Please keep Betsy and Ray’s family in your prayers.  Our posting and visiting your blogs are likely going to be hit and miss for the next few days.

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Betsy in Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, Virginia.  June 22, 2007.

Betsy in Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, Virginia. June 22, 2007.

While we were in Virginia in 2007, we visited the town of Yorktown, Virginia as well as the battlefield there.  The town was formed in 1691, and was a thriving port at the time of the Revolution.

There were three things that we found to be of particular interest in Yorktown.  The first was Grace Episcopal Church, which was built in 1697 and is still in use.  The churchyard contains the grave of Thomas Nelson, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Nelson’s home is still standing and we were able to go inside.  Thomas Nelson was  a general in the American army during the Siege of Yorktown.  When he heard that Lord Cornwallis was using his house as headquarters, Nelson directed the artillery that was firing on the house.  There is still a cannonball in the outer wall of the house on the side facing the American siege lines.

The third interesting thing for us about the town was the Ballard House.  Betsy’s mother was a Ballard and Betsy thought there might be a connection between her and John Ballard, the owner of the house.  She has since learned that John Ballard was an ancestor.

To see more of our visit to Yorktown click HERE.

Skywatch Friday: Moon Over the Atlantic

October 2, 2009
Moon off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  May 6, 2009.

Moon off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 6, 2009.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

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

The picture above was taken one evening in May while we were at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  Not only were we blessed with good weather but the moon rose opposite our room for several nights.  That helped make a wonderful vacation even better.

St. Lucia

October 1, 2009
Betsy on board our ship with Gran Piton, St. Lucia, in the background.  September 13, 2001.

Betsy on board our ship with Gran Piton, St. Lucia, in the background. September 13, 2001.

The fourth port of call on our honeymoon cruise was Castries, St. Lucia.  St. Lucia was probably our favorite island.  It really did present itself as a tropical paradise.

We got to enjoy St. Lucia by taking a catamaran cruise along the coast from Castries to Soufriere.  That cruise gave us a wonderful view of the coast, including the Twin Pitons, one of the most prominent landmarks on the island.  We went ashore at Soufriere and visited Soufriere volcano and the plantation museum at Morne Coubaril Estate.

The first European to settle on St. Lucia was a French pirate, Francois Le Clerc known as Wooden Leg, who used the island as a base to attack Spanish ships.  The Dutch arrived around 1600, the English settled in 1605 and the French in 1651.  Fighting broke out between the British and the French in 1651 and continued off and on for 150 years.  The island changed hands fourteen times during that time before the French ceded the island to the British in 1814.  Today St. Lucia is independent, but remains a member of the British Commonwealth.

If you would like to see more of this beautiful island click HERE.