Archive for November, 2010

Newer Entries »

Skywatch Friday: Morning Clouds over the Atlantic

November 12, 2010

Morning clouds over the Atlantic, Ormond Beach, Florida. August 5, 2009.

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.

On Wednesday I posted a picture taken looking out to sea from Ormond Beach, Florida (that picture can be seen by clicking HERE). I posted that picture because of the golden pink color of the water as the sun came up.

Turning to my right while on the balcony and looking down the beach, I got this picture.  I like the color of the clouds in this view.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 17 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: A Cabin in the Mountains

November 11, 2010

In May of last year our friends Judy and Charlie invited us to spend a couple of days with them at their cabin near Otto, North Carolina.  We’ve known Judy and Charlie for several years and enjoy their company.

Their cabin is a vacation hideaway in the mountains of western North Carolina.  The deck of the cabin is a perfect place for sitting and talking or just sitting and enjoying the mountain views.

One advantage of a May visit was that the mountain laurel was in bloom.  The cabin is one of only a few on the side of the mountain, so there are many mountain laurels along the road.  Walking along the road was a visual delight for more than the mountain views.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Travels | 13 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #113: The Atlantic Early in the Morning

November 10, 2010

Sunrise off Ormond Beach, Florida. August 5, 2009.

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.

I went to my archives to get this picture of an early morning look out to sea from Ormond Beach, Florida.  This was the start of Betsy’s birthday in 2009.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 18 Comments »

My World: Last Roses of Summer?

November 9, 2010

Roses brought in before an anticipated frost, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 4, 2010.

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

It’s that time of the year.  Last week we were warned about low temperatures and freezing over the weekend.  We still had roses blooming and we wanted to keep as many of the blossoms as we could.  So Betsy gathered all the vases she could, and I gathered all the blossoms and buds about to open that I could find.

I brought in 40 buds and blossoms, which we put in the vases as you can see above.  Betsy put the vases in various places around the house and not only did they look good, several were also fragrant.

We had three nights of temperatures in the 20s, but no frost.  All the rose bushes seem to be doing fine.  And the temperatures are supposed to stay above freezing for the rest of the week.  I may be able to bring in some more ‘last roses’ by the weekend.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in My World | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #121: Cataloochie Valley

November 7, 2010

Mist in the Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

 

 

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 posted about the elk we saw in the Cataloochee Valley of the Smoky Mountains a couple of weeks ago.  But our visit to the valley was scenic for more reasons than the elk.  The morning of our visit was foggy and misty, which showed one explanation for the name of the mountains surrounding the valley.

The picture above was taken at the meadow along Ranger Station Road where we saw the largest herd of elk.  The picture is looking east past the meadow.

This second photo is taken from another meadow on the same road.  This meadow is past the Caldwell House and this photo looks northeast.

The southwest view from the same meadow gave this picture of the mountains amid mist and clouds .

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 16 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Autumn Skies

November 5, 2010

The view from Balsam Mountain, North Carolina. October 19, 2010.

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.

Last month Betsy and I went to the mountains to see the autumn colors, but the autumn skies were also pretty impressive.  Autumn skies are often a beautiful blue, and that was the case during the three days we were gone.  The picture above was taken on Balsam Mountain; it was a clear day and the mountains seemed to go on forever.

The view from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt. Pisgah, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

This picture was taken the next day on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt. Pisgah, North Carolina.

Morning in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. October 21, 2010.

We had an early breakfast on our third morning.  When we came out of the restaurant it was still in shadows, but sunlight was touching the top of the ridge on the other side of the gap.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 20 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: The Great Wall (1990)

November 4, 2010

I went to China for the second time in 1990.  Our hosts took us to some of the places I had seen in 1987, including the Great Wall at Badaling near Beijing.

I don’t think it is possible to visit the Great Wall too many times and I found it to be as inspiring the second time as it was the first.  But this time, instead of following the tour groups, I headed in the opposite direction and climbed a part of the wall that I had not been been on before.

I did notice some differences in the three years since I had been there before.  There were more Chinese families visiting the Wall, and they were younger than the visitors I had seen before.  They were also more colorfully dressed than previously.

After getting over the ridge I came to a portion of the Wall that was out of sight for most tourists.  This part of the Wall had not been reconstructed; watchtowers were in ruins and parts of the wall had disappeared.  In many ways, this part of the Great Wall was even more impressive than the restored parts.  The great age of the wall was obvious among the ruins, as was all the effort and suffering that went into its building.

I would definitely go back to visit the Great Wall again!

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Travels | 11 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #112: Middle DeSoto Falls

November 3, 2010

Middle DeSoto Falls, Turner's Corner, Georgia. August 2, 2009.

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.

Although Betsy and I ‘collect’ waterfalls, we enjoy the hikes almost as much as the waterfalls themselves.  Last August we enjoyed a hike through a Georgia pine forest to Middle DeSoto Falls.  There wasn’t a lot of water going over the falls, but the fall had an almost lacy quality to it.  We felt Middle DeSoto Falls was a nice addition to our collection.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 16 Comments »

My World: The Second Time Around

November 2, 2010

South Sea Daylily, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 2, 2010.

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

We’re being threatened with freezing temperatures over the weekend, but in the meantime we’re enjoying some of our flowers that are blooming for the second time this year.  We have daylilies and irises that bloom in both Spring and Autumn.

Our South Sea daylily (pictured above) started blooming again in early October.

Hemstitched Iris, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 23, 2010.

We currently  have two irises in bloom.  Hemstitched (I have no idea where that name came from) started blooming again about ten days ago.

Floor Show Iris, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 27, 2010.

The other blooming iris is Floor Show.  I’m guessing that it got that name because it is quite showy.

Most of our roses are continuing to bloom as well.  You are welcome to stop by and enjoy the flowers in our yard, but it looks as if you need to get here before the weekend.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in My World | 18 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #120: Autumn Reflections

November 1, 2010

Santeetlah Lake, Robbinsville, North Carolina. October 21, 2010.

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.

Betsy and I came home from our stay in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, on the Cherohala Skyway which goes over the mountains from North Carolina to Tennessee.

The autumn colors were beautiful, but I also had the chance to see those colors reflected in various bodies above.

The picture above was taken at Santeetlah Lake near Robbinsville, North Carolina, before we reached the skyway.

Tellico River, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. October 21, 2010.

As we neared the Tennessee end of the skyway, we turned off to go with Patti and Neal to Bald River Falls near Tellico Plains, Tennessee.  After visiting the falls, we drove along Tellico River Road as we headed toward home.  The sun was beginning to drop behind the mountains, putting parts of the river in shadow.  I found a pullout so I could stop and capture this second picture.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 21 Comments »

Newer Entries »