Archive for October, 2011

Newer Entries »

Scenic Sunday: Biltmore House

October 9, 2011

The back of Biltmore House as seen from a lagoon on the estate. October 4, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

Last Tuesday Betsy and I drove to Asheville, North Carolina, to visit the Biltmore Estate (we have season passes).  Since we are beginning to see autumn colors here on the Plateau, we hoped we would see more color on the estate.

We were surprised to discover that there was even less color in Asheville than there was here.  It was not a wasted trip, however, because we found a place from which we could get a nice view of the back of the house.  The picture above was taken from that place.

It’s hard to get a good picture of the front of the house because of all the people and traffic.  But here we got a nice picture of the back of the house with the water of a lagoon in the foreground.

A closer view of the back of Biltmore House. October 4, 2011.

I was able to get a closer shot of the house by using my telephoto lens.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 15 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Skies

October 7, 2011

Autumn skies in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. September 30, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

Autumn brings cooler temperatures and color to the trees.  Autumn might bring clouds, but here on the Plateau in Tennessee it also brings amazing blue skies.

Clouds in an autumn sky, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. September 30, 2011.

These pictures were taken in our front yard.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 15 Comments »

This Is As Close As We Got

October 6, 2011
The spray from the Canadian Falls at Niagara as seen from Three Sisters Island, New York. September 10, 2011.

The spray from the Canadian Falls at Niagara as seen from Three Sisters Island, New York. September 10, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

When Betsy and I visited my daughter Kelly and her husband in Buffalo last month, this is as close to Niagara Falls as we got.  The spray in the picture above is from the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls.  The picture itself was taken upriver from the falls on a footbridge on Three Sisters Island.

There were all kinds of activities going on around the main entrance to Niagara Falls State Park, so we did not attempt to get to the American falls.  Instead we drove onto Goat Island in the Niagara Rivers and walked to Three Sisters Islands.  Three Sisters is land donated to the state by a man who had three daughters.

We had not been to Three Sisters before this trip, and thoroughly enjoyed our walk to the islands and the up-close views we got of the river as it rushed toward the Canadian Falls.  I’m sure there will be more pictures in the days ahead.

The Niagara River, Niagara Falls and Three Sisters Island. (Image from Google Earth).

This picture, taken from Google Earth, shows the location of Three Sisters relative to both the American and the Canadian Falls.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Travels | 10 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Byrd Lake Reflections

October 5, 2011

Byrd Lake, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. September 27, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

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.

Last week Betsy and I went to Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville and walked along the shore of Byrd Lake.

The beginnings of autumn color, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Tennessee. September 27, 2011.

The fall color was just starting to show, but the quiet waters of the lake gave us some beautiful reflections.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 13 Comments »

Our World: Along the Midway

October 4, 2011

A ride for dare-devils at the Lewiston, New York, Peach Festival. September 10, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

One of the main attractions at many festivals is the midway, which contains rides of many types for people of all ages.  The Lewiston, New York, Peach Festival, was no exception.  The midway had several interesting rides.  I don’t know the name of the ride above, but I do know that I wasn’t interested in checking it out.

A modern version of the Octopus. Lewiston Peach Festival. September 10, 2011.

I remember the Octopus from the County Fair when I was growing up.  The Peach Festival had a modern version of the ride I enjoyed as a boy.

The China Dragon at the Peach Festival. September 10, 2011.

The China Dragon was fairly tame, but still very colorful.

Riding a bumble bee at the Peach Festival. September 10, 2011.

This young lady looks as if she has some doubts about the Bumble Bee giving her a ride.  Perhaps she had seen the scratches and dents on the bottom of the bee.

A young boy at the Peach Festival. September 10, 2011.

This young man had the best ride at the festival.  He was safely tucked into a stroller guided by his parents.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Our World | 15 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Crystal Forest

October 2, 2011

Petrified logs in the Crystal Forest of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. June 13, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

The Crystal Forest is a section of Petrified Forest National Park with a landscape dotted with petrified logs.

A century of collecting (before the park was established) has removed many of the logs, especially those which contained quartz crystals.

A petrified log in the Crystal Forest, Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011.

The trail through the Crystal Forest leads past logs show a rainbow of colors.  Many of the logs plainly show what was once the bark of the trees, but they are all amazing.

A petrified stump showing a rainbow of colors. June 13, 2011.

Reds and whites are fairly common in the petrified wood, but blues and yellows can also be seen.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 10 Comments »

Newer Entries »