Archive for March, 2012

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SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

March 30, 2012

Morning sky at Hazel Mountain Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 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.

I would have trouble deciding which is more magnificent — mountains or the sky.  When they are together I am often struck by the sheer wonder of the scene before me.  Often I can only think “The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God”.

Such was the case early one November morning last year when we stopped at Hazel Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Virginia to take in the sight above.

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Watery Wednesday: Waterfall on Laurel Creek

March 28, 2012

Upper Waterfall on Laurel Creek, Beckwith, West Virginia. March 7, 2012.

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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.

We traveled to West Virginia to celebrate my birthday earlier this month.  It was a very wonderful trip, and we were rewarded with several new waterfalls for our ‘collection’.

While driving toward Gauley Bridge on SR 16, we came upon two waterfalls on Laurel Creek.  The road follows the creek here, and it was very easy to find both waterfalls.  Of course we just had to stop and get some pictures.  This is a photo of the Upper (larger) Waterfall on Laurel Creek.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 20 Comments »

More Spring Beauty

March 26, 2012

Mon Cheri Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

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

This has been a very warm and, in our yard at least, beautiful Spring.  We’ve enjoyed many more daffodils this year than we did last year.  I shared some of our beautiful blossoms earlier (click HERE), and here I’m showing a few more.

Mon Cheri Daffodil is one we’ve had for several years.  It blooms in several spots in our yard.

Sunny Girl Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 14, 2012.

Sunny Girl is a daffodil we got last year.  I really like that bright orange double trumpet, even if it didn’t cooperate by growing in a spot where I could get a good picture.

Pink Charm is a new daffodil in our yard this year.  It has soft white petals and a pretty pink and yellow trumpet.

Tahiti Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 16, 2012.

Tahiti is an old standby that we’ve enjoyed for several years.  It’s different in that the petals are a pale yellow.

I must repeat that pictures can’t do justice to these beautiful blossoms.  I only wish you could have been here in person to see them yourself.

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Posted in Glade | 21 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Cumberland Plateau Evening Sky

March 23, 2012

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 17, 2010.

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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.

I went to my archives for this picture of a Cumberland Plateau sunset.  I got this image on the Druid Hills Golf Course in Fairfield Glade.  The sun had already dropped below the Plateau, but there was still an orange glow along the horizon.  We were reminded once again about the beautiful place in which we live.

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Busy as a Bee

March 21, 2012

A bee at work in our redbud tree, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 19, 2012.

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I went out late Monday afternoon with my macro lens to get some pictures of the redbud tree in our front yard.  When I got there I found that I wasn’t the only one interested in the blossoms.  There were bees all over the tree.

Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 19, 2012.

Since I’m allergic  to bee stings I thought of beating a hasty retreat, but the bees were intent on the blossoms, and as long as I stood relatively still, they just ignored me.  So I thought I would try to get some pictures of the bees at work.

The encounter with the bees was entirely unplanned, but I think I got some pretty good pictures for the experience.  And best of all, I didn’t get stung.

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Posted in Glade | 19 Comments »

Our World: Lake Sherwood

March 19, 2012

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

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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.

Fairfield Glade has several small lakes and Betsy and I enjoy walking around them whenever possible.  We walked around Lake Sherwood a couple of weeks ago.  It was a beautiful afternoon and the reflections in the lake were gorgeous.  The surface of the lake was smooth as glass.

Time-share units on Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade. February 7, 2012.

Wyndham Resorts has time-share units in the Glade, some of which overlook Lake Sherwood.

Betsy at Lake Sherwood. February 7, 2012.

I got this picture of Betsy on the footbridge over the Lake Sherwood spillway.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

We had a great day for our walk, and we got to enjoy some of the beauty of Fairfield Glade.

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Spring Is Busting Out All Over

March 16, 2012

Wild Carnival Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 24, 2012.

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Spring is busting out all over here in the Glade, including in our own yard.  We have many daffodils in bloom in our yard, and now even the tulips are blooming.  The daffodil above, Wild Carnival, was new last year.  We both like the orange trumpet with the yellow petals.

Spellbinder Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

We’ve had Spellbinder for several years.  The trumpet is quite large and gets lighter as the blossom ages.

Fortissimo Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 11, 2012.

Fortissimo is another daffodil that we’ve had for quite some time.  The trumpet is absolutely spectacular.

Dinner Plate is a new daffodil for us this year.It has a big, bright, beautiful blossom which we are really enjoying.

I don’t think any of these pictures do justice to these beautiful blossoms.  I think you’ll just have to stop by and see them for yourself.

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Posted in Glade | 19 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Collins Creek Falls

March 14, 2012

Collins Creek Falls, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina. January 31, 2012.

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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.

There are many small waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains.  Many are in the back country and can only be reached by hiking.  But others can be seen from the road, if you know where to look.

Collins Creek Falls is right alongside the Newfound Gap Road between Cherokee, North Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  It’s small, but pretty, especially in the Winter and Spring.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 14 Comments »

My Big Day

March 12, 2012

Betsy got this cake and candles so we could celebrate my birthday in our room at Blackwater State Park Lodge. March 9, 2012. (Photo by Betsy).

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Last Friday was my 70th birthday.  I remember thinking that my Dad was old when he turned 70, but I really don’t feel that way about 70 anymore.

Betsy, however, managed to find a subtle way to remind me of my advancing years.

Blowing out the candles on my birthday cake. March 9, 2012. (Photo by Betsy).

The advantage of her subtleness was that it made it easier to blow out all the candles!

Cascade on Falls Run, Blackwater State Park, West Virginia. March 9, 2012. (Photo by Betsy).

But I’m happy to report that earlier in the day I still felt young enough to do some bushwhacking in  Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia.  Betsy went with me to this pretty cascade on Falls Run, and then she sat guard on a ‘sitting rock’ while I bushwhacked to two waterfalls further down the run.  Both were very pretty.

Upper Waterfall on Falls Run, Blackwater State Park, West Virginia. March 9, 2012.

Since there was no trail I had to work my way around and over rocks, boulders, fallen trees and rhododendron.  I was able to get fairly close to the Upper Waterfall on Falls Run, and captured this picture.  This waterfall is about 17 feet tall.

Lower Waterfall on Falls Run, Blackwater State Park, West Virginia. March 9, 2012.

It was harder to get to the Lower Waterfall on Falls Run.  This waterfall is about 30 feet high, but I could never get a clear view of either the very top or the very bottom.  This was the best I could do by shooting through a narrow space between two boulders.

Well, that was my big day.  We saw more waterfalls that day and I did more bushwhacking, but those pictures and adventures will have to wait for another day.  Now I think I could use a nap!

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Posted in American Life | 26 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Arkansas Sunset

March 9, 2012

Sunset from Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

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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.

This is the scene Betsy and I enjoyed on our first evening on Mt. Nebo in Arkansas.  We were on the back porch of ‘our’ cabin as we were treated to a spectacular sunset.  The color in the sky was simply amazing.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 13 Comments »

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