Archive for June, 2012

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Betsy’s Sky Photos

June 29, 2012

Tennessee sky west of Knoxville, Tennessee. June 14, 2012. (Photo by Betsy)

(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’ve been telling Betsy for some time that she should show some of her sky pictures on this meme, but she always has some excuse for not doing so.  So today I’m posting some  of her photos for her.

When we go some place I usually do most of the driving since Betsy is often busy on her computer (we have mobile wi-fi for when we travel).  We went to Asheville a couple of weeks ago, and while was driving Betsy kept an eye on the sky.

There were severe thunderstorms around us, although we didn’t run into any of them.  The picture above was taken west of Knoxville just before we started up the Plateau.

Sunset on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. June 14, 2012. (Photo by Betsy)

We got up on the Plateau just in time to catch the sun dropping below the horizon.  That’s when Betsy got this picture of the sun and colorful sky.

The sky over the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. June 14, 2012. (Photo by Betsy)

Even after the sun dropped below the horizon, the clouds were still a beautiful red-gold.  It’s hard to believe that Betsy got all of these pictures from a moving car on the interstate.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 23 Comments »

I Promised Her a Rose Garden (6)

June 27, 2012

Sweet Freedom rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 20, 2012.

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

This is the sixth post on the roses in our yard.  The previous posts can be found by clicking on the tag ‘Roses’ below.

We haven’t had much success growing white roses — we’ve lost more white roses than all other colors combined.  But Sweet Freedom (above) is a rose that keeps blooming for us year after year.

Tahitian Sunset rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 30, 2012.

This multi-colored rose is named Tahitian Sunset.  I haven’t been to Tahiti, but I imagine that a sunset on that island contains these colors.

Tiffany rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 3, 2012.

Tiffany was new in our garden last year.  It has a soft pink blossom with a hint of yellow at the base.

Touch of Class rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 28, 2012.

Touch of Class is an elegant-looking rose which we have enjoyed for a couple of years now.

Wildfire rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 25, 2012.

Wildfire has an orange-red color that is close enough to Tennessee Orange to become a favorite with Betsy.

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Posted in Garden | 20 Comments »

Our World: Calabash, North Carolina

June 25, 2012

Calabash, North Carolina, waterfront. May 7, 2012.

(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.

Calabash, North Carolina, is known as ‘The Seafood Capital of the World’.  It is primarily a fishing village with shrimp boats docking daily during the season, selling fresh-caught shrimp.

Sport fishing boat pulling into the dock at Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Sports fishermen often dock at Calabash, and there are also charter boats available.

Fish ready for cleaning on the Calabash dock, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

In the evening it is often possible to find one or more group of fishermen cleaning their catch on the dock.

Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

One of the major attractions of Calabash as far as Betsy and I are concerned is the Dockside Restaurant.  The restaurant is right on the waterfront and, if you are lucky enough to get a window seat, you can watch all the activity on the dock while eating a delicious meal.  This picture of the restaurant was taken from the dock, which shows how appropriate the restaurant name truly is.

Seafood platter at the Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Calabash is famous for its ‘Calabash Seafood’, which is prepared with a special flavoring unique to the area.  I know we’re supposed to avoid fried foods, but once or twice couldn’t hurt us, could it?  It sure is good!

Betsy at the Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Betsy, a tree-hugger at heart, is also a fan of the huge live oak trees at the front of the restaurant.

 

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Whatever Became of . . .

June 22, 2012

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

Can you possibly imagine what became of the sweet little girl in the picture above?  It’s obvious that Shirley Temple had absolutely nothing over Elizabeth Bruce Banks of Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

It’s been rumored that young Elizabeth was something of a tomboy, but I think we shouldn’t put too much stock in rumors.  Let’s just say that Sheriff Banks did a great job of preserving law and order in Big Stone Gap.

By the time she was a senior in high school cowboy hats and boots were put aside for more feminine attire.  It’s obvious that Miss Banks was a very beautiful young lady.

Fast forward to 2001.  On June 23, 2001, Elizabeth Bruce Banks made me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife.

Happy Anniversary, Betsy.  Thanks for becoming my Beautiful Bride and for eleven wonderful years together.

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Posted in Betsy | 25 Comments »

I Promised Her a Rose Garden (5)

June 20, 2012

April in Paris rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 30, 2012.

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

This is the fifth post on the roses in our yard.  The previous posts can be found by clicking on the tag ‘Roses’ below.

April in Paris is a fairly small plant with blossoms that are a beautiful soft pink with a touch of lavender.  It has been in our yard for several years now.

Deep Secret rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 19, 2012.

Deep Secret is one of the darkest red roses we have.  It was new to us last year, but like its color and form.

Dolly Parton Rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 3, 2012.

I’ve read that the Dolly Parson rose got its name because it was so ‘plump’.  I think the less I say about that, the better.

Elizabeth Taylor rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 3, 2012.

Elizabeth Taylor was another beautiful lady, and the rose named after her is one of the pretty pink roses we enjoy.

Gemini rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 1, 2012.

Gemini is one of my favorite roses.  I don’t know if it gets its name because of the two colors or because of the way it looks and the way it smells.  In either case, it is a beautiful rose.

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Our World: Waterfall Adventure

June 18, 2012

Double Culvert Branch, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

(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.

Last week I explained how Betsy and I ended up on a road along the Chattahoochee River in the mountains of north Georgia.  If you missed this post you can find it by clicking HERE.

Before we got into the forest Betsy did some research in our Georgia waterfall book and found that there were two waterfalls along Double Culvert Branch, which we would pass on our way to the waterfall we wanted to visit.

We easily found Double Culvert Branch — the picture above shows the branch just before it crosses the road (in a single, not double, culvert).  We naturally stopped for pictures, and while getting some we noticed a rough trail leading up one side of the creek.

We followed the trail, which wasn’t very well marked, for about a half of a mile and found the lower falls.  There the trail ended.

Lower Double Culvert Branch Falls, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

While getting pictures of Lower Double Culvert Branch Falls (above) I noticed a faint track going up the other side of the creek.  Since I knew there was supposed to be another waterfall, I asked Betsy if she wanted to try and find it.  My Beautiful Bride, wise woman that she is, said ‘No’, but that I could go on if I wanted to.  She would wait for me.

Upper Double Culvert Branch Falls, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

I crossed the branch on a log and started up the track.  It was a hard scramble, but I eventually got to Upper Double Culvert Branch Falls.  There wasn’t a lot of water going over, but it was a pretty little waterfall.  Once I got safely back to Betsy I was glad I went on.

This satellite image (above) gives an idea of our waterfall adventure.  Since the branch is hard to see, I’ve included the terrain map below which shows that there really is a creek with the name Double Culvert Branch.

I have no idea how the creek got this name.  I didn’t see a double culvert at all.

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Posted in Our World | 19 Comments »

Moon Over the Glade

June 15, 2012

Moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. June 23, 2010.

(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.

Things have been fairly hectic around here and I haven’t had a chance to get out with my camera as much as I would like.  So I went to my archives to get this picture of the moon in an early evening June sky over Fairfield Glade.  The picture was taken in June, 2010, and I like the fact that there is still some blue in the sky with that almost full moon.

 

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 17 Comments »

I Promised Her a Rose Garden (4)

June 13, 2012

Rose Summer of Love, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 26, 2012.

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

This is another post on the roses in our yard.  The previous posts can be found by clicking on the tag ‘Roses’ below.

We’ve only had Summer of Love in our garden for a couple of years, but we really like the colors in the blossoms of this rose as they open.  The colors seem to change each day.

Sundance rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 30, 2012.

This bright and sunny rose, Sundance, has graced our yard for several years.

Rose Sweetness, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 1, 2012.

The lavender/purple color of Sweetness is somewhat unusual.  Sweetness is another of our container roses.  It has a nice fragrance to go with its beautiful form.

Veterans’ Honor, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. April 28, 2012.

Betsy really likes red roses, and Veterans’ Honor is one of her favorites.  This rose doesn’t have a lot of fragrance, but it grows fairly tall and is usually loaded with blossoms.  It’s not unusual to see 10 – 15 beautiful blossoms at one time.

Rose Welcome Home, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 2, 2012.

Welcome Home is in our newest flower bed near the road.  This cheery rose greets us as we turn into the driveway, and it provides a very welcome home indeed.

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Posted in Garden | 17 Comments »

Our World: Chattahoochee River

June 11, 2012

Betsy at the Chattahoochee River in the north Georgia mountains. May 5, 2012.

(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.

Betsy and I wanted to visit a couple of waterfalls in northern Georgia on our way to the beach last month.  We had been to the area is February, so we had a good idea how to get to the falls we wanted to see.  Unfortunately the Forest Service road we needed to take into the mountains was closed, so we had to go to Plan B.

We found an alternate road to one of the waterfalls we wanted to see, and this route would also let us see a couple of ‘bonus’ falls along the way.  Our alternate route took us into the mountains along the Chattahoochee River, which has its headwaters near the waterfall we wanted to see.

As we drove deeper in to the mountains, we found a pullover where we could stop and go down to the river.  The picture above shows Betsy on the bank of the Chattahoochee.

George at the Chattahoochee River. May 5, 2012.

Here’s another view of the Chattahoochee that Betsy took.  I’m not sure where the old man came from, but he popped up in quite a few pictures that Betsy took on this trip.

The clear waters of the Chattahoochee River in north Georgia. May 5, 2012.

The Chattahoochee wasn’t very wide or very deep at this location, but it was running freely and the water was crystal clear.  It’s a beautiful stream.

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Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

We Got Some Rain

June 8, 2012

Raindrops on Pink Perfection lily, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. June 5, 2012.

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

We end through a hot dry spell several weeks ago, but then the weather man said a cold front was coming through bringing rain with it.  The front came through, but the rain didn’t.  This happened again — and again.  (Fairfield Glade has five golf courses.  I think the Community Club has arranged for a giant umbrella to be installed so as not to interfere with golf rounds.)

But finally, on Monday night, we got some rain.  The picture above shows what we saw when we looked up at our 7-foot tall Pink Perfection lily.

Ronald Reagan rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. June 5, 2012.

I think the roses also appreciated the rain.  The water drops on this rose look like little jewels.

Cantina iris, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. June 5, 2012.

We still have an iris in bloom, and it, too, seemed to appreciate the rain.

Raindrops on one of our lilies, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. June 5, 2012.

We had gone out early to check the flowers in our yard, which is something we do just about every morning.  But on this day the water drops were as beautiful as the blossoms.

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Posted in Garden | 22 Comments »

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