Archive for February, 2015

The Week That Was — and Hopefully Will Never Be Again

February 26, 2015
Our house in the snow.  February 18, 2015.

Our house in the snow. February 18, 2015.

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

We had quite a week here in the Glade last week — three storms in a single week is just a bit much.

The ice in the first storm missed us, but we did get snow as you can see in the photo above.

My Beautiful Bride enjoying the snow.  February 18, 2015.

My Beautiful Bride enjoying the snow. February 18, 2015.

Of course, my Beautiful Bride was delighted.

Icy branches on one of our red bud trees.  February 19, 2015.

Icy branches on one of our red bud trees. February 19, 2015.

The second storm brought us some ice with ice covered twigs on the trees …

A giant icicle near our front porch.  February 19, 2015.

A giant icicle near our front porch. February 19, 2015.

… and giant icicles.

Icy branches of trees in our yard against a blue sky.  February 19, 2015.

Icy branches of trees in our yard against a blue sky. February 19, 2015.

The icy tree branches shone against a pretty blue sky on Thursday.

A tree with a broken top in our side yard.  February 22, 2015.

A tree with a broken top in our side yard. February 22, 2015.

Unfortunately the third storm brought a couple of inches of ice with broken tree tops and branches.  Our neighborhood looked like a war zone, and we were without power for a couple of days.

I hope it’s a long time before we have another week like this.

Down Memory Lane: The Smokies in the Spring (2001)

February 16, 2015

2001 -- Smokies Spring

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

Betsy and I visited the Smoky Mountains in May, 2001.  I had never spent much time in the Smokies, but I had an excellent guide since Betsy had visited them when she lived in Tennessee earlier.  We very much enjoyed the beautiful green of the mountains and the flowing clear waters of the streams.

In the collage above, you see Betsy on the deck of the Wonderland Lodge, where we stayed, on the upper left.  A view of Newfound Gap, near the Tennessee/North Carolina border is on the upper right.

A nice man took the picture of Betsy and me along Mill Creek in Cades Cove.  In the lower center is a photo of the John Oliver cabin, also in Cades Cove.  I got the picture of Betsy along Mill Creek which is on the lower right of the collage.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

Our World: Big Thompson Canyon

February 5, 2015
Big Thompson River, Colorado.  September 17, 2012.

Big Thompson River, Colorado. September 17, 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 three wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I drove through Big Thompson Canyon on a September morning in 2012 on our way from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The canyon was formed by the Big Thompson River, which flowed along the road for much of our trip.  The boulders and rushing water were fascinating.

'King of the Mountain' in Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado.  September 17, 2012.

‘King of the Mountain’ in Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado. September 17, 2012.

At one point we came upon a small herd of pronghorn sheep.  Some were right along the highway, but one kept watch from the top of the canyon wall.

The sky above Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado.  September 17, 2012.

The sky above Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado. September 17, 2012.

The sky was just as fascinating as the rocky canyon walls themselves.  It was a beautiful ride.