Archive for the ‘My World’ Category

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My World: Perhaps We Need Larger Feeders

January 5, 2010

Pileated Woodpecker at a suet feeder, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 30, 2009.

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

We’ve had quite a few visitors to our feeders during this cold spell.  The Pileated Woodpecker in the picture above has been to the feeder a few times.  We didn’t realize just how large this type of woodpecker could be until we bought this house.  Before we we moved up here full-time we had problems with woodpeckers munching on our wood siding.  Fortunately we’ve gotten that problem control, so I don’t mind feeding this guy at the suet feeder.

Bluebird checking out the feeders, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 3, 2010.

This beautiful bluebird is looking over the feeders trying to decide which one offers the best buffet.  He looks as if he’s well-prepared for the cold weather we’re ‘enjoying’.

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My World: Is Not White

December 29, 2009

Our front yard, Fairfield Glade. December 28, 2009.

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

If you were to ask Betsy what was wrong with the picture above, she would have a very succinct answer:  THERE’S NO SNOW! In spite of heavy snows north and east of us, we have only had a dusting or two.  It’s officially winter and the temperatures have been low, but the grass is still relatively green.  The roses have been cut back and covered, but not all of them have gone dormant yet.

What’s worse, there’s no snow on the mountains we can see from the road in front of the house.  They look as bleak and bare as they have since the trees lost all their leaves.

The only white to be seen is in the clouds scurrying across the beautiful blue winter sky.

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My World: Baltusrol Falls

December 15, 2009

Baltusrol Falls, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 13, 2009.

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

Most of you know that Betsy and I collect waterfalls.  We’ve just returned from a weekend trip where we drove and hiked to visit several falls.

But we don’t always have to go a great distance to visit a waterfall.  The waterfall in the picture above is only about a quarter of a mile from our house.  It flows from the golf course into a vacant lot down the road from us.

Usually there is only a trickle of water flowing down, but after a heavy rain like we had Saturday night and Sunday morning, it can be quite impressive.

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My World: Rutledge Falls

December 8, 2009

Rutledge Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 14, 2009.

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

One advantage of living here on the Plateau is our close proximity to a number of very nice waterfalls.  I’ve mentioned several times that Fall Creek Falls State Park is only about an hour away.

There are several other waterfalls within a couple of hours of our house.  Rutledge Falls, near Tullahoma, Tennessee, is one of those waterfalls.  We visited Rutledge Falls on Valentine’s Day.  The waterfall is on private property, but the owners grant access to the public.

If you would like to see more of Rutledge Falls click HERE.

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My World: We Can Still Smell the Roses

November 17, 2009

Sonia Rose, Fairfield Glade. November 16, 2009.

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

The rose above isn’t much to look at, but it is a rose, it is fragrant and the picture was taken Monday afternoon.  I’m not sure, but I think this is the latest in the year that we’ve had roses in bloom.

We obviously haven’t had a killing frost this autumn.  Yesterday we had to go to Knoxville fairly early in the morning.  The temperature when we left the house was 39° here at the house, but dropped to 32° before we got off the Plateau.

I’m not sure how much longer this weather will last, but I checked yesterday afternoon and we have three more reblooming iris and 19 rose buds ready to open.  I wonder how much longer we’ll be able to smell the roses?

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My World: The Fastest Leaf-Blower on the Plateau

November 10, 2009
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Betsy using the leaf blower in the back yard.

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

Betsy and I have definite responsibilities around the house.  I mow the lawn and Betsy sweeps the deck.  I dig the holes to plant the roses and Betsy cleans and fills the bird baths.  I have, on occasion, both swept the deck and taken care of the bird baths.  But there is one job I would never dream of taking from Betsy — using the leaf blower.

As you can see from the picture above, Betsy is a pro at using the leaf blower.  Once she fires that thing up the leaves don’t have a chance.  There’s rarely a stray left on the ground once she finishes.

The front yard is the hardest for us to do since we have to bag or carry away those leaves.  The back yard is much easier, so Betsy usually blows the other leaves in that direction.

And why is the back yard so much easier than the front yard?

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Golf course crew picking up leaves behind our house.

The back yard is adjacent to the golf course and those nice maintenance men have some wonderful equipment.  I guess they are Betsy’s secret weapon.

 

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My World: Ready for Winter

November 3, 2009
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Ready for winter -- our woodpile. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 2, 2009.

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

I finally finished stacking the wood that came while Betsy was in Maggie Valley.  The picture above shows our wood pile.  The wood on the right is what I’ve stacked this year.  We’ll burn that wood next year.  The pile on the left has been aging for a year and that is what we will burn this winter.  If you look at the foreground of the picture you will see lots of leaves.  Guess what we’ll be doing this week?

 

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Full moon in the eastern sky. November 2, 2009.

Now that we’re back on standard time it gets dark early.  Monday we were coming home from Cookeville and had to stop at a grocery store to pick up a few things.  When we came out of the store we saw this full moon in the eastern sky.

 

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Sunset afterglow. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 2, 2009.

As we headed home we came up over a hill and had this view of the western sky.  What a great way to end the day!

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My World: In Search of Autumn Color

October 27, 2009
The view from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

The view from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

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

Since the direct route home from Maggie Valley was closed because of the rock slide on I-40, Betsy and I decided to get home by going south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and then west on the Cherohala Skyway.  We were hoping that we could find some autumn color while avoiding the masses of traffic around Gatlinburg and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky.  Most of the color was gone from the higher elevations as you can see from the picture above.  But there was more color at the lower elevations.

Woodfin Cascades, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

Woodfin Cascades, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

No trip would be complete for Betsy and me if we didn’t find a waterfall.  We had to view Woodfin Cascades from across a valley, but it was still a nice addition to our collection.

The Cherohala Skyway is a 36-mile road from Robbinsville, North Carolina, to Tellico Plains, Tennessee.  Along the way it crosses the 5400 foot mountains on the border of the two states.  There are very few signs of civilization along most of the skyway.  Construction of the skyway began in 1960 and it finally opened in 1994.

Color along the Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

Color along the Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

We probably saw the most vibrant colors of the trip on the skyway.  The picture above is only a small sample of what we enjoyed along the way.

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My World: Autumn Colors

October 20, 2009
Red leaves and blue skies. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 19, 2009.

Red leaves and blue skies. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 19, 2009.

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

I’m happy to report that all of our roses survived Sunday night’s low temperatures and I’m hopeful that we’ll get through Monday night just as successfully.

One advantage of the high pressure system over head is that in addition to cold nights we have clear, bright blue skies during the day.  I was working in the yard yesterday when I noticed these red leaves against the sky.  I couldn’t resist taking a picture and sharing it with you.

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My World: Iris in Bloom

October 13, 2009
Floor Show Iris, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. Octoer 12, 2009.

Floor Show Iris, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. Octoer 12, 2009.

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

We woke up to rain Monday morning and a nice surprise in our garden — the iris in the picture above, Floor Show, was blooming.  We have several reblooming iris and their colorful blooms are a nice addition to this time of the year.

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Betsy and I are leaving this morning for a couple of days in northern Georgia.  They are releasing water from the dam above Tallulah Gorge on Wednesday and we want to be there to see what the waterfalls looked like before the dam was built.  We’ve had this trip planned for several weeks.

Then on Friday we are going to Jacksonville for Ray’s (Betsy’s brother) memorial service.  We will get back home on Sunday and then on the following Tuesday I will take Betsy to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, for her getaway with her grade school girlfriends.

I can visit you using my iPod Touch, but unless I can pry Betsy’s laptop from her, I don’t think I’ll be able to post for much of that time.  But don’t give up on me — I’ll be back as soon as possible.

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