Archive for the ‘Our World’ Category

Our World: Cane Creek Twin Falls

April 2, 2012

Cane Creek Twin Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. March 8, 2010.

(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.

The Smokies are a beautiful treat any time of the year.  Many people prefer to visit in October when the autumn color is at a peak.  But if a person likes water, Spring is a great time to visit.  These pictures were taken in March along Little River Road.

Betsy and I learned about Cane Creek Twin Falls from an internet search.  The falls can be seen from the road, but are easy to miss, especially since the left-hand fall is very small and hard to see.  I’ve added a couple of arrows to help you find that stream of water.

Fortunately the right-hand fall is larger and easier to see.  But to be completely honest, the best thing about this waterfall is the clear, emerald-green water of Little River as it flows past the site.

Our World: Lake Sherwood

March 19, 2012

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 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.

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.

Our World: Arkansas Vacation

March 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 Betsy and I were in Arkansas.  We try to go there about this time each year.  We have a favorite cabin on the top of Mt. Nebo which we think of as ‘our’ cabin.  The views from the cabin, especially the sunsets, are spectacular this time of the year.

If you know anything about us, you know that it is hard for us to travel anywhere without looking for waterfalls to visit.  This trip was no different.  We drove from our home to Arkadelphia in southwestern Arkansas, where we spent the night.  We then visited three waterfalls — Panther Bluff, Cossatot, and Shady Lake Cascade — before heading north to Mt. Nebo State Park.

Although we spent most of our time at Mt. Nebo, we did take day trips to Mount Magazine State Park and Petit Jean State Park.  We did some hiking in both parks, especially Petit Jean, where we hiked to visit beautiful Cedar Falls.

We had a wonderful visit in Arkansas, as we always do.  We had some concerns about the severe weather back here in Tennessee, as we heard of tornadoes near Crossville.  We also had some interesting moments heading home as we kept hearing tornado warnings along our route on Friday.  But fortunately we made it safe and sound and found everything in order at home, except for flashing digital clocks because the electricity had gone off.

Pictures will follow.

Our World: Oops!

February 7, 2012

Mom at Winslow Christian Church, Winslow, Indiana. October 5, 2006.

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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.

In October, 2006, Betsy and I drove my parents to Winslow, Indiana, which was Mom’s hometown and the place where Mom and Dad met.  This picture was taken in front of the church in which Mom grew up.  If you look closely at the base of the sign you will see that it is ‘In Memory of Mr. & Mrs. James Cassidy’ — Mom’s parents and my grandparents.

There’s only one small problem — the family spelled their last name ‘CassidAy’!

Our World: Natural Bridge at Yahoo Falls

January 24, 2012

The natural bridge at Yahoo Falls, Boone National Forest, Kentucky. September 30, 2006.

(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 plan most of our hikes to visit waterfalls, but we occasionally find a bonus attraction.  This was the case in September, 2006, when we hiked to Yahoo Falls in Kentucky.  We were hiking a loop trail, and after seeing the falls we came to a junction with a trail leading to a natural bridge.

It was a pretty day, so we hiked the extra mile to see the natural bridge.  It was low, but it definitely was a bridge.  It was also fairly wide.

Under the natural bridge at Yahoo Falls. September 30, 2006.

I scrambled under the bridge and got this picture of of the underside.  I had to use a flash to get any thing at all.

Looking through the natural bridge at Yahoo Falls, Kentucky. September 30, 2006.

I went through the smaller (upper) opening and then shot through the bridge to get this picture.  You can see the trail leading to the bridge.  This was a nice bonus to our waterfall visit.

Our World: Rural Tennessee

January 17, 2012

Farm and mountains in Grassy Cove, Tennessee. July 18, 2010.

(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.

With all the technology we have in our lives — computers, smart phones, the world wide web, satellite television — it sometimes feels as if we are all living at a fast pace in a large city.  But of course, that’s not true.

Some of us are fortunate enough to live a slower-paced life in a rural area.  The Plateau of Tennessee is one of those places.  One of our favorite areas up here is Grassy Cove south of Crossville.  Driving some of the back roads is almost like going back in time.

A barn in Grassy Cove, Tennessee. July 18, 2010.

These pictures were taken back in July.  Green grass, blue skies, mountains, and a red barn.  Life can’t get much better than this.

Our World: Christmas Lights

December 20, 2011

Pigeon Forge Holiday Inn, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 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.

Earlier this month Betsy and I went to the Smokies and, after enjoying a day in the mountains, we met our friends Judy and Charlie for dinner and then a tour of the Christmas lights in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Some of the lights were very straightforward and welcoming, letting us know exactly where we were.

The Old Mill in Lights, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

We spotted an old watermill up on a mountainside.  There were even trees and a stream in lights.

Hickory Dickery Dock, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

Other displays were more fanciful.  We spotted mice running down a clock,

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, PIgeon Forge, Tennessee.  December 11, 2011.

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, PIgeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

and a cow jumping over the moon.

Christmas Tree, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

But in many ways the prettiest lights were on a traditional Christmas tree.

Our World: Where in the World has George Been?

December 13, 2011

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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.

Isn’t modern technology wonderful?  I’m trying to get my photos organized and published, and one of the programs I use is iPhoto.  iPhoto has a ‘Places’ feature that identifies the location of a photograph.  Now that I have a GPS tracker the process is automatic, although I have to enter the location manually on older photos.

Over the weekend I noticed that I currently have 119 places identified in my photos.  The red pins on the world map above give a general view of where I’ve taken pictures.  The dots on the far right are on Beijing, People’s Republic of China, and the island of Bali.  I visited those places more than 20 years ago.

The red dot in the Caribbean is San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Betsy and I boarded a cruise ship on our honeymoon.

Most of the dots are in the U. S., of course, and by zooming in to the area around Fairfield Glade, I can see that there are many places in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina that we’ve visited.

I have no idea how many places I will eventually get identified, but I find the whole process very interesting.

Our World: The Conservatory at Biltmore

December 6, 2011

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 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.

It seems as if Betsy and I make it to the Conservatory every time we visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  No matter what the season, the conservatory always seems to have beautiful plants in bloom.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

Things were no different the week of Thanksgiving, when we once again got carried away among all the beautiful blossoms.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

I wish I could tell you that I knew the names of all of these beauties, but I don’t.  I only hope that you enjoy these blossoms as much as we did.

Our World: November Roses

November 29, 2011

Peace Rose in our yard. November 13, 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.

We got to mid-November without a killing frost, so our roses continued to bloom.  Most of the leaves are off the trees, so it’s nice to still have some color in the yard.

The rose above is Peace, which since it’s introduction in 1945, has become the most  widely-planted rose in the world.  Sam McGredy, a famous rose hybridizer, said of the Peace rose “It’s as nearly perfect as a rose can be”.  I’m not sure about that, but we sure do like it.

Love and Peace Rose in our yard. November 13, 2011.

Love and Peace, a descendant of Peace, is another rose that put on a November show for us.