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Skywatch Friday # 34

March 5, 2009
The view from Sunset Point, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. November, 2007.

The view from Sunset Point, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. November, 2007.

I took the picture above in November, 2007, from Sunset Point at Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas.  Betsy and I had gone to the point to view the sunset and we found this pretty scene when we arrived.  The sun had not yet dropped to the mountains in west but was hidden behind the high clouds.

I decided to use this picture because Mt. Nebo is one of our favorite places to visit, and because we will be going back there next week to celebrate my birthday.  I would anticipate getting several more sky watch pictures while we’re there.  If I’m lucky we’ll also get some hiking in and will see some new waterfalls.

To see more beautiful pictures of the sky around the world, or to join and post your own pictures of the sky, click HERE.

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Just a reminder that you are invited to visit my photo blog, Photos by Senior Hiker, by clicking HERE

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 30 Comments »

Watery Wednesay # 25

March 3, 2009
Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our watery world, or to post your own watery pictures , click HERE.

The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, was taken from the ruins of Fort St. Louis on the island of St. Martin.  Our cruise ship had docked on the Dutch side of the island (St. Maarten) and we took a bus tour which took us to Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island.

St. Maarten – St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world shared by two different nations.  The island is only 37 square miles and is owned by France and the Netherlands Antilles.  The French territory covers about two thirds of the island and is technically a part of Europe and the European Community.  The Dutch side is a member island of the Neterlands Antilles and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but is not considered European territory.  There is no real border between the two parts of the island.

Fort St. Louis, built in 1767, overlooks Marigot Bay, and is the largest historical monument in St. Martin.  The plans for the fort were sent to the island from Versailles at the order of King Louis XVI.  After the French Revolution the fort was temporarily occupied by the Dutch to prevent the spread of revolutionary democracy.

The fort no longer serves any military purpose, but the steep climb we made to the summit of the peak did provide this panoramic view of the island and the sea.  I would say the hike was definitely worth the effort.

Just a reminder that you are invited to visit my photo blog, Photos by Senior Hiker, by clicking HERE

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday, Watery Wednesday | 28 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 33

February 26, 2009
30 Mile Point, New York. October, 2008.

30 Mile Point, New York. October, 2008.

Back in October, Betsy and I went to Buffalo, New York, to visit my daughter Kelly and her husband, Chuck.  On Friday they took us on a ride out in the country around Buffalo.  It wasn’t an ideal day for sight-seeing because there were showers off and on for much of the day.

One of the places we visited was 30 Mile Point on Lake Ontario.  There was a park there, and a lighthouse, which we enjoyed seeing.  While on the lighthouse grounds I took this picture of the lake.  It wasn’t raining at that particular moment, but you can see the clouds scurrying across the lake.

This is my entry for Skywatch Friday, a weekly meme of sky pictures from around the world.  To see more pictures, or to post your own, click HERE.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 36 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 32

February 19, 2009
Sunset in Fairfield Glade. February 8, 2009.

Sunset in Fairfield Glade. February 8, 2009.

This is my entry for Skywatch Friday.  Last week over 300 people from around the world shared their views of the sky.  To see more sky pictures, or to join the fun and join, click HERE.

Earlier this month I took my walk a little later than I usually do and captured the sunset above.  I usually view the sunset from the 14th tee of the golf course, but this picture was taken from the first tee.  This fairway is not quite as wide as the 14th and it is more level so the trees appear more numerous, but the sky is as glorious as ever.

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Skywatch Friday # 31

February 12, 2009

Sunset off St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

Sunset off St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

Welcome to Sky Watch Friday if you would like to see more of the sky from all over the world click HERE.  Last week over 300 people shared their skies.

Cruises are very nice — there’s (too much) good food and beautiful scenery.  Betsy and I especially liked sunrises and sunsets at sea.  They were almost magical moments.

The picture above, which can be enlarged, is of a sunset off St. Maartens in the Caribbean.  We watched the sun sink toward the horizon, the ocean get darker and darker, and the sky fill with golds and reds.  It looked like a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Now look at the date — September 11, 2001.  We had heard about the World Trade Centers and had seen television footage.  There were many more questions than answers at that time.  How can such horror coexist with such beauty?

I don’t know the answer to that question — just as I don’t know the answer to many other questions.  But this I do know —

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
. . .
”Be still, and know that I am God; ‘”
— Psalm 46, 1 – 3, 10

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Betsy and I hope to celebrate Valentine’s Day by seeing some new waterfalls, so we will be away from the computers for a couple of days.  Hopefully we will be back Sunday.  Have a happy Valentine’s Day and a great weekend.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 37 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 30

February 5, 2009
Sunset off St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

Sunset off St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

I’ve posted a couple of pictures from our visit to St. Lucia on a cruise in 2001 and I would now like to share one on Skywatch Friday.

Betsy and I took a belated honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean in September, 2001.  There were many things we enjoyed about the cruise, but the sunrises and sunsets we saw from the ship were definitely high points.

The picture above was taken while watching the sunset off St. Lucia.  There was a heavy cloud bank off to the west of the ship and the sun has dropped behind it.  If you looked at the enlarged picture you can just make out a sliver of the sun between the ocean and the clouds.

I think what I like most about this picture is the color behind the dark clouds on the horizon.  This was one of the last pictures I got that day before the light disappeared completely.

Last week over 300 people shared pictures of the sky on Skywatch.  You can join in the fun or see more pictures from around our beautiful world by clicking HERE.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 40 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 28

January 22, 2009
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. May, 2006.

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. May, 2006.

Although today was warmer here on the Plateau of Tennessee — we actually got above freezing for a couple of hours — I still felt led to celebrate Skywatch Friday with memories of warmer weather.

The picture above was taken in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in May, 2006.  We were on the beach in front of Cherry Grove Manor when the clear, deep blue skies behind the manor and palmetto trees got my attention.  We’re accustomed to beautiful skies when we go to the beach, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a prettier sky.

The Cherry Grove Manor was probably our favorite place to stay at the beach, primarily because it was small and comfortable.  Unfortunately it is no longer there.  It was torn down in early 2007 to make room for a high rise condo.  When we were at the beach last year we went past the site and there was only a small beach access walkway and one tree left from the manor.  It was rather sad.  The condo was under construction in May, 2008, but I don’t know if it has been finished or not.  Perhaps we’ll find out when we go to the beach this year.

To see more sky pictures from around the world, or to join in the fun and post your own picture, click HERE.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 39 Comments »

Skywatch Friday 26 and an Anniversary

January 8, 2009
The moon in a blue sky at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. January 8, 2009.

The moon in a blue sky at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. January 8, 2009.

Since Betsy and I enjoyed our trip to Ozone Falls so much on Wednesday, we decided to drive to Fall Creek Falls State Park yesterday.  That park is special to us and contains five waterfalls.  There was relatively little water the last time we were there and we wanted to see what effect the rains of the past two weeks had on them.

There was lots of water, and I’m sure I’ll share more about that in the future.  If you can’t wait, Betsy is better organized than I am and has posted some pictures on her blog.

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day on the Plateau.  There wasn’t a cloud in the beautiful blue sky.  As we were driving around the Gorge Scenic Drive, we stopped at an overlook to enjoy the “Grand Canyon of Tennessee”.  As we went back to the car I noticed the moon in a beautiful sky framed by trees along the road.  You can click on the picture to get a bigger view.

Won’t you join the fun of Skywatch Friday?  You can join or view more pictures from around the world by clicking HERE or on the logo below.

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On a different note I want to note that I started blogging two years ago today.  I started on a different site but  switched to this site in July, 2008, because of technical problems with the first site.  I have no regrets about making the change at all.

In my first post I wrote “Since U. S. News and World Report stated that one of the things a person could do to improve their life is to start a blog, and since I turn 65 in two months, I thought I would give it a try.”

In that first post I noted that we had had a little snow here in the Glade but that Betsy was wanting more.  I noted that the more it snowed, the happier Betsy became.  I guess some things never change!

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 30 Comments »

Skywatch Friday 25

January 1, 2009
Sunset from the 12th tee of Druid Hills Golf Course. January 1, 2009.

Sunset from the 12th tee of Druid Hills Golf Course. January 1, 2009.

Today was a cold but beautiful day here in the Glade.  Since the sky was so clear and blue I decided to walk to my favorite spot on the back nine of the golf course in order to view the setting sun.

My camera started to act up about the time I got there, but I did manage to get this picture of our first sunset of 2009.

To see more sky pictures from all over the world click HERE or on the logo below.
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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 24 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday #23

December 18, 2008

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SkyWatch Friday is a meme that gives people a chance to share pictures that show the sky.  There are many beautiful pictures posted from all around the world, and to see more you can click on the logo above or click on SKYWATCH.

Last Friday (December 12) a local television station said that the full moon visible that night would be the brightest in some fifteen years.  I went out on the deck to see for myself, but all I could see was some brightness behind thick clouds on the horizon.

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I kept checking the sky throughout the evening and the sky started to clear as the night wore on.  We finally had a clear sky, but by then the moon could only be seen through the branches of trees behind the house (of course!).

I got a couple of pictures centered on the moon itself, but I found that I like this picture of the moon seen through the branches much better.  So this is what I’m sharing as my watch on the sky this day.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 24 Comments »

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