Our World: Mt. Magazine

April 28, 2014
Betsy at Signal Hill, Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Betsy at Signal Hill, Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

(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 have been going to Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas for several years. We love ‘our’ cabin on the rim of the mountain and the gorgeous views of the setting sun we get from the back porch.

Geological marker on Mt. Magazine. February 26, 2014.

Geological marker on Mt. Magazine. February 26, 2014.

But we almost always make a trip to nearby Mt. Magazine State Park to enjoy more mountain views and to do some hiking. Mt. Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas, and we’ve hiked to Signal Hill, the highest point, several times.

Patti, Betsy and Neal at an overlook on Mt. Magazine. February 14, 2014.

Patti, Betsy and Neal at an overlook on Mt. Magazine. February 14, 2014.

This year we were able to share Mt. Magazine with our friends Patti and Neal. In addition to hiking with us to Signal Hill, they also enjoyed the views from some of the overlooks around the mountain.

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Down Memory Lane: Atlanta, 2001

April 24, 2014

2009 -- Atlanta

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

In early June, 2001, Betsy and I were invited to the wedding of the son of one of Betsy’s childhood friends in Atlanta. We were invited to the rehearsal dinner as well the wedding itself, so we spent the weekend in Atlanta.

We took advantage of some free time on Saturday to visit Stone Mountain Park. I had been there a couple of times before, but it was fun exploring the park with Betsy. We took the gondola to the top of Stone Mountain to enjoy the view, and later visited the covered bridge and old mill in the park. That evening we attended the wedding and reception.

The collage above contains pictures from our weekend. Betsy is striking a fetching pin-up pose on the top of Stone Mountain in the picture on the top left, while the top right shows the water wheel of the old mill. The covered bridge is shown on the lower left, while Betsy is beautifying a rock in front of the iconic Stone Mountain carving in the lower middle. The picture of us on the right was taken that night at the reception.

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

 

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Our World: Fall Creek Falls

April 21, 2014
Cane Creek Cascade, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2014.

Cane Creek Cascade, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 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 three wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

April 21 is a special day that Betsy and I celebrate each year.  It was on April 21, 2001, that I had my first ‘big’ date with Betsy.  We spent the day at Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee.  We did some hiking and checked out the waterfalls in the park.  That was the beginning of our waterfall ‘collection’.

Fall Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2014.

Fall Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2011.

But what really made the day special was that on that day I got my first kiss from Betsy.

We go back to Fall Creek Falls every April 21 to re-live the magic.  So if you don’t hear from me today, you’ll know where I am.

Piney Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2014.

Piney Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2011.

The pictures in this post were taken on a visit to Fall Creek Falls on April 21, 2011.

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Skywatch Friday: Mountains and Sky

April 18, 2014
The view from Signal Knob Overlook on Skyline Drive, Virginia. April 8, 2014.

The view from Signal Knob Overlook on Skyline Drive, Virginia. April 8, 2014.

(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.

Earlier this month Betsy and I were in Virginia, and we drove along the northern end of Skyline Drive on a beautiful morning.  When we stopped at the Signal Knob Overlook, I got this panorama of the view we enjoyed.  The sky, mountains and valley combined to give us a gorgeous view.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 18 Comments »

Our World: Spring Puts In An Appearance

April 14, 2014

 

Crocus in our yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

Crocus in our yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

(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.

Purple crocus 'volunteers' in front of our house. March 15, 2014.

Purple crocus ‘volunteers’ in front of our house. March 15, 2014.

I was beginning to think that Spring would never make it up on the Cumberland Plateau here in Tennessee. It seemed that every time we had a nice day in March, we would have freezing rain or snow tow days later.

Crocus in bloom. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

Crocus in bloom. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

But in spite of the reluctance of Old Man Winter to leave, we finally had some crocus pop up in the yard. The critters seem to think that crocus bulbs make a delicious treat, so we had mostly single flowers or small clumps of blossoms.

Crocus blossoms, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

Crocus blossoms, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 15, 2014.

But be that as it may, at least they brought some color to the yard and a promise of more blossoms to come.

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Our World: ‘Our’ Mt. Nebo Cabin

March 31, 2014
'Our' cabin on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

‘Our’ cabin on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

(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.

By now most of you know that Betsy and I visit Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas every year.  Betsy knew about this place before I was in the picture, but It didn’t take her long to introduce me to Mt. Nebo.

We stay at the same cabin each time we go.  ‘Our’ cabin is a one-bedroom stone cabin built by the CCC, although it has been renovated since then.  The cabin has a small but well-equipped kitchen, and the main room has a marvelous fireplace  which we enjoy very much.

The back of 'our' cabin, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The back of ‘our’ cabin, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The cabin sits near the western rim of the mountain.  It has a small porch in back as well as a patio with a picnic table.  We don’t use the picnic table much since it’s usually still winter when we visit.

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‘Our’ cabin in the light of the setting sun, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

The cabin is perfectly located for enjoying sunsets in February-March, when the light of the setting sun bathes the cabin in a golden glow.  The back of the cabin gives us a grandstand view.

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Our World: Old Man’s Cave

March 17, 2014
Looking down into the gorge near Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Looking down into the gorge near Old Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

(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.

Ice along canyon walls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Ice along canyon walls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Old Man’s Cave is a recess cave in a gorge in Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park.  Betsy and I have been to the park a couple of times and have enjoyed hiking down to the cave.  The park contains several waterfalls which had very little water when we visited before, so we went back there in early March hoping to find more flowing water.  We found more water, but we also found a great deal of ice, which was unexpected.

Ice along the walls of the gorge, Hocking Hills State Park. March 10, 2014.

Ice along the walls of the gorge, Hocking Hills State Park. March 10, 2014.

The walls of the gorge were covered in ice in many places, which was very beautiful but made it tricky to get down to the floor of the gorge.

A column of ice near Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 11, 2014.

A column of ice near Old Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 11, 2014.

Once I got down to the floor of the gorge, it was fascinating to see the huge columns of ice reaching from an overhang to the base of the cliff.  In the photo above you can even see some blue ice in the column.

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Skywatch Friday: Mt. Nebo Sunrise

March 7, 2014
The pre-dawn view from Sunrise Point on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The pre-dawn view from Sunrise Point on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

(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.

When Betsy and I visit Mt. Nebo in Arkansas, we tend to get up a little earlier than usual so we can drive to Sunrise Point to watch the sun come up.

If the visibility is good, we can see much of the Arrkansas River valley below us before the sun makes its appearance.

The sun making its first appearance across the Arkansas River valley. February 27, 2014.

The sun making its first appearance across the Arkansas River valley. February 27, 2014.

In late February we can catch our first glimpse of the sun just beyond the end of Petit Jean Mountain across the valley.

The day is off to a great start on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The day is off to a great start on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

It doesn’t take long before the sun is completely up filling the sky with light reflected in the waters of the river below us.  It’s always a gorgeous sight, and gets our day off to a wonderful start.

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Our World: Setrock Creek Falls

March 3, 2014
Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

(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.

February is a good month for visiting waterfalls, and since the weather is usually mild (at least in this part of the country) it’s also a good month for hiking.

Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

These pictures are from my archives.  In February, 2008, Betsy and I visited several waterfalls in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.  Setrock Creek Falls in Yancey County, North Carolina, was one of those waterfalls.

We actually went to the area to visit another waterfall, but when we found the trailhead to Setrock Creek Falls, we couldn’t resist the temptation to make the hike to the falls.

Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

Setrock Creek Falls, Yancey County, North Carolina. February 15, 2008.

I’m glad we did.

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Our World: Betsy Got Her Snow!

February 17, 2014
Snow on the trees in the vacant lot next to our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

Snow on the trees in the vacant lot next to our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

(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 snowed most of this past Wednesday afternoon and night, and it was Betsy’s ideal snow storm.  When we woke up early Thursday morning snow was clinging to everything, as can be seen in the photo above.

Druid Hills golf course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

Druid Hills golf course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

The sky cleared a little later in the morning, so we went for a walk.  The contrast between the blue sky and white snow was absolutely gorgeous.  This photo looks up the fairway from behind our house.

The back of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 14, 2014.

The back of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 14, 2014

I had to shoot more toward the sun to get the picture of the back of our house, but I thought it looked pretty in our own Winter Wonderland.

My Happy Bride, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

My Happy Bride, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 13, 2014.

To say that Betsy was a happy camper is an understatement.  She could barely contain herself!

Posted in Our World | 25 Comments »

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