Our World: Autumn Colors in Harpers Ferry

October 14, 2013
Autumn color in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

Autumn color in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

(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.

On our recent trip to the east, Betsy and I saw our first inklings of autumn color in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  The beautiful yellows of these trees quickly caught our eyes.

Autumn color in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

Autumn color in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

These trees were actually in the parking lot of the Visitors Center, but they were beautiful nevertheless.

Looking toward the Potomac River from Jefferson's Rock, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

Looking toward the Potomac River from Jefferson’s Rock, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. September 26, 2013.

This final picture was taken later at Jefferson’s Rock above the town of Harpers Ferry.  The red tree and church steeple attracted my attention.  That’s the Potomac River beyond the steeple.

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Posted in Our World | 29 Comments »

Our World: Biltmore’s Rose Garden

October 7, 2013
Part of the rose garden at Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Part of the rose garden at Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

(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.

I’m beginning to think that visiting the Rose Garden at Biltmore House and Gardens is dangerous to the health of our wallet.  Each time Betsy and I visit the rose garden, one or both of us will find a rose that we think would look good in our yard.  When we visited last year we found the Milestone rose, which we added to our garden this year.

We went back to Biltmore in early August as part of our getaway for Betsy’s birthday.  And sure enough, we both found some roses that we thought it would be nice to have.

Francis Meilland rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Francis Meilland rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

The first one we found was Francis Meilland.  This is a new rose that I’ve had my eye on for several months.

Winter Sun rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Winter Sun rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Winter Sun is another new rose that both of us found to be very beautiful.

Sweet Afton rose, Biltmore House & Garden, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Sweet Afton rose, Biltmore House & Garden, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Sweet Afton was introduced in 1964.  I’m not sure it is still available, but both Betsy and I liked its beautiful pastel colors.

Queen Elizabeth rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Queen Elizabeth rose, Biltmore House & Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Queen Elizabeth is an even older rose (1955), but it is still a beauty.  I have seen it offered by several sources.

Do you have any suggestions for us?  We’re running out of places to put roses in our yard, although I’m sure the deer would be delighted to have a few more rose bushes to munch on.

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Posted in Garden | 23 Comments »

Williamsburg Skies

October 4, 2013
The Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg. September 21, 2013.

The Governor’s Palace at Colonial Williamsburg. September 21, 2013.

(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.

Our first stop on our recent vacation was Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.  We walked through the garden behind the Governor’s Palace under a beautiful blue sky.

Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, Virginia. September 21, 2013.

Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, Virginia. September 21, 2013.

One of the main purposes for our trip was to enable Betsy to do some research at Bruton Parish.  Her eight-times great grandfather, Thomas Ballard, was a member of the Vestry of the church from 1674 – 1683.  By the time we left the church there were some scattered light clouds in the sky.

The Capitol in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. September 21, 2013.

The Capitol in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. September 21, 2013.

It was even cloudier when we walked over to the Capitol, but it was still a very pretty day.  All in all it was a nearly perfect day for visiting Colonial Williamsburg.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 17 Comments »

Photographer At Work

September 16, 2013
Betsy in the Rose Garden, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Betsy in the Rose Garden, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

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

One of the nicest things about traveling with my Beautiful Bride is that I get to watch Betsy the Photographer at work.  That was the case when we visited the Rose Garden at Biltmore House and Gardens last month.

Betsy takes her photography very seriously — perhaps more seriously than I do.

Betsy in the Rose Garden, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Betsy in the Rose Garden, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

You could almost say that she throws herself into her work.

Paul Neyron Rose, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

Paul Neyron Rose, Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina. August 6, 2013.

But then the results of her dedication are absolutely beautiful.

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Posted in Betsy | 25 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Mammoth Cave

September 13, 2013

2001 -- Mammoth Cave

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

In late April, 2001, Betsy and I spent the day at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.  I had been there many years before, but it was a special treat to go back with My Beautiful-Bride-To-Be.

We took the Historical Tour of the cave, and later walked through some of the woodland in the park.  We took a cruise on the Green River later in the day.

In the collage above, my Beautiful Betsy is on the upper left, and the Grand Avenue in Mammoth Cave is on the right.  At the bottom, from left to right, is the site of saltpeter mining in the cave, the stairway in Mammoth Dome, and a cable ferry across the Green River.

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

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Posted in Travels | 14 Comments »

Our World: Where has George taken pictures?

September 9, 2013

Places01

(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.

As most of you know, I have been using a GPS tracker for the past few years when taking pictures while traveling.  The GPS tracker gives the GPS coordinates of the location where the photo was taken.

I’ve also started to go back and give the location of my archived older photos.  The locations are then plotted on Google Earth.

I recently noticed that I had photos in 300 ‘places’ around the world, as shown by the red pins on the image above.

Places02

That map of the world doesn’t look as if it has 300 pins on it.  But drilling down reveals more pins.  The top image has one pin for Hong Kong, but the closer view shows six separate pins in Hong Kong.

Places03

For some reason, the greatest concentration of red pins seems to be in the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia.  I wonder why that would be the case.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 18 Comments »

Happy Birthday, Dad

August 29, 2013

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

My Dad is celebrating his 101st birthday today.  The picture above  was taken last year when we celebrated his 100th birthday at his church in Hendersonville.  My younger brother Ken and my sister Janet are standing with me behind Dad.

Dad has had a remarkable life.  He remembers when a horse and wagon was the family’s transportation, as well as his first encounter with electricity.  But he didn’t live in the past.  At the tender age of 90 he learned to use a computer and would send us daily emails telling us when he and Mom had been doing the day before.  Even in his mid-nineties he would get up on the roof of his house when necessary.

He’s slowed down quite a bit over the last few years, especially after Mom died.  But he still enjoys getting out and going for a ride, and he still enjoys his ice cream.  Betsy and I are going to Tullahoma this evening to have a restaurant dinner with Dad and Janet, and I’m pretty sure I know what he’ll order for dessert.

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Posted in Family | 29 Comments »

Reach for the Sky

August 26, 2013
George getting a picture of our About Face rose. July 21, 2013. (Photo by Betsy)

George getting a picture of our About Face rose. July 21, 2013. (Photo by Betsy)

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

Most of our roses are average-sized bushes — three or four feet high.  But we have one rose that likes to show off every couple of years and see how high it can grow.

Betsy got the picture of me (above) trying to capture the top blossom on our About Face rose.  To put this image into proper perspective, I’m 6-feet, 4-inches tall, and I’m shooting up to shoot the rose.

The picture below is the photo I was shooting while Betsy was getting her picture of me.  I rather like it, even if the flag in the background is blurry.  The morning light was bowing through the petals of the rose when I got this picture.

About Face blossom with the flag in the background. July 21, 2013.

About Face blossom with the flag in the background. July 21, 2013.

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Posted in Garden | 21 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Evening Sky in the Glade

August 21, 2013
Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

(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.

One evening last month, as the sun was setting, I noticed an unusual pink-purple cast to the sky.  The sun had dropped below the Plateau, but the sky above our house seemed to be getting brighter and more vibrant.

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

Of course I grabbed my camera and headed outside.  There were clouds overhead, and I tried to capture the light and shadows in that pink-purple sky.

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. July 17, 2013.

I really don’t think these photos do justice to that amazing sky, but I like them well enough that I wanted to share them with you.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 28 Comments »

Our World: Tanbark Ridge Overlook

August 19, 2013
Betsy at Tanbark Ridge Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. June 26, 2013.

Betsy at Tanbark Ridge Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. June 26, 2013.

(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.

In late June Betsy and I traveled to North Carolina to meet my son Robert and his family.  We took advantage of the opportunity to drive along one of our favorite roads, the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We picked up the Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina, and headed north.  We stopped at the Tanbark Ridge Overlook to enjoy the view.

TanbarkRidgePanorama13062601

The mountains and the sky were both beautiful, and I tried to capture that beauty as best as I could in this panoramic shot.

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Posted in Our World | 19 Comments »

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