Down Memory Lane: Fall Creek Falls

April 22, 2013

2001 -- FCF I

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

April 21 is a special day for Betsy and me.  On April 21, 2001, we had our first ‘big’ date.  On that day we went to Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee.

Our first date was a dinner date on March 29.  We had a couple of other dates after that, but on April 21 we spent the entire date at Fall Creek Falls.  We did a lot of talking and some hiking.

Fall Creek Falls State Park has five major waterfalls — those were the first waterfalls we saw together.  As you might expect,  this was the beginning of our waterfall ‘collection’.

The collage above has some pictures from that first date.  The picture on the upper left is a picture I took of Betsy fairly early in the day along the lake near the park lodge.  On the upper right is a picture of the two of us taken at the base of Cane Creek Cascade.  The bottom row had Fall Creek Falls and Coon Creek falls on the left, and Piney Creek Falls on the right.  In the picture of Betsy showing some leg was taken on the trail to the base of Fall Creek Falls.

Betsy and I have gotten back to Fall Creek Falls almost every April 21, and yesterday was no exception.  As I said, April 21 is a very special day for us.  What was the best part of the day?  I got my first kiss that day.

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

Spring Is Busting Out All Over

April 15, 2013

2013 -- Daffodils

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

It took a while, but it looks as if Spring has finally arrived on the Cumberland Plateau.  We finally have daffodil blooming in our yard.  Five of our daffodil varieties are shown in the collage above.

The daffodil on the upper left is Pink Silk, while Spellbinder is on the upper right.  On the bottom I have Breck’s Colossal on the left, Las Vegas daffodil in the middle, and Wild Carnival.

It’s great to be able to work out in the yard and to see these beauties in blooming in the flower beds.

Down Memory Lane: Our New House

April 5, 2013

2002 -- New House

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

After Betsy and I got married, we lived in a townhouse she had in Hendersonville, Tennessee.  But we soon began thinking about a home of our own.

We considered many places before deciding on Fairfield Glade here in Tennessee.   Homes in the Glade were fairly affordable, and  the Glade was close enough to my parents in Hendersonville that we could get there if necessary.

Betsy did a great deal of research online, and then called a real estate company that worked in the Glade.  We met him on a Saturday in early August, 2002.  One of the first houses we saw was a ranch house on the golf course.  It had a wrap-around deck in back and three french doors leading from the great room to the deck.  We both fell in love with it almost as soon as we walked in.

We made an offer that very day.  We took possession in October, 2002, and have been happily living here ever since.

The picture of the back of the house on the top left was taken the day we first saw the house.  The picture on the top right shows the front of the house while it was under contract.  The picture on the bottom left is another view of the back taken from the golf course rough behind the house.  The great room in the house is shown on the lower right.  This picture was taken the day we first viewed the house.  Our name went on the mailbox after we moved in.

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

Brush Creek Falls

April 3, 2013
Brush Creek Falls, Pipestem Resort State Park, West Virginia.  April 23, 2010.

Brush Creek Falls, Pipestem Resort State Park, West Virginia. April 23, 2010.

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

As most of you know, Betsy and I enjoy tracking down and visiting waterfalls.  They don’t have to be big or well-known for us to enjoy them.  We visited Brush Creek Falls in April of 2010.  It is located in the Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia, but it required some hiking to get to it.

Our World: Yaki Point, Grand Canyon

April 1, 2013
The Grand Canyon from Yaki Point.  June 16, 2011.

The Grand Canyon from Yaki Point. June 16, 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.

In June, 2011, Betsy and I visited the Grand Canyon.  It was everything we were told it would be and then some.  I don’t think any picture could do the scene justice, bt we took many anyway.  This picture of the canyon was taken from Yaki Point.

SkyWatch Friday: Utah Skies

March 29, 2013
Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon.  June 19, 2011.

Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon. June 19, 2011.

(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.

On going through my archives recently, I found some pictures taken in June, 2011, as Betsy and I drove from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon.  The morning was very overcast, so we weren’t sure of what the weather would be like at Bryce, but we headed out anyway.

As we drove along we were impressed with both the Utah landscape and the vastness of the sky.  We stopped several times along the way to get pictures.

Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon.  June 19, 2011.

Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon. June 19, 2011.

At times the clouds were so low that they they touched the tops of the mountains in the distance.

Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon.  June 19, 2011.

Scene on the highway from Kanab, Utah, to Bryce Canyon. June 19, 2011.

At other times the clouds would part enough for us to see blue skies and the beautiful red cliffs of Utah.

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On a more personal note, I had my first date with my Beautiful Bride on March 29, 2001.  She was a minister at Hendersonville (Tennessee) First United Methodist Church, and we made a dinner date to discuss some Bible Study lessons I had missed because my work took me out of town.

The Bible Study never came up the entire evening.

Mill Creek

March 27, 2013
The Shoals of Mill Creek, Cohutta Wilderness, Georgia.  March 8, 2011.

The Shoals of Mill Creek, Cohutta Wilderness, Georgia. March 8, 2011.

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

It should come as no surprise that Betsy and I have favorite places we have visited several times.  Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina is one, and Mt. Nebo in Arkansas is another.

But there are other places we have returned to as well.  One place a little closer is Mill Creek in the Cohutta Wilderness of northern Georgia.  We came across Mill Creek almost by accident the first time we were there, but there was a short hike from a campground along the creek to what is called the Shoals of Mill Creek.  There are several places along the creek where we could sit and enjoy the beauty and the sound of rushing water.

It takes a fairly long drive along a gravel Forest Service road to get to Mill Creek, but we both definitely think the drive is worth it.

The photo above, from my archives, was taken during a visit to Mill Creek in March, 2011.

Our World: Little River Falls

March 25, 2013
Little River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama.  March 8, 2013.

Little River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama. March 8, 2013.

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

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 Fort Payne, Alabama, to celebrate my birthday.  One of the first places we visited was Little River Falls in Little River Canyon National Preserve.

Little River is unique in that it flows for almost its entire length along the top of Lookout Mountain.  As such it doesn’t have much depth, but there was a good water flow when we were there in March.

Betsy and I at Fall River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama.  March 8, 2013.

Betsy and I at Fall River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama. March 8, 2013.

We have been to Little River Falls before, but this time we found a new boardwalk and observation deck.  The deck allowed us to have a wonderful view of the falls.

Little River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama.  March 8, 2013.

Little River Falls, Fort Payne, Alabama. March 8, 2013.

Little River Falls is a 45-foot waterfall that marks the beginning of Little River Canyon.  The canyon is approximately eleven miles long and is up to 700 feet deep.  Little River Canyon is sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of the East.”

SkyWatch Friday: A Foggy Sunset

March 22, 2013
A foggy sunset from Mount Nebo, Arkansas.  March 31, 2011.

A foggy sunset from Mount Nebo, Arkansas. March 31, 2011.

(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.

Not every sunset on Mount Nebo is perfect, in spite of some of the pictures we’ve posted from there.  Fog came rolling in late one afternoon a couple of years ago, and we were afraid  we wouldn’t see anything at all of the setting sun.  The fog was fairly thick, but I got this photo of the setting sun before it completely disappeared.  I like the reflected light on the wet rock near the bottom of the photo.

Little Missouri Falls

March 20, 2013
Little Missouri Falls, Langley, Arkansas.  February 22, 2010.

Little Missouri Falls, Langley, Arkansas. February 22, 2010.

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

Betsy and I don’t always agree with the writers of the books we use to find waterfalls.  We haven’t been disappointed as much as we’ve been surprised.

We read about Little Missouri Falls in one of our books on Arkansas waterfalls.  The description in the book talked about a waterfall on the Little Missouri River with multiple drops in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas.  Since we were getting pretty good at navigating Forest Service roads, we decided we would check it out.

We found Little Missouri Falls (above), but we both thought it was more of a cascade than a falls.

Little Missouri Falls, Langley, Arkansas.  February 22, 2010.

Little Missouri Falls, Langley, Arkansas. February 22, 2010.

Don’t get me wrong — it was very pretty, especially as the water rushed over the rocks.

Little Missouri River, Langley, Arkansas.  February 22, 2010.

Little Missouri River, Langley, Arkansas. February 22, 2010.

A nice bonus was the color of the Little Missouri River below the falls.