Hiking with Betsy

March 13, 2013

Hiking with Betsy

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

Betsy planned a wonderful birthday celebration for me last weekend.  We went down to Fort Payne, Alabama, to do some hiking and visit some waterfalls.  We’ve been dan there before, but there was more water this time than on our earlier visits.

Hiking with Betsy is a great way to celebrate a birthday, or any day.  The collage above contains photos taken last weekend.  The picture on the upper left shows us at Little River Falls in the Little River Canyon National Preserve near Fort Payne.  Although I love hiking with Betsy, she does sometimes get carried away with the trails she picks as you can see by the picture on the upper right.

Betsy patiently waits while I’m playing around trying to get the ‘perfect’ shot, as the picture on the lower left shows.  (I love that beautiful smile!).  The middle picture shows us at Lost Falls in Desoto State Park.

The picture on the right shows the best part of hiking with Betsy.  This picture was taken along the West Fork of the Little River, also in Desoto State Park.

I’m already looking forward to our next hiking trip.

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Our World: Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

March 11, 2013
Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

(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.

All of these pictures were scanned from slides.

When I went to China the first time (1987) our first stop in Asia was Hong Kong.  Hong Kong was still under British rule at that time, and the mixture of European and Oriental influences was fascinating.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

Hong Kong was (and I believe still is) a crowded city.  But while there we visited Repulse Bay, a beautiful area which was largely unspoiled.

There are a couple of explanations for the name, Repulse Bay.  One story is that the name comes from a 19th century battle in which the British army repulsed attacking pirates.  Another story is that the bay got its name from HMS Repulse, which was stationed there in the 1840s.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, June, 1987.

Regardless of how the bay got its name, it was a beautiful, quiet spot in 1987.  My understanding is that it is now a luxurious residential area.

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Posted in Our World | 16 Comments »

Little River in the Smokies

March 8, 2013

2010 -- March Smokies

(Note:  The collage may be enlarged by clicking on it once or twice.)

March is a wonderful time to visit the Smoky Mountains here in Tennessee.  There usually aren’t too many tourist, especially during the week, and it is possible to pull to the side of the road and enjoy the scenery.  The water levels are usually pretty good in March, so it’s possible to get some nice pictures of flowing water.

The waterfall in the upper left corner of this collage is Meigs Falls, which can be seen along Little River Road.  The other pictures are of Little River taken at pull-offs along the road.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE

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Posted in Travels | 17 Comments »

Dierks Lake

March 6, 2013
Dierks Lake, Dierks, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

Dierks Lake, Dierks, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

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

As many of you know Betsy and I have been going to Mount Nebo in Arkansas for almost as long as we’ve been married.  We usually try to find some waterfalls to visit, but we visit other places that capture our interest as well.

Last year we met a man as we were coming back to the car after visiting a waterfall in Arkansas.  He recommended that we continue a little farther down the road to Dierks Lake.  We were glad we took him up on his suggestion.

Dierks Lake was formed by a dam across the Saline River.  We’ve been told that it’s noted for largemouth bass fishing, but we just enjoyed the beauty of the lake.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE.

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Posted in Travels | 18 Comments »

Our World: Cumberland Mountain

March 4, 2013
Byrd Lake, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 2011

Byrd Lake, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 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.

Cumberland Mountain State Park is a relatively small state park near Crossville, Tennessee.  The main feature of the park is Byrd Lake (above).

ByrdLakeDam11051501

The dam which forms Byrd Lake, built by the CCC. Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 2011.

The lake is formed by a dam capped by seven arches carrying a road.  The dam is the largest masonry project completed by the CCC.  It was substantially rebuilt in 2010-2011.

The restaurant at Cumberland Mountain State Park. May 15, 2011.

The restaurant at Cumberland Mountain State Park. May 15, 2011.

The park has camping sites, hiking trails, boating and a swimming pool.  One of the things we like best about Cumberland Mountain isa the restaurant overlooking the lake.  We enjoy their delicious buffets several times during the year.

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SkyWatch Friday: Sunset on Mount Nebo

March 1, 2013
Our cabin at sunset on Mount Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

Our cabin at sunset on Mount Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

(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.

There are many things that Betsy and I like about Mount Nebo in Arkansas.  We always stay at ‘our’ cabin on the rim of the mountain.  The main reason we go in late February is that we can enjoy sunsets from the patio of the cabin.

This picture, taken last year, shows the sun sinking behind the mountains to the west of Mount Nebo.  ‘Our’ cabin is in silhouette on the left of the picture.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 14 Comments »

Playing with my Macro Lens

February 27, 2013

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

These pictures are from my archives, but crocus blossoms gave me a chance to play with my macro lens.

I don’t think any single picture is particularly special, but taken as a group they do give me a chance to enjoy the beauty of Spring.

Even the simplest of flowers have beautiful details.

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Posted in Garden | 14 Comments »

Our First Signs of Spring

February 25, 2013
Crocus in bloom, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 21, 2013.

Crocus in bloom, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 21, 2013.

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

We have had some cold weather over the past few days, so winter is not quite ready to leave us.  But there are a couple of hopeful signs.  I noticed a couple of days ago that our crocus has begun to bloom.

Crocus in bloom, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 21, 2013.

Crocus in bloom, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 21, 2013.

The pictures aren’t very good, but the blossoms do promise that Spring will soon be here.

These crocus were a gift from my Dad when we bought our house. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 24, 2013.

These crocus were a gift from my Dad when we bought our house. Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 24, 2013.

Yesterday, these crocus, given to us by my Dad when we bought this house, gave us another hint of the promise of Spring.

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SkyWatch Friday: Mount Nebo Sunset

February 22, 2013
Sunset on Mount Nebo, Arkansas. February 11, 2013.

Sunset on Mount Nebo, Arkansas. February 11, 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.

Betsy and I were at Mount Nebo in Arkansas last week.  We stay at the same cabin each year, since we have beautiful views at sunset from the porch at the back of the cabin.  We can sit there and look down into the valley below us and see the mountains stretching off in the distance.  When the setting sun colors the sky and sends our sun rays, we feel that we’re capturing a glimpse of heaven.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 18 Comments »

Falling Water Falls

February 20, 2013
Falling Water Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. February 14, 2013

Falling Water Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. February 14, 2013

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

Betsy and I drove into the Ozark National Forest of Arkansas on a gravel Forest Service road to visit Falling Water Falls o Valentine Day.  We had visited this waterfall a couple of times before, but we found much more water in the creek this time.  Also, the color of the water was absolutely gorgeous.

 

 

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Posted in Waterfalls | 16 Comments »

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