Skywatch Friday: Ocean Isle Sunrise

January 18, 2013
Dawn brought some beautiful color to the sky off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 14, 2012.

Dawn brought some beautiful color to the sky off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 14, 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.

The weather wasn’t the all that great when we were at the beach last month, but we were treated to a gorgeous sunrise on our last morning at Ocean Isle Beach.

The sun making an appearance off Ocean Isle Beach. December 14, 2012.

The sun making an appearance off Ocean Isle Beach. December 14, 2012.

There were low clouds on the horizon out to sea, but the sky above was clear and beautiful.  We were able to watch as the sky brightened and the sun made its appearance.

A path of light leading to our room. December 14, 2012.

A path of light leading to our room. December 14, 2012.

As the sun moved above the horizon, it sent a path of light straight toward us.  While that made it hard to leave, it certainly gave us something to look forward to when we go back.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 25 Comments »

Linville Falls

January 16, 2013

Upper Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

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

In early November Betsy and I went to Asheville, North Carollina, to visit Mount Mitchell and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  But Mount Mitchell State Park was closed because of snow, and a big part of the Parkway was closed due to construction.  So we had to go with Plan B.  Plan B included a morning visit to Grandfather Mountain and a late afternoon visit to Linville Falls.

We had visited Linville Falls back in 2004, but this time we had a little more fun getting there because of the road closures.  We reached a Forest Service trailhead to the falls in the late afternoon.

The trail first led us to Upper Linville Falls (above).  The upper falls is a small double falls above the main falls.  Although the falls are small, the setting is very pretty.

Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

We couldn’t see the main falls from the upper falls, so we decided to hike to an overlook about half a mile away which offered a distant view of the main falls.  I had to use my long lens to get the above photo.  There is a small, twisting gorge (‘The Chimney’) between the upper and main falls.  You can see the water flowing from the bottom of the chimney before reaching the main falls.

It was getting late, so we didn’t make it to the Chimney View overlook, nor did we have time to hike to the base of the main falls.  I guess we’ll just have to go back.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Waterfalls | 11 Comments »

Our World: Ocean Isle Beach

January 14, 2013
OceanIsleBeach12121106

The beach at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, as seen from the balcony of our room. December 11, 2012.

(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 December my Beautiful Bride and I made a quick trip to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  Ocean Isle is one of our favorite places to be, and it is near Calabash, North Carolina, which has some of the best seafood found on the east coast.

Sky and water off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 11, 2012.

Sky and water off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 11, 2012.

The weather in December isn’t always the greatest, but in December we often have the beach to ourselves.

It was overcast the afternoon we arrived in Ocean Isle, but the afternoon light, the clouds and the water made a beautiful picture.

Sunbeams breaking through the clouds at Ocean Isle Beach. December 11, 2012.

Sunbeams breaking through the clouds at Ocean Isle Beach. December 11, 2012.

I was fortunate enough to capture some sunbeams breaking through the clouds in the late afternoon.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Our World | 23 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Tennessee Skies

January 11, 2013

Autumn color on the Cherohala Skyway. October 25, 2009.

(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.

Moon in a blue sky over the Cherohala Skyway. October 25, 2009.

I went to my archives for these pictures of a beautiful Tennessee sky.  We were on the Cherohala Skyway on a gorgeous October day.  The autumn colors and the sky were both brilliant.  The moon in that blue sky was an added bonus.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 21 Comments »

Silly Time is Here

January 9, 2013

ChristmasCollagesIII

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

On our first Christmas after we got married, Betsy and I took some pictures which we used in Christmas cards the following Christmas.  That led to our habit of taking ‘formal’ pictures each Christmas morning.

Our routine is to set up the tripod, get dressed in nice clothes, and take many pictures, hoping that at least one is a ‘keeper’.

The whole process can take a fair amount of time, which can lead to some silly pictures as well as good ones.

Santa gave me a post-Christmas present of a neat collage maker.  The collage in this post is my first attempt to make a collage from scratch.

Tags: , ,
Posted in American Life | 21 Comments »

Our World: Mile High Swinging Bridge

January 7, 2013

The mile-high swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carollina. November 8, 2012.

 

(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.

Betsy and I had to go to Plan B on our November trip to Asheville, North Carolina.  Plan B included a trip to Grandfather Mountain and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.  The name ‘Mile High Swinging Bridge’ is somewhat misleading.  Although the elevation of the bridge is 5,278 feet (a mile) above sea level, the bridge spans an 80 foot deep chasm on Linville Peak of the mountain.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge as seen from the parking lot on Linville Peak. November 8, 2012.

Both Betsy and I had been to Grandfather Mountain before we met.  Back then the bridge (a suspension bridge built in 1952) really did swing.  The wooden planks and side rails weren’t anchored, and would readily swing during high winds.  In 1999 the bridge was rebuilt and galvanized steel was used for the the planks and side rails.  Furthermore, anchor cables for the planks were added.  Now the bridge doesn’t swing very much, but it does ‘sing’ during high winds.

And the winds were definitely high when we were at the bridge.  The official temperature was 35°, but the wind was so strong it was hard to stand up straight.  I don’t know what the wind chill temperature was, but my fingers were so cold it was hard to take pictures.

Betsy after crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

Even my Beautiful Bride thought it was cold.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Our World | 19 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Blue Ridge Sky and Mountains

January 4, 2013

The view from Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, North Carolina. November 22, 2010.

(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.

Do the mountains reaching up to touch the clouds bring out the beauty of the sky, or do the clouds heighten the peaks and folds of the mountains?  All I know is that this beautiful scene was captured at Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Tags: , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 22 Comments »

Henrys Fork

January 2, 2013

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012.

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

Since there was smoke forecast for the Tetons on our last day in West Yellowstone, Betsy and I visited some more of the thermal areas in Yellowstone and explored part of neighboring Idaho.  We visited Mesa Falls in Idaho (you know how we are about waterfalls) and found some autumn color along Henrys Fork River between the upper and lower falls.  The picture above was taken from an overlook between the two falls.

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012. This photo was taken with a 5.9 second exposure.

I had time to play around with my neutral density filter and I got this picture.  I like the way the water of the rapids was smoothed out by the longer exposure.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Travels | 18 Comments »

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

December 21, 2012

2012 -- Christmas Outside

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

We’ve tried to be good all year,
and have decorated the outside of the house with symbols of Christmas cheer.

2012 -- Christmas Indoors

Inside the fire in the fireplace casts a warm glow.
The tree is up with room for presents below.

There’s only one thing for my Beautiful Bride and I to do —
That’s to wish a Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in American Life | 26 Comments »

Lake Logan, Ohio

December 19, 2012

Autumn color along the shore of Lake Logan State Park, Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

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

Betsy and I went to Ohio in October to visit Hocking Hills State Park with our friends Patti and Neal.  But there was another state park nearby — Lake Logan.  After a day of hiking at Hocking Hills we stopped by Lake Logan to enjoy the view.  The autumn colors were in full display along the shore of the lake and in the reflections in the water.

Mute Swans along the shore of Lake Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

But we found another treat in visiting Lake Logan.  We found some Mute Swans along the shore near a fishing pier where we had stopped to take pictures.  Those elegant swans just added to the picturesque scene we were enjoying.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Travels | 21 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »