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 »

Our World: Grandfather Mountain

December 17, 2012

The view from Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. 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.

Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountain range.  It is also the only private park in the world designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve.  Grandfather Mountain received this designation because of the sixteen different habitat communities that can be found on the mountain.  The vegetation on some parts of the mountain has more in common with northern Canada than North Carolina.

We visited Grandfather Mountain on a beautiful but cold and windy day in November.  The picture above shows the view from the first overlook on the road leading to the summit and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Our World | 14 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Tennessee Sky

December 7, 2012

Looking toward the Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway near Townsend, Tennessee. October 23, 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.

Some people come to East Tennessee to enjoy the glorious autumn colors.  Other come to see our majestic mountains.  When both are present under a beautiful Tennessee sky, there’s not a better place to be.

This picture was taken on the Foothills Parkway looking toward the Smoky Mountains in October of this year.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 23 Comments »

Micro Moon

December 5, 2012
Full Moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 28, 2012.

Full Moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 28, 2012.

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

Did you see last week’s full moon?  It turns out that it was really a Micro Moon.  On November 28, 2012 the smallest Full Moon of 2012 reached its full phase only about 4 hours before its apogee, the most distant point from Earth in the Moon’s elliptical orbit.

We’ll have to wait until January 16, 2014, to see the next Micro Moon.  On that date the moon will reach its full phase within about three hours of apogee.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Glade | 15 Comments »

Our World: Cox Covered Bridge

December 3, 2012

Cox Covered Bridge, Vinton County, Ohio. October 18, 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 enjoy traveling back roads whenever possible.  It may take us a little longer to get somewhere, but that’s usually not a problem.  Besides, we often come across some very interesting sights.

On our way home from our visit to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, our GPS took us along two-lane Ohio 93.  We were enjoying the autumn color when Betsy spotted a covered bridge.  Of course we stopped to investigate.

The Cox Covered Bridge was built in 1884, and served as the road bridge over Brushy Creek in Vinton County, Ohio, until 1992.  That year the bridge was moved 20 feet north to rest on a concrete foundation.  The bridge no longer carries traffic, but it can be walked across.

Autumn color as seen looking through the Cox Covered Bridge. October 18, 2012.

We got a great view of a beautiful orange tree looking through the bridge.

Satellite image of Cox Covered Bridge, Vinton County, Ohio.

The above image from Google Earth shows the location of the bridge.  There were no nearby towns, but the Vinton County Airport is off to the southeast.  The red dot shows our position in front of the bridge.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Our World | 20 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »