Watery Wednesday: Fall Branch Falls, Georgia

April 11, 2012

Fall Branch Falls, Blue Ridge, Georgia. February 13, 2012.

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

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

Betsy and I keep an eye out for new waterfalls when we travel.  We usually take one or more of our waterfall books and even notes we have made as a result of internet searches for waterfalls.  I guess you could say we like to be prepared.

We planned to spend a couple of days in Hiawassee, Georgia, over Valentine Day this year, and on our way we found ourselves near Blue Ridge, Georgia.  Betsy remembered reading something about a waterfall near Blue Ridge, so she got out our book and gave me the directions to Fall Branch Falls.

Fall Branch Falls is off the beaten path, but we got to the trailhead without too much difficulty.  The hike itself was fairly short and very pleasant.  We got to the viewing platform and had this beautiful waterfall all to ourselves.  What a wonderful way to break up a trip.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 19 Comments »

Our World: Biltmore’s Walled Garden

April 9, 2012

The Walled Garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. April 3, 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 paid another visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, last week.  We went specifically to see the tulips in the Walled Garden.  George Vanderbilt wanted the Walled Garden to be a ‘garden of ornament’, so the garden consists of symmetrical flower beds arranged in patterns.  The picture above shows one side of the Walled Garden as seen from a hill overlooking the garden.

Tulips in the Walled Garden at Biltmore. April 3, 2012.

There were tulips of many different colors planted in the flower beds.

Tulips in Biltmore's Walled Garden. April 3, 2012.

Even the border flower beds along the road contained beautiful tulips.

Betsy and me in the Walled Garden at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. April 3, 2012.

But the prettiest flower in the entire garden was my beautiful bride.

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Posted in Our World | 23 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Sunset on Mt. Nebo

April 6, 2012

Sunset on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. March 28, 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.

As many of you know, Betsy and I love Mt. Nebo in Arkansas.  We’ve gone there at least once each year for several years now, always staying in the same cabin.  When we go in February or March, we can enjoy the sunsets from the patio of the cabin.  I took this picture at sunset in March of last year.

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More Daffodils

April 4, 2012

Breck's Colossal Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 6, 2012.

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

All of our daffodils have now bloomed and it makes us feel that Spring is here to stay.  I’ve shared some of our daffodils on two earlier posts (HERE and HERE) and am sharing four more here.

Breck’s Colossal has a large yellow trumpet surrounded by yellow petals.  I had this daffodil in our yard when I lived in Ohio before moving down here, and it was one of the first we planted when we moved here to the Glade.

Dad Adams Daffodils, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

My Dad gave us these narcissus when we first moved to the Glade.  They’ve spread very nicely in our big rock garden and in a couple of other locations in the yard.  We don’t know the name of these flowers, so we just refer to them as Dad Adams Daffodils.

Mount Hood Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

Mount Hood is another daffodil with large blossoms, but these have white petals and a white trumpet.  This is another daffodil we’ve had for quite some time.

Pink Radiance Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

Pink Radiance Daffodil is a new daffodil for us this year.  It’s a double daffodil and very pretty, although the trumpet looks more orange than pink.

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Posted in Garden | 13 Comments »

Our World: Cane Creek Twin Falls

April 2, 2012

Cane Creek Twin Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. March 8, 2010.

(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.

The Smokies are a beautiful treat any time of the year.  Many people prefer to visit in October when the autumn color is at a peak.  But if a person likes water, Spring is a great time to visit.  These pictures were taken in March along Little River Road.

Betsy and I learned about Cane Creek Twin Falls from an internet search.  The falls can be seen from the road, but are easy to miss, especially since the left-hand fall is very small and hard to see.  I’ve added a couple of arrows to help you find that stream of water.

Fortunately the right-hand fall is larger and easier to see.  But to be completely honest, the best thing about this waterfall is the clear, emerald-green water of Little River as it flows past the site.

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SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

March 30, 2012

Morning sky at Hazel Mountain Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 2011.

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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.

I would have trouble deciding which is more magnificent — mountains or the sky.  When they are together I am often struck by the sheer wonder of the scene before me.  Often I can only think “The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God”.

Such was the case early one November morning last year when we stopped at Hazel Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Virginia to take in the sight above.

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Watery Wednesday: Waterfall on Laurel Creek

March 28, 2012

Upper Waterfall on Laurel Creek, Beckwith, West Virginia. March 7, 2012.

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

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

We traveled to West Virginia to celebrate my birthday earlier this month.  It was a very wonderful trip, and we were rewarded with several new waterfalls for our ‘collection’.

While driving toward Gauley Bridge on SR 16, we came upon two waterfalls on Laurel Creek.  The road follows the creek here, and it was very easy to find both waterfalls.  Of course we just had to stop and get some pictures.  This is a photo of the Upper (larger) Waterfall on Laurel Creek.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 20 Comments »

More Spring Beauty

March 26, 2012

Mon Cheri Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 13, 2012.

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

This has been a very warm and, in our yard at least, beautiful Spring.  We’ve enjoyed many more daffodils this year than we did last year.  I shared some of our beautiful blossoms earlier (click HERE), and here I’m showing a few more.

Mon Cheri Daffodil is one we’ve had for several years.  It blooms in several spots in our yard.

Sunny Girl Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 14, 2012.

Sunny Girl is a daffodil we got last year.  I really like that bright orange double trumpet, even if it didn’t cooperate by growing in a spot where I could get a good picture.

Pink Charm is a new daffodil in our yard this year.  It has soft white petals and a pretty pink and yellow trumpet.

Tahiti Daffodil, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 16, 2012.

Tahiti is an old standby that we’ve enjoyed for several years.  It’s different in that the petals are a pale yellow.

I must repeat that pictures can’t do justice to these beautiful blossoms.  I only wish you could have been here in person to see them yourself.

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Posted in Glade | 21 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Cumberland Plateau Evening Sky

March 23, 2012

Evening Sky in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 17, 2010.

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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.

I went to my archives for this picture of a Cumberland Plateau sunset.  I got this image on the Druid Hills Golf Course in Fairfield Glade.  The sun had already dropped below the Plateau, but there was still an orange glow along the horizon.  We were reminded once again about the beautiful place in which we live.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 17 Comments »

Busy as a Bee

March 21, 2012

A bee at work in our redbud tree, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 19, 2012.

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

I went out late Monday afternoon with my macro lens to get some pictures of the redbud tree in our front yard.  When I got there I found that I wasn’t the only one interested in the blossoms.  There were bees all over the tree.

Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. March 19, 2012.

Since I’m allergic  to bee stings I thought of beating a hasty retreat, but the bees were intent on the blossoms, and as long as I stood relatively still, they just ignored me.  So I thought I would try to get some pictures of the bees at work.

The encounter with the bees was entirely unplanned, but I think I got some pretty good pictures for the experience.  And best of all, I didn’t get stung.

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Posted in Glade | 19 Comments »

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