Watery Wednesday: Bald River Hike

January 11, 2012

Bald River Falls, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. June 18, 2010.

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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 have been to Bald River Falls, near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, several times.  The waterfall is pretty and can be seen from the road.  We went to see Bald River Falls in June, 2010, while Betsy was recovering from knee surgery since she could enjoy the waterfall without doing much walking.

We had known that there was a hiking trail (Bald River Trail #88) along the river above the falls, but we had never hiked it.  So while Betsy was enjoying Bald River Falls, I took a quick hike along the trail to see what I could find.

Kahuna Falls, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. June 18, 2011.

What I found was three additional waterfalls and a cascade along Bald River above the main falls.  The first new water fall I came upon was Kahuna Falls, which is just a short distance above Bald River Falls.  Kahuna Falls is 10 – 15 feet high.

Bald River Cascades, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. June 18, 2011.

Continuing upstream, I came upon Bald River Cascades.  The river tumbles down a series of steps, with a total drop about equal to the drop of Kahuna Falls.

I’ll share the last two waterfalls in a later post.

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Posted in Waterfalls | 29 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Evening in the Mountains

January 8, 2012

Evening in the western North Carolina Mountains, Otto, North Carolina. August 15, 2006.

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This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Evenings in the mountains can be magical times.  We were visiting our friends Judy and Charlie at their cabin near Otto, North Carolina, when I snapped this picture.  The sun was starting to drop behind the mountains, and mist was rising in the valleys.  The dead tree seemed to add a sense of mystery to the scene.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 15 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Sunset

January 6, 2012

Cumberland Plateau sunset, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 12, 2009.

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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.

There are many of advantages to living on the Plateau, one of which is the beautiful sunsets we often see, especially in winter.  This picture was taken on the Druid Hills Golf Course in January, 2009.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 23 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: West Prong Falls

January 4, 2012

West Prong Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

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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.

2011 was a ‘wet’ year in our part of Tennessee, with an above-average rainfall.  The results of this rainfall was apparent to Betsy and me when we visited the Smokies last month.  Waterfalls in December are often reduced to a trickle, but the water-levels were up when we visited.

West Prong Falls is a pretty little waterfall on the road to Cades Cove.  I didn’t bushwhack to the base of the falls, but the light and shadows on the water when viewing the waterfall from the road were pretty.

West Prong Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

My zoom lens let me get a closer look at a part of the falls.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 18 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Winter Beauty

January 1, 2012

An ice-covered tree in our front yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 31, 2010.

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This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Winter is not my favorite season of the year (just ask Betsy), but I will admit that at times it can be quite beautiful.  This picture was taken back in 2010, the day after an ice storm here on the Plateau.  The sky was an unbelievable blue that beautifully set off the ice-covered branches of a tree in our front yard.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 10 Comments »

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

December 23, 2011

Our Christmas Tree, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 25, 2009.

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Betsy and I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year.  We hope that Santa is good to you, and all of your memories are happy ones.  We’ll see you in 2012.

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Posted in American Life | 15 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Little River at the ‘Y’

December 21, 2011

The Townsend 'Y'. Image from Google Earth.

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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.

When Betsy and I go to the Smokies, we usually enter the park from Townsend, Tennessee.  Shortly after entering the park, we get to the ‘Y’.  As you can see from the photo above, there are a couple of reasons why the ‘Y’ is called the ‘Y’.  The road into the park splits at this point, with one branch going to Cades Cove and the other going to Gatlinburg.  This is also where the West Prong of the Little River joins the Little River.

The ‘Y’ is a popular spot and is usually very crowded.  But earlier this month the parking lot was practically deserted, so we decided to stop and check out the rapids.

Little River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. December 11, 2011. (Photo by Betsy)

One of the first things we noticed was how clear the water was.  Betsy did a great job of capturing the clarity of the river at this point.

Tree in the middle of Little River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

I was attracted by the rapids and the unusual tree growing in the middle of the stream.

Little River at the 'Y', Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

It was a real treat to have this beautiful, peaceful scene to ourselves.  The Smokies are a fantastic place to visit any time of the year.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 18 Comments »

Our World: Christmas Lights

December 20, 2011

Pigeon Forge Holiday Inn, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

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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 the Smokies and, after enjoying a day in the mountains, we met our friends Judy and Charlie for dinner and then a tour of the Christmas lights in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Some of the lights were very straightforward and welcoming, letting us know exactly where we were.

The Old Mill in Lights, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

We spotted an old watermill up on a mountainside.  There were even trees and a stream in lights.

Hickory Dickery Dock, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

Other displays were more fanciful.  We spotted mice running down a clock,

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, PIgeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, PIgeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

and a cow jumping over the moon.

Christmas Tree, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

But in many ways the prettiest lights were on a traditional Christmas tree.

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Posted in Our World | 18 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Cades Cove

December 18, 2011

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

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This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

One of the most popular sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is Cades Cove.  Cades Cove is a valley surrounded by mountains which contains white tail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and black bears.  To travel the loop road through the cove is somewhat like traveling back in time.

Settlers first came to Cades Cove from Virginia in 1819.  By the 1850’s the population of Cades Cove was 685 people in 137 households, but by 1860 the population had dropped to 269 people.

Cades Cove is the largest open air museum in the entire Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The cove today looks much like it did in the 1800’s and has original pioneer homesteads, barns, businesses, pasture and farmland.

Cades Cove is interesting and beautiful any time of the year.  The picture above was taken on a visit we made last week.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 16 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

December 16, 2011

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs 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.

There are advantages to driving in the mountains early on a foggy, misty mountains.  We left Skyland Resort on such a morning to make our way home on our Thanksgiving trip.  We had to drive north along Skyline Drive to get to an exit from the Shenandoah National Forest.

We came upon this scene at the Hemlock Springs Overlook.  The fog had lifted in our immediate vicinity, but much of the valley below was still cloud-covered.  A few peaks were just beginning to show themselves above the clouds.

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 2011.

I liked this picture so much that I wanted to see what it looked like as a black and white photo.  I like this version just as much and decided to share it with you as well.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 14 Comments »

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