Betsy Was Delighted

December 8, 2011

Our front yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 7, 2011.

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If you know anything at all about Betsy, you know how much she loves snow.  It snowed here in the Glade yesterday, and Betsy was in a very happy mood.  She didn’t go out and build a snowman (we didn’t get that much snow), but she did get out to enjoy it.

The wreath on our back deck, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 7, 2011.

We had a wet snow that clung to just about everything.  It was what Betsy calls a perfect snow.

Trees in our yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 7, 2011.

It came down pretty heavy for a while and coated  the bare branches of the trees in our yard in a layer of white.

Snow-covered holly bush in front of our house, Fairlfied Glade, Tennessee. December 7, 2011.

We still have a few more days before Christmas, and we may not have a white Christmas, but the berries on the holly in front of our house looked very festive under all the snow.

I will admit that it was a pretty snow, and I’m glad Betsy’s happy.  Now that she’s had her snow, I’m ready for Spring.

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Posted in Weather | 18 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Upper Linville Falls

December 7, 2011

Upper Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, North Carolina. November 20, 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.

On our Thanksgiving Week getaway Betsy and I drove part of the way on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  We were near Linville Falls about the time we needed to stop and stretch our legs.  We had visited Linville Falls back in 2004, but haven’t been back since then.

My sweet bride couldn’t do any hiking, but she said she would remain in the car while I took a quick hike to Erwin’s View. which was a trail we didn’t hike when we were there before.  The overlook was half a mile from the parking area and offered the wonderful view of Upper Linville Falls shown above.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

Our World: The Conservatory at Biltmore

December 6, 2011

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 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.

It seems as if Betsy and I make it to the Conservatory every time we visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  No matter what the season, the conservatory always seems to have beautiful plants in bloom.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

Things were no different the week of Thanksgiving, when we once again got carried away among all the beautiful blossoms.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

I wish I could tell you that I knew the names of all of these beauties, but I don’t.  I only hope that you enjoy these blossoms as much as we did.

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Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Caledonia Cascade

December 4, 2011

Caledonia Cascade, Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia. October 14, 2009.

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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.

This picture of Caledonia Cascade in Georgia’s Tallulah Gorge State Park comes from my archives.  Tallulah Gorge is one of our favorite places to visit.  The gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep.  We’ve hiked both rims of the gorge and had hiked down into the gorge.  One of the attractions for us is the waterfalls along the river as it makes it’s way through the gorge.

Caledonia Cascade is a small ribbon waterfall that tumbles down the side of the gorge from a side creek.  It can only be seen from the floor of the gorge (where it is hard to get a decent perspective) or from the opposite rim, which is where this picture was captured.  You have to look carefully to see the cascade, but there is that bit of autumn color in the bottom corner.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 15 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Cherohala Skyway (2009)

December 2, 2011

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Betsy and I love driving through the mountains just about any time of the year, provided there are places where we can turn off and enjoy the view.  One of our favorite drives is the Cherohala Skyway between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

We made this drive from east to west in October, 2009, when the autumn colors were very near their peak.  The collage above gives a sample of the beauty we enjoyed, but no photograph can capture the splendor of those mountains in their multi-colored glory.  If you get the opportunity to make this drive during autumn, I encourage you to do so.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Posted in Autumn | 17 Comments »

Our World: November Roses

November 29, 2011

Peace Rose in our yard. November 13, 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.

We got to mid-November without a killing frost, so our roses continued to bloom.  Most of the leaves are off the trees, so it’s nice to still have some color in the yard.

The rose above is Peace, which since it’s introduction in 1945, has become the most  widely-planted rose in the world.  Sam McGredy, a famous rose hybridizer, said of the Peace rose “It’s as nearly perfect as a rose can be”.  I’m not sure about that, but we sure do like it.

Love and Peace Rose in our yard. November 13, 2011.

Love and Peace, a descendant of Peace, is another rose that put on a November show for us.

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Posted in Our World | 24 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Abbott Lake

November 27, 2011

A view of Abbott Lake from our room at Peaks of Otter Lodge, Virginia. November 21, 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.

Betsy and I enjoy staying at the Peaks of Otter Lodge in Virginia when we are in that part of the company.  Last week we arrived after dark (driving the Parkway after dark can be quite adventure), but were treated to an early morning view of Abbott Lake from the balcony of our room.

Morning reflections in Abbott Lake, Peaks of Otter, Virginia. November 21, 2011.

Abbott Lake is man-made and is one of the attractions of the Peaks of Otter Park.  Fishing is permitted, but we just enjoy the beauty.

A small bridge on the path around Abbott Lake, Peaks of Otter, Virginia. November 21, 2011.

The park has several hiking trails.  One of the least strenuous is the trail around the lake.  It’s a great way to start the day.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 19 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Mountains and Clouds

November 18, 2011

The view from the Oconaluftee Valley overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 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.

Betsy and I try to get to the Smokies several times a year to enjoy the mountains and the colors.  But the sky is almost always as beautiful as the mountains.  This was the case in mid-October.

We drove Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, into North Carolina.  Once we got into North Carolina we stopped at the Oconaluftee Valley overlook.  There were still clouds left over from the overcast morning,  There was still a smoky appearance to the mountains, but what would you expect when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The view from the Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

By the time we got to the Webb overlook, the sky was much bluer.  The mountains seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

The skies were definitely beautiful that day, but then too, so were the mountains.

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On a personal note, Betsy and I are taking a few of days off for some much-needed R&R.  We hope you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We’ll see you after Thanksgiving.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 29 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Road Prong Falls

November 16, 2011

Road Prong Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 14, 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.

One of the joys of collecting waterfalls is finding one that you did not know was there.  Last month Betsy and I went to the Smokies to view the autumn color.  As I showed in my previous post, we drove along Newfound Gap road and stopped at several pull-ins to view the West Prong of Little Pigeon River.

When we came to the parking area for the trail to Chimney Tops we stopped because I knew the trail would have to cross the river before heading up to the Chimney Tops.  I hiked along the trail and as I came to the footbridge over the West Prong of Little Pigeon River, I noticed the small waterfall pictured above.

The waterfall wasn’t listed in any of the books we had, but a little research showed that Road Prong is the tributary entering the river from the right, and Road Prong Falls is the little waterfall I spotted.  What a nice unexpected surprise.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

Our World: Water and Autumn Color

November 15, 2011

West Prong of the Little Pigeon River through the trees. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 14, 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.

When Betsy and I visited Smoky Mountains National Park in October, we drove up Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg into North Carolina.  In the area of Chimney Tops the road follows the West Prong of Little Pigeon River.  Since we were stopping to admire the autumn colors, we could also catch glimpses of the river through the trees.

Autumn Color along Little Pigeon River, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

The river is neither very deep nor very wide along this stretch of road, but it is pretty as it tumbles over and around the boulders in the stream.  This is especially true when the trees are beginning to turn.

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

At some places the trees were far enough apart that we could catch a good glimpse of the water as it rushed down the mountain.

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Posted in Our World | 18 Comments »

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