Watery Wednesday #141: Cane Creek Falls

May 25, 2011

Cane Creek Falls, Fall CreekFalls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2001.

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.

Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee contains six major waterfalls.  Cane Creek Falls can be seen from the side at the Nature Center, but did get this view it is necessary to either cross a swinging bridge or hike over from Fall Creek Falls.  Either route gives a pleasant hike through the woods.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 15 Comments »

My World: Cumberland Mountain State Park

May 24, 2011

The restaurant at Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 2011.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

On Sunday, May 15, Betsy’s youngest son, Jeff, came up to the Glade for a visit.  It’s been a while since he was up here (he lives in Chattanooga), so we took him to Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville to celebrate Mother’s Day (a little late) and his birthday (May 14).

Cumberland Mountain has a wonderful restaurant (pictured above) and they serve a delicious buffet.  As you can see, the restaurant has many windows that offer beautiful views of Byrd Lake.

Byrd Lake, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 2011.

Byrd Lake was created in the 1930s when the park was established.  The CCC built the dam on Byrd Creek which formed the lake.

Byrd Lake Dam, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, Tennessee. May 15, 2011.

The Byrd Lake Dam is the largest masonry dam built by the CCC.  A unique feature of this dam is the seven arches that support the road crossing the dam.

The bird’s-eye view of Cumberland Mountain State Park shown above is taken from Google Earth.  This picture can be made larger by clicking on it.

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Posted in My World | 13 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: The World Turned Upside

May 22, 2011

The Surrender Field at Yorktown, Virginia. June 22, 2007.

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.

This peaceful — and scenic — spot near Yorktown, Virginia, was the site of the surrender of the British army of Lord Cornwallis to the allied armies of America and France on October 19, 1781.

The British had been trapped in Yorktown by the Allies on September 28, 1781. Formal siege operations began o September 30, 1781, and the Americans and French began bombarding British positions on October 9.  On October 14 the Americans and French captured two redoubts (small fortified positions) in front of the British lines, which made the British position untenable.

When the British actually surrendered, French troops lined on side of the road in the picture above, and the Americans lined the other side.  The British laid down their arms and flags in the field on the far side of the road.

Tradition says that as the British marched down the road to the surrender site, their bands played a tune called “The World Turned Upside Down”.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 12 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Clouds Over the Ocean

May 20, 2011

Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 4, 2011.

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.

When visiting the beach, I’m never sure which is most picturesque — the ocean or the sky.  I got this shot one afternoon while walking along the beach.  It was a gorgeous day and I was intrigued by the clouds floating across that beautiful blue sky.

By the way, the blip on the horizon is a casino boat heading back to Little River, South Carolina after the morning gambling cruise.

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Reflections in the Sand

May 19, 2011

The pier at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 2, 2011.

One morning, as I was walking along the beach at Ocean Isle toward the pier, I was struck by the reflection of the pier in the wet sand.  It was nearing low tide, and there was plenty of wet sand to capture the reflections of the supports.

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Watery Wednesday #140: Ocean Isle Beach

May 18, 2011

Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 2, 2011.

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.

The pier on Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, is a great visual landmark that can be seen all along the beach.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 14 Comments »

My World: I Promised Her a Rose Garden

May 17, 2011

Roses in front of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 13, 2011.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

I promised Betsy a rose garden about five years ago, when my job ended and I retired.  That first year we planted some roses in a flower bed we had built at the side of the house.  It quickly became apparent that that location was too shady for roses, and so we built new flower beds in front of the house, which is the sunniest part of our yard.

The picture above, which Betsy took on Friday, shows how well I’ve kept my promise.  You can see three rose beds (one near the road in the foreground, and one on each side of the driveway near the house.  In addition we have roses in containers along the sides of the driveway.

We have a total of 57 rose bushes — 55 different varieties.  All are hybrid teas or grandifloras.  We have roses of just about every color imaginable, and many of are also fragrant.  A beautiful rose that has a delightful fragrance is about as perfect as anything can be.

Crescendo Rose, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. May 14, 2011.

The rose above, Crescendo, is one of our new roses for this year.  The light wasn’t very good (it had been raining) when I took this picture on Saturday, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to snap away.

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Posted in My World | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Chattooga River

May 15, 2011

The Chattooga River near Clayton, Georgia. April 30, 2011.

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.

The Chattooga River is a National Wild and Scenic River which forms the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia.  There are national forests (Sumter and Chattahoochee) on both banks, which makes the river area attractive for hiking and wilderness activities.  The river is also one of the top whitewater destinations in the southeast.

The picture shows the Chattooga just above Bull Sluice, a Class V rapid on the river near Clayton, Georgia.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 12 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Beach Sunset

May 13, 2011

Evening sky at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 2, 2011.

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 sun went down over land when we were at the beach last week, but the color of the sky at sunset was still gorgeous.  I missed the sun this evening, but the sky was still beautiful.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 21 Comments »

Close Enough

May 12, 2011

Black bear seen along Skyline Drive in Virginia. August 6, 2010.

As most of you know, Betsy and I do a fair amount of hiking in our search for waterfalls.  Many of the trails are in remote areas, but we’ve always enjoyed them.  We’re often the only people on a trail, and that’s fine with us.

We have a friend who is scared to death of bears.  Just the mention of the word can upset her.  Betsy and I have encountered bears on the trail only once.  We were hiking near the entrance to Cade’s Cove in the Smokies and saw a Mama Bear and two cubs cross the trail quite a way ahead of us.  We stopped and watched the three of scamper up the side of  the hill.

The picture above was taken at an overlook on Skyline Drive in Virginia back in 2010.  The bear was close enough to be easily seen, but this picture was taken with my long lens, so he really wasn’t that close.  But just between us, I’m glad he didn’t come any closer.

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Posted in Hiking | 20 Comments »

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