Skywatch Friday: Virginia Skies

August 13, 2010

Blue skies along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. August 5, 2010.

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.

On Betsy’s birthday last week we drove north along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia on our way to Betsy’s birthday surprise.  During the early part of the day the skies were blue with white clouds creating pretty pictures.

Stormy skies near Roanoke, Virginia. August 5, 2010.

But later in the day the clouds got lower and darker.  When we were north of Roanoke the rains came, as you can see in the picture above.

Sky at sunset, Peaks of Otter, Virginia. August 5, 2010.

We drove in wind and rain for a while, but the skies started to clear as we got near our destination, the Lodge at Peaks of Otter.  And sitting on the patio after dinner we were treated to beautiful skies as the sun set.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 25 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Fall Creek Falls

August 12, 2010

Scenes from our visit to Fall Creek Falls, April 21, 2001.

If you’ve visited my blog for any length of time you know that Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee is a very special places for Betsy and me.  Fall Creek Falls was the site of our first kiss back on April 21, 2001, and it was the beginning of our waterfall collection.

Since I’ve been retired we try to get back there each April 21 to celebrate and remember that special day.  The collage above was made from pictures taken on April 21, 2009.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Posted in Betsy | 14 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #100: Rakes Mill Pond

August 11, 2010

Rakes Mill Dam, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. August 5, 2010.

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 celebrated Betsy’s birthday by traveling up to Virginia.  Although we travelled on the interstates early in the day, we moved over to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, Virginia.  Just about any stretch of the Parkway is beautiful and we stopped at a number of overlooks just to enjoy the view.

One of our first stops was at Rakes Mill Pond.  The pond was formed when a miller, Jarman Rakes, built a dam for his grist mill.  Rakes was something of a marketing genius — he allowed his customers to fist for brook trout while waiting for their grist.

Rakes Mill Pond, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. August 5, 2010.

Much of the pond has filled in over two hundred years, but the pond is still large enough to capture the reflections of trees and clouds.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

Technical Problems

August 9, 2010

Due to some technical problems it will probably be several days before I am able to post a new entry.  I will do my best to keep up with you while I’m waiting to be able to post again.

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Posted in Frustration | 9 Comments »

It’s Someone’s Birthday

August 5, 2010

Betsy and I celebrating her birthday at a cabin near Tellico Plains, Tennessee. August 5, 2007.

Someone has a birthday today.  Can you guess who?  Hint:  It’s not me!

The picture above was taken on Betsy’s birthday in 2007.  We celebrated Betsy’s birthday at a cabin near Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

Plans for her birthday this year are top secret.  All I’m prepared to say is that we probably will not be making any new posts until Monday, although it is possible that we can do some visiting between now and then.

If you get the chance stop by Betsy’s site and wish her a happy birthday.  I can’t (won’t) tell you how old she is, but she can no longer tease me about being so much older than she is.

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Posted in Betsy | 19 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #99: American Falls

August 4, 2010

American Falls at Niagara as seen from the base. August 30, 2002.

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 American Falls at Niagara is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world.  This picture was taken near the base of the falls.  The billowing spray gives some indication of the power of the river going over that fall.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 16 Comments »

My World: Sunday Drive

August 3, 2010

Blue skies along a country road west of Crossville, Tennessee. August 1, 2010.

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.

Sunday drives are becoming a tradition at our house (at least until football season starts — then we might have to find another day.

This past Sunday was another hot day, although the humidity was lower than it has been.  But the skies were a beautiful blue with white puffy clouds.

A creek along Taylor Chapel Road, Crossville, Tennessee. August 1, 2010.

We headed west of Crossville and once again got out into the country fairly quickly.  We traveled along a small country road, but stopped to get a picture or two at the bridge over this unnamed creek.  There wasn’t a lot of water in the creek, but it still looked pretty nice to us.

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Posted in My World | 18 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #107: Dillard House Gazebo

August 1, 2010

Gazebo on the grounds of the Dillard House, Dillard, Georgia. June 23, 2009.

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 gazebo above is on the grounds of the Dillard House in Dillard, Georgia.  The house is in a beautiful mountain setting near Rabun Gap in north Georgia.  If you every want a delicious meal of southern cooking, the Dillard House is the place to go.  Just make sure you have a hearty appetite.

After a wonderful meal a walk around the grounds is made to order.  This gazebo is a great spot to relax and enjoy the view.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 12 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Tennessee Skies

July 30, 2010

Skies above Clear Creek, Tennessee. July 25, 2010.

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.

This past Sunday Betsy and I went to the Obed Wild and Scenic River northeast of the Glade,  It was a beautiful day with blue skies and white clouds  skimming the mountain tops.

At times it appeared that the valley on the other side of the ridge was under cloudy skies, but we never lost all that beautiful blue.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 21 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Fort Erie

July 29, 2010

Betsy and I went to Niagara Falls in 2002.  We stayed on the Canadian side of the border, and in addition to visiting the falls we also visited some of the historical sites in the area.

Fort Erie is across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York.  It was part of the British fortification system along the river and served as a British supply base during the War of 1812.  During that war the Americans captured Fort Erie twice, but withdrew back across the river each time.  When the Americans abandoned the fort the second time they destroyed it, but the fort was rebuilt by the British after the war.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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A most unusual event occurred in the Glade yesterday afternoon — it rained.  It’s been several weeks since we’ve had a good rain fall.  As I write this over an inch of rain has fallen since it started.  Our lawn may actually turn green again.

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Posted in Travels | 13 Comments »

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