Watery Wednesday # 72: Dry Falls in Winter

January 27, 2010

Dry Falls, Highlands, North Carolina. December 12, 2009.

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.

There really is water in this picture (the white streak on the right), so this qualifies for Watery Wednesday.  The picture was taken at Dry Falls in the Cullasaja Gorge west of Highlands, North Carolina.  Dry Falls is a beautiful waterfall with a misleading name that Betsy and I have visited several times.

Normally it is possible to walk behind the falls, but in December, 2009, when this picture was taken, the path was closed.  All that ice made the path very treacherous.  And all that  ice should also dispel the idea that it doesn’t get cold in Dixie.

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I’m grateful for the beauty of all seasons.

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We’re being threatened with some nasty winter weather Thursday and Friday, so Betsy and I are going to Hendersonville today.  We’re going to have a very full day helping my folks with some Medicare paperwork, so I’m not sure we’ll get back in time for me to post for Thursday morning.  If not, I’ll be back Friday morning.

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My World: Remembering Our Roses

January 26, 2010

Some of our 2009 Roses

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

We’re definitely in the middle of winter.  We had snow flurries yesterday (Monday) and the weather service is threatening us with a winter storm later in the week.  I know this should be expected in January, but I’ve had enough of Winter.  I’m looking forward to Spring.

Spring means that our roses will start showing signs of life.  The collage above shows some of the roses we enjoyed in our yard in 2009.

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Down Memory Lane: Beach Honeymoon

January 25, 2010

Scenes from our beach honeymoon. June, 2001.

When Betsy and I got married in June, 2001, I still owned a house in Little River, South Carolina.  I had lived in Little River when working in North Myrtle Beach, and I had not been able to sell it when I moved to Tennessee.

Since Betsy likes the beach, we decided to spend the week after our wedding in Little River.  I had discovered a couple of beaches across the state line in North Carolina that I was eager to share with Betsy.  We spent a couple of days at Sunset Beach, which turned out to be our favorite beach.

Little River was a little fishing village on the Intracoastal Waterway.  While fishing is still a big part of the local economy, there are other attractions for tourists as well.  Casino boats dock in Little River and take people out beyond the three mile limit so they can legally gamble.  We didn’t take a cruise on a casino boat, but we did take a cruise on a jet-powered boat, the Sea Screamer, out into the Atlantic and down the coast toward Myrtle Beach.

It’s definitely not beach weather in Tennessee now, but I feel warmer just looking over these photos again.  To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful for each and every moment with my Beautiful Bride.

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Scenic Sunday # 80: Castillo de San Marcos

January 24, 2010

Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida. August 4, 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.

I’ve been to St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city, several times.  There are many interesting things to see and do in St. Augustine, but one of the most fascinating places to visit is Castillo de San Marcos, the Spanish fort that was constructed to protect the town.  Construction began in 1672 and Castillo de San Marcos in the oldest masonry fort in North America.  It is also the only 17th century fort still standing.  The fort was never captured in spite of several attacks from Spain’s enemies.

Castillo de San Marcos contains a great deal of history, but it is also a very scenic place to visit.

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I’m grateful for all the fascinating history of this country that has been preserved for us to enjoy today.

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Down Memory Lane: Baker Falls

January 23, 2010

Baker Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 14, 2009.

On Valentine Day last year Betsy and I did some hiking and waterfalling around Tullahoma, Tennessee.  One of the waterfalls we visited was Baker Falls.

In the Spring of 2009 this part of Tennessee was still recovering from drought.  There wasn’t much water going over the falls, but Baker Falls, and a smaller waterfall above it, was still very beautiful.

The nicest thing about this waterfall is that it is on private property, but the owners have granted permission for people to visit the falls.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful for the generosity of people who are willing to share the beauty of God’s world with others.

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SkyWatch Friday: Moon Over the Ocean

January 22, 2010

Moon rise off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 8, 2009.

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.

Last May, while Betsy and I were at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina, we were treated to the moon rising over the ocean right across from our room.  It was a beautiful sight that we enjoyed from our balcony for a couple of clear nights.  I don’t have the best of cameras, but the picture above is a wonderful reminder of a special night at the beach.

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Falls Creek Falls, Arkansas

January 21, 2010

Scenes from Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. March 9, 2009.

When we to Mount Nebo in Arkansas last March we took a side trip to visit Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs.  Lake Catherine is a beautiful park with many facilities for recreation, but I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that what drew us to the park was a waterfall.

Falls Creek Falls is one of the favorite falls used in advertisements for Arkansas State Parks.  We didn’t find much water going over the falls, but the hike to the falls was very easy and pleasant.  Part of the hike was through the woods to the lake and then along the shore to Falls Creek.  We then hiked a short distance up the creek to the falls.

All in all we had a couple of very pleasant hours at Lake Catherine State Park.  We had a beautiful day, a nice hike, and of course we were able to add another waterfall to our collection.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful for all the people who work so hard to make our parks wonderful places to visit.

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Watery Wednesday: The Antigua Coast

January 20, 2010

The Coast of Antigua from an old British blockhouse. September 12, 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.

One advantage of winter days is that there is not a great of yard work to be done.  That allows me to spend more time at my computer, catching up on projects that have been on my to-do list and reliving memories.

The picture above was taken on the coast of Antigua in the Caribbean.  Both Betsy and I really liked this island.  An old blockhouse, where the picture was taken, is in a dry, almost desert-like setting.  And yet we could look out over that incredibly blue ocean.

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My World: Thinking of Spring

January 19, 2010

Daffodils in our yard, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. Spring, 2009.

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

Although our bitter cold weather has passed, it is still obviously winter here on the Plateau.  I was able to walk the yard Monday, but there wasn’t much to see except leafless trees and flower beds without a bit of green (or any other color as far as that’s concerned).

I can hardly wait to see some color again.  Last year we had quite a few daffodils and we hope to have even more this Spring.  The collage above shows most of the varieties that bloomed in 2009.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful for the delicate beauty of flowers and the bright cheerfulness of each bloom.

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Down Memory Lane: Shirley Plantation

January 18, 2010

Our visit to Shirley Plantation, Virginia. June 23, 2007.

While we were in Virginia back in 2007, we visited Shirley Plantation, located on the James River between Williamsburg and Richmond.

Shirley Plantation is Virginia’s first plantation (1613), established by royal grant only six years after John Smith’s settlement at Jamestown.  Shirley Plantation is the oldest family-owned business in North America dating back to 1638.  Construction of the present mansion began in 1723 when Elizabeth Hill, great-grandaughter of Edward Hill, the first owner, married John Carter, eldest son of Robert “King” Carter.  Completed in 1738, the mansion, referred to as the “Great House,” is largely in its original state and is owned, operated, and lived in by direct descendants of Edward Hill.

I really wanted to see Shirley because Anne Hill Carter, the mother of Robert E. Lee, was born at Shirley.  She married Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee in the parlor at Shirley.  George Washington was one of the wedding guests.

Robert E. Lee spent quite a bit of time at Shirley as a youngster, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see this house and grounds.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit historical places and experience where events in our past took places.

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