Posts Tagged ‘Our World’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Our World: Betsy Got Some Snow!

February 4, 2013
Snow falling at our house. February 2, 2013.

Snow falling at our house. February 2, 2013.

(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.

Betsy finally got some snow to enjoy!  It started snowing Saturday morning and came down at a pretty good clip.  We had three or more inches by the time it was over.

Our front yard. February 2, 2013.

Our front yard. February 2, 2013.

We didn’t have much traffic on the road in front of the house for much of the day.  The road was snow covered, as were our roses and flower beds.  The snow looked nice on the blocks of the wall near the road.

Spring flowers that have come up poking through the blanket of snow. February 2, 2013.

Spring flowers that have come up poking through the blanket of snow. February 2, 2013.

Betsy was delighted with the snow, but I’m not sure our Spring flowers were as happy about it as Betsy was.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 21 Comments »

Our World: Little Pigeon River

January 28, 2013
Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

(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.

Last week Betsy and I traveled to Gatlinburg to spend a couple of days in the Smokies.  Although our trip was cut short by an impending ice storm, we still were able to enjoy the beauty of ‘our’ Smoky Mountains without the distraction of lots of traffic or tourists.

Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

Winter is a marvelous time to visit the park because the rivers are relatively high, and the rocky stream beds provide wonderful photographic opportunities.

Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 23, 2013.

On our second morning in the Smokies we drove up Greenbrier Road along the Little Pigeon River.  Although we stopped several times for pictures, these photos were taken at the bridge where the road to Ramsey Cascade meets Greenbrier Road.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 26 Comments »

Our World: Wetumpka Falls

January 21, 2013
Wetumpka Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 9, 2012.

Wetumpka Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 9, 2012.

(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 go to visit Dad, we try, if at all possible, to take him out for lunch and a ride.  On one of our rides last year we came across Wetumpka Falls near Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Wetumpka Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 9, 2012. (Photo by Betsy.)

Wetumpka Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 9, 2012. (Photo by Betsy.)

Wetumpka Falls is in a wooded setting.  Although the stream doesn’t have much water, the result is a pretty little waterfall we enjoyed visiting.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Our World | 18 Comments »

Our World: Ocean Isle Beach

January 14, 2013
OceanIsleBeach12121106

The beach at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, as seen from the balcony of our room. December 11, 2012.

(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.

In December my Beautiful Bride and I made a quick trip to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  Ocean Isle is one of our favorite places to be, and it is near Calabash, North Carolina, which has some of the best seafood found on the east coast.

Sky and water off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 11, 2012.

Sky and water off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. December 11, 2012.

The weather in December isn’t always the greatest, but in December we often have the beach to ourselves.

It was overcast the afternoon we arrived in Ocean Isle, but the afternoon light, the clouds and the water made a beautiful picture.

Sunbeams breaking through the clouds at Ocean Isle Beach. December 11, 2012.

Sunbeams breaking through the clouds at Ocean Isle Beach. December 11, 2012.

I was fortunate enough to capture some sunbeams breaking through the clouds in the late afternoon.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 23 Comments »

Our World: Mile High Swinging Bridge

January 7, 2013

The mile-high swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carollina. November 8, 2012.

 

(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.

Betsy and I had to go to Plan B on our November trip to Asheville, North Carolina.  Plan B included a trip to Grandfather Mountain and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.  The name ‘Mile High Swinging Bridge’ is somewhat misleading.  Although the elevation of the bridge is 5,278 feet (a mile) above sea level, the bridge spans an 80 foot deep chasm on Linville Peak of the mountain.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge as seen from the parking lot on Linville Peak. November 8, 2012.

Both Betsy and I had been to Grandfather Mountain before we met.  Back then the bridge (a suspension bridge built in 1952) really did swing.  The wooden planks and side rails weren’t anchored, and would readily swing during high winds.  In 1999 the bridge was rebuilt and galvanized steel was used for the the planks and side rails.  Furthermore, anchor cables for the planks were added.  Now the bridge doesn’t swing very much, but it does ‘sing’ during high winds.

And the winds were definitely high when we were at the bridge.  The official temperature was 35°, but the wind was so strong it was hard to stand up straight.  I don’t know what the wind chill temperature was, but my fingers were so cold it was hard to take pictures.

Betsy after crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

Even my Beautiful Bride thought it was cold.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 19 Comments »

Our World: Grandfather Mountain

December 17, 2012

The view from Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

 

 

(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.

Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountain range.  It is also the only private park in the world designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve.  Grandfather Mountain received this designation because of the sixteen different habitat communities that can be found on the mountain.  The vegetation on some parts of the mountain has more in common with northern Canada than North Carolina.

We visited Grandfather Mountain on a beautiful but cold and windy day in November.  The picture above shows the view from the first overlook on the road leading to the summit and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 14 Comments »

Our World: Ohio Autumn

November 19, 2012

Autumn scenes from Ohio, October 15-16, 2012.

(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.

In mid-October Betsy and I went up to Ohio to meet our friends Patti and Neal at Hocking Hills State Park.  We had two wonderful days of fellowship, hiking, and beautiful autumn colors.

Two of the pictures in the collage were taken at a rest area on our way to Hocking Hills (I even managed to get Betsy in one of the photos).  The whimsical sculpture was almost as colorful as the trees.  The other two pictures were taken during a hike to a natural bridge in Rockbridge State Nature Preserve near Logan, Ohio.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

Our World: Beggars on the Road

November 12, 2012

Burros begging for food on the Wilderness Loop, Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

(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.

Betsy and I live in a small Tennessee town, so we don’t have much experience with beggars.  But as we drove along the Wildlife Loop in South Dakota’s Custer State Park, we encountered a whole herd of them.  As you can see from the photo above, they were quite brazen about begging for food.

Burro in Custer State Park. September 25, 2012.

We tried to identify the ringleader, but we didn’t have much success.  This character was definitely one of the larger beggars, and the others showed him a great deal of deference.

A young burro along the road in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

We were surprised to see even children among the beggars.

A begging burro along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

Could you refuse a face like this?  I hate to admit it, but we did.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 21 Comments »

Our World: Ocoee River

October 29, 2012

The Ocoee River in Tennessee, August 17, 2012.

(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.

In August Betsy and I had to go to Young Harris, Georgia, so Betsy could attend a bridal shower for her future daughter-in-law.  Since there are several waterfalls in the area that we haven’t visited, we decided to go down a day early and do some hiking.

We decided to take the ‘scenic route’, and drove along the Ocoee River here in Tennessee for several miles.  The Ocoeee River was the site of the whitewater slalom events during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.  A mile-long Olympic whitewater course was built by the Forest Service fed by releases of water from Ocoee Dam #3.

White water on the Ocoee River in Tennessee. August 17, 2012.

Downstream from the Olympic course is a 4.5-mile whitewater rafting area fed by water released from Ocoee Dam #2.  This section of the river has been open to the public since the 1970s, mainly for daytime releases of water on weekends and holidays.  We stopped along this public section of the river to get some pictures.

Rafts on the Ocoee River in Tennessee. August 17, 2012.

There were many rafts and kayaks along this stretch of the river.  While the rapids were not the highest we’ve seen, people seemed to be having a lot of fun floating down the river.

Kayaks on the Ocoee. August 17, 2012.

All of the rafts we saw made it through the rapids near us without incident.

Oops! A kayak going over in white water on the Ocoee River. August 17, 2012.

Not all of the kayaks were so lucky.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 21 Comments »

Our World: Where the Buffalo Roam

October 8, 2012

Bison in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

(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.

After visiting Mount Rushmore, Betsy and I drove to South Dakota’s Custer State Park.  One area of the park that was highly recommended was the Wildlife Loop, where we were assured that we would see plenty of wildlife.

Our friends were correct — we saw a wide variety of wildlife:  big horn sheep, burros, pronghorns and bison.  I’ve seen bison before, but never so many at one time.

Bison on the prairie in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

Seeing them on the prairie reminded me of descriptions of the huge buffalo herds encountered during the westward expansion of the United States.  At one time there were millions of bison in North America, but by 1900 it is estimated that fewer than 1,00 bison remained on the entire continent.

Bison at Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

There are now as many as 1,300 head of bison in Custer State Park.  Bison can grow to 6 feet tall and weigh more than 2,000 pounds.  They are the largest native terrestrial mammal of North America.

The park holds a roundup each year to adjust the size of the herd according to the predicted availability of grassland forage.    The spring birthing season           rejuvenates the herd to approximately 1,300 head each year.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 23 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »