Posts Tagged ‘Skywatch’

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Sunset

January 6, 2012

Cumberland Plateau sunset, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 12, 2009.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

There are many of advantages to living on the Plateau, one of which is the beautiful sunsets we often see, especially in winter.  This picture was taken on the Druid Hills Golf Course in January, 2009.

SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

December 16, 2011

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

There are advantages to driving in the mountains early on a foggy, misty mountains.  We left Skyland Resort on such a morning to make our way home on our Thanksgiving trip.  We had to drive north along Skyline Drive to get to an exit from the Shenandoah National Forest.

We came upon this scene at the Hemlock Springs Overlook.  The fog had lifted in our immediate vicinity, but much of the valley below was still cloud-covered.  A few peaks were just beginning to show themselves above the clouds.

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 2011.

I liked this picture so much that I wanted to see what it looked like as a black and white photo.  I like this version just as much and decided to share it with you as well.

SkyWatch Friday: Glade Sunset

December 9, 2011

Sunset on the Druid Hills Golf Course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 23, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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 were treated to this wonderful sunset on the afternoon we got back from our Thanksgiving trip.  We stopped by the 12th tee of the Druid Hills golf course to enjoy the view and to get these photos.

Sunset on the Druid Hills Golf Course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 23, 2011.

Sunsets are often spectacular here on the Plateau, and this time of year the sun lines up very well the fairway on that hole.

Sunset on the Druid Hills Golf Course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 23, 2011.

On this day the color of the sky was gorgeous, even after the sun dropped below the horizon.

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.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

SkyWatch Friday: Moon Over the Glade

November 11, 2011

Moon in a blue sky above the red leaves of a tree at Lake Canterbury, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 5, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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 Saturday Betsy and I were out enjoying the autumn colors at Lake Canterbury here in the Glade when Betsy pointed out the moon in the blue afternoon sky.  I managed to get this picture of the moon above some of the red leaves of a tree near the lake.

Moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 5, 2011.

By the time we got home and I got my tripod out the sky was black, but I still managed to get this picture of the moon over Fairfield Glade.

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Skies

November 4, 2011

The sky above the road in front of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 29, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

Autumn on the Plateau can be a beautiful season with trees in their autumn glory, blue skies, and white clouds.  Things got interesting around our house this week, but I did get out last weekend and captured a few pictures showing our autumn skies.

The picture above was taken on the road in front of our house.  Although there are still leaves on the trees, more and more bare branches can be seen.

The view at the Fourteenth Hole of the Druid Hills Golf Course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 29, 2011.

A little later we drove to an overlook on the fourteenth hole of the Druid Hills Golf Course.  There were plenty of rust-colored trees to be seen.  Could there possibly be a prettier place to live?

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Skies

October 7, 2011

Autumn skies in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. September 30, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

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.

Autumn brings cooler temperatures and color to the trees.  Autumn might bring clouds, but here on the Plateau in Tennessee it also brings amazing blue skies.

Clouds in an autumn sky, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. September 30, 2011.

These pictures were taken in our front yard.

SkyWatch Friday: Niagara River Clouds

September 30, 2011

The Niagara River and Peace Bridge, Squaw Island, New York. September 11, 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.

My daughter and her husband live near Buffalo, New York, and they showed us around when we visited them earlier this month.  We didn’t make it to Niagara Falls, but we did get to the Niagara River.  One of the places we visited was Squaw Island, on the northern outskirts of Buffalo.

I captured these pictures of the colds above the river from Squaw Island.  The picture above was taken looking south from the island.  The bridge is the Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo with Canada.

A railroad trestle between the U. S. and Canada, Squaw Island, New York. September 11, 2011.

This second picture was taken looking north toward a railroad trestle running between the two countries.  I like the way the big white cloud is looming over the bridge.

SkyWatch Friday: Mt. Mitchell Clouds

September 2, 2011

In the clouds atop Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 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.

While we were in Asheville, North Carolina, for Betsy’s birthday last month, we drove up to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.  We’ve been there before, and always enjoyed the view.

But things were a little different this time.  We weren’t above the clouds — we were IN the clouds, as you can see from the picture above, which Betsy took from the observation deck at the summit.

We saw mountain ridges through a break in the clouds. Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 2011.

As we stood on the observation deck a breeze picked up and we were able to make out some of the nearby mountain ridges.

Blue sky and clouds, Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 2011.

The clouds soon moved back in, but not before we caught a glimpse of some blue sky.

SkyWatch Friday: Virginia Skies

August 26, 2011

Devil's Backbone Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, 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.

I feel I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the past several days, so I went to my archives for this sky picture.

In August of last year Betsy and I drove the Blue Ridge Parkway north from Asheville, North Carolina, into Virginia.  The Parkway is one of our favorite drives, and we had a beautiful, but cloudy day.

When we stopped at the Devil’s Backbone overlook in Virginia, we found a beautiful blue hole in the clouds with sunlight streaming through.