Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’

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Skywatch # 41

April 24, 2009
Clouds over Cane Creek Gorge. April 21, 2009.

Clouds over Cane Creek Gorge. April 21, 2009.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  Last week over 300 people shared their view of the sky.  To see more, or to join, click HERE.

The picture above was taken this past Tuesday at Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee.  The waterfalls are usually the main attraction of this park.  We did enjoy the waterfalls, but the day was bright and sunny with many clouds floating in the blue sky.

This picture was taken at the Fall Creek Falls Overlook, but I was looking across Cane Creek Gorge.  Cane Creek Gorge is about 15 miles long and is sometimes referred to as Tennessee’s Grand Canyon.  It is very impressive, but on this day so was the sky above it.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 16 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 32

April 22, 2009
Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee. April 21, 2009.

Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee. April 21, 2009.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday, a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweetnsaxy of Eyes Mind Heart.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your pictures to share, click HERE.

As I mentioned in my last post, Betsy and I went to Texas over the weekend to see our granddaughters play softball.  We didn’t see any softball games but we did see plenty of rain.  So we had a very watery weekend.

The picture above was taken yesterday (Tuesday) on our way home from Texas.  This is one of our very favorite spots — Fall Creek Falls here in Tennessee.

Since Tuesday was April 21, we just had to stop by to see these falls.  Betsy and I went to Fall Creek Falls State Park on April 21, 2001.  It was our fourth date, but the first on which we spent the whole day together.  We went to see waterfalls (there are five in the park).

Although that day was the beginning of our waterfall collection, the waterfalls were definitely only the second best thing about the day.  The best thing about that day eight years ago was that I got to kiss Betsy for the first time.

Now that is something to remember!

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 26 Comments »

I’d Never Dated a Feminist Before

April 9, 2009
Betsy at Centennial Park. April 7, 2001.

Betsy at Centennial Park. April 7, 2001.

Tuesday, April 7, was the eighth anniversary of my second date with Betsy.  We had our first date (a dinner date) on March 29, 2001.

I was working in Nashville at the time, in an office building near Centennial Park.  I often walked in Centennial during my lunch hours and knew that the tulips and other flowers in the park were absolutely beautiful.  So I invited Betsy to go there on a Saturday morning.  She accepted — Mother Nature cooperated — we had a beautiful day in which to enjoy the park.  The picture above is the very first picture I ever took of Betsy.

Centennial Park contains a replica of Athen’s Parthenon and we enjoyed viewing the statue of Athena in the main hall.  The lower level contains an art gallery and they had an exhibit of paintings the day we were there.  I suggested we view the exhibit and Betsy agreed, but she didn’t want me to pay for her admission — she said she could pay her own way.  I pointed out that it was my idea and that I would be glad to pay the small price of admission.  After more discussion and great reluctance on Betsy’s part, she finally let me pay.  We enjoyed the exhibit a great deal.

By the time we left the park it was lunch time.  There was a small restaurant near the park which was recommended to me and I suggested we get some lunch.  Betsy agreed, but ONLY IF I let her pay.  I told her that wasn’t necessary, but she INSISTED and Betsy can be very persuasive when she INSISTS!  Since I didn’t want the day to end, I agreed, and we had a very good and enjoyable lunch.

When the check came, Betsy pulled out her credit card only to be told that the restaurant didn’t take credit cards.  She pulled her check book, but was told they only take cash.  Guess who didn’t have much cash!

By this time I was having a hard time keeping a straight face, but I did a pretty good job of not grinning from ear to ear.  But I will admit that I soon asked her out again.

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Posted in Betsy | 22 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 29

March 31, 2009
The Little Pigeon River in the Smokies. March 28, 2009.

The Little Pigeon River in the Smokies. March 28, 2009.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday, a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweetnsaxy of Eyes Mind Heart.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your pictures, click HERE.

Betsy and I enjoyed our stay in Cosby last weekend.  We had some rain while we were there, but not enough to keep us from hiking and exploring a part of the Smokies we haven’t visited as often as we have this side of the park.  The rain had the advantage of keeping the water flows relatively high, which we thoroughly enjoy.

The picture above, which can be enlarged, was taken in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We drove along the Little Pigeon River and stopped to enjoy this view of the water rushing over the boulders in the stream.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 25 Comments »

A Little Bit of Heaven

March 30, 2009
The view from Ed's Mill Cabin. March 26, 2009.

The view from Ed's Mill Cabin. March 26, 2009.

Imagine that you like waterfalls and have the opportunity to wake up in the morning, walk into the living room and see the view in the picture above.  (The picture can be enlarged if desired).

That’s exactly the situation Betsy and I found ourselves in over the weekend.  Last November we found a rental cabin in what had once been an old mill.  The cabin was in the Smokies at the base of a waterfall.  There wasn’t much water going over the falls in November, but we knew right away that we would want to go back.

We spent three nights at Serenity Falls and never got tired of watching the water cascade down the falls.  The window in our bedroom overlooked the creek below the falls and we slept with the window open so we could hear the water rushing over the rocks.  What more could two waterfall enthusiasts ask for?

Although we had some rain while we were in the Smokies it didn’t stop us from getting out an doing some hiking.  A high point (in more ways than one) was a 2.2 mile hike up into the mountains to see Hen Wallow Falls.  We were also able to check out a few smaller falls in the area, but we’ve left some bigger falls unseen so we have an excuse to go back in the future!

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Posted in Waterfalls | 24 Comments »

I May Have Jinked Us

March 26, 2009
Cabin at the base of Serenity Falls, Great Smoky Mountains. November 10, 2008.

Cabin at the base of Serenity Falls, Great Smoky Mountains. November 10, 2008.

Last November Betsy and I spent a couple of days on the eastern side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  While searching for waterfalls we came across the cabin in the picture above, which is located at the base of Serenity Falls.  In November there wasn’t much water going over the falls, but the setting was so nice that we decided we would like to go back when there was more water.

Well, we made reservations a couple of weeks ago and are going back there later today.  But then Tuesday night I posted a picture of Betsy in the rain at a waterfall.  It started raining early Wednesday morning and has been raining fairly steadily ever since.  The weather forecast says that it will rain through Saturday.  I might come back home with several more pictures of Betsy in the rain.

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purple-day-7-777

On a more serious note, today is Purple Day, a day to increase awareness of Epilepsy.  The writer of one of my favorite blogs, Michele at Rocky Mountain Retreat, has to live with this disease.  She recently suffered from a series of seizures which left her hospitalized.  Fortunately Michele is doing much better now.  Michele is a very talented photographer who posts marvelous pictures on her blog.  Stop by her site — you’ll be glad you did.

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Posted in Travels | 26 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 28

March 24, 2009
Betsy at Lower Lula Falls. March 29, 2008.

Betsy at Lower Lula Falls. March 29, 2008.

Watery Wednesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweeetnsaxy of Eyes Mind Heart.  It celebrates our wonderful wet world.  To see more pictures or to post your own, click HERE.

I thought the picture above definitely qualified for Watery Wednesday.  Betsy and I try to do our hiking when it’s not raining, but we’re not always successful.  This picture was taken at Lula Falls near Chattanooga, Tennessee.  As you can see, not only was there a pretty waterfall (Lower Lula Falls), but it was pouring down rain.  We definitely got our share of water that day!

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 31 Comments »

Scenic Sunday # 36

March 22, 2009
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. May, 2001.

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. May, 2001.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shows beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts or to join and post your own, click HERE.

One of our favorite parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Cades Cove.  Touring the Cove is like stepping back in time.  Not only does Cades Cove contain a lot of history, but it also contains some remarkable scenery.

The picture above was taken in the Spring.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 19 Comments »

Twin Falls

February 28, 2009

Twin Falls, Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. June, 2006.

Twin Falls, Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. June, 2006.

On my last Watery Wednesday post (HERE) I mentioned that the Caney Fork River flows past the base of Twin Falls in Rock Island State Park here in Tennessee.  Several people said they would like to see the falls, so Twin Falls are the subject of this posting.

Twin Falls is formed by water gushing from a steep hillside and tumbling 65 to 80 feet into the Caney Fork.  Twin Falls did not appear until after the construction of Great Falls Dam.  The Collins River is immediately behind the hill from the Caney Fork, and it is speculated that when the dam was built forming Great Falls Lake, water began seeping into caverns thought to be inside the hill.  The water had to go somewhere, so it proceeded to ‘leak’ out the other side, forming the falls.

Attempts were made to patch up the leaks, but to no avail.  Hydrologic engineers have concluded that the hill is not in danger of collapse, so Rock Island now has a ‘quasi-natural’ waterfall.  Regardless how it was formed, we think Twin Falls is a pretty addition to our collection.

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On a slightly different note, I have started a second blog.  I have long wanted a place where I could post pictures that I like.  I anticipate that this will continue to be my main blog and that the new blog will be mostly pictures with enough information to identify what is being shown.  I probably will not post every day, but I will add new pictures as I find them in my files.  If you would like to visit Photos by Senior Hiker click HERE.

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Posted in Waterfalls | 16 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 24

February 24, 2009
The Caney Fork River at Rock Island State Park, Tennessee.

The Caney Fork River at Rock Island State Park, Tennessee.

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday.  To see more pictures of our watery world, or to join in the fun and post your own pictures, click HERE.

The picture above is of the Caney Fork River in Rock Island State Park, here in Tennessee.  The Caney Fork flows through the park.  This picture was taken just downstream from the base of Twin Falls.  The reason the river looks so placid is that the river does not go over Twin Falls, but past the falls.

Although we haven’t done a great deal of hiking in Rock Island, the park does contain three major waterfalls and a couple of minor falls.  It’s another of the wonderful parks in the Tennessee park system.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 27 Comments »

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