Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’

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Our World: Lake Sherwood in February

February 10, 2014

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 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.

My Beautiful Bride is unhappy because we haven’t gotten much snow this winter — only two measurable snowfalls so far.  I’ve been trying to tell her that things could be worse, but I’m not sure she believes me.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

So I thought I would show her things could be worse.  These pictures were taken in February, 2012, on a walk on one of the trails here in the Glade.  As you can see, it was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

Lake Sherwood, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. February 7, 2012.

We walked around Lake Sherwood, and admired the reflections in the still water of the lake.  All-in-all it was a beautiful day.  And there wasn’t a snowflake in sight.

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Posted in Our World | 24 Comments »

Our World: Middle Prong Little River

February 3, 2014
Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

(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.

On January 20, Betsy and I drove and hiked along Middle Prong Little River in the Smokies.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and there was a good water flow along the river.  The water was so clear that we could easily see the stream bed.

Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

We often stopped and walked along the river to enjoy the sight (and sound) of the water rushing over and around boulders in the stream.

Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

As we worked our way up stream, the river just seemed to get more and more beautiful.

My Beautiful Bride along Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

My Beautiful Bride along Middle Prong LIttle River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. January 20, 2014.

But I know well that not all of the pretty views that day were of the river.

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Posted in Our World | 20 Comments »

Betsy Was a Happy Camper

January 23, 2014
Our back yard in the snowstorm, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 21, 2014.

Our back yard in the snowstorm, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 21, 2014.

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

My Beautiful Bride can be impatient at times, and she has been waiting for snow ever since Thanksgiving.  But she wasn’t waiting for just any snow — it had to be a perfect snowstorm:  The snowflakes had to be big and fluffy, they had to fall during daylight, and the snow had to cling to trees and branches.

I’m happy to say that Betsy was a happy camper on Tuesday.  It started  snowing in the morning and snowed off and on during most of the day.  It didn’t take long for the deck and the golf course to have a cover of white.

The Stars and Stripes in our front yard. January 21, 2014.

The Stars and Stripes in our front yard. January 21, 2014.

The flag in front of the house provided a little color on what was a fairly gray day.  The wind came  up and caused the flag to stand out from the pole.

The view in front of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 21, 2014.

The view in front of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 21, 2014.

But the best part was that the trees and bushes all wore a coat of white.

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Posted in Glade | 19 Comments »

Our World: Burrell Creek Falls

January 20, 2014
Burrell Creek Falls, Reliance, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

Burrell Creek Falls, Reliance, Tennessee. October 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.

In late October we met our blog friends Patti and Neal for a couple of days of hiking and sightseeing around Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.  Neal grew up in the area, and on our second day he took us to some of his old stomping grounds.  Along the way he told us that he knew of a little waterfall that we might like to see.  He didn’t know the name, but he thought it was pretty.

NealPattiBurrellCreekFalls13102401

Neal was right — it was a pretty little waterfall.  A little research showed that the waterfall was on Burrell Creek.  Betsy and I were happy to add it to our collection.

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Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

Our World: Tennessee’s Snow and Cold

January 13, 2014
New-fallen snow on the fairway behind our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

New-fallen snow on the fairway behind our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

(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.

As most of you know, Betsy loves snow and never gets enough of it.  (She obviously never had to trudge through a foot of the stuff in early morning darkness to milk the cows!).  Well, she finally got some snow last week.

We didn’t get a lot of snow — maybe a couple of inches — but it did look pretty on the fairway behind our house.

Shadows and snow on the fairway, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

Shadows and snow on the fairway, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

The bare trees made intricate shadows on the fresh snow.

The view from our front porch, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

The view from our front porch, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. January 6, 2014.

There was very little traffic along the road in front of our house.

The cold and lonely bench in our front yard, Fairfield Glade, January 6, 2014.

The cold and lonely bench in our front yard, Fairfield Glade, January 6, 2014.

Since the coldest temperatures in more than twenty years accompanied the snow, no one was sitting on the bench in our front yard.

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Posted in Our World | 22 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: December’s Full Moon

January 10, 2014
A full moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 16, 2013.

A full moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 16, 2013.

(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.

While putting up the bird feeders one Monday evening in December, Betsy and I noticed the nearly-full moon rising through the trees.  I grabbed my camera and walked out onto the golf course to get a view without the trees blocking the view.

Full moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 16, 2013.

Full moon over Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 16, 2013.

It was a beautiful moon on a crisp, chilly evening.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 22 Comments »

Our World: Opryland’s Nativity Scene

January 6, 2014
Scripture at the Opryland's Nativity Scene. December 19, 2013.

Scripture at the Opryland’s Nativity Scene. December 19, 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.

Yesterday was the last of the twelve days of Christmas, but today is the Day of Epiphany, commemorating the visit of the Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.  So I think one more Christmas-themed  post is appropriate.

Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

On December 19 Betsy and I visited the Opryland Hotel in Nashville with my daughter Kelly and her husband Chuck.  One of the attractions at the hotel this time of year is a Nativity Scene with life-sized figurines.

Wise men, angels and shepherds gathered around the manger. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

Wise men, angels and shepherds gathered around the manger. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

When we first saw this display many years ago, it was set up in a courtyard between two wings of the hotel.  Now it’s set up in front of the hotel.  While that gave more room for a large stable and manger, it definitely tied up traffic.  Fortunately there were officers to direct traffic.

Another look at the manger. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

Another look at the manger. Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 19, 2013.

If you’re ever in Nashville during the holiday season, I think you’ll enjoy seeing the Opryland Hotel, especially at night.

There are many other beautiful decorations at the hotel, but I’ll probably save those for another holiday season.

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Posted in American Life | 20 Comments »

The Golden Hour

December 19, 2013
Sunset in the mountains near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

Sunset in the mountains near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

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

I’ve read about the golden hour in photography.  The golden hour is the first and last hour of sunlight each day.  When we were with our friends Patti and Neal at the end of October, we spent much of one day enjoying the autumn colors and hiking in Kentucky.  Late in the day we drove through Betsy’s home town in Big Stone Gap, Virginia before heading back to the lodge in Kentucky.

The day had been dreary and overcast, but as the sun was going down, we saw a bright orange-pink sky in the west below the clouds.  Since Patti and Neal are as much into photography as Betsy and me, we of course had to stop for pictures.

Evening light in Virginia. October 23, 2013.

Evening light in Virginia. October 23, 2013.

Looking back to the east, the glow on the hills and the buildings were a perfect example of what the golden hour means.

A fiery mountain sunset. October 23, 2013.

A fiery mountain sunset. October 23, 2013.

But as beautiful as that was, our eyes kept going back to the bright light between the mountains and the clouds to the west.  What a gorgeous ending to a wonderful day.

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Posted in Travels | 19 Comments »

Girl by the River

November 22, 2013
Betsy at the Emory River near Wartburg, Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

Betsy at the Emory River near Wartburg, Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

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

Last month Betsy and I went to Pine Mountain, Kentucky, to meet up with blog friends Patti and Neal.  We didn’t see as much autumn color as we would have liked, but we did get in some hiking and had a great time.

On our way home we stopped by the Emory River.  We’ve often crossed the river at this point, but had never stopped at picnic grounds near the bridge.  This time we stopped.

After walking down to the river, which was very low, I went back to the car to get my tripod.  When I returned I found my Beautiful Bride deep in thought, as you can see in the photo above.

Betsy at the Emory River near Wartburg, Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

Betsy at the Emory River near Wartburg, Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

Betsy heard me take the first picture, and turned to see what I was up to.

Early autumn color in Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

Early autumn color in Tennessee. October 25, 2013.

A little later I got a picture of my Beautiful Bride with a hint of autumn color behind her.  Her smile was as bright as that blue sky above us.

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Posted in Betsy | 22 Comments »

Staying Young at Heart

November 11, 2013
Betsy having fun in the leaves, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 9, 2013.

Betsy having fun in the leaves, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 9, 2013.

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

Betsy loves Autumn!  She loves the autumn colors and hearing the crunch of leaves beneath our boots when we are hiking.

Betsy having fun in the yard. November 9, 2013.

Betsy having fun in the yard. November 9, 2013.

She even enjoys blowing the leaves that cover our lawn every year, which is good since we are surrounded by trees that dump lots of leaves on our yard.  We have a vacant lot on the downhill side of our house, and Betsy herds the leaves that direction.

Losing my Beautiful Bride in a pile of leaves. November 9, 2013.

Losing my Beautiful Bride in a pile of leaves. November 9, 2013.

Saturday Betsy was blowing on one side of the house while I was working on another side.  After a while I noticed that it was suspiciously quiet on Betsy’s side of the house.  Going around to that side of the house I found the Inner Child of my Beautiful Bride enjoying one of the piles of leaves she had created.

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Posted in Betsy | 27 Comments »

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