Niagara River

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There are several kilometers of rapids in the Niagara River below the waterfalls. This particular picture was taken at White Water Walk on the river below the falls.

Cherohala Skyway Color

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This is a sample of some of the autumn color Betsy and I found on the Cherohala Skyway as we made our way home from Maggie Valley, North Carolina, this past Sunday. The colors were absolutely gorgeous.

Indian Creek Falls

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The Deep Creek Campground of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is near Bryson City, North Carolina. This part of the park is not as heavily visited as the Tennessee side, but it does have its attractions. One is Indian Creek Falls, which is found by hiking up Deep Creek along a very pleasant trail.

Maggie Valley Sky

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The picture above was taken last week at the cabin Betsy and her childhood friends rented in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. The color of the leaves were somewhat muted, but the blue sky was absolutely gorgeous.

Looking Over the Wall of Fort George

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I've shown several pictures of Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, in this blog. This picture shows the British flag flying above the wall of the fort.

Autumn Color in the Glade

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The rain and cooler weather of the past week have really helped the colors to pop out. I was out splitting wood last week and looked up to see these red leaves against the blue sky. I just had to put down my axe and grab my camera.

Melody Parfumee Rose

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Although the roses in our yard are winding down for the year, there are still a few that I haven't shared with you. This pink beauty is Melody Parfumee. What I can't share with you is the delightful fragrance of this rose.

The View from the Cabin

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Betsy has been in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, for most of this week with her childhood girlfriends. This is the view they have from the deck of the cabin they've rented. Do you think she'll come back to Tennessee?

Country Music Hall of Fame

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Nashville is Music City, USA, and is best known for its country music. The Grand Ole Opry began broadcasting in 1925 and is the oldest continuous radio program in the United States and the longest-running live radio program in the world.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum isn't that old (the building in the picture opened in 2001), but it is interesting nonetheless. It is located in downtown Nashville and you don't have to be a country music fan to enjoy it.

Admiring the Great Wall

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I shared a version of this picture on my blog, but I couldn't resist posting it here as well. I took this picture of the young Chinese family on the Great Wall in 1990. They seemed as impressed with Wall as I was.

Betsy at Tallulah Gorge

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This picture of my beautiful bride was taken when we visited Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia this past June. It was a beautiful day in which the sun was almost as bright as Betsy's smile.

Autumn in the Glade

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Autumn has arrived in the Glade. We have clear, blue skies during the day and cold, crisp nights. So far the color has not been as vibrant as it has been in other years, but it is still very pretty now. The picture above was taken at Lake Canterbury here in the Glade on Sunday, October 18, 2009.

A Pleasant Surprise

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We arrived home Sunday afternoon to discover that the Glade is under a Freeze Warning for Sunday night - Monday morning. We heard that news while driving home. When we pulled into the driveway we noticed the rose in the picture above. One of the nurseries we buy from had a rose sale in late August and we purchased Touch of Class because the price was irresistible.

This bud is the first on this rose. I wonder if it will be there when the sun comes up this morning.

Stupid Camera

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The waterfall above is Hurricane Falls in Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia. The picture was taken October 14, 2009.

Betsy and I were home for about 12 hours Thursday evening and early this (Friday) morning. That gave us just enough time to repack for Ray's memorial service and to do a quick post to let you know we survived the first of our quick trips. By the time you read this we will be on the road to Jacksonville, Florida.

As you know, we went to Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia to see what the waterfalls looked like when water was released from the dam above the gorge. We hiked a new trail (for us) and the views were wonderful. There was a light rain most of the day, but that didn't stop us from our quest to enjoy the waterfalls.

Unfortunately about half way through our hike my camera decided to start acting up. For the rest of the hike I could only take wide-angle shots if I could get any at all. That was definitely a bummer, but as Betsy said that just gives us another excuse to go back.

Now that Betsy has her laptop, I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new camera. I've been wanting one with interchangeable lenses so I could get closer to waterfalls we can't reach on foot. I would also like to be able to get macros of our flowers.

I know many of you are great photographers. I would appreciate any advice you may be able to give me regarding a camera that will fit my needs. Thanks.

A Return to Tallulah Gorge and Other Travel

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The picture above was taken in June and shows Tallulah Gorge in Georgia. The gorge contains six waterfalls which we enjoyed seeing from the rim. There is a dam at the head of the gorge which restricts the flow of water.

This morning Betsy and I are leaving for a couple of days in northern Georgia. They are releasing water from the dam on Wednesday and we want to be there to see what the waterfalls looked like before the dam was built. We've had this trip planned for several weeks.

Then on Friday we are going to Jacksonville for Ray's (Betsy's brother) memorial service. We will get back home on Sunday and then on the following Tuesday I will take Betsy to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, for her getaway with her grade school girlfriends.

I can visit you using my iPod Touch, but unless I can pry Betsy's laptop from her, I don't think I'll be able to post for much of that time. But don't give up on me -- I'll be back as soon as possible.

Autumn Color

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Sunday we took Betsy's cousins to Fall Creek Falls State Park for a Sunday lunch and a tour of some of the waterfalls in the park.

After several days of cloudy, rainy weather we finally had sunshine and blue skies. Even more, we had some beautiful fall color as shown in the picture above.

Climbing the Great Wall

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This is a scan of a slide made in 1990 at the Great Wall. In 1987, on my first visit there, I climbed the wall from the gate at Badaling, hear the buildings in the foreground, to the watch tower on the ridge at the right of the picture. Our host told me that climb made me a Hero of the People's Republic.

Glenn Falls

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Glenn Falls was another unexpected find. Betsy and I were heading home on the Blue Ridge Parkway in June, 2007, and we decided to get off the parkway to find a place to grab a bite to eat. The nearest town was Vesuvius, Virginia, and as we rounded a curve on the outskirts of the town, we saw the waterfall pictured above.

We had no idea that the waterfall was there until we saw it. After we got home we had to do quite a bit of internet research to find the name.

Colditz Cove

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The Colditz Cove State Natural Area near Jamestown, Tennessee, contains a waterfall, which is why Betsy and I have been there several times. But the hike through the gorge is pleasant in its own right. This tree growing out of the gorge wall is on the trail leading to the waterfall.

American Falls at Niagara

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This is another picture taken from the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. This was the view as we passed the American Falls.

Rainbow Bridge

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The picture above was taken from the Maid of the Mist on the Niagara River below the falls. Rainbow Bridge connects Niagara Falls, New York, with Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Perfume Delight Rose

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One of the most fragrant roses in our yard is Perfume Delight. It has large, beautiful pink blossoms and is extremely fragrant, as the name implies. Perfume Delight was an All America Rose Selection in 1974 and is a favorite in our yard.

Mortar Firing

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While visiting Fort Erie in Ontario, Canada, we saw a demonstration of the firing of this 1812-era mortar. It was a small piece, but it sure made a big noise.

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On a sad note we learned that Betsy's brother, Ray, died yesterday (Friday) afternoon. Please keep Betsy and Ray's family in your prayers. Our posting and visiting your blogs are likely going to be hit and miss for the next few days.

Falls on Waters Creek

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One of the advantages of collecting waterfalls is that we get to see some pretty sights and get some good exercise in the process. We found this pretty waterfall is in northern Georgia near Turner's Corner.

The Great Wall

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The picture above was scanned from a slide made in 1990. This picture was taken during my second visit to the Great Wall. The portion of the wall in the foreground has been reconstructed, the wall further down the mountain and in the background is still in ruins.