Smoky Mountain Festival of Lights

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Every year Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has a Festival of Lights over the holidays.  As the name implies, there are many beautiful light displays for people to enjoy.  There are several water mills in the mountains around Pigeon Forge, but this one can be seen only during the holidays.

Bejeweled Trees

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Ice on roads can be very dangerous, as can ice on trees if there is too much of it.  But a little bit of ice can be very beautiful.  We had a fast-moving ice storm move through the Glade last week, leaving a thin coating of on everything.  The afternoon sun made the trees and bushes in the empty lot across the street look as if they were adorned with diamonds.

Our First Look at Pikes Peak

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Betsy and I made a  big western trip last September, and Pikes Peak was our first major destination.  This was our first glimpse we got of the mountain from the  parking lot of our motel.  Betsy was especially delighted to see the snow.

Upper Hogskin Branch Falls

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Sometimes getting to a waterfall can be an interesting experience.  Upper Hogskin Branch Falls is near Flag Pond, Tennessee.  It's a pretty little waterfall, but access was almost impossible.  To get this picture I had to bushwhack through a gully that was used as a dump.  Only in Tennessee.

The American Falls at Niagara

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I was going through some of my archived photos when I came across this picture of the American Falls at Niagara.  It was taken in August, 2002, when Betsy and I visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  That was before I had my good camera, but I'm rather happy with the way this picture turned out.

Mount Mitchell on a Cloudy November Day

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Betsy and I visited Mount Mitchell in North Carolina on a November afternoon a couple of years ago.  Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi, and although we were below the clouds, we could look down on the mountains around us.  The patterns of light and shadow below us made a beautiful scene.

Blatant Iris

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We don't normally expect to have an iris blooming in November, but we've had several bloom this November.  I got this photo of our Blatant iris last Friday.

Autumn Color in the Glade

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Sometimes it is not necessary to drive long distances to find glorious autumn color.  This beautiful tree was in our own front yard.  I got this picture on November 3 of this year.

November Sunset

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While I think the skies over the Cumberland Plateau are pretty any time of the year, autumn skies seem to be especially beautiful.  This photo, from my archives, shows a spectacular November sunset.  This is just another reason why we love living in this part of Tennessee.

Gatlinburg Sunrise

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Several weeks ago Betsy and I got up very early in the morning so we could get to the Gatlinburg Bypass as the sun was coming up over the Smoky Mountains.  Our timing was pretty good, and I was able to capture this image just before the sun popped over the mountain.  The mist in the valley was an added bonus.

Autumn Colors in the Glade

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Some of the nice things about living in the Glade in October are autumn colors, beautiful lakes, and blue skies.  This photo, from my archives, was taken in October, 2009, along the shore of Lake Canterbury here in Fairfield Glade.

Deep in Thought

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This past Friday we stopped along the Emory River on our way home from Pine Mountain, Kentucky.  I went back to the car to get my tripod, and when I returned I found my Beautiful Bride deep in thought on a rock beside the river.

Sweetness Rose

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Sweetness is one of the more unique roses we have in our yard.  It gets its name from the very pleasant fragrance it has -- I'm not sure I would say the fragrance is sweet, but it really is nice.  The pretty lilac color is also unique in our yard.

Great Falls of the Potomac

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Betsy and I have wanted to visit the Great Falls of the Potomac for several years, and we finally got the chance to get there a couple of weeks ago on our trip to Virginia and Maryland.  This panorama is made up of two photos I took while visiting Great Falls.

Byrd Lake in October

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Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville is one of the smaller parks in Tennessee's park system.  But it does have a wonderful restaurant and a beautiful lake.  This autumn photo of Byrd Lake is from my archives and shows just how beautiful the Plateau can be during October.

The Governor's Palace

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There are some advantages to visiting Colonial Williamsburg in September.  The crowds are definitely thinner, and that beautiful blue sky above the Governor's Palace is a definite bonus.

Devil's Backbone

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The Blue Ridge Parkway is an enchanting drive any time, even when the weather is not perfect.  We drove the Parkway in 2010 to celebrate Betsy's birthday, and stopped at the Devil's Backbone Overlook in Virginia.  The Devil's Background is almost lost in the distant clouds, but the valley below is still beautiful.

A Historic Railroad Tunnel

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This photo was taken near the entrance of the Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel in Tunnel Hill, Georgia.  Construction began on the tunnel in 1848, and the first train passed through it on May 9, 1850.  The tunnel, 1,477 feet long, was dug by hand.  It was fascinating to see the old bricks and stones lining the tunnel, as well as the soot from the old locomotives on the ceiling of the tunnel.

Biltmore's Walled Garden

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Betsy and I visit Biltmore House and Gardens several times a year, and we always stop by the Walled Garden.  The lower level is the Rose Garden, while the upper level (seen above) is planted with seasonal flowers in geometric patterns.  The panorama above was taken during our visit in August of this year.

Fall Creek Falls

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Fall Creek Falls is the iconic waterfall in Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee.  The park, and this waterfall, are favorites of ours, and we visit it a couple of times each year.  This picture of Fall Creek Falls, from my archives, was taken in September, 2002.

Brush Mountain Sky

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The first time Betsy and I visited Cumberland Gap National Park, we took the tour up to the Hensley Settlement on Brush Mountain.  It was a beautiful September day, and the scene on the mountain was glorious.  It reminded us of all the reason we like living in Tennessee.

Crescent Moon over the Glade

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I don't often have luck getting good pictures of the moon, but I rather like this photo of the August crescent moon over the Glade.  It was taken in our front yard last year.

April In Paris Rose

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The rose bush isn't very big, but I love the soft pink color of April in Paris.  I've never been to Paris, but people tell me it is as beautiful in Spring as this rose.  The nice thing about the rose is that we can enjoy it longer than just Spring.

Middle Prong of Little River

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In mid-July Betsy and I drove over to Cades Cove to visit some friends who were camping there.  On the way home we drove along the Middle Prong of Little River since the water levels were pretty high, and we thought we might get some good pictures.  This is one of those pictures.

Moonstone Rose

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Moonstone is one of our newer roses, but with its cream color with pink edges it has become a favorite.  This rose is one of the roses in containers along our driveway.

Ronald Reagan Rose

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This beautiful bicolor rose, Ronald Reagan, is in our front flower bed.  It blooms beautifully throughout the summer.

Chicago Apache Day Lily

We have several new varieties of day lilies this year.  Chicago Apache is one of them.  Both Betsy and I enjoy its bright red color in our front yard.

Carlotta Day Lily

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Carlotta is one of the re-blooming day lilies we have in our front yard.  We feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy these beautiful blossoms twice each year.

Bama Bound Day Lily

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As a die-hard Tennessee Vol, Betsy doesn't think much of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  But even Betsy admits that this day lily, Bama Bound, is a beauty.  It grows near the back of our house where we can enjoy it from our deck.

Touch of Class Rose

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One of the nice things about summer at our house is the roses.  We have a large variety of colors and fragrances.  This classy rose is appropriately named Touch of Class.

Wildfire Rose

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Wildfire is one of the brightest roses in our yard.  When these red-orange blossoms open it is almost impossible to overlook this rose.

Broadway Lily

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Broadway is a pretty pink lily growing in the flower bed around the lamp post in our front yard.

Betsy's Favorite Iris

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It's sometimes difficult to pin Betsy down as to what her favorite is when it comes to some of our flowers.  But there is no doubt that her favorite iris is Tennessee Vol.  I'm not sure if she's attracted mostly by the name or by the color, but in any case it's a beautiful iris.

Fireworks

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The Fourth of July is celebrated in grand style here in the Glade.  There is a community fireworks display attended by people of all ages.

This photo was taken on the Fourth of July a couple of years ago.

Tiffany Rose

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Betsy and I have many different flowers in our yard, but we both rate roses as our favorites.  This is Tiffany, a rose we have enjoyed for a couple of years now.

Twin Falls

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I went to my archives of this photo of Twin Falls in Rock Island State Park here in Tennessee.  Twin Falls is somewhat unique in that it did not come into being until the construction of Great Falls Dam.  That dam formed Great Falls Lake (on the other side of the hill that you see), and water seeped into caverns inside the hill.  The water leaks out this side of the hill forming Twin Falls.

Orange Harvest Iris

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We have quite a few different irises in our yard.  We've had this beautiful iris, Orange Harvest, in our yard for several years.  We always look forward to the return of these blossoms in the Spring.

Tinos Lily

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April showers might bring May flowers, but June flowers are pretty neat as well.  These yellow beauties are Tinos lilies.  They brighten  up a flowerbed around the lamppost in our front yard.

Double Delight Rose

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We have 57 different hybrid tea and grandiflora roses in our yard, and there is something we like about each and every one of them.  But if I had to pick one all-time favorite rose (I'm glad I really don't have to do that) I would pick Double Delight.  It's a delight both for its beautiful color and delightful fragrance.

This picture was taken last week.

Perfect Moment Rose

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One of the nicest things about Spring around our house is that the roses start blooming.  Some of the roses are very fragrant, while others have vibrant colors.  Perfect Moment is one of the latter, with colors that are hard to miss.

A Stormy Afternoon at the Beach

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Betsy and I arrived in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, earlier this month on a stormy afternoon.  The beach and the pier were deserted, but it was a perfect time to observe the awesome power of the sky and sea.

Our First Rose of the Season

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We think that Winter may be over here on the Plateau.  Our roses are beginning to bloom.  Our first rose to bloom this year, on May 18, was Rio Samba.  Hopefully it is a beautiful preview of more to come.

Ocean Isle Beach

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One nice thing about going to the beach in early May is that we often have the beach too ourselves.  The water may still be too cold for swimming, but the quiet peaceful scene more than makes up for that.

Betsy's Mother's Day Flowers

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Betsy really hit the jackpot on Mother's Day.  She got flowers from her son Jeff and his wife Dawn, and from my son Bob and his significant other Melissa.  I took this photo of my Beautiful Bride with her beautiful flowers last week.

Byrd Lake

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Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville is not a large park, but it does contain a beautiful lake, Byrd Lake.  One of our favorite activities at the park is to have a delicious buffet at the restaurant overlooking this lake.

Replete Daffodil

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Although Spring was late in arriving in the Glade, we've been enjoying the display our Spring flowers have been providing.  While we have quite a few 'traditional' daffodils, we have some that are not quite so common.  This daffodil, Replete, is a double daffodil.  We really like the vibrant orange that it displays.

Pink Dogwood Blossoms

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One of the joys of Spring is seeing the pink dogwood tree in our front yard in bloom.  This picture is from my archives, but I like it for the beautiful shade of pink in the blossoms.

Sempervivum

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Sempervivum ('always alive'), or hens and chicks, are wonderful succulents that we have growing several places in our yard.  They need very little care and multiply very well, filling in spots where other plants don't seem to thrive.  The color and form varies, but they are always fascinating.

Full Pink Moon

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Last night's full moon was a Full Pink Moon.  Pink, or wild phlox, is one of the earliest flowers of spring.  Native American coastal tribes called this full moon the Full Fish Moon, since the shad came upstream to spawn at this time.

I'm glad 'Pink' doesn't refer to the color of the moon, as I thought it was more golden than pink.

Cane Creek Cascades

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Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee has five major waterfalls, and this isn't one of them.  This is Cane Creek Cascades, which is just above Cane Creek Falls.  I have to admit that it looks like a waterfall to me.