Ice and Blue Skies

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We've been fortunate (or unfortunate if, like my Beautiful Bride, you like snow) this year as far as winter weather is concerned.  But even I will admit that winter can bring some beautiful photographic opportunities.  This picture, from my archives, shows ice on tree limbs gleaming in the sun beneath a beautiful blue sky.

My Beautiful Bride

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Betsy and I visited the Smoky Mountains this past week.  We first drove to Cades Cove, enjoying the flow of Little River on the way.  I got this picture of my Beautiful Bride at a picnic area in Cades Cove.

Icy Seeds

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The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Mingo Falls

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Last January Betsy and I made a trip to Asheville, but a rock slide on the interstate forced us to come back home by way of back roads.  Although the trip was longer than it would have been, it had the advantage of allowing us to stop by Mingo Falls near Cherokee, North Carolina.

Thoughts of Spring

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Our winter so far has not been all that bad, but it is still winter.  Seed catalogs have started to arrive, which lead to thoughts of Spring.  Pictures of our roses also give rise to thoughts of Spring.  This picture of Sweetness Rose was taken last May.

Pier at Ocean Isle Beach

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The pier on Ocean Isle Beach is a busy place in summer, but it was deserted when we were there last month.  We can see it from the balcony of our room at the Islander Inn.  Even in winter it's a beautiful sight, especially with the reflections in the wet sand left by a receding tide.

Bejeweled Trees

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We had freezing rain Monday night, and on Tuesday morning the trees in our yard had a thin coating of ice.  It was cloudy and misty, and yet the trees looked like they were covered with jewels.

Moon Over the Glade

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I've had mixed success getting pictures of the moon, but I feel pretty good about this picture that I captured on a clear night from our yard in the Glade.

Barefoot Landing at Night

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Betsy and I go the the beach in May of almost every year.  But we've also gone a couple of times in December to get a winter seafood fix.  The temperatures are much cooler and the days are shorter, but that does have some advantages.  We visited a nearly deserted Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I got this night picture of Old Glory.  I didn't notice the plane coming in for a landing until I uploaded the photo to my computer.

Rutledge Falls

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Although Dad is legally blind, he still enjoys going for rides whenever possible.  So we take him for an outing when we go down to Tullahoma to see him.  One of the places we've visited in Tullahoma is Rutledge Falls.  This pretty waterfall is on private property, but the owners have made it accessible to the public.

Mountains and Clouds

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As most of you know, Betsy and I love the mountains -- the Smoky Mountains here in Tennessee and the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. We enjoy visiting the mountains just about any time of the year.

The picture above shows the view in late November from Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville, North Carolina. I really like the clouds and mountains stretching to the horizon.

A Smokies Panorama

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If you've visited here very often, you know that we think the Smoky Mountains are pretty special.  We enjoy visiting them in all seasons.  We also enjoy taking photographs of all that beauty, but a picture really doesn't do a good job of capturing all that beauty.  I've been experimenting with panoramas, hoping that they might do a better job of conveying the beauty of the mountains and sky.

This is my first attempt at creating a panorama.  I shot the three photos that make it up on the Foothills Parkway in late October.

Lighted Trees at the Beach

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They're definitely not Christmas trees, but these lighted trees at the Islander Inn in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, still looked pretty and cheery as night was falling.  I got this picture last month during our visit to the beach.