Little River in Winter

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The leaves are gone from the trees in the Smokies in December, but there is still beauty to be found.  This picture of the Little River was taken at the ‘Y’ — Townsend, Tennessee, entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Rose of the Week: Rio Samba

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

We’ve had Rio Samba for several years.  The bush is relatively small, but the blossoms are beautiful.  It is difficult to find a single photo that does justice to this rose, as the blossoms change colors as they age.  This picture was taken the day after the blossom opened fully.  Older blossoms would show more red.

Wilderness Falls

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Several years ago Betsy and I were exploring part of the Cherokee National Forest in northeast Tennessee when we came across this pretty little waterfall on Unaka Mountain.  One of the reasons we enjoy traveling along Forest Service roads is that gems like this might be around each curve.

Rose of the Week: Summer Surprise

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Summer Surprise was one of our new roses this year.  As you can see, it’s a beautiful rose, but it is prolific and the blossoms hold their form and color a long time.  This rose has quickly become one of our favorites.

Rose of the Week: Pink Promise

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Pink Promise is one of the roses in containers along our driveway.  When the bud first opens there are thin pink edges on the petals.  As the blossom opens more and gets older, the pink spreads.  Betsy and I think it is a beautiful rose in any stage.

Rose of the Week: Ronald Reagan

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation that made the rose our national flower.  This bicolor beauty was named in honor of the President to commemorate the event.  We’ve had this rose for a several years and it quickly became a favorite.  We thought we had lost it during last winter’s harsh weather and we even got a new rose to plant in its place.  But after replanting Ronald Reagan rose in a container and giving it some loving attention, we were rewarded with this beautiful blossom.

Rose of the Week: Alec's Red

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Red roses are the traditional symbols for love and romance, so I think it’s appropriate that we have several varieties of red roses in our yard.  This beauty is named Alec’s Red.  I don’t know for sure who Alec is (or was), but I think he may have been the hybridizer who developed this rose.  All we know for sure is that this is a beautiful addition to our rose garden.

Rose of the Week: Sedona

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Sedona is one of the roses in our newest flower bed, the one nearest the road.  It’s said that the colors of this rose are similar to the red bluffs and high desert sunsets of the American Southwest, which accounts for its name.  All we know for sure is that we really like this beautiful rose and are glad to have it in our yard.

Autumn in the Mountains

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Betsy and I think the mountains are beautiful any time of the year, even if the Autumn colors are past their peak.  This late October picture, from my archives, was taken at the Woolyback Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Rose of the Week: Milestone

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Milestone is one of the newer roses in our garden.  We first saw it in the gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  We liked it so much that we got a bush of our own, and have enjoyed its beautiful blossoms ever since.

Rose of the Week: Welcome Home

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

This bright, cheerful beauty is in the flower bed near the road, where we can see it each time we pull into the driveway.  It certainly is a wonderful way to be welcomed home.

Cades Cove

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Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is beautiful any time of the year, and Betsy and I try to get there two or three times each year, if possible.  This picture, from my archives, was taken in September, 2010.  It shows a field near the old Methodist Church in the cove.

Rose of the Week: Veteran's Honor

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

9/11 is a poignant day in our national memory.  But as we remember those who died and were injured on that day, it is well that we also remember and honor those who answered their country’s call.  Veteran’s Honor was named to honor all of our brave men and women.

Rose of the Week: Perfume Delight

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

When we select roses for our yard, Betsy and I consider color and form, but we also like fragrant roses.  Perfume Delight scores well in all three categories.  It has a delightful fragrance and we think it looks beautiful, especially when adorned with raindrops.  Perfume Delight is one of the container roses along our driveway.

Rose of the Week: Peace

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Peace is said to be the most popular rose in the world.  This hybrid tea was introduced near the end of World War II, and millions of bushes have been sold.  I got my first Peace rose in the mid-1970s, when I lived in North Carolina, and it was one of the first roses Betsy and I got here in the Glade.  The yellow, pink-edged blossoms are always a treat.  It has a mild fragrance as well.

Rose of the Week: Mister Lincoln

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

One of the first roses I ever grew was Mister Lincoln.  I got this rose when I lived in North Carolina about 40 years ago, and it quickly became a favorite with its deep red color and delightful fragrance.  Mister Lincoln was one of the first roses Betsy and I got here in the Glade, and we look forward to enjoying it each year.

Sempervivum

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We have sempervivum (hens and chicks) several places in our yard.  They require very little care and grow where almost nothing else will grow.  They bring some beauty and color to what would otherwise be drab places around the house.

Rose of the Week: Chicago Peace

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

It seems strange to combine the words ‘Chicago’ and ‘Peace’ given the violence that has taken place on the streets of that city.  But we’ve had the rose ‘Chicago Peace’ in our yard for several years.  It’s a favorite rose of ours, and we love the combination of colors.  We think it’s beautiful.

Rose of the Week: Acapella Rose

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Since we live in a wooded area, sunny spots for the roses are hard to come by.  That's why we have containers of roses lining the driveway.  We've had Acapella in one of those containers for a couple of years and it's still rewarding us with many beautiful blossoms.

Rose of the Week: Apricot Nectar

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Apricot Nectar is one of our container roses.  It’s a grandiflora rose which we’ve had for several years.  In addition to soft, pleasing colors, Apricot Nectar also has a nice fragrance.

Evening Sky in Western North Carolina

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I went to the archives for this photo of the evening sky in the western North Carolina.  We were visiting with my son and his family back in July, 2009, when I snapped this photo.

Rose of the Week: Gemini

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

I think I can safely say that Gemini is one of our favorite roses.  It’s along the driveway near the garage, where we can enjoy it each time we pass.  I’m not sure, but I suspect this rose got the name ‘Gemini’ because of its beautiful color and delightful fragrance.  These twin attributes make this a marvelous rose.

Moon Over the Glade

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I keep trying, without a great deal of success, to get a decent picture of the moon.  It seems to be a hit-or-miss affair, but I consider this photo, from my archives, a hit.  I like both the color of the moon and the fact that if you look closely you can make out some of the craters on the surface.

Rose of the Week: Moonstone

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Moonstone is another of our container roses.  We’ve had it for several years, and we always enjoy its blossoms, which are mostly white but with pink edges.

Rose of the Week: Strike It Rich

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Strike It Rich was one of the first roses we planted in our ‘big’ rose bed.  It doesn’t have much of a fragrance, but it does have this beautiful golden yellow color that gives this rose its name.  We always look forward to seeing this rose in bloom throughout the summer.

Cantina Iris

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I think that about the only thing more beautiful than the blossom of a flower is the blossom of a flower with raindrops on it.  Our Cantina iris has petals with subtle colors in them which the raindrops seem to enhance.

Rose of the Week: Bewitched

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Someone in the house said that we could never have too many pink roses.  I'm glad she feels that way, because I think some of our pink roses are beautiful.  Bewitched is an All-America Rose with a gorgeous color and form.  It also has a nice fragrance.  I think Bewitched even looks good after a shower.

South Sea Day Lily

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The flower bed nearest the road in front of our house contains roses, lilies, day lilies and irises.  The day lilies are all re-bloomers, so we get to enjoy them throughout the growing season.  This day lily, South Sea, is one of the bright day lilies in this bed.

Rose of the Week: Sonia

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Sonia was one of the first roses to bloom this year.  It’s a fairly prolific bloomer with a beautiful color and form.  It also features a pleasing fragrance, which makes it a welcome addition to our yard.

Rose of the Week: Double Delight

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

This week's rose is one that is probably my all-time favorite -- Double Delight.  Double Delight has both beautiful colors and a wonderful fragrance.  It was one of the first roses we got when we started growing roses here in the Glade, and it is one we look forward to enjoying each year.

Rose of the Week: Melody Parfumée

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

We don't have many lavender-colored roses in our yard, but Melody Parfumée is one.  As the name implies, it has a wonderful fragrance.  We also think it is very beautiful.

Quail Daffodil

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I’m posting this photo very much after the fact, but in early April I got a picture of some of our bright, cheery Quail Daffodils in the early morning light.  The blossoms on these daffodils lasted a very long time, and brightened our yard for many days.

Rose of the Week: Dolly Parton

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I've decided to start a series featuring one rose from our yard each week.  This is the first in the series.

Dolly Parton is an east Tennessee icon.  Her Dollywood amusement park caused tourist to spend even more time (and money) in our part of the state, and her Imagination LIbrary, which mails age-appropriate books to the homes of preschoolers, has helped raise literacy levels in our schools.

Dolly Parton also has a rose, which we have enjoyed for several years, named after her.  I wonder if the fact that this is a 'plump' rose had anything to do with the naming of it?

'Our' Mt. Nebo Cabin

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Betsy and I have been going to the same cabin on Mt. Nebo in Arkansas for about eight years.  As you can see, it’s beautiful and and just the right size for two people.  It’s in a perfect spot for enjoying the afternoon light, and for capturing those gorgeous Mt. Nebo sunsets.

Whitewater Falls

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In March Betsy and I visited Whitewater Falls near Sapphire, North Carolina.  We’d been there before, but this was a beautiful morning, and there were very few people around.  It seemed as if we had this gorgeous waterfall all to ourselves.

Brush Creek Falls

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Betsy and I made our first waterfall-hunting expedition to West Virginia in April, 2010.  Brush Creek Falls in Pipestem Resort State Park was one of the waterfalls we visited on that trip.

Rainbow at Cane Creek Falls

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Betsy and I don’t always see a rainbow when we visit a waterfall, but when we visited Cane Creek Falls in Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee, we were fortunate enough to see and capture this rainbow.  This picture was taken during a visit to the park in 2009.

Rhododendron Blossoms

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Betsy and I are confident that Spring has come to stay when the big rhododendron by our deck bursts into bloom.  It has beautiful pink blossoms that are always a welcome sight.

Blatant Iris

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We have several varieties of iris in our yard, and we enjoy the display they put on before the roses start blooming.  This iris, Blatant, is one of the more colorful varieties we have in the yard.

Towering Prism Tulip

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We occasionally get false promises of Spring, but when the tulips start to bloom we can be fairly certain that Spring is really here.  We only have a couple Towering Prism Tulips, but they are tall and put on a beautiful display.

Sunrise on Mt. Nebo

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Betsy and I get up early almost every morning when we visit Mt. Nebo to go to Sunrise Point to watch the sun come up on the other side of the Arkansas River valley.  It’s definitely a beautiful way to start the day.

Redbud in Bloom

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Redbud trees in bloom are a sure sign that Spring has arrived on the Plateau.  We have two redbuds in our front yard, and we always look forward to their Spring display.  This photo, from my archives, was taken a couple of years ago.

My Beautiful Bride on Petit Jean Mountain

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On our first full day in Arkansas last month, Betsy and I did some sightseeing and hiking in Petit Jean Mountain State Park.  I got this picture of Betsy on the top of Petit Jean with the Arkansas River and Valley below her.

My Favorite Waterfall Hunter

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Betsy and I did some hiking and waterfall-hunting around Cashiers, North Carolina, earlier this week.  One of the places we visited was Glen Falls, near Highlands.  It was foggy and drizzling when we hiked to the base of the first drop, where I got this picture of my Beautiful Bride.

Lower Falls at Hocking Hills

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Betsy and I had to find a new way to get to Hocking Hill’s Lower Falls.  There was so much ice in Old Man’s Cave that we couldn’t use that route to the falls.  It took some doing to get down to the falls, but I think the view was definitely worth it.

Waterfalls and Icicles

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Waterfalls and icicles often go together in February.  I got this picture, from my archives, of icicles formed by spray from Blue Hole Falls near Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Northrup Falls

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January is a good time for visiting waterfalls.  I got this photo of the base of Northrup Falls several years ago.  If you look to the left of the falling water you can see Betsy standing behind the falls.

Beautiful Sky, Beautiful Snow

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A snowstorm usually means gray, overcast skies.  But the day after a snowstorm can be sunny and bright.  We got five inches of snow last Wednesday (February 12), but the next morning featured a bright blue sky and sunshine.  That made the snow clinging to the trees and on the ground look even more beautiful.

This photo was taken from our front yard on February 13, 2014.

Sunset on the Cumberland Plateau

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Late autumn sunsets can be beautiful here on the Cumberland Plateau.  The bright red glow in the sky to the west appeared after the sun had dropped below the plateau to the west.  God's colors are gorgeous.

This picture, from my archives, was taken on a clear November evening.

Conservatory Foliage

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When Betsy and I visit the Conservatory at Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina, we usually pay a lot of attention to the beautiful blossoms, but the foliage can be beautiful as well.  I got this photo on a January, 2013, visit to Biltmore.