(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. These beautiful — and for me, different — poinsettias were seen in the Conservatory at Biltmore House and Gardens near Asheville, North Carolina. Betsy and I visited there on November 20, 2016.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
In mid-October Betsy and I drove through the mountains of east Tennessee and western North Carolina in search of autumn colors. We came upon this beautiful sight on Lake Santeetiah near Robbinsville, North Carolina, on October 20, 2016.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Mabry Mill (milemarker 176) is reported to be the most iconic — and photographed — structure on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s easy to see why it is so popular with tourists and photographers. Betsy and I stopped there on our way home from the Peaks of Otter in September, which is when I captured this photo.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Earlier this month Betsy and I took a couple of days off to drive up into Virginia in search of some cooler temperatures and some relaxation. We got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway as soon as possible and enjoyed this view from the Cahas Mountain Overlook in Virginia.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Walking the golf course not only gives us good exercise, but it also gives us the opportunity to capture some gorgeous skies. I got this picture last August (2015) when we took an evening walk. This was taken on the fairway behind our house.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Although Betsy and I always hate losing a rose from our garden, replacing a rose gives us the opportunity to enjoy new ones. A new rose for us this year is Beautiful Dreamer. I tried to give it a ‘dreamy’ look in this photo, but I definitely do think it is beautiful.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
I have quite a bit of Irish in my background, so I just had to have this rose — Saint Patrick — in our yard. It’s a little hard to tell in this picture, but when the blossom first opens the outer petals have a touch of green to them. I guess that explains how it got its name.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Betsy and I are fortunate to have flowers blooming almost continuously from Spring through Autumn. While roses are our very favorites, we also enjoy some beautiful lilies this time of the year. This beauty is called Freedom's Glow. I love the color.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
I remember hearing a song ‘O How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning’ as a child. That song has been on my mind a great deal since Betsy and I have started taking early morning walks around the golf course behind our house. (We have to get an early start so we finish before the golfers arrive!). But although I may hate getting up, there are some definite rewards that make it all worthwhile. This is one of those rewards. Taken April 30, 2016.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Betsy and I have been pleased with the display that our irises are putting on this Spring. I think we’ve had more blossoms this year than we’ve ever had. We’ve had about 20 different varieties in bloom so far. This beauty is called Floor Show. It, like most of our other irises, is a rebloomer, so we hope to enjoy another display in the autumn.
It's not always easy to get up at the crack of dawn, but my Beautiful
Bride and I make an attempt to do so in order to walk the golf course
before the golfers take it over. Although there are days when I would
like nothing more than stay in bed, getting up bright and early enables
to see the glories of God's magnificent creation. This scene greeted us
last week as we made our way around the back nine of the Druid Hills
Golf Course.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Someone who shall remain nameless says we never get enough snow here in the Glade. I agree that we don’t get much, but what we do get snow it can be absolutely beautiful. I got this photo of a snow-covered fairway under a brilliant blue sky from behind our house. This photo was taken February 13, 2014.
From 1985 to 1994 I taught Computer Science at Heidelberg College (now University) in Ohio. During the summer of 1987 I was on a team of professors from the college that went to Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, to teach English at a Chinese University.
Because of the difference in calendars between the two schools our team had a couple of weeks of free time before beginning our teaching duties. So we decided to spend a couple of days visiting Bali. None of us had ever been there before, but it sounded like a wonderful place to visit. Since we were entering China through Hong Kong, Bali wasn’t that far out of our way.
Bali was everything we hoped it would be and then some. I found myself fascinated by the sea and sky at the resort where we stayed. The attached slide show contains images made from slides taken during that 1987 visit. Some of the slides didn't scan as well as I would have preferred, bus by and large I am pleased with the way they came out.
If you would like to see these and other images taken at Kuta Beach, along with a caption for each image, you can click HERE.
(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
I’ve been taking photos of the sky near sunset for more years than I care to mention. This image is from a slide made in 1987 on the island of Bali. An afternoon rain shower had passed over the place we were staying and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds.
I'm a happily married retiree living on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. I taught for 31 years and worked as a systems analyst for 9 years before retiring.
My blog is Senior Moments, listed below. You can also find it by clicking 'My Web Page' to the left.
MY BLOG is SENIOR MOMENTS listed below.
