Memories of Fall Creek Falls

 (Note:  This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)

April  21, 2001, was a very special day for me.  On that day Betsy and I went to Fall Creek Falls state Park here in Tennessee.  We very much enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the waterfalls in the park.  It was here that we began our quest to visit as many waterfalls as possible, and we visited several hundred over the following years.

But as exciting as that was, even more exciting was that it was at Fall Creek Falls that I got my first kiss from Betsy.  Now that is a cause for celebration.

I got this picture of My Beautiful Bride in 2013.  We were walking along Cane Creek when she noticed this log and decided it would make a good spot to enjoy the scenery.

 

 

 

Betsy at Petit Jean

 

(Note:  This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)

When Betsy and I went to Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas, we worked in visits to two other state parks— Petit Jean State Park (usually on our way to Mt. Nebo) and Mount Magazine (one ay during our stay at Mt. Nebo).  I got this picture of Betsy at Petit Jean when we visited Petit Jean last year. 

 

 

 

Someone Really Enjoys Snow

 (Note:  This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)

Someone (who shall remain nameless) was disappointed that we got very little snow from the storm that came through here last weekend..  We got plenty of wind and cold temperatures, but very little snow.  I had to go back into my archives to get a picture of that happy someone celebrating snow.  I really don’t like snow, but she’s so cute that I couldn’t resist getting a picture.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

O Shenandoah

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy and I celebrated Betsy’s birthday this year by going up to Virginia along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyland Drive.  One of our favorite places when we are in that part of Virginia is Skyland Resort, which is right on Skyline Drive.  From the balcony of our room we were able to look down into the Shenandoah Valley.  This is the view we had one of the mornings we were there.

Cane Creek

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Several years ago Betsy and I were sitting on a rock along Cane Creek in Fall Creek Falls State Park between the cascade and the waterfall.  The creek wasn’t very deep, but the water was rushing over and around boulders and ledges.  I tried to capture all that frenetic action, and this is the result.

A Very Special Place

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee is a very special place for Betsy and me.  It wasn’t the site of our first date, but it was the site of our first kiss.  We’ve been to many wonderful places since then, but we manage to get back to Fall Creek Falls close to April 21 each year to celebrate that wonderful date. 

In some ways it’s hard to believe that first kiss was 18 years ago, but we do enjoy going back to recreate the magic of that day.  This photo of Piney Falls in the park was taken several years ago.

Betsy and Her Great-Granddaughter

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

I got this photo with my iPhone back in May when My Beautiful Bride met her great-granddaughter for the very first time.  I’m not sure, looking at the picture, who was happiest about this meeting.

Smoky Mountains Vista

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

This is a view that Betsy and I enjoyed last month driving along the Foothills Parkway near Maryville, Tennessee.  We were at an overlook looking toward Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Virginia Mountains

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy and I traveled to Skyland, along Skyline Drive in Virginia, to celebrate her birthday.  We’ve been there before, and have always enjoyed the scenery.  This year we enjoyed the mountains so much that we walked to the restaurant for our meals.  This is the scene we enjoyed on our way to breakfast on August 3, 2017.

A Rose About Betsy

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

I like it when the roses — and other flowers in our yard — have some connection with Betsy.  This pretty rose is called Something Special, when does a great job of describing my Beautiful Bride.

Mt. Nebo Moon

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy and I enjoy getting up before the crack of dawn when we visit Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas.  That gives us time to get to Sunrise Point in order to see a beautiful sunrise.  One morning this year I got this picture of the moon while we were waiting for the sun to put in an appearance.

Over the Moonbow

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy and I went to Cumberland Falls State Park in Kentucky to celebrate my birthday and, if possible, to see the moonbow which occurs on clear nights with a full moon.  The night we were there was slightly hazy, and a ranger told Betsy that we wouldn’t be able to see anything.

Although we could see the falls in the moonlight, we did not see any sign of a moonbow at all.  But I decided, since we were there, I would do some experimenting with night photography and time exposures.  I took some 15 second exposures at where we thought the moonbow should be, but in camera, everything was black.

I was surprised, when I looked at the photos on my computer to see, although the photo was very dark, a faint moonbow.  I worked on the image in Photoshop and was able to bring out the moonbow a little more.  This image is noisy, but it is proof that there was indeed a moonbow although we couldn’t see it with our naked eyes.

Glade Morning Sky

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.

My Beautiful Bride on Petit Jean Mountain

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

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

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

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.

Northrup Falls

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

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.

That's My Girl!

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

I got this picture of my Beautiful Bride a couple of weeks ago when we spent the day in the Smoky Mountains.  I think this is one of the best pictures I've gotten of Betsy.  Just look at that smile!

Winter Wonderland

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy finally got her perfect snow last Tuesday.  Big, fluffy flakes came down during the day and clung to the trees and bushes.  I'm not a big fan of snow, but even I had to admit that for a few hours our yard was transformed into a winter wonderland.

Middle Prong in the Smokies

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Monday was a beautiful day in eastern Tennessee, so Betsy and I headed to the Smoky Mountains.  We wanted to do some hiking, and I wanted to play with the lens Betsy got me for Christmas.  We didn't do much hiking, but we did drive along the Middle Prong Pigeon River near Tremont.  There was quite a bit of water rushing around the boulders in the stream, but it was so clear we could see the rocks at the bottom.

Betsy Got Her Snow

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.  Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

I took this picture yesterday (Monday) morning, looking out onto the fairway behind our house.  In addition to snow, as an added bonus, Betsy got some cold temperatures.  It was six degrees when we got up, and the temperature dropped all day.