Little River in the Smokies

(Note:  The collage may be enlarged by clicking on it once or twice.)

March is a wonderful time to visit the Smoky Mountains here in Tennessee.  There usually aren’t too many tourist, especially during the week, and it is possible to pull to the side of the road and enjoy the scenery.  The water levels are usually pretty good in March, so it’s possible to get some nice pictures of flowing water.

The waterfall in the upper left corner of this collage is Meigs Falls, which can be seen along Little River Road.  The other pictures are of Little River taken at pull-offs along the road.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE

Dierks Lake

Dierks Lake, Dierks, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

As many of you know Betsy and I have been going to Mount Nebo in Arkansas for almost as long as we’ve been married.  We usually try to find some waterfalls to visit, but we visit other places that capture our interest as well.

Last year we met a man as we were coming back to the car after visiting a waterfall in Arkansas.  He recommended that we continue a little farther down the road to Dierks Lake.  We were glad we took him up on his suggestion.

Dierks Lake was formed by a dam across the Saline River.  We’ve been told that it’s noted for largemouth bass fishing, but we just enjoyed the beauty of the lake.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE.

Alabama’s Little River

Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

One of the places Betsy and I have visited several times is Little River National Canyon Preserve near Fort Payne, Alabama.  The canyon is sometimes called “The Grand Canyon of the East”.  There is a scenic drive along the rim with several overlooks from which the river can be seen far below.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

These pictures were taken in February, 2010, when the river was fairly high and the water was a beautiful color.  We thoroughly enjoyed watching the water rush over and around the rocks in the stream bed.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

Both kayaking and rock climbing are permitted in the canyon, but Betsy and I decided to content ourselves with photography.

Henrys Fork

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012.

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Since there was smoke forecast for the Tetons on our last day in West Yellowstone, Betsy and I visited some more of the thermal areas in Yellowstone and explored part of neighboring Idaho.  We visited Mesa Falls in Idaho (you know how we are about waterfalls) and found some autumn color along Henrys Fork River between the upper and lower falls.  The picture above was taken from an overlook between the two falls.

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012. This photo was taken with a 5.9 second exposure.

I had time to play around with my neutral density filter and I got this picture.  I like the way the water of the rapids was smoothed out by the longer exposure.

Lake Logan, Ohio

Autumn color along the shore of Lake Logan State Park, Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

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Betsy and I went to Ohio in October to visit Hocking Hills State Park with our friends Patti and Neal.  But there was another state park nearby — Lake Logan.  After a day of hiking at Hocking Hills we stopped by Lake Logan to enjoy the view.  The autumn colors were in full display along the shore of the lake and in the reflections in the water.

Mute Swans along the shore of Lake Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

But we found another treat in visiting Lake Logan.  We found some Mute Swans along the shore near a fishing pier where we had stopped to take pictures.  Those elegant swans just added to the picturesque scene we were enjoying.

Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep, Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

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Betsy and I were beginning to feel a little disappointed as we drove along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park — we hadn’t seen any wildlife at all.  But then, as we approached a curve, we noticed several cars over on the side of the road.  We of course pulled over as well and spotted these guys on the side of a hill above the road.

Bighorn Sheep, Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

This was the first time on the trip that we were able to get a good close look at bighorn sheep.  Those horns are absolutely amazing.  I got these photos with my telephoto lens.

Bighorn Sheep, Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

We tried to get into a position where the sheep didn’t have their backs to us, but this is the best we could do.  I think these are magnificent animals.

Middle Prong of Little River

A small cascade on the Middle Prong of Little River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. August 27, 2012.

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In late August Betsy and I visited the Smoky Mountains after an early morning appointment in Knoxville.  We drove along the Middle Prong of Little River up past Tremont.  This is off the beaten path in the Smokies, except for fishermen, and we enjoy being able to stop and enjoy the river without having to worry about traffic.

The river was lower than we’ve ever seen it, but there were still places where we could stop and enjoy seeing the water rushing over and around boulders in the stream.

Water swirling over rocks in Middle Prong, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. (Photo by Betsy)

Betsy got some wonderful pictures of the clear water flowing over the rocky river bottom.

Middle Prong of Little River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. August 27, 2012.

We hope that our dry weather soon comes to an end and that there will be more water in the river the next time we go.  But we enjoyed this trip to the beautiful Smokies and look forward to many more.

Our World: More from the Wildlife Loop

Pronghorn antelope on the prairie in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

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This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

As I shared in an earlier post (click HERE if you missed it), we saw bison while driving the WildLife Loop in Custer State Park in South Dakota.  But we also saw other wildlife as well.  The pronghorn above was spotted before we saw the herd of bison.

Pronghorn along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park. September 25, 2012.

After leaving the bison, we noticed this pronghorn sitting in an open area on the prairie.  She (we decided it was a she) was intently watching a tree about 100 yards away.

Juvenile pronghorns resting under a tree. September 25, 2012.

We were curious about her behavior, so we looked at the tree more closely and spotted these smaller pronghorns.  Mama was evidently keeping a careful eye on them.

A deer outside Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.

We were leaving the park when we spotted this lovely creature in a field.  It looks like she’s watching us as intensely as we were watching her.

Down Memory Lane: Castillo San Marcos

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In August, 2009, Betsy and I traveled to Florida to see her brother in Jacksonville and to celebrate Betsy’s birthday.  After leaving Jacksonville we stopped in St. Augustine to visit Castillo San Marcos, the fortress built by the Spanish to protect their outpost.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

 

Air Force Chapel

The chapel at the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. September 15, 2012.

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On our second day in Colorado Springs, Betsy and I drove out to the Air Force Academy.  Both of us had seen pictures of the chapel many times, and we wanted to visit it in person.  As we walked toward the chapel (above) it was every bit as impressive as we had been led to believe.

The interior of the Air Force Academy chapel, Colorado Springs, Colorado. September 15, 2012.

But I thought the interior was even more impressive than the exterior.  The light and color inside the sanctuary was marvelous.  We walked around  sanctuary marveling at the beauty.  The colored squares let in a wonderful  streams of light.

The organ in the Air Force Academy chapel, Colorado Springs, Colorado. September 15, 2012.

The organ in the loft was also magnificent.

The ceiling of the chapel at the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. September 15, 2012.

The overall effect of the color and light is to cause a person to look up.  That seems to be very appropriate for an Air Force chapel.