On Being an Elf

I don't know why I thought Santa needed an extra elf this year, but just before Thanksgiving I decided to change my mind and knit a few Christmas presents. I don't know why I can't seem to make these decisions earlier, like September or something, but I never do. Call it an impulse, or maybe a flash of inspiration. Either way I'm buying yarn in colors I wouldn't typically purchase for myself and knitting projects like a mad woman. Now if that isn't being an elf I don't know what is! The best part? I'm having so much fun! Too bad I can't show you what I've been up to, but we can't spoil Santa's surprises can we? HO HO HO!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Go Vols - Hat!

I'm on a roll trying to finish some of the half-knit projects in my UFO basket. I sketched out the colorwork section of this hat and knit it last winter. The first go around the hat ended up being too small for my rather large head, so I frogged and reknit it. By the time I got the knitting done it was too hot to wear the woolly thing. All I did tonight was add teh pompom adn weave in the ends. Finished and ready for those COLD basketball nights. GO VOLS!!!

It's Basketball Time in Tennessee!

Mondo Cable Vest

It's that time again - it's basketball time in Tennessee! And since basketball is played during the winter one must have some warm orange and white garb to wear to the games. I picked up a few things last year, but I knew I wanted to make some new things for this season. Since it can get mighty chilly gong back and forth to the games and a bit drafty in Thompson-Boling Arena I decided I needed to tackle a sweater this time around. This might not sound like a big deal for most knitters, but for this skinny yarn, lace knitter a sweater is a challenge!

So how did I get myself into this predicament? It all started the day my Best Fiber Friend (BFF), Paula, unpacked a huge box of new yarn at my LYS, The Yarn Haven. The yarn was Pacific, a new worsted weight washable merino/acrylic blend from Cascade. There were oodles of great colors, but when this Tennessee Orange came out of the box my mind started racing. I don't buy yarn on impulse anymore so I left the shop without the yarn but it didn't stay there long. I went back a few days later and bought enough to knit this vest plus an extra skein for some accessories.

I cast on Bonnie Marie Burns' Mondo Cable Vest right away and worked on it during the month while I was sick with a nasty respiratory virus. While I was sick I didn't care that the knitting was mostly stockinette and rather boring. For a couple of weeks boring was good, then it was awful! I thought the plain stockinette part would *never* end! The top-down construction of this vest sounded like a wonderful thing at first, and it is, but the execution of the design for the upper portion is terribly fiddly. I wasn't too thrilled with how the pattern was written/edited so I wouldn't suggest newbies try it unless they have a mentor to guide them through. The actual knitting isn't difficult, but following the pattern is a bit cumbersome IMHO. Maybe my negative attitude is because I'm used to the precision of lace patterns, but I expect more from self-published (not in a magazine) patterns.

The designer intended for this pattern to be either a vest or a shell. As such, I expected the armholes to be rather shallow for stand-alone wear. I knew I'd be layering my vest over a loose-cut turtleneck so I dropped the armholes by 4 rows. The fact that my row gauge was a bit tighter than the pattern called for contributed to my decision. In the end I needn't have bothered as the armholes would have been plenty deep without modification. Live and learn. The vest was written to end at the high hip and I wanted mine to extend to the low hip so I added one extra repeat of the cable motif. I could have added a few more rows, but I'm satisfied with the length as it is.

I choose to knit one size larger than I normally wear as I wanted plenty of positive ease in my vest. Who wants to wear confining clothes at a basketball game? Not me! I love the overall fit of my finished vest so I made the right choice for me. Even with the extra length added to my vest, I ended up using ~150 yds less yarn that the pattern called for. This surprised me, but 400 grams was plenty. Now I have 200 g to knit a beret plus something else, possibly mittens. Whatever, I am ready to show my Tennessee Volunteer Spirit, sing Rocky Top, and cheer on Coach Martin's Basketball Vols. Go Big Orange!

If it's July it must be...

time for the Tour de France. And if it's TDF time, then it's time for lean, mean, spandex-clad cyclists on fast machines (bikes), awesome rear-view scenery (woohoo!), sunflowers, lavender fields, the Pyrenees, and the Alps. It also means it's time for my annual TDF knitalong project - another lace shawl. TDF knitting projects need to have some French connection and mine does. First of all, I am knitting the Omelet shawl from Knitty.com. Omelet, or omelette, is French for thin plate, so I'm knitting skinny French eggs for 3 weeks. More specifically I'm knitting a lavender-infused Provencal-style omelet as the yarn is a gorgeous skein of Tosh Lace in the Wood Violet colorway. My Le Tour de Omelet shawl is not quite halfway done though the TDF is past the halfway point. I think I have a lot of lavender eggs to eat, um knit, this next week. Vive le Tour!

Cades Cove Black Bear

I met a friend in Cades Cove yesterday to go looking for bears and wildflowers. We arrived just after sunrise and just in time for breakfast - the bear's breakfast that is. Good thing he was more interested in grubbing a rotting log than us! We've had a bumper crop of black bears in the Smokies this year :-)

Spring Flings II: Tennessee Civil War National Battlefields

At the end of March I headed to middle Tennessee en route to Kentucky for yet another knitting retreat. Since I don't often get this way I took advantage of the opportunity to pursue another one of my interests - the American Civil War. On my way to Kentucky I detoured through Clarksville, TN, home of the US Army 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" and Austin Peay State University.

McGregor Park, Riverside Drive, Clarksville, TN

 It was cold and rainy - not a pretty day for sightseeing but I persevered anyway. Hey, at least nothing was crowded - I pretty much had everything to myself! We'd had heavy rains much of the week and the Cumberland River showed the cumulative effects of all the rain that had hit the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Kentucky. Can you say FULL? This was the view of the river from a small museum and park in downtown Clarksville. Definitely not canoeing weather for sure.

Fort Donelson National Battlefield Entrance

The drive over to Dover and Fort Donelson National Battlefield takes you along the southern border of Ft. Campbell. To the north all you see is a big fence and very tall trees, to the south it is all relatively flat farmland. It's very pretty but definitely different from East Tennessee's hills. Dover is a very small hamlet located on the west bank of the Cumberland River/Lake Barkley just south of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. A couple of stoplights and you've passed all of town and arrived at the entrance to the National Battlefield.

Confederate Monument, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Confederate Canons on the banks of the Cumberland River

If you want a peaceful, contemplative afternoon at an important Civil War battle site, go on a rainy day in March. I saw the movie (very good!) at the Visitors Center by myself, bought a couple of items at the gift shop (support your National Parks by getting your goodies at an official park gift shop!), and headed out to see the monuments and the canons. I anticipated the markers about the Union and Confederate Armies, the earthenworks, the canons overlooking the river. What I didn't anticipate were the eagles. Not the 101st Airborne Division Screaming Eagles based out of Fort Campbell, but American Bald Eagles! I'm reading interpretive signs in a forested area just past the canonball-stacked gates to the riverfront area when I notice a smaller sign to my right. The sign tells visitors the area is off-limits because it is an eagle nesting area. I glance up just in time to see a huge eagle clutching something in it's talons swoop among the trees right at eye level. I gasp!

Bald Eagle

I get in my car and drive to the riverfront overlook to look at the canons, appreciate the view, and contemplate what happened in this place. I pull out my new tripod and camera to take a few photos, positioning to camera to capture a big tree in the foreground. It is then that I look up and see THE EAGLE perched not even 25 feet away from me. We are alone - the river, the canons, the eagle, and me - standing in the drizzle. I am awestruck. I am humbled. I am wet. I take pictures - lots of pictures.

Fort Donelson National Cemetery

Fort Donelson National Cemetery

After my eagle experience I drove over to the nearby National Cemetery where many of the Union Soldiers are buried. On a wooded bluff high above the river is a beautiful house and the classic white marble headstones which tell the truth about war. Men died - lots of them. I did what I always do at National Cemeteries filled with fallen soldiers - I cried. It was raining and I was alone so who would know?

Dover Hotel

My last stop was in town at an old hotel/tavern that I'm sure was a nice place 150 years ago. The Dover Hotel has a majestic view of the Cumberland River and was the headquarters for Confederate Major General Simon Buckner. It was here that General Buckner was given no other option but Unconditional Surrender to Union Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant was known forever after as unconditional surrender, U.S. Grant. The loss at Ft. Donelson opened the way to Nashville and Union invasion of the Deep South. It was one of the earliest, critical battles of the Civil War.

Spring Flings I: Fibery goodness

I have been taking advantage of my improved health and flexible schedule to go on a number of Spring Flings over the last couple of months. I've put an unusual number of miles on my car as I have driven to different locations. met new and old friends, and pursued a diversity of interests. I can't tell you how much fun this has been!

Sunrise over Rich Mountain from Tuckleechee Cove

My first adventure was in late February at a knitting retreat in Townsend, TN sponsored by my LYS, The Yarn Haven. We stayed at a spacious retreat center in Tuckaleechee Cove with spectacular views of Rich Mountain and the western boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I took the above photo on a chilly morning - it's a Smokies classic with mist in the valleys and clear blue sky above. We had a lively group of knitters from TYH at the retreat, which made being there a blast. I had fun teaching a class on Beaded Knitting Friday night. On Saturday Mimi had us all indulging in her "drug of choice" - Noro Silk Garden - as we created embellished cell phone bags. So I have a great bag, now I need the cell phone!

 

I've been teaching quite a few tatting classes this spring at TYH in addition to my role as mentor to the lace knitting group. The word that I am a tatter and I teach tatting has spread. Suddenly my skills are in demand! Unexpected issues with a scheduled instructor left vacancies in the workshop schedule at the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival (SMFAF) in mid-March. I was contacted about teaching and found myself doing a 4-hr class on shuttle tatting on Friday and my Essentials of Lace Knitting class on Saturday. I confess the preparation was a bit stressful as I further refined my classes, but once I got to the festival and started working it was so fun! I did mange to get to Townsend early enough on Saturday to go over to the Visitors Center to see the demonstrators, the Suri Alpacas, and the sheep shearing. Everything was wonderful!

On this day in Tennessee History

One hundred and fifty years ago today Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and Alexander Stephens of Georgia were elected Provisional President and Vice-President of the Confederate States of America. On this same day a referendum was held in Tennessee to determine whether or not the state should hold a secession convention. Unionist candidates outnumbered Southern Rights candidates three to one. Tennesseans decided not to assemble a convention by a vote of 69,772 to 57,708 and Tennessee does not secede from the Union at this time. Nevertheless, deep divisions in the Volunteer state were evident--divisions that would play a pivotal role as the Civil War bloodied every corner of the state. Even now as we begin to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War evidence of a once deeply divided Tennessee remains. While on this day 150 years ago Tennessee did not secede, later the state did leave the Union. Tennessee was also the first state to be reclaimed by the Union in battle. It was a high price to pay, a very high price.



To honor this day I have chosen to feature a photo of the Tennessee Monument located between the North Carolina and Virginia monuments along West Confederate Avenue on Seminary Ridge in the Gettysburg National Military Park. I was fortunate to visit Gettysburg last summer. A knowledgeable tour guide took me through the events of those bloody three days in July, 1963. I walked the Hallowed Ground where tens of thousands of men, as Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, "Gave the last full measure of devotion." Late in the afternoon, after my tour was over, I returned to the site of the Tennessee Monument. By this time very few people were in the area so I was essentially alone. The inscription on the monument erected by my state to honor those who fought says, "Valor and courage were virtues of the three Tennessee regiments." I sat down on the edge of etched stone slab and stared out across the grasses of the battlefield. I thought about what it means to have valor and courage. I thought about what it must have been like to walk hundreds of miles in all kinds of weather, often without adequate food, clothing, or shelter. I thought about what it took to leave one's family behind to fight in a war about things that may or may not have impacted them personally, about going to war because it was the honorable thing to do, about following the orders of your commander, not knowing if he was making wise, informed decisions or not. I looked across the fields that once were covered with bodies and blood--and I cried.

I am the offspring of immigrants. My people did not live in America at the time of the Civil War; nevertheless, the Civil War was fought for my benefit. America would not be the nation it is today had we not endured the tragedy of the Civil War. Caught up in our fast-paced self-centered society, too many Americans have forgotten the lessons of our Civil War (or they never learned them in the first place). Now is the time for us to make sure our Hallowed Grounds remain hallowed. Now is the time for us to first learn, then teach the lessons of the Civil War to the future generations. We need to know the major names and places, but also need to know the stories of the little-known people. Real names, real faces, and real places make the war real in our contemporary lives. It is in that reality that we are most mindful of terrible damage that inevitably follows when leaders refuse to listen to one another, refuse to work together, and stubbornly insist that their ideology is the one and only true way. If we cannot unite as One Nation, we will fail. We should not forget. I will not forget!

Did you notice?

That all my blog posts the last few months have been more about my photographs of the great outdoors than what I've been knitting, tatting, or beading? Well, I have a confession to make -- I have been running away to the mountains with my camera a lot more than I've been knitting lace shawls. Hey, for the first time in years I was able to head for the hills and I wanted to see the beauty of the Smokies in the snow. Trust me, this is progress!

When I haven't been in the Smokies or the Blue Ridge Mountains I've been at Thompson-Boling Arena cheering on my University of Tennessee Vols and Lady Vols basketball teams. At the last home game I was accompanied by my nephew and his daughter. Isn't she the cutest junior Vols Cheerleader ever? OK, so I may be a bit biased, but then that's my job!

Lest you think I haven't been knitting or tatting, I have. I just haven't been taking any photos of my projects. I'm almost done with a Go Vols hat and I have two new shawls OTN. I've been teaching tatting classes at The Yarn Haven and making little hearts too. One of these days I'll post some of those pix :-)

Snow, Snow, and more SNOW!

Growing up as a kid here in the Tennessee River Valley of Knoxville, snow was a rare treat. We didn't get much, it never lasted long, and we had to make our snowmen and snow angels while it lasted. Playing in the snow was a good thing to do since snow on the ground usually meant snow and ice covered roads, which  was hazardous driving at best. You just stayed home! Of course as an adult, things were different. My university classes and hospital clinicals went on no matter the weather. Once I was working as a nurse I was expexted to get to the hospital and don't be late or the nurses on the outgoing shift would give you an evil stare that would kill faster than rifle fire! When my career took me to Utah I got used to living with snow. Things were very different in Utah, they had things like street crews with lots of snowplows and light powdery snow instead of the wet, sloppy ice-forming flakes typical in Tennessee.

We've had more snow in East Tennessee in the past month than we've had in the last 5+ years! Crazy! Rather than hibernate like a black bear I decided to take advantage of a good road day following a storm to head to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my camera and see what I could do with a simple mid-range camera. Needless to say I wish I owned a seriously good digital SLR but that's just not going to happen any time soon. I'm making do with what I have. The snow was mostly melted at the lower elevations of the park, Cades Cove and the Little River Road, but at the higher elevations it looked God had taken a giant sifter and dusted powdered sugar over everything! Whether I was standing in the snow or simply looking up at the snow-covered peaks, it was all gorgeous.

The snowy photos above were taken along Newfound Gap Road (US 441) at the Chimney Tops Picnic Area and above the Alum Cave Trailhead. The rest were taken in Cades Cove, my personal favorite location in the park. While traffic through the park was relatively light, most were there with cameras doing exactly what I was doing - marveling at the beauty of the Smokies on a snowy January day. Gorgeous!

The Aftermath!

The problem with baking is the aftermath! What a mess I had to clean up. Does handwashing mixing bowls and pans burn off enough calories to offset the cookies I ate? No, don't answer that question...it's Christmas after all :-)

The After

Despite the 17" half-sheet pan, my blondies runneth over and maketh a big mess in the freshly cleaned oven. Of course! But they were scrumptious and a big hit at the Relief Society cookie exchange party.

The Before

Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chip-Gingerbread Blondies
adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

The Spirit of Christmas

The weather has been terribly cold here in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. We've even had snow flurries -- something not common in early December around here. I put up my Christmas tree and started baking a few cookies, all things that help me get in the holiday mood. But the thing that really helps me feel the Spirit of Christmas is music. I've been singing and playing music my whole life. For much of that time I was in either a choir or an orchestra rehearsing for December concerts and Church meetings. It's the songs, carols, and oratorios that speak the loudest to my soul about what Christmas is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Of course my favorite Christmas music is Handel's Messiah followed closely by the simple carol Away in a Manger. Given my background as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have a special fondness for the Christmas music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I have been blessed to have opportunities to sing in the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, first as a member of the Utah Oratorio Society and later The Mormon Youth Chorus. Now that You Tube is a household word, I can share some of my favorite Mormon Tabernacle Choir videos with all of you. May this music spark the Spirit of Christmas in you!

First the choir's most recent video of the Hallelujah Chorus, followed by Mack Wilberg's amazing arrangement of The First Noel. Last is another Wilberg arrangement featuring one of my favorite opera singers, Renee' Fleming, singing What Child is This?. Merry Christmas to one and all!

On this day in history...

On this day in 1859 the abolitionist John Brown was hanged in Charles Town VA (now WV) for leading a raid on the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Brown's brazen act was just one of the highly controversial actions which ultimately contributed to the onset of the American Civil War. I visited Harper's Ferry last June and took this photo of the fort John Brown used during his raid, now a part of the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park. Located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers near where the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland meet, Harper's Ferry was a critical point of crossing from Washington, DC to the Western United States and an important focal point at various times during the Civil War. Now a scenic and serene place except when the trains come roaring through, Harper's Ferry serves as a tangible reminder of the conflicts of our past.


Over the next few weeks and months we as Americans will be given the opportunity to pause and remember the events that transpired as we commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. It started with the succession of South Carolina on Dec 20th,1860and was followed by the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The Stars and Stripes didn't fly over Fort Sumter again until April 14, 1865, more than four long years later. The Civil War marks a horrific period in our country's history. It's history is multifaceted, the originating conflicts complex. Too many of today's history books portray slavery as the salient issue behind the war. The reality is that slavery had little to do with the onset of Civil War, becoming an issue only after the war had started. While important, the Civil War was about much more than just slavery. It was about regional differences, about state's rights, and about westward expansion. It was about humble farmers and hunters and owners of large plantations. It was about large factories and big cities and taxes and tariffs. It was about the powerful few and the humble majority. It was about one group and ideology trying to impose their will and power over others of different values and circumstances. It was also about ignorance, miscommunication, and misunderstandings. Most of all, it was sad that so many felt that war was the only answer to the problem.


As we look back 150 years I can't help but wonder what could have been done to prevent such an atrocity from happening. Perhaps if the citizens of that time had been less concerned with power, pride, ignorance, & greed and more concerned with mutual respect and understanding this ugly war could have been avoided. Perhaps if those with political clout had been more willing to listen with open hearts and work to find an acceptable middle ground and had been less concerned with self & party-focused wants, maybe war could have been avoided. I also wonder about what is happening in our country today. While we are not involved in a civil war per se, deep divides once again exist in the USA. Politics and parties, pride and prejudices continue. The power struggle is as fierce as ever and it is ugly. Can we not learn from the bloodstains of our past? Can we not learn to work together to truly be "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all?" Surely we can find a better way if we try hard enough. Let's not repeat the same mistakes that ultimately led to the Civil War. America can be better. Americans can do better. Our very lives and liberties depend on it. God Bless the USA!

Black Friday Sunset

I looked out my window and this is what I found. I grabbed my camera, quick!

Cumberland Gap and Wilderness Road

Today I'm playing a little catch up and posting about my recent adventures in the Cumberland, Blue Ridge, and Smoky Mountains. After having survived such a rough summer I was determined to enjoy the month of October with all it's scenic wonders as much as I possibly could. This year, for the first time in forever, I conquered October and had a blast doing it. I started things off by visiting the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park which is located in the Cumberland Mountains where NW Tennessee, SE Kentucky, and SW Virgina meet. The gap in the mountain range played an important role in the westward exploration and expansion of the USA by such famous persons as Daniel Boone and Lewis & Clark.


I chose to venture up to Cumberland Gap on this particular day, October 1st, because it was a gorgeous day and because the park was hosting their annual Fall festival, a Raptor Festival this year. They had a huge tent erected in front of the Visitor Center where rescued raptors from bald eagles to peregrine falcons, owls, and kestrels where on display. Park volunteers and local groups offered all kinds of hands-on encounters with wildlife. There were also historical displays about the Lewis and Clark expedition as well as reenactors portraying Rachel Carson, John Muir, and John James Audubon. It was quite a lovely event -- simple but very educational and entertaining.


Cumberland Gap NHP is a hiker's paradise, with lots of trails plus a large underground cave to be explored, but for wimps like me a simple drive up the Skyland Road to Pinnacle Overlook is enough joy. The narrow road filled with hairpin curves takes you to the Virginia side of the mountains where one can look out over all 3 states and see everything and anyone who may be trying to cross the gap. No wonder both the Union and the Confederate Armies each had possession of the gap during the Civil War. A relatively small number of soldiers with strategically placed artillery such as this canon at the earthworks Fort McCook were sufficient to keep the enemy from crossing the Gap with supplies communications important to the war effort.


The Skyland Road ends at the Pinnacle Overlook, so named for the rock formations which protruded from the tree-covered hillside.










From the overlook you could look north into Kentucky and see Fern Lake or look south into Tennessee across Powell's Valley and, on this exceptionally clear day, over to the Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest.








Over the course of the summer my mailbox has been filled with travel brochures and information about the Civil War from TN, VA, WV, MD, PA, & NC. Reading though all these brochures has been an education and offered wonderful diversion for those nights when I couldn't sleep. One booklet was all about the VA state parks and I discovered that there was a nifty little park just 10 miles from Cumberland Gap called Wilderness Road which features a colonial period outpost called Martin's Station. The historic log structures had been reconstructed and it was quite an extensive community with numerous buildings and livestock and gardens to support life on the western frontier. Reenactors demonstrated everything from tanning deer hides to making rifles and blacksmithing. I loved seeing the muddy pig, woolly sheep, horses, and colorful chickens. It was a great place to visit!

Punishment and Rewards

Those of you who know me well know that I have been through a very challenging year as I have made major changes in the way I am managing my chronic health problems. The changes are a very good thing, but the process has been a brutal, punishing event. It has taken all the courage and guts I have been able to muster to get through the countless weeks of misery. During the past 7 months I have been a grump, insufficiently attentive and loving to friends and family, neglectful of life's little details, and only marginally able to do the things that typically bring great joy and satisfaction to my life. Through it all my dearest friends and family have been exceptionally patient and caring, even when it wasn't easy for them to do so. I consider myself very fortunate to have such amazing people in my life and am grateful for their care.


Through this healing journey, there have been moments of joy which have empowered me with enough beauty and strength to endure the tough times. The first came back in June when my dear friend Diana once again welcomed me into her home and helped me laugh as we knit together in the company of delightful friends at the 3rd Annual Rustic Tarts & Old Farts Gathering. I was desperately sick at the time, but was blessed to have enough energy to not only knit with friends but also to make shorts visits to Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, Antietam, and Lexington, VA -- all Civil War history sites that I have wanted to explore. Without Diana and Tony (and Mom & Dad) I would not have had this glorious experience, which sustained me all summer.


I made it through the long, hot summer by pretty much staying indoors where the air-conditioning keep me cool. I can't say that I accomplished much. Even my knitting and tatting have been languishing -- a rare thing! Now that fall has finally arrived and the temperatures have moderated I want nothing more than to get out of the house and get back out in nature. Let's just say I need to get my soul filled up for the next phase of my journey which will take me through the winter. My reward for a long miserable summer was a two-day excursion to the North Carolina High Country and the Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this week. My newest BFF Paula and I escaped earlier this week to Boone, NC and the surrounding area for a little taste of Autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm still editing photos and thinking about all the places we went and things we experienced so it will be a few days before I can share more, but I thought I'd start with just a couple of photos of the fall colors (Grandfather Mountain and the Linville River near the BRP Visitor Center). I'll post more later after I recover from the nasty respiratory virus I came down with after I got back. Punishment - reward - punishment... a never-ending cycle! But, Paula and I had a great time and that's all that really matters!

Falling in Love with Fall

During the last couple of years I have overcome my I-lived-in-Utah-and-Fall-means-it-will-snow-soon aversion and have fallen in love with Fall all over again. Things got cooked up last year with a couple of trips to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in late October. This year, both the fall colors and I hit the Park sooner, camera and tree identification book in hand, ready to savor the season. My most recent adventure led me back to the Smokies and up to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line where the Appalachian Trail crosses over.


The weather forecast was for clouds and ultimately rain. By the time I got to the Park the clouds had parted and the sky was sunny and crystal blue for the lower and mid-elevations. The skies did cloud over by the time I reached Morton overlook and I got a little drizzle at Newfound Gap but it really didn't matter as the trees were stunning! I took an excessive amount of photos without guilt thanks to the digital era and photo editing software. Even shots I doubted would turn out could be rescued with a few mouse clicks. WooHoo!


Despite the gray skies and clouds over the North Carolina side of the park, the view from Newfound Gap was amazing. There was a fairly large sugar maple tree that was ablaze in a golden orange hue that reminded me of Tennessee orange. There was fierce competition from visitors to capture the perfect photo by that tree. I had to compete to get my shots with no people in them!


On my way back down the mountain I took the little River Road all the way to the Townsend Entrance. This Past Spring & Summer the NPS received enough funding from various sources to do several major repaving and renovation projects in the park. Included was a major overhaul to a favorite waterfall and swimming hole area known as the Sinks. I just had to stop and check it out. The new overlook is wonderful, yet you could still access the cliffs without much trouble. There was more color at the Sinks than I expected, but I especially was impressed by the strong red hues in a small white oak tree that was growing out of a cliff. Amazing!


It was early in the color season so most of the leaves were still on the trees. Even still, I found a few lovely specimens perched on the cut-stone steps at the Sinks that just begged to be photographed. Such beauty in simple things! It's good to be back in the Smokies in the Fall. I love it!