tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32433544723584326752024-03-13T20:32:23.485-04:00J. Commons PhotographyJCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-12665060850450966122017-08-25T13:10:00.000-04:002017-08-25T13:10:20.747-04:00Solar Eclipse 2017I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I promise! Our lives have changed and we are blessed to be caring for a little one right now. Which means my adventures have slowed a little bit. Rest assured we are still getting out and hiking, although not quite as often as either of us would like. I have also been focusing more on the hike and less on the photo opportunities!<br />
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That doesn't mean I am not flexing my camera muscle. So, to hold you over until I get time to stretch those muscles again - the solar eclipse!<br />
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I had grand intentions of driving approximately 2 hours south to reach the totality point, but that didn't happen. I didn't have a proper solar filter (it was a make-shift polymer film filter), I wasn't able to time the phases as well as I would have liked, and I ended up not using my tripod (mainly because I was constantly running in and out of the house!), but with all those things that I wasn't able to do, I am super happy with the way it turned out! Here's a composite of my images.<br />
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-91300235660978128292017-01-11T20:46:00.000-05:002017-01-11T20:46:42.961-05:00Snow Hike 2017, Round Bald and Roan Mountain {J. Commons Photography ~ Roan Mountain}It's been a couple of months since I have posted any photos, but we have still been out hiking nearly every week! Our hikes are getting longer and more challenging and I am finding my camera to be more of a hindrance and really not my focus (pun not intended) on these hikes. Since last spring we have consistently hiked and have gained so much knowledge on things we need to improve our hiking journey. One of those things - POLES!! I had been on the fence about wanting trekking poles, feeling that they showed weakness while I am getting stronger. I read an article on LowerGear by a person who held a similar belief and finally gave in and tried a walking stick first. After seeing its benefit s/he (I want to say it was a man, but I can't remember) moved up to full-fledged trekking poles and hasn't looked back since. Deanna and I have great husbands who are both 100% endorsing our love for hiking and we both received poles and new backpacks with water bladders for Christmas. We did a mini hike on New Year's Day around my mountain to break in our poles and try to fit our packs. It didn't take me long to see the benefit in having poles! They were awesome! I couldn't wait to get them out on a real hike!!<br />
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This past weekend we were blessed with our first snow of the winter. I LOVE SNOW and immediately was dreaming of being up on Roan Mountain and taking in the snow views and frozen creek. Tuesday, Deanna and I headed up to Carver's Gap to hike Round Bald. I was a little anxious about driving up there (still reliving my last unsuccessful snow trek up to Carver's Gap), but the roads were magically clear all the way to the top!! We had dressed warmly (or so we thought), but we underestimated the wind! In the parking lot it was 29* and already quite windy! <br />
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I found on the way up that I had a fierce determination to get to the top and I was climbing faster with the help of my poles, but the cold air was giving me quite a stitch in my side! If you haven't hiked Round Bald, the first half of the climb to the top is mostly through a Spruce Pine forest. That part of the hike was cold, but not unbearable. When we stepped into the open it was quickly apparent we were not prepared for this level of battering! The wind was so strong and just a continuous, sustained wind. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 25-30 mph. It was literally blowing us sideways. Deanna had on a hat and two hoods. I didn't have any head covering. My head started hurting and burning. Thankfully, Dee shared her hat and saved me from frostbite! A lot of my pictures didn't turn out because of the conditions, but here's a few.<br />
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I love how the mountains look outlined by their trees.</div>
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The wind was blowing Deanna's poles like that!</div>
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On the side of the pines facing the bone chilling wind frost had developed. It was ghostly and beautiful. </div>
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This photo looks like a painting to me. I love it!</div>
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Our path leading back into the shelter of the spruce pines.</div>
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The ice formations along the road were amazing.</div>
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A frozen Doe River.</div>
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Deanna along the Riverside Trail.</div>
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We attempted to do this two mile loop. It was very pretty and had ups and downs, straight through the forest, and really represented what I expected from a snow hike. About halfway or so, I realized I had lost my lens cap. Instead of finishing the loop we had to back track in hopes of finding the cap. We found it almost at the beginning of the loop! Oh well, we will trek it again!</div>
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Some people might think we are crazy for hiking in the cold, snow, and wind, but it was invigorating! We can't wait to get back out there through the winter, but the next few weeks look more like Spring!JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-88337249223131722422016-11-06T13:41:00.000-05:002016-11-06T13:41:38.982-05:00Great Smoky Mountains NP ~ Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome {J. Commons Photography ~ Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome}Last Saturday the husband and I made it out for a day trip. It's one of my favorite things to do together! Several years ago, 2001 I think, elk were reintroduced to the Smoky Mountains near Cherokee, NC. We have talked about going multiple times and finally went! The drive to Cherokee was breathtaking. The leaves were in peak color. It was then I realized we may be in for a lot of leaf peepers at the park!<br />
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We first stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and checked out the surrounding areas. There were no elk to be seen at the time, but it was still early in the afternoon. My parents had ventured over there a couple weeks ago and said the elk came out around 4 pm. We decided to head up the road, visit Clingmans Dome, and then backtrack in hopes to see the elk.<br />
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Just down from the visitor's center was Mingus Mill. The grist mill was built in 1886 for $600! It has a water-powered turbine instead of a water wheel. It was beautiful and very well preserved.<br />
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I love how the you can see the leaves falling!</div>
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Peeping at the leaves from the inside.</div>
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After Mingus Mill we headed up to Clingmans Dome. I have wanted to make the hike to the top of Clingmans for a long time. However, I had no idea it was such a HUGE tourist attraction! About 2 miles from the top we hit a ton of traffic. About a mile from the parking lot we were barely moving and there were cars parked down both sides of the road. The husband has a bum knee and ankle, so I told him that if we didn't find parking at the top we could just skip it. Thankfully, we found a spot in the actual parking lot. <br />
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View from the parking lot.</div>
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The climb to the tower is a half mile paved path. However, it is wicked steep. I've done a lot of hiking this year and I don't think I've hiked anything that maintained that steep of a grade over that long a stretch. I felt so bad for Mike, unlike me, he has not been hiking all summer, but he was a trooper and made it all the way to the top with me. </div>
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<b>For all my snake haters - the next photo is a baby snake!!</b></div>
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Along the way we found this little guy.</div>
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Now, if you know me, you know I hate crowds. I love to people watch, but at the same time a crowd just stresses me out and annoys me. I had zero idea that Clingmans Dome would be <i>this</i> crazy busy. Seriously, it was ridiculous. If someone had told me that there would be a thousand people up there I would never have gone. Besides the fact the path was so steep, I struggled to enjoy myself because of the sheer number of people.</div>
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First view of the tower.</div>
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We were packed in like sardines at the top and people would not take a picture, enjoy the scene, and move on. There were also signs that showed what you were looking at in the distance. I tried to read one of the signs, but two girls were standing in front of it, not reading the sign, not looking at the view, not taking pictures, but texting. And don't get me started on the people that took 20+ selfies. I snapped my couple of pictures and got out of there before I pushed someone over the edge!</div>
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View from the top. </div>
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The Mountain Ash berries were in full bloom (is that the right word?) and beautiful against the blue sky and evergreens.</div>
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One of the many overlooks on the way back to Oconaluftee.</div>
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When we returned to the visitor center we were very surprised to find a ton of cars and people sitting in chairs along the edge of the field waiting to see the elk. It was kind of a funny scene. The fields are closed to keep people away from the elk, but behind the visitor center there is a mountain farm museum with several buildings and barns. It is located on the far side of the main field. We walked down to the farm museum and were treated to two yearling elk behind the barn eating cornstalks from a pile. We were inside the barn and they were just on the other side of the fence.<br />
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The Oconaluftee River runs behind the farm and people started to gather down by the bank. We wondered down there and this majestic bull was getting a drink of water. He was so large and beautiful. And that rack! It was darker back there, so my ISO setting was high, and sadly there's a lot of noise in these photos, but just wow! We also were treated to hearing the bull make several noises including the famous bugle!!<br />
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The elk wandered back into the woods and we drove around to another field and found about 30 elk in a field. Well, actually, it was a person's front yard! <br />
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The final exciting moment of the day - the park rangers came to move the herd along because it was getting quite dark and they wanted the people to move on. Two rangers came up behind the herd clapping and shouting to push them across the road to another field and then up in to the woods. I heard the rangers talking and letting each other know that the large bull was still behind them. After they got the main part of the herd across the road the bull was coming up from the creek. One ranger hopped into this car, turned on the lights and sirens, and drove towards the bull to force him across with the rest of the herd. Well, the bull was having none of it! He stood his ground and let out a loud, aggressive bugle directed at the ranger. It cracked me up!! He did eventually give in and took the five does with him across the field. It was a really amazing trip and I felt like I was in the middle of a National Park special!</div>
<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-36799022281776773762016-10-19T16:18:00.001-04:002016-10-19T16:18:38.195-04:00Roan High Bluff {J.Commons Photography ~ Roan High Knob}Monday, Deanna and I headed back to one of my favorite spots - Roan Mountain. Last September I attempted the hike to Roan High Bluff (or Roan High Knob depending on what reference you are looking at). I had done some light hiking that day around the <a href="http://jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/search/label/Roan%20High%20Knob" target="_blank">Cloudland Hotel site and a little of the Cloudland Trail</a> for around 1.5 miles. When I reached the trail to Roan High Knob I was too tired and too out of shape to go any further. I felt a bit defeated. Earlier this year we did the <a href="http://jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/2016/06/roan-mountain-rhododendron-gardens.html" target="_blank">Cloudland Trail and the Rhododendron Garden Loop</a> for a total of roughly 3 miles and I was once again too tired to make the climb to the top. On Monday, I was a woman possessed and more determined than ever to make it to the top of Roan Mountain. <br />
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On the drive up we got stuck behind a super slow vehicle and pulled off at one of our favorite spots to get a couple pictures.<br />
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Does anyone else see a problem with this setup?</div>
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We had planned to drive to the Cloudland Trail head, hike to High Knob, and then down the other side before turning around at some point. These plans were thwarted by one simple gate.</div>
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We parked at Carver's Gap, picked up the AT, and headed for the top. We were on a bit of a time crunch and I was so determined to get to the top that I didn't take a lot of pictures on the way up. It was all up hill and the path, while mostly wide, was covered in rocks and pebbles. Footing was awful and the hike was tiring, but we kept on. Here's a few scenes from the way up.</div>
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A clump of Mountain Ash berries on a cut log.</div>
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I guess it could be a good place to stop for the night.</div>
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At the Cloudland Hotel site the AT continued off in one direction and we cut through the parking lot to join the Cloudland Trail. This is the overlook along that part of the trail.</div>
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On the surface this is not a favorite picture of myself, but for everything it stands for I love it! It was a 4.5 mile all uphill hike to get to this point. And with not being able to do it twice before with less difficulty leading up to it makes it that much sweeter! Celebrating my victory on Roan High Knob! (And I just noticed there is a "JC" carved in the wood below my elbow!)</div>
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The sweet reward.</div>
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Much to our surprise, the AT does not cross Roan High Knob and the trail actually ends at this spot! So back down we headed.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdeuYdz20BplpBxgmzZagrnOb53bpTWAky_9mP0NvOq5Dakf3Lz45H8BYcWpmefnL-D7pbC7NHnD4w0MBuC4aM5s0PdbhRE9Hp-6AVNTQ_pT8bC2epzHl0kdM0GWHCI3GvsMjeIBCcfPg/s1600/Blog+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdeuYdz20BplpBxgmzZagrnOb53bpTWAky_9mP0NvOq5Dakf3Lz45H8BYcWpmefnL-D7pbC7NHnD4w0MBuC4aM5s0PdbhRE9Hp-6AVNTQ_pT8bC2epzHl0kdM0GWHCI3GvsMjeIBCcfPg/s640/Blog+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned, we were on a time crunch. We opted to follow the road back down the mountain instead of the trail to save time. While we did save time, the pounding of the pavement on the decline hurt both of these bodies! #NotAsYoungAsWeUsedToBe</div>
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Just enough time to check out the Miller Farmstead and the overlook!</div>
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This hike distance ~ 8 miles!!! Our longest hike to date and for me, personally the most rewarding. :)</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-41257762066195886892016-10-19T15:09:00.001-04:002016-10-19T15:09:19.962-04:00Appalachian Trail ~ Big Bald, North Carolina {J. Commons Photography ~ Big Bald, NC}Last week, Deanna and I headed out to Wolf Laurel. She has a cabin there that overlooks Big Bald and Little Bald along the Appalachian Trail. I had not hiked Big Bald yet, and we were excited to see the fall colors. Even 5,000+ feet there still was not a lot of fall color, but the day was beautiful and our views were magnificent!!<br />
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Mountain Ash berries against that blue sky are amazing!</div>
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Halfway up Big Bald and looking back at Little Bald.</div>
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The top of Big Bald marked with the AT blaze and a plaque.</div>
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The road less traveled.</div>
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Halfway up Little Bald and looking back at Big Bald - It was crazy realizing we were at the top of that!</div>
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So, on top of Little Bald there is a bird society counting and banding birds. They have nets set up to catch the birds that will not harm them. As we rounded one curve we saw a bird on top of a post and we got so excited thinking it was a big bird of prey. My long lens confirmed it was a large bird of prey . . . made of plastic! Oh well!</div>
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We hiked down the other side of Little Bald and on our way back to the top there was a loud commotion behind us. We had been trying to catch a picture of a couple of chipmunks that were playing hide and seek with us when a group of deer crossed behind us. It was probably a funny scene to watch from the outside. Deanna and I were stock still waiting to see the deer better, the deer were still waiting to see what we were going to do next, and the chipmunks kept popping out to laugh at us! We were in a thick area and I was only able to get this one not-so-great picture of a deer. Shortly after they took off back the way they came.</div>
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The only winged creature we saw in the catch nets - a ladybug!</div>
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After our hike we drove over to the cabin to check on things. I forgot how much I love their cabin! Part of it is even pre-Civil War! How cool is that?!</div>
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The view of the Balds from the cabin.</div>
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We drove around Wolf Laurel so Deanna could show me this awesome mountain hole on the golf course. Crazy! Can you imagine playing that?!</div>
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Hike distance for the day - 7.5 miles!</div>
<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-28112512789477347302016-10-16T23:09:00.001-04:002016-10-16T23:09:09.195-04:00Laurel Run Trail ~ Church Hill, TN {J. Commons Photography ~ Laurel Run Trail}October 3, 2016 ~ Deanna and I had a friend, Ruth, in town from Michigan. She joined us on the first part of our adventure to Laurel Run Trail in Church Hill, TN. The reviews promised beautiful waterfalls. I will let you be the judge! <br />
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This story is going to move from fun to heart pounding to creepy and surreal!<br />
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We drove out to the park and found a cute, quaint park with a great kids' playground, a disk golf course, and walking path. What we didn't find - the trail head! We walked in circles for a bit and seemed to keep popping up around a park worker who was a little on the strange side. We finally found the trail head, but laughed the whole way! The path proved to be 95% uphill from the get, but there were some fun little creek crossings.<br />
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Grapes or fungus?</div>
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Lower falls? I think the little drought we have is wreaking some havoc on the water flow!</div>
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Oh, look! More cascading water!</div>
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I mean, seriously, I am standing in the creek bed!!</div>
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The upper "falls!" Can someone turn the water back on?</div>
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Somewhere around this point Ruth had to turn back and get on the road home. We made her promise to text us and let us know she made it back to her car! Deanna and I continued along the path. The trail eventually meets up with the trail system of Bays Mountain. We were really looking forward to heading into Bays Mountain. Until the crunch heard around the park - Deanna heard a noise. I stopped to listen and said, "Um, I am pretty sure that is something large crunching acorns." Deanna said, "I think it's getting louder and closer." We took a few more quiet steps forward peering into the forest, but could not see anything matching the loud crunching. Last year, at Cades Cove, I was privy to being up close and personal, from the safety of my car, to a bear crunching away on acorns. Turns out, not a sound you tend to forget! We decided Bays Mountain could wait and headed back down the mountain. Every rock we accidentally kicked over the side and every branch that we broke made us jump! Once we got back down to the "waterfalls" we slowed our pace and began to enjoy our scenery again! (Side note - last week Mike and I watched a documentary on the Great Smoky Mountains in which a bear was crunching acorns. Yep. That was clearly the sound!)</div>
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Love these little evergreens taking root.</div>
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Somehow, Deanna managed not to plow into this little eight legged fellow hanging over the path.</div>
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Back off the trail we explored the park a little bit and walked along the Holston River.</div>
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I took way too many pictures of these silos across the river!</div>
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Since the acorn crunching bear "chased" us back down the trail we didn't get quite the hike in that we had planned. I remembered a greenbelt that Mike and I visited last fall, I think, and I wanted to explore it a little more. There's also the very cool haunted mansion, Rotherwood. </div>
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When we pulled into the small parking area there were several cars there and a few of them still had their occupants just sitting there, including a Stanley Steamer Van. It was a little weird, but we carried on. As we walked down to the path a man in khakis and a black polo literally hopped/skipped into the grass, sat down, then laid down on his side with a pillow. I'm not kidding. Deanna and I just looked at each other. We walked by him and he rolled over and looked at us with this super creepy smile and slow wave. Think Stepford Wives (I still curse my friends for making me watch that! 1975 version, not 2004). We were a little creeped out, but continued on. We walked along a path where two young guys were fishing. Thankfully, they were not too creepy. Out of nowhere there was a man on one of those large deck mowers coming down the path towards us. The section of path we were on was all concrete and surrounded by water on both sides. We couldn't figure out if he was coming down the path or not, when he did the creepy smile and slow wave. No joke. We were dying! We tried to continue down the path, but much to our chagrin it ended! We had to go back towards the weird folks!! We passed the fishers, quickly went by the pillow guy, and headed the other direction. The grass cutting guy was completely gone. Where the heck did he go so fast? </div>
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At least we found more cool fungus!</div>
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We decided we were thoroughly creeped out and turned back around. I had told Deanna about the large wild cat population that was there the last time I had visited. We didn't see any until we turned around. One lone tabby came out of the bushes to watch us walk by. Again, no joke. The pillow guy had been facing away from us, but as we grew closer he flipped over to face us and watch us go by. We took the path that went under the highway and away from the creeptastic park. More on that in a minute!</div>
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This path actually led back up to the highway and we crossed to return to our car. The Stanley Steamer Van was still there and the dude watched us the whole time in his side mirror. As we would get out of his view he would lean further up to keep watching us. I had my hand on my bear spray and was ready to attack if necessary!!! We got in the car and left unscathed. It's really hard to impart the feeling that we had at that park. I have been in situations where I was scared, worried, and anxious, but none of those quite fit. I honestly felt like I was in some eerie dream sequence in a Stephen King novel. It was completely surreal. </div>
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Since we were already in Kingsport we headed to the fish supply store. On the way we passed a pickup truck with a severe lift kit and it had a clown strapped to the grill. Deanna tried to get a picture, but couldn't get it. Things were normal at the pet store, but our last person contact was outside the store with a guy headed into the store - he gave us the creepy smile! We could not wait to get out of Kingsport!!!!</div>
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Hike distance - 7 miles</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-26505598727273370252016-10-09T23:22:00.001-04:002016-10-09T23:22:37.878-04:00Linville Falls and Gorge, Linville, NC {J. Commons Photography ~ Linville Falls}First, I am apologize for being a little behind on posting! Other obligations needed my attention. <br />
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Now, on to the fun stuff! I've started using an app called AllTrails to track my hikes and search for new spots to explore. There's an overview of the area, a rating of easy, moderate, or hard, photos added by other users, and reviews by users. Information usually includes a short description, topography, sites along the trail, and distance. I have found that the reviews by users are a little better in accurately describing the trail opposed to the description at the top. Two weeks ago, Deanna and I set out to explore Linville Falls in Pisgah National Forest off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was described as a moderate trail with some inclines and five overlooks of the falls. (More on the accuracy of this statement in a little while.)<br />
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We found the parking lot, though were unable to locate the Visitor's Center that was supposed to be at the parking lot. The trail head was easy enough to find and we started out. The beginning of the trail was practically straight down. Great for the beginning, not so great knowing we would have to come back up this at the end of our hike. We continued our descent about a half mile to find a fork in the path. To the left the Visitor's Center (a ha!) and to the right the falls. Of course, we chose the falls! This first overlook took us to the Upper Linville Falls. <br />
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There was a really cool observation area fenced off along the rock. It was pretty neat to be walking across the large rock formation.<br />
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The water flowed from this pool to a drop off that we could hear, but not see from this location. We climbed back out from this overlook and continued off to the next one. More incline up the side of the mountain! Another half mile up we came to our next overlook - there was a pretty steep climb down to the overlook off of the path. There were two separate overlooks at this spot and they were breathtaking!</div>
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In this picture you can see a bit of the upper falls in the background.</div>
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Obligatory selfie with Deanna's phone!</div>
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Looking out over the gorge.</div>
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We continued on further up to the top of the mountain, I couldn't wait to start coming back down! There was a small set of steep stairs up to the last overlook on this side of the gorge. I thought the last overlook was breathtaking, but this one beat all! I can only imagine how beautiful it probably is with the leaf change.</div>
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We backtracked down the mountain all the way to the fork in the path and continued to the Visitor's Center. We checked out the center and decided to come back to purchase our patches and stickers and then headed out the next trail that led to another overlook and the gorge. Along the trail we found this fiery fungus growing on a tree.</div>
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The first part of the trail to the overlook was hilly and bumpy with roots and we were beginning to tire. It was also still wet from the rain the day before. We turned to climb down to the overlook and it was a steep set of rock stairs. We were kind of laughing about the absurdity of this path and how it seemed to be getting harder and harder and maybe shouldn't have been defined as "moderate." The rock steps were very wet, and unfortunately, Deanna slipped at the bottom and landed on her butt. Thankfully, she was okay minus a scraped elbow and hand, but we were extremely cautious after that. We made it the rest of the way to the overlook safely. </div>
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From this angle we could better see the birds flying into and off of the rock ledges. There were dozens of, what I am calling, Rock Pigeons. </div>
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After this overlook we continued along the trail to the gorge. The trail became a steeper and steeper descent and we were questioning our decision to continue. We "passed through" these stones for our own little "Outlander" moment. We didn't find Jamie Fraser.</div>
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(From Deanna's Phone)</div>
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Deanna was in front of me and when she reached the point of the photo below she just started laughing! I followed suit when I saw the sight. This picture does not do it justice, but these were the steepest steps I have ever seen in my life! I just kept thinking, "what are we doing?!"</div>
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The trail continued to get rockier and steeper and even included some very large boulders we had to traverse. Several times we found ourselves climbing down the rocks backwards! We passed another set of hikers coming back up the trail and asked how much further we had to go. They said we were over halfway and that it was completely worth it! The woman laughed and said, "It definitely earns its difficult rating, doesn't it?" Wait. What? Difficult? I don't remember reading that, but it explained a lot! We continued on. Sadly, we don't have any photos from this ridiculous section of the trail. I put my camera up for fear of dropping it or falling myself. It was definitely a smart move. We finally made it to the gorge floor and and it was totally worth it! The entire time we had been hiking the overlook I kept wishing we could get to the bottom of the fall. Well, I got my wish!</div>
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The climb back up was hard and found us using all fours to climb over some of the rocks, but we made it! We rested in the Visitor's Center for a minute and started on our way back to the car. That last hill about killed me, but I was so happy that I did it!! Turns out, the overlooks were rated moderate, but the hike down to the gorge was listed as difficult. This was the first difficult rated trail we have completed. It was hard work, but not impossible. We have come a long way this year in our hiking endurance and capabilities!</div>
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Hike distance ~ almost 7.5 miles! Hike time ~ a little over 3 hours!</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-54096670046239085592016-09-14T15:47:00.000-04:002016-09-14T15:50:42.585-04:00Appalachian Trail ~Laurel Fork Falls ~ Dennis Cove, Hampton, TN {J. Commons Photography ~ Dennis Cove}After our shortened Labor Day hike we drove out to the Dennis Cove trail head to find it and see what we were in store for. The hubby had warned me about ever going up there on my own because of a lot of criminal activity around the campground area, so this was my first drive out there. The road climbed high up the mountain with lots of switchbacks and some amazing views overlooking Hampton.<br />
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These photos looking over Hampton are from Labor Day, but it was the same view Monday, too!<br />
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After our trip up there I did some research on Dennis Cove and learned that there were waterfalls and several creek crossings. I was so excited! Deanna and I were super excited to head out on this trail. When we arrived there were two cars in the parking lot. Near one car was a man in camo carrying a fishing pole. No concern. Near the other car there was another man in camo with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Seriously. A rifle. It's National Forest land, I can't imagine hunting is allowed. We evaluated the situation for a few minutes while we gathered our stuff. I was more than a little relieved when two other people joined him and they got in their car and left!</div>
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The beginning of the trail was wide and flat and very easy walking. I was a little disappointed to find that foot bridges had been built over the creeks, but they were cute. There has been little rain over the last few weeks, so the creek crossings weren't much anyway.</div>
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I really enjoyed being around the creek and hearing the water along most of our hike.</div>
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Sasquatch? Bear paw? Or just a rock that has been moved?</div>
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I loved how the pine needles were casting a shadow on this rock.</div>
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Although I was disappointed about the creek crossings, I loved this bridge! This was the first view of it as we came around a corner.</div>
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The fly fisher is kind of hard to see, but he is in the middle of the picture on the left bank.</div>
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Up to the bridge had been a fairly flat, easy hike. This is what awaited us on the other side and it was only the beginning!</div>
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Light at the end of the tunnel.</div>
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I really want to know what this green sequin fell off of and why was it on a hike?!</div>
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The trail appeared to continue on straight ahead, but there were several markings pointing us down the hill to the falls.</div>
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A view about halfway down to the falls.</div>
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It was hard to capture in a photo what this part of the hike was really like. It was mostly steep stone-like steps. Some were loose. Did I mention I had rolled my ankle a few days earlier? This was so difficult! I was so glad I made it all the way down with out hurting myself more. But I was not looking forward to the climb back up. (Deanna was actually checking her voicemail in this photo!)</div>
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The pay-off. Totally worth having to climb back up those rocks! Laurel Fork Falls.</div>
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I did not want to leave the falls, I couldn't stop taking pictures! Also, I didn't want to climb the rocks! But climb the rocks I did!!!! I am slowly getting myself in shape and I have asthma. I had to stop several times and let my heart rate come down, but I made it.</div>
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Animal of the hike - a little frog. Or toad. I don't know the difference!</div>
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This was the most difficult hike we have completed to date. I know there is no way I could have done this hike last year or even at the beginning of this year. But I did it and I am so proud of myself!! And we are even planning to return to the falls after some rain to see them fuller. Hike distance - 5.4 miles. Time 2 hours 25 minutes (that includes the at least 20 minutes we spent at the waterfall!)</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-48037848979918652022016-09-14T14:49:00.000-04:002016-09-14T14:49:01.528-04:00Appalachian Trail ~ Watauga Dam Area, Elizabethton, TN {J. Commons Photography ~ Watauga Dam}This is how we do Labor Day! I really want to do the part of the AT that crosses the Watauga Dam. Deanna and I set out to tackle this part of the trail, but we didn't quite make it. Deanna's back had been bothering her over the weekend and we planned to take it slow and easy. Unfortunately, this part of the trail had lots of ups and downs and the downs were very hard on her back. So we turned back towards the visitor center area to check out the other side of the trail.<div>
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View of the Watauga Dam from the overlook.</div>
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Butterfly around the visitor center. I have a thing for butterflies!</div>
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Impressive spider web that Deanna walked right under without even noticing!</div>
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Loved this perfectly shaped mushroom. I may not like to eat them, but I love to take their pictures!</div>
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Turns out this side of the path was all up hill. Completely up hill! It was tiring, but I was so worried about Deanna coming back down the hill and screwing her back up more. At one point a large branch broke off a tree and crashed to the ground. In my attempt to get Deanna to not go any further, I said, "That was God. God says, 'Get your a** back down here!" We laughed, but she still didn't stop. I finally convinced her to turn around and head back and save this trek for a better day.</div>
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Stone steps. Little did we know, these were just a preview for the following week's hike!</div>
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We saw several signs posted about bear activity in the area. I am not sure how I will react if I ever see a bear on a hike. I think far off distance would be okay, but up close and personal, no thanks!</div>
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We definitely cut our hike short today because of Deanna's back, but we did manage to clock in a little over 3 miles.</div>
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JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-72211302405881035082016-08-23T19:03:00.000-04:002016-08-23T19:06:52.406-04:00Appalachian Trail ~ Cross Mountain, Shady Valley, TN {J. Commons Photography ~ Cross Mountain, Shady Valley} Several years ago, I drove out to Johnson County to check out a spot where the Appalachian Trail meanders through a cow* field. I didn't walk very far into the field, but I was definitely intrigued. Today, my sole sister Deanna and I headed out there. <br />
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Trail head at Cross Mountain, just past the Johnson County line.</div>
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After figuring out my own way to open the special gate (I couldn't seem to do it following the directions) we made our way into the field. Neither of us have ever hiked through a cow field and we weren't really sure what to expect. We were both delighted to find that there were actually cows in the field with us! There were only two and the big guy with the horns was, thankfully, on the other side of the fence! <br />
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Cow fields have nice, wide walking paths!</div>
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The white blaze of the AT.</div>
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The moment I realized there were actually cows in our field and I squeed with joy!</div>
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Cool barn. This photo feels a little "Dorothy in Kansas" to me.</div>
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LOVE this truck in the field! Before wandering out to the front of the truck, that little black cow was trying to figure out how to get in the back!</div>
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Peek-a-bull!</div>
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"I don't know where this road is going to lead. . ."</div>
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"All I know is where we've been. . ."</div>
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If you have never visited Shady Valley, I am here to tell you, "It's beautiful!"</div>
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The field is dotted with these purple flowers/weeds and they are butterfly magnets.</div>
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I love, love, LOVE how you can see the flower shadow through the butterfly's wings! So cool!</div>
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Headed to the trees.</div>
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But first - this happened! As I already stated, the AT goes through a cow field. It appeared as if the AT continued to the next field, but you had to cross a muddy spot. Well, I went first and, as you can see, sunk halfway up to my knees into the quicksandish mud! I struggled to get back out with my shoes still on my feet and after some maneuvering did manage. And the stench. Oh my word, the stench! After I was back on solid ground we laughed and laughed and laughed! We tried to go around the outside of it, but the barbed fence didn't allow us anyway through. We had just decided to turn around when some thru hikers showed up. They commented that we must have been having a good time because they could hear our laughter. Trying to be friendly, we informed them of the sinking mud issue. As we turned to leave, it dawned on me that there was a fence structure that lead into the forest that was, in fact, the correct way to continue along the AT! You can see in this collage below that Deanna put together my lovely, muddy shoes, the offending mud, and the hikers behind me past the fence climb. We laughed harder and harder and realized we need an AT for Dummies book! And I am sure those thru hikers will laugh about us all the way to Roanoke!</div>
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(From Deanna's iPhone)</div>
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Oh, look! The way we should have gone!</div>
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We did climb the fence and head into the forest. We were on a bit of a time crunch today, so we went about a half mile in and then turned back towards the car.</div>
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Me taking a picture of Deanna taking a picture of this cute little fall-like leaf. Yes, that's a selfie stick. Stop judging us. </div>
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Thistles!</div>
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More butterfly hunting.</div>
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Thistles. Butterfly. Old truck. Love.</div>
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This little one was closer to the fence, but it was a bit startled by me and kept walking further away and then turning back to see where I was.</div>
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Another great day. Another great hike. Today's trip on the AT covered 3.22 miles and burned a lot of calories with laughter. :)</div>
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*No cows were harmed in the making of this adventure1</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-39544002900918688452016-08-17T15:57:00.000-04:002016-08-17T15:57:41.814-04:00The Beauty Spot ~ Take Two {The Beauty Spot, Erwin, TN ~ J. Commons Photography}Monday morning I texted my Sole Sister, Deanna, to see if she was ready to check out The Beauty Spot. She was up for it and a little while later we were on our way. There was a high percentage chance of scattered thunderstorms, but we thought rain, thunderstorm, rainbows, or shine it would be great. Of course, it was!<br />
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Almost to the top the rain began to fall, but it wasn't very hard and we could still see blue skies.<br />
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Sat in the car for a minute and waited for it to pass. (iPhone pic)</div>
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Just after the rain.</div>
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We headed out to explore the AT for a bit.</div>
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The bugs were a lot worse than last week, I guess because of the rain, but the butterflies were out, too.</div>
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Learn to fly with your imperfections.</div>
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The AT continuing off into the woods.</div>
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Climbing back to the top.</div>
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It was very muggy out and we planned to stop and enjoy the super windy spot when we reached the top. This photo below of Deanna is the second before she calmly turned and said to me, "There's a little snake." I'm not a fan of snakes, but Deanna was so calm and emphasized little, so I approached quietly with my camera in one hand and my phone in the other - you know, for double photo opportunities. Maybe I should have grabbed the bear spray.</div>
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We searched, yes searched, for the little guy for a bit and I finally got to see him scurry (do snakes scurry?) to another clump of grass. We decided to stop harassing the little fella, probably a wise idea, and moved on. A google search later and I think it was a juvenile Grey Ratsnake - apparently they eat Copperheads. I like him even more than I did. He's in this picture, but hidden under the plants.</div>
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We hopped back in the car and continued along the gravel road towards the Unaka Mountain Overlook. Along the way we discovered this really cool butterfly garden to the right of the road. There were literally dozens, maybe a hundred, butterflies flitting around.</div>
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I slowed down (I was only doing 10 mph to begin with!) so Deanna could take pictures out the window and she spotted this snail on the underside of a leaf. It was pretty neat!</div>
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The road switchbacked up the mountain and made for a very smooth drive for my little Susie Vue. Our first look at the Unaka Mountain Overlook.</div>
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A panoramic from my iPhone.</div>
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A pole on the opposite side, tagged by a Marine. I took this pic for my Marine hubby.</div>
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Looking across the road to the overlook. So proud of Susie Vue for making the climb to the top.</div>
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There was a deteriorating stone wall and path at the edge of the overlook. It was super windy (even more so than the windy area at Beauty Spot) and we really couldn't hear one another unless we were standing together. We had spent most of our time on the left side of the wall because the view looked better from that side, but I decided to wonder down the other end and check it out. I was focused out towards the view when I turned and looked down to the ground next to the wall. At first take it didn't register what I saw, but a quick second glance confirmed it was a LARGE snake! I tried to yell to Deanna, but it just came out as breathless whisper. The second attempt was still not much more than a whisper! I turned and hurried down the wall to tell her there was a large snake. We went back over to the corner and sure enough, he was still there. Slithering around very slowly. We only saw from his middle to his tail and we thought he was gone, but then we got to see his head. I was speculating that it was a Copperhead, but his triangle shaped head confirmed that he was poisonous at the very least. We tried to get pictures of him, but none were great. He was about two feet below us and in a thick area. This is what I managed with my camera.</div>
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Deanna decided it would be a great idea to lie down on the wall to get a closer shot.</div>
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She managed a decent picture and then we lost sight of it again.</div>
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We waited a minute or two to see if it would return so we could get a picture of the head, but when it didn't we decided to move on because we didn't like not knowing where it had gone! More google searching confirmed it was a Canebrake or Timber Rattlesnake! Neither of us recall seeing the rattle, thank God we didn't hear it, but the picture I found online was spot on to what we saw.</div>
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Did I mention it was windy up there? The wind was so strong, when we stood on the left corner of the wall we kind of spotted each other so we didn't get blown over!</div>
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This is our hair selfie to show the wind! (From Deanna's iPhone)</div>
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After we left the overlook, we continued on the gravel road and came out on TN 107. Unfortunately, I turned the wrong way and we ended up in North Carolina! We were hungry and needed to pee so we continued to Spruce Pine and then turned around and headed home! It was a very fun, exciting day. We did an animal count of our adventures (not counting Cades Cove, that's an unfair advantage!) and came up with a couple deer, a chipmunk, an American Woodcock, and these two snakes!</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-85435409081415574702016-08-12T11:34:00.000-04:002016-08-12T11:34:58.120-04:00The Beauty Spot, Erwin, TN {J. Commons Photography}Wednesday I woke with an overwhelming need to get out of the house, stretch my legs, and work my camera. For years I have heard of the Beauty Spot in Erwin, where the AT crosses, but have never been. A quick search told of a two-mile gravel road to get to the top of the mountain. Given past misadventures with my car I was a little nervous about its ability to get up the road without incident. A few friends that had been to the Spot assured me that I could traverse the road without 4wd. Still a bit apprehensive, I headed out to find the hidden treasure. Before I even made it to the gravel road I had to deal with directions that were inaccurate. Someone didn't know their right from their left. (For the record, not me, but the website!) I was surprised to find no signs marking the gravel road or even pointing in the direction of the Beauty Spot. As I started up the gravel road I relaxed a little because it wasn't too steep and it was wide enough that if I felt the need to turn around I could. Almost at the top a truck was stopped taking pictures towards the woods. I was delighted to find a doe and her fawn, still in spots.<br />
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The road forked and I stayed right. However, there was a sign for another overlook three miles to the left along the gravel road. My car did so well I decided not to push it this time, but will explore next time! There was a decent size drive around at the end of the road and I was able to pull over and park. Before getting out of my car I could see the view. It was breathtaking!</div>
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There was a short hike up a grassy hill that led to the actual AT, with about 270 degrees of views. It was much cooler on top of the hill than it had been at my house (which was some where in the 85 degree vicinity when I left.) And there was an amazing wind blowing. There were a few short paths jetting off the main AT path that led to little outcrops with the remains of camp fires. This spot is a popular camp site for AT hikers and just day adventurers that head up for the sunrise or sunset. This was my favorite spot. It looks away from the town of Erwin and the wind coming through this spot was so strong I had to brace myself to not fall over!</div>
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I explored the top of the grassy hill with my bear spray in tow (cuz you never know!) and enjoyed the peace of having the area all to my self.</div>
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I think it is fair to say that The Beauty Spot is aptly named! As more people began to arrive (two women with their dogs and one sketchy guy) I decided to take my leave, but not before this butterfly outside of my car caught my attention. The bee was a bonus.</div>
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Weather permitting I will be headed back up next week and hope to check out the rest of the gravel road and the other overlook.</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-63356035413427562192016-08-04T12:04:00.000-04:002016-08-04T12:04:31.761-04:00RainbowsMy friend texted me last night to let me know that there was a beautiful rainbow outside. I spent the next 20+ minutes photographing it as it morphed into more amazing colors! Here's a few of my favorites.<br />
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-57049454836455026192016-06-27T17:22:00.000-04:002016-06-27T17:22:16.786-04:00Roan Mountain, Rhododendron Gardens ~ Summer 2016 {Roan Mountain ~ J. Commons Photography}I know, I go to Roan Mountain a lot, but I just love it there. Each time I go I have another fantastic experience. I have lived in the shadow of Roan Mountain for 10 years and have always missed out on seeing the rhododendron gardens in full bloom. I refused to let it pass me by this year! Deanna and I, with some outside help, talked the girls into going with us and we headed out for the day. I am soooo thankful that I finally made it up there! I have walked the rhododendron garden in the past and loved its enchanting paths and moss covered forest, but the pop of purple the blooms added was magical!<br />
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Have props, will hike!</div>
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It was really cool to watch the fog and rain roll across the mountain.</div>
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A peek at the view on the other side of the clouds.</div>
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After leaving the gardens we stopped by the Miller Farmstead. Since last September's <a href="http://jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/2015/09/september-photo-walk-roan-mountain.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird Display</a>, I have basically been stalking the farm waiting for the hummers to return!! I was so happy they were back and that Deanna and the girls got to experience it.</div>
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Emma decided the quickest way down the hill was to roll! (I may have encouraged her.)</div>
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The wildflowers were finally out.</div>
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All of the hummingbird feeders were still not out, but there were dozens of hummers buzzing around!</div>
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I love hummingbirds so much (I even have one tattooed on my back) and I could not stop taking pictures. In my defense, they kept posing for me!</div>
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Shh, be verwy, verwy quiet, Deanna is hunting hummers!</div>
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This is not a great picture, but it is the best I have ever taken of these little, white fairies. Okay, they are actually called Woolly Aphids, but they always remind me of fairies floating through the air. You know, because I have seen so many fairies floating through the air!</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-41873372095309973112016-05-12T10:57:00.004-04:002016-05-12T10:57:43.293-04:00Fire on the Mountain ~ Blacksmithing Festival, Spruce Pine, NC {J. Commons Photography}Recently the husband decided to take up the art of blacksmithing. He has taken the time to research and build his own forge. It's pretty impressive. He hasn't gotten to the point of firing up the forge and making something, but he is so close! Last month, we ventured to Spruce Pine, NC for the Fire on the Mountain Blacksmithing Festival. He hoped to learn some tricks and maybe purchase a few things. It was fascinating to watch the different blacksmiths work. <br />
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This guy was a hoot! He lives and works out of Arizona and enjoys making flamingos because, "It's funny."</div>
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goatnhammer Blacksmithing school from Atlanta, GA</div>
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Amateur competition. Fifteen amateurs signed up to try their hand at making snakes from garden spikes.</div>
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Three of the entries. They all look pretty good!</div>
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"My chick bad. My chick hood. My chick do stuff that your chick wish she could." - Ludacris</div>
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Okay, sorry for the Luda song lyrics, but all I kept thinking watching these women work the forges was how badass they were!</div>
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We ended up not buying anything at the festival, except some amazingly delicious NC pulled pork barbecue, but still had a great time. There were some amazing pieces, including knives, jewelry, home decor, garden decor, and wind chimes. Mike did manage to purchase a small anvil at the antique shop near our house later that day!</div>
<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-71150951012691123172016-05-04T18:35:00.001-04:002016-05-04T18:35:58.146-04:00Roan Mountain Spring 2016 {J. Commons Photography - Roan Mountain, TN}Last Monday, Deanna and I were in the mood to do some exploring. I was excited to see what spring had sprung up on Roan Mountain. Unfortunately, the rhododendron loop wasn't open yet. Apparently, it doesn't open until Memorial Day. Duly noted. It turned out to be a good thing because neither of us were in the hiking mood that we had proposed! And spring was a bit further behind in the upper country than I had expected. We settled for exploring around the Miller Family Farmstead. Thankfully, most of the spring flowers were in bloom and happy bees and birds were buzzing and fluttering about. It wasn't the <a href="http://jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/2015/09/september-photo-walk-roan-mountain.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird Display</a> of September's walk, but it was still beautiful.<br />
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I stalked this very bee for about five minutes before I was able to get a clear picture of it! I love how the wings came out.</div>
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It was hard to keep up with this male Goldfinch. He blended with the daisies so well!</div>
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Root cellar or Hobbit house?</div>
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This tree has some unique style. It reminded me of something out of a 1960s horror flick!</div>
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After the farmstead, we stopped at one my favorite water spots. We explored the trail on the back side of the river and were treated to a magical, fairy forest. All around us was green and in bloom of colors white, yellow, purple, and red. We also stumbled upon Trilliums. Didn't really mean much to us, but a woman at the farmstead was hunting for them.</div>
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Trillium</div>
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Red Trillium</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-91245704167375199662016-04-04T23:05:00.001-04:002016-04-04T23:05:11.576-04:00Jaretta College Graduation 2016 {J. Commons Photography - Milligan College, TN}I've been blessed to get to know Jaretta through our mutual part-time job. She has one of the sunniest personalities I know and a wicked sense of humor! In May, Jaretta is graduating from Milligan College and heading into the world of teaching. Sunday, we laughed our way around the campus and, I think, managed to get a few good shots!<br />
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Jaretta has spent a large portion of her college career singing in Seeger Chapel.</div>
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That may or may not be her hand print!</div>
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Jump for joy!!</div>
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Making wishes for the future. (Note: the correct way to blow a dandelion. Hehehe!)</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-23868489923355607462016-04-04T17:24:00.001-04:002016-04-04T17:25:33.454-04:00Katie Senior Photos 2016 {J. Commons Photography - Jonesborough, TN}Saturday was a beautiful day. A perfect 55 degree spring day with blue skies filled with big, fluffy, white clouds and an occasional light breeze. Add a lush green hillside filled with yellow wildflowers, a spunky, free-spirited high school senior, and a flowing green dress and you have all the elements for my favorite photo session ever. I know that Katie will go on to do amazing things in her life, just like her parents before her. Here's a peek at her day.<br />
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Eat your heart out, Julie Andrews! Very "Sound of Music"-ish!</div>
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I thought "The Sound of Music" picture was my favorite, but this one. I really love this one.</div>
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Outtakes! We always have the best outtakes when we are together! Katie's mom really wanted to make it seem like Katie was floating on top of the flowers. So, she laid down and supermanned Katie into the air. It was hilarious!</div>
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JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-57716914368968028412016-02-29T16:12:00.000-05:002016-02-29T16:12:32.637-05:00Quick UpdateI haven't taken a lot of photos lately. I haven't had the time! I have so many irons in the fire right now and sadly, photography has taken a back seat. March isn't looking much better for photos, but I hope I can find a happy medium soon and get back behind the camera and out on the trails!<br />
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I finally got around to looking at some snowy pics from January and here are a few of my favorite birds.<br />
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Yesterday, the husband and I took a long drive down to Jefferson City and then wound our way back through Rogersville, Surgoinsville, and Kingsport. I took my camera, but I found myself just enjoying the moment and not taking my camera out much. Here's one of the few photos I took of the sun setting through the trees and over the Holston River.</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-8862608415103946852015-12-08T17:05:00.004-05:002015-12-08T17:05:27.105-05:00My Gragg Girls ~ 2015 ~ Abingdon, VirginiaMonday, I got to spend the day with my favorite girls - Emma, Abby, and Olivia. This year we headed to southwest Virginia for their Christmas photos. Several months ago, Mike and I drove through Abingdon and it was my first trip through the beautiful little town. When I told Deanna how much I loved the town she said she did, too, and would love to do the pictures there. And so it was.<br />
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Deanna LOVES penguins and we were super excited to find this guy hanging out in a little park. (We also passed a truck with a bed full of hunting dogs and a freshly killed bear! We didn't stop him for pictures.)</div>
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Life with Livvy</div>
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Emma loves to do the "model pose," ironically, of course, because it amuses her!</div>
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We stormed the front steps of the Martha Washington Inn to grab a couple of photos. Okay, actually, I sent the girls up the steps alone so I could take a few photos from below. They weren't very happy about it because we weren't a hundred percent sure it was allowed, but the staff were extremely nice about it!</div>
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Miss O's face after Emma said a nut shouldn't stand so close to a nutcracker!</div>
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As we passed the first rest area in Virginia I noticed they had a large "LOVE" sign. I mentioned that it would be a fun photo. (I will leave out the part about me not understanding why Virginia was trying to be like Philadelphia and Amy pointing out that "Virginia is for lovers.") Turns out, there is one at the Martha Washington Inn!</div>
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I strongly encourage you to visit Abingdon during the Christmas season. It was beautifully decorated. There were several of these metal art installation-esque pieces around town. They were placed purposefully and looked like they belonged.</div>
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We began and ended our trip with Babycakes cupcakes. They didn't have any alcohol in them, but they were still pretty tasty! ;)</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-28422788260023527532015-11-03T13:28:00.000-05:002015-11-03T13:28:09.864-05:00Jamie ~ Senior Portrait Session ~ Greenbelt Park, Maryville, TNI spent Halloween in my folks town of Maryville, TN. A woman I used to work with contacted me about doing her daughter's senior portrait session. They were hoping to still get some fall color and we were lucky to find some at the Greenbelt Park in town. I had only driven by this site, but found it incredibly beautiful. We kept walking along the path and continued to find more beautiful gems around each corner. Seriously, it was a photographer's dream location! I had a lot of fun with Jamie and her mom, Shannon. I think we got some great photos and I hope they are as happy with them as I am! Here's her sneak ~<br />
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-13187636165007638712015-10-21T21:56:00.001-04:002015-10-21T21:56:39.824-04:00Kayleigh ~ Senior Photo Session ~ Milligan College, TNSaturday, I was blessed to do the senior portraits of a young lady I have watched grow up the last few years. We had a beautiful day on the campus of Milligan College, a school she is now considering! Here's a little sneak peek of her day.<br />
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Kayleigh desperately wanted pictures on the stage at the Gregory Center, but when we went to check it out it was locked. We found a helpful maintenance worker who was kind enough to unlock the stage for us and let her have her shining moment. </div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-44661925584572599822015-10-06T18:20:00.002-04:002015-10-06T18:20:36.212-04:00October Photo Trip - Cades Cove, GSMNPSunday, Deanna and I took our friend Denise on her first trip to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm" target="_blank">Cades Cove</a> in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My dad works in Cades Cove, so I have spent a lot of time there and have been fortunate enough to spot a lot of wildlife. Deanna and I went a couple years ago and were blessed to see a bobcat, a very rare sight, but no bears. Well, this time the whole park was on display! We saw six bears, a couple coyotes, a grey fox, several deer, a dozen or so turkeys, and a pileated woodpecker! It was an incredible wildlife display!! I am so happy that Denise was able to see so many things on her first trip.<br />
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How many times have I driven Little River Road? A lot. How many times have I spotted this waterfall? Um, I think this was a first!<br />
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The Sinks. </div>
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The Loop.</div>
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I love goldenrod. My allergies are not so fond of it.</div>
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Don't mind me, just gonna climb down this tree.</div>
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I've never seen coyotes in the cove, but this one greeted us almost at the beginning of the loop.</div>
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Primitive Baptist Church</div>
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I can't pass up an animal that poses for me!</div>
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My first grey fox! (Photo cred - Denise Schweers)</div>
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Love this cub walking the limbs.</div>
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We could actually hear one of the bears crunching its snack of walnuts!</div>
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We had been discussing pileated woodpeckers and how Mike and I saw one at the park on our honeymoon. While stuck in a bear jam this one flew over our head and landed in a nearby tree! (Photo cred - Deanna)</div>
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We drove the loop three times because we were having such a great trip! As the leaves deepen into their fall colors the park will get busier, but I am ready to hop in the car and head back down there!</div>
<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-21250111955371250982015-10-06T17:32:00.000-04:002015-10-06T17:32:33.837-04:00Mine and Deanna's MD trip: MD RenFest 2015, Baltimore, AntietamDreams do come true!!! Several months ago, I found out that the great <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/" target="_blank">Diana Gabaldon</a> would be attending the <a href="https://www.rennfest.com/" target="_blank">Maryland Renaissance Festival</a> on September 26th to do a reading and book signing. I have loved her books for many years and have reread the series multiple times. Earlier this year, or may be late last year, I started my friend, Deanna, on the series. She fell instantly in love. We joked about how great it would be to go and see her. I have wanted to take Deanna to Maryland for a long time. Then we joked about having my Uncle Terry make us costumes for the festival. (He's amazing, as you will see shortly.) Finally, we just said, "Let's do it!" I asked my uncle and he was more than happy to make us amazing outfits! He went above and beyond and even drove to my house to do a fitting and drove home the same day (it's about 7 hours one direction.) We entered an email lottery to win a spot to have Diana sign our books. Miracle upon miracle, I won! My aunt won, also, and was kind enough to stand in line with me to have Deanna's books signed.<br />
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A peek at our amazing outfits. (iPhone)<br />
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(iPhone)</div>
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As we waited for Diana Gabaldon to take the stage, we were treated with two wonderful acts - <a href="http://www.cudubh.com/Cu_Dubh/Cu_Dubh.html" target="_blank">Cu Dubh</a> (pronounced koo-doo; translates to black dog) a Celtic bagpipe and drum band; and <a href="http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com/" target="_blank">Mediaeval Baebes</a>, a classic choral ensemble from London. Both were very talented and very entertaining.</div>
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Diana Gabaldon holding storytime. If you have a love for reading you need to add "Have my favorite author read to me" to your bucket list. It was incredible to hear her speaking her words.</div>
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Me and Diana. She was amazing. She complimented me on my outfit and smiled nicely while I babbled! (iPhone)</div>
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Me. Directly after meeting Diana. Think I was excited? (Photo cred - Deanna)</div>
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A "street" act. They were singing an Irish folk song that I knew!</div>
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Death Wheel.</div>
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As the King and Queen, Aunt Holly and Uncle Terry hand out necklaces and rings to the little kids. It was really sweet to watch.</div>
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Yes, Uncle Terry made all these outfits. They are incredible. Also, check out the mad photo bombing skills by the mimes!</div>
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On Sunday we ventured into Baltimore. I try to make it to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm" target="_blank">Fort McHenry</a> every visit, but it doesn't always happen. So much of my childhood, and even my teens, were spent at the fort. It has truly become one of my favorite places. </div>
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Oh, Say can you see . . .</div>
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You never know what you will find when you open things!</div>
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Orpheus has always been my favorite statue at the fort.</div>
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Francis Scott Key Bridge</div>
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Selfie with the flag flying in the background (iPhone)</div>
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Another of my favorite Maryland spots is <a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm" target="_blank">Antietam National Battlefield</a>. I have visited several battlefields over the years, including Gettysburg, but there is just something about Antietam. Quite frankly, it gives me the willies. When I stand at Burnside's Bridge I can feel the presence of all the soldiers that fell on that day in 1862. It's a quiet, eerie place that has such a strong pull. It's amazing, if that's the right word to describe the spot of the bloodiest day in American history. </div>
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Dunker Church</div>
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Sherrick Farmhouse</div>
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Strange bug on the bridge</div>
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Burnside's Bridge</div>
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Witness to history - That big old Sycamore tree, on the left side of the photo, survived the battle and saw the entire thing unfold. There are photos from the time following the battle that show a much smaller, younger version of that old tree. As Deanna said, "Oh, the stories trees could tell."</div>
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<br />JCommonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438069874105892446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3243354472358432675.post-62723056472207088032015-09-15T15:04:00.001-04:002015-09-15T15:04:31.560-04:00Carver's Gap and Roan High KnobYesterday was a beautiful fall-like day with highs in the low 60s and bright blue skies. I couldn't wait to head out with my camera. I drove straight to Carver's Gap. I didn't realize how much anxiety and trepidation I had returning to Carver's Gap. I hadn't been up there since February's <a href="http://www.jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-little-bit-of-snow-on-roan.html" target="_blank">near disaster!</a> My heart was beating fast, I had sweat on my brow, and I was white knuckle gripping the steering wheel, but all was fine!<div>
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A look back down the road after conquering my anxiety. (from my iPhone)</div>
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Looking back over the town of Roan Mountain.</div>
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I've never been to the <a href="http://www.roanmountain.com/gardens.htm" target="_blank">Roan Mountain Rhododendron Gardens</a> and decided to explore the area. Wow. I have hiked <a href="http://www.jcommonsphotography.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-hike-on-appalachian-trail.html" target="_blank">Round Bald</a> and areas of Roan Mountain State Park, but I've never hiked the actual Roan Mountain. I loved it! </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first area I came to was the site of the once opulent Cloudland Hotel. "For more than 20 years, people of means traveled to Roan Mountain to enjoy the healthful mountain air and cool summers. The first hotel - 1 21-room, spruce log retreat - was replaced in 1885 by a grand three-story hotel. The elegant Cloudland Hotel boasted carpets, find furniture, copper bathtubs, and steam heat. Guests enjoyed bowling, croquet, and golf on the grounds. They relaxed in rockers on the wide porches and dined on three sumptuous meals each day. All this for $2 per day, $10 per week, or $30 per month. In the early 1900s, Cloudland Hotel lost its luster and by 1910 it was abandoned and dismantled. Today, nothing remains on the flat knoll once crowned by opulence." - From the information marquee. </span></div>
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View of the site where the hotel once stood.</div>
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The view from the hotel site.</div>
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And if you are an <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/outlander-series/" target="_blank">"Outlander"</a> fan, know that this overlooks the area that encompasses Fraser's Ridge. Diana Gabaldon mentions Roan Mountain (which I am standing on) and Black Mountain (in the photo) in her descriptions of the areas surrounding Fraser's Ridge!</div>
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Views from the parking lot.</div>
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The Cloudland Trail leads from the parking lot to the rhododendron gardens and to the top of Roan Mountain and Roan High Knob. It was a magical path, covered in moss and ferns, that made me feel like I was in a fairy forest. And I was greeted by a large bunny!</div>
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There was a great overlook off of the path.</div>
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I can't wait to head back up the Cloudland Trail and take in these majestic views. I also found a rhododendron loop path, but I was too tired to explore it!! Next time.</div>
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