ambition

Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.
--Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Spanish painter

shake shake shake

The greatest and noblest pleasure which men can have in this world is to discover new truths; and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
--Frederick The Great (1712-1786) King of Prussia

A river otter dries off after a swim at Grandfather Mountain's wildlife habitat.

reflections

The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.
--James Allen (1855-1942) New Zealander Statesman

A canoe on Wilbur Lake as the fog rolls in. The waters found there are cold all year round as they are drawn from the bottom of Watauga Lake by the Watauga Dam which is located immediately upstream. Wilbur Dam was the first hydroelectric dam in Tennessee, constructed in 1912 and then subsequently made part of the TVA system of dams in the 1930s.

summer beauty

Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.
--Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849) American poet

Black Rock Nature Trail

This one mile hike at Grandfather Mountain offers spectacular views in all directions from an enormous boulder known as Black Rock. The hike itself is an easy one mile self-guided nature walk culminating in panoramic views in all directions including Grandfather Mountain, Grandmother Mountain, Beacon Heights and Rough Ridge. The rocky, but relatively flat trail begins at the Hiker's Parking Area, passes by another natural feature known as Arch Rock and includes a number of very interesting markers which describe the various natural wonders found along the way.

At the end of the trail, there is a loop, turn to the right and you'll come to a smaller outcropping, continue on in a counter-clockwise fashion and you'll arrive at the main attraction. A short ladder and helpful rope lead to the top of Black Rock and some spectacular views. The panoramic photo above is made up of five images stitched together of Grandfather Mountain taken from Black Rock. The first thumbnail photo (top right) shows the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, the second one is of Grandmother Mountain, and the third photo shows the Blue Ridge Parkway as it makes its way around Rough Ridge (click photos to enlarge). For more information and a trail map, click here.

taste and see

Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days, seeing beauty in everything.
--Amethyst Wyldfyre

Details: Nikon D90, 70-300mm Nikkor lens at 240mm, 1/800 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 800

nostalgia

If you're yearning for the good old days, just turn off the air conditioning.
--Griff Niblack

Another look at the 'Mile-High Swinging Bridge' at Grandfather Mountain -- this photo was taken on Father's Day and was made to look old with the addition of two 'texturized' layers in Photoshop. One added a burlap texture/color and the other added the dark vignette/border to the image. I also desaturized the underlying photo to give it more of a faded look. Here's a helpful video tutorial on how it's done. Click here to see another Grandfather photo that I worked on.

Related...the “good old days” are now.

put your heart into it

A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything.
--David Grayson (1870-1946) American journalist and author

The "mile-high swinging bridge" at Grandfather Mountain.

Father's Day

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."
--Harmon Killebrew (b.1936) Major League Baseball player

Here are a couple of recent photos of my friend Ed and his baby boy, Edward Joseph or "EJ" as they call him. Big Ed graduated last weekend from Drill Sergeant School. Gotta love the matching camo in the photo above! :) More photos here and here.

Roan Beauty

Man makes holy what he believes, as he makes beautiful what he loves.
--Ernest Renan (1823-1892) French philosopher and writer

The 63rd Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival is this weekend, celebrating what organizers call "the most gorgeous display of natural beauty on the North American continent." However, there aren't as many buds blooming this year due to the weather and the natural cycle of the plants, so don't expect the rhododendron gardens to be quite as spectacular as in year's past. But there's still much to see and do on Roan Mountain (click here for information). And the festival itself offers food, music, arts and crafts - click here for a schedule of events for today and tomorrow. Construction will close the road leading to the top of the mountain after July 7th, so now is the perfect time to visit the Roan.

nature and silence

Nature and silence go better together.
--Astrid Alauda

Click here to learn more about this beautiful cascading waterfall found near the Blue Ridge Parkway (Mile #344) in the Mount Mitchell area of North Carolina.

Consider the Lilies

Tiger Lily

"Consider the Lilies"

Consider the lilies of the field,
How they grow, how they grow.
Consider the birds in the sky,
How they fly, how they fly.

He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky.
And He will feed those who trust Him,
And guide them with His eye.

Consider the sheep of His fold,
How they follow where He leads.
Though the path may wind across the mountains,
He knows the meadows where they feed.

He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky,
And He will feed those who trust Him,
And guide them with His eye.

Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth.
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth.

He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And He will heal those who trust Him,
And make their hearts as gold.

the hilltop hour

The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.
--Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Mist lays low in the valley in this shot taken well after sunset from Roan Mountain looking into Tennessee.

voyage of discovery

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
--Marcel Proust (1871-1922) French novelist

being free

Can I tell you something
Got to tell you one thing
If you expect the freedom
That you say is yours
Prove that you deserve it
Help us to preserve it
Or being free will just be
Words and nothing more
--Kansas, "Can I Tell You" American Rock Band, 1974

Happy Flag Day! :)

stir the fire

To help the young soul, to add energy, inspire hope, and blow the coals into a useful flame; to redeem defeat by new thought and firm action, this, though not easy, is the work of divine man.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist and philosopher

Flame azalea in the misty Roan Highlands.

luna moth

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.
--St. John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople

The spectacular luna moth is said to be fairly common, but seldom seen. These beautiful and distinctive moths fly only at night in late spring and early summer, with their huge, green wings (3-4.5 inch spread). Male and female luna moths are nearly identical, with the males having larger, bushier antennae. Once they reach adulthood, they never eat -- they have no mouths! They live only a week, with their sole purpose to find a mate.

going in

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
--John Muir (1838-1914), Naturalist and Conservationist

Price Lake at Sunset. This is an identical shot to the one posted here, taken at the same time, the only difference being a different white balance setting. Just goes to show what a dramatic difference the white balance setting can have on an image! We usually think about making sure we set the 'correct' white balance setting, however, it can also be used creatively to either dramatically warm or cool an image to give it an entirely different feel. Another example here.

the beginning of love

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
--Thomas Merton (1915-1968) Author and Monk

Deep green hues reflect off the waters of the fascinating Weir Dam located on the South Holston River outside of Bristol, TN. More photos, information and directions here.

lost and found

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
--Thomas Merton (1915-1968) Author and Monk

great expectations

High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.
--Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958) American engineer

The view from the Unaka Mountain Overlook outside of Erwin, TN. This overlook is one of the many wonders to experience along the 12 mile long Unaka Mountain Road which climbs and curves its way over and around the mountain. A short spur off of the road lead to this overlook. In years past, this short section of road was in terrible shape. But they've now cleared and smoothed it -- and also cut back the brush opening the vistas to the south. I still, however, recommend a higher clearance vehicle for this trip. For a list of all there is to see and do on Unaka Mountain, click here.

The Coach

Some favorite quotes from Coach John Wooden (1910-2010), the Hall of Fame UCLA basketball coach, revered by many as the greatest basketball coach ever -- who passed away yesterday at age 99. (Article here, inspiring speech by Coach Wooden here).

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

“It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

“The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.”

“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”

“If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

"Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow."

"Talent is God given. Be humble. 
Fame is man-given. Be grateful. 
Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

drawn to the high altars

The disciples are drawn to the high altars with magnetic certainty, knowing that a great Presence hovers over the ranges ... You were within the portals of the temple ... to enter the wilderness and seek, in the primal patterns of nature, a magical union with beauty.
--Ansel Adams (1902-1984) American photographer

This is Hayes Crowley (trail name 'Opie'), who I met last night at the Beauty Spot outside of Erwin, TN. Very laid back and friendly, it was fun talking to Opie and hearing about his life and his experiences out on the trail. It's my experience that thru-hikers are some of the most interesting people on the planet. It's a long standing tradition that AT thru-hikers adopt a trail name by which they're known to one another -- it becomes their trail persona. I suppose it's just another way for the hikers to leave the world behind. Some choose their own names while others wait and let other hikers assign a name based on experiences out on the trail. For instance, one was named "Silver Foot" because of all the duct tape used to prevent blisters. Another named "Stitches" after she fell and, well, you already know the rest. One was named "Librarian" because of the number of AT guidebooks in her pack. Opie simply said it was a name he'd been called. He's originally from Atlanta, and attends Appalachian State where he majors in English (at least for now). Opie got a late start on the AT, so he doubts he'll get the entire trail conquered this year, but that seemed to be okay with him. If I were a thru-hiker, I'd have given him the trail name "No worries." More on trail names here and here.

bold freedom

How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold? Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root, and in that freedom bold.
--William Wordsworth (1770-1850) English Poet

A field of red poppies adorn the covered bridge located at the Farmhouse Gallery and Gardens, Unicoi, TN.