new heights

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.
--Pauline R. Kezer

priorities

Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn. 
--Chuck Clark  

Above: Christian, my friend's son, fishing at Warriors' Path State Park in Kingsport, TN.

All Creatures of Our God and King

Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. 
--Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (#2416). 

This little one showed up with her mom around dusk tonight. Had to crank the ISOs to capture her image in the woods around my house. 

Top Image Details: Nikon D7000 with 70-300mm lens at 260mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 2500.

tougher than the rest

Concrete is heavy; iron is hard - but the grass will prevail. 
--Edward Abbey (1927-1989) American author. 

wisdom

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
--Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826) US President. 

The library at Emmanuel Christian Seminary.

tunnel vision

Carve a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.
--Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) Minister and Civil-Rights Leader

alive

Peter taking in the beauty, the roar, and the mist
of Crabtree Falls in Yancey Co, NC

Measure your health by your sympathy with morning and spring. If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature—if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you—know that the morning and spring of your life are past. Thus may you feel your pulse.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher

wilderness pathway

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. 
--Edward Abbey (1927-1989) American writer.

Above: The Unaka Mountain Road. For directions and a detailed discussion of all there is to see and do on Unaka Mountain, click here.

out of the mist

The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. 
--Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) American Journalist. 

Here's to the Crazy Ones

My crazy friend Peter at "Twin Tunnels" along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

"When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money.

That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is - everything around you that you call life, was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.

The minute that you understand that you can poke life and actually something will, you know if you push in, something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it. That’s maybe the most important thing. It’s to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you’re just gonna live in it, versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it.

I think that’s very important and however you learn that, once you learn it, you’ll want to change life and make it better, cause it’s kind of messed up, in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again."
--Steve Jobs (1955-2011) American entrepreneur and inventor.

misty meadow

Landscapes have a language of their own, expressing the soul of the things, lofty or humble, which constitute them, from the mighty peaks to the smallest of the tiny flowers hidden in the meadow's grass. 
--Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969) Belgian-French explorer, spiritualist and writer. 

Above: A quiet meadow found within the Crabtree Falls Campground, mile 340 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Due to budget cuts and sequestration, the campground is closed this summer. Also, the parkway itself is closed for twenty miles south of the road/entrance to Mount Mitchell (Mount Mitchell State Park remains open) due to road instability caused by this summer's heavy rains.  This means that Craggy Gardens, a popular destination along the Parkway, is closed and inaccessible.  Click here for complete information about the Parkway road closures.

illumination

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength. 
--August Wilson (1945-2005) American Writer. 

Above: The spectacular Crabtree Falls in the Mount Mitchell region of NC.  More of my photos of this waterfall here.

yield

Learn to pause ... or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.
--Doug King 

Above: A lone tree found along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

talent and character

Talent develops in quiet, Character in the torrent of the world.  
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German writer.  

Above: Friend, former student and photographer Peter Nelson, taking photos at in Rocky Fork. Check out Peter's impressive gallery...I taught him everything he knows. :)

courtship

The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies.
--Astrid Alauda

Liberty!

 

 

Each July for the last 35 years, the Friends of Sycamore Shoals have entertained audiences and kept history alive with the performance of "Liberty!: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals." From their website: "Tennessee's official outdoor drama is presented against the backdrop of Fort Watauga. See the Revolution as told by the Overmountain Men: colonists who defied British law and settled on Cherokee lands. These settlers formed an independent government, made treaties with the Cherokee, defended their homes, and fought a British army at the epic battle of King's Mountain." Local wedding photographer Michael Kaal and I set out to capture the event, taking 'behind the scenes' photos as well as many of the performance itself. Watch the video above to see our work. I was struck by the dedication and professionalism of the volunteer cast and crew. Their passion for our region's history and for liberty is infectious. It was great to see so many young people take part in the production of this kind.  Thanks to everyone involved!