Spring Daffys!

Bright yellow Daffodils. Surely the best sign that Spring is here.

Winter, however, is reluctant to release its grip on us and continues to dump snow on the Rockies, the Plains and now the Midwest and points east. Hang in there folks, Spring will prevail. ENJOY!

Happiness Is!

Being able to publish a post on my blog. As it turns out, I had to download Firefox 4 to get this post published. Apparently the new Internet Explorer 9 can interfere with Blogger's folks trying to publish a post and a whole lot of folks have been having this problem. As did I tonight, so if you encounter this issue, download Firefox 4. Problem solved. And now on to regularly scheduled post . . . HAPPINESS IS Spring! ENJOY!

Walking the Plank!

A few pics of my walk out on the Canopy Tree Walk at Bernheim on Sunday.


In the middle of this image, way way out in the distance is one of the warehouses of Jim Beam Distillery.

The forest hasn't awakened from its winter nap yet.

It actually did feel a little bit like walking the plank because I'm fiercely afraid of heights, so I had to focus my eye on the end of the boardwalk. And when I did that it felt like I was walking a plank. If I looked to either side, left or right, it just didn't suit me too well. OK I was scared. You're at least 15" above the forest floor as you look out over the forest. The Canopy Tree Walk was built in 2006 and this is the first time I decided to "walk the plank". Have a great weekend, even my friends in the northeast who got all that wet snow! ENJOY!

Spring Blooms!

Today was a gorgeous day. Blue skies, lots of sunshine, a little nippy but that's ok. It's still early in Spring. I'm going to overlook the fact that when I went to bed last night it snowed and left a trace on the ground when I got up this morning. Here's just a few images I took of this beautiful Japanese Magnolia Tree which greeted me as I entered Bernheim this afternoon. Such beautiful trees with gorgeous large blooms that resemble tulips and I love the craggy look of the bark too. There were several Japanese Magnolias situated around the arboretum as well. I have to admit I usually don't visit Bernheim this early in Spring but I wanted to see what was blooming so early. Apparently Japanese Magnolias bloom earlier in Spring. What is it about beautiful Spring blooms that makes us all smile? Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday. ENJOY!

Happy New Year!

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year's Eve and a prosperous and healthy New Year! If you have a New Year's Resolution, I bid you luck with that. I don't normally do resolutions, but this year, I've resolved to lose weight and started dieting yesterday. Ugh! It's for the best. Wish me luck. ENJOY!

Falls Last Color

I love the reds of Fall the most. These bushes commanded attention so I had to give them their do. This was two weeks ago in Bernheim. I like the way the sun backlit the scene. Although it made it hard to pop the red a little when I dropped it in my paint.net software. Hope you're not still eating that leftover turkey. ENJOY!

Mushroom, GSMNP

When we hike, we oftentimes don't stop and take the time to look down at what's on the forest floor. I oftentimes stop and take a look at what's on the forest floor because without it the forest would not be nearly as interesting were it not for the moss, the leaves, the dead tree trunks, the insects, the wildflowers, and yes, even the mushrooms. So the next time you're out hiking, stop and look down, look all around. You'll see things you wouldn't have seen had you not. Is that what they call hiker's wisdom? Enjoy!

Fall, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Here's to a little bit of a crazy Monday. Blew out a brand new tire on the highway. Made about 25 stops. Too much work, too little time. Enjoy!

Greenbrier, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

All paths lead to somewhere. Have you taken one lately! Along the road in the Greenbrier section of the park I stopped to photograph some flowers and noticed this path making its way into the forest. I wonder where it goes. I wished I'd had the time to find out. Enjoy!

A Few More Images From Bernheim