Beautiful Cade's Cove

It has been many years since I had stopped at Cable Mill in the farthest corner of Cade's Cove, but I decided on this trip to pay a visit.

Along the road to Cable Mill, I happened upon several Deer grazing in the fields. Tourists were everywhere photographing them. Several of the Bucks attempted to play fight, but I didn't capture it.

I love to watch the Deer grazing. It's even more fun to try and get good images of them. It looks like these guys are keeping a close eye on all of us photographers too.

John Cable Gristmill was built back in the late 1800's and, along with five or six other structures, moved to the far end of Cade's Cove where the national park also built a Visitors Center in a log cabin style. The gristmill is barely visible in this image, but it's there.

It had been at least fifteen years since I had stopped at Cable Mill. There was one yellow Maple tree in its Fall regalia. I wished I could have brought it home with me. It was beautiful. Sorry for the construction work in this photo, but I still wanted to share it.

The sun was shining making the leaves on this Persimmon tree really pop. While I was capturing this image, people kept getting into my shots. I just kept shooting around them. I did something different this trip. I kept a mental note of all the license plates from different states that I saw during the time in the park. When I left I was up to 21 different states. All of the Southeast and mid Atlantic states were covered and a few Northeast and Midwest states were represented. The farthest state from the park I happened upon was from Oregon. Gads what a drive. ENJOY!

Linking to Foodie Friday & Everything Else

White Tailed Deer, Sander's Ferry Park

A few weeks ago I encountered two White Tailed Deer fawns grazing on the lawn at Sander's Ferry Park in Hendersonville while two bucks devoured the low hanging branches of a shrub nearby. Today I happened upon the same family hanging out in almost the same location at the park.

The park is a mere five minutes from my home and sits on the southeast side of one of two peninsulas separated by Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville. I enjoy driving to the park as the main road runs along residential neighborhoods on the west side and several marinas on the east.

I believe this buck is the matriarch of the family. When he gives the cue everyone takes off in unison. No doubt I will encounter this family again. Hope you are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend. ENJOY!

Fallow Deer, Land Between the Lakes

My favorite image of the Fallow Deer I photographed at Land Between the Lakes a month ago. ENJOY!

Fallow Deer, Land Between the Lakes

Land Between the Lakes is a patch of land that sits between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake in the southwestern part of Kentucky. It runs north to south between the two lakes. It is only about an hour and a half from Nashville. I decided to visit recently before the cooler temperatures drifted in and the leaves began to change color. I especially wanted to visit the Elk and Bison Prairie.

After a brief visit to the Elk and Bison Prairie, knowing I would stop back before heading home, I drove a few short miles to Hermatite Lake. This is a small lake that sits on the eastern side of Land Between the Lakes. I had hoped to captured images of the Lotus flowers there, but after a short hike realized they were not in an easy spot to photograph.

As I was leaving Hermatite Lake, four White Tailed Deer wondered into the parking area. Except one of the Deer was very very light in color. A quick 'Google' search determined I had encountered a Fallow Deer. The one lighter colored Deer was a Fallow Deer. Fallow Deer are indigenous to Asia and Europe and were imported to the United States back in the early 1900's. There are as few as 150 Fallow Deer remaining in Kentucky at Land Between the Lakes.

They are considered an endangered species and hunters are prohibited from hunting them. Beside being much lighter in color, the other distinctive marking that sets the Fallow Deer apart from their counterpart, the White Tailed Deer, is their large flat antlers. Their antlers resemble a Moose's antlers although I am not sure if they are as large. You never know what you are going to find when you venture out. Amazing find. Back soon with images from the Elk and Bison Prairie. ENJOY!

Babes of Spring

After a day of rain a few weekends ago, I drove the short route to Long Hunter State Park located on the southeast side of Priest Lake. I had only visited this park one other time back in February in the dead of Winter. On that visit I captured a few images of a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker which was a Life List bird for me.

On this visit new green grasses blanketed the large fields along the drive into the park with woods on either side. I slowed down half way back into the park as I approached several White Tailed Deer munching on the new grasses of Spring.

Sitting in my car, I watched them as they quietly grazed on the grasses. Occasionally, one of them would wander back toward the edge of the woods and reach up and grab a leaf off of a low hanging branch. All the while they seem to keep an eye on me.

As I was about to pull away and head back home, with dusk fast approaching, this little guy turned before departing into the woods and looked back over his shoulder at me as if to bid me farewell. I snapped a few images of him and then off he went. I will be back soon, but until then have a fantastic weekend. ENJOY!

Linking to Saturday Critters

Merry Christmas to All!

Wishing each and every one of my friends all around the globe a joyous and happy holiday. Merry Christmas to All. ENJOY!

Buck, Along the Bluegrass Scenic Byway

It had been late Spring since I had paid a visit to the Bluegrass area near Midway to check out the horse farms. So when I took the day off Friday, I decided a drive along the Byway was in order. While the Fall color wasn't perfect, as peak color is late this year, the drive itself was still as beautiful.

Off Highway 1681, the main byway route, I took a turn onto a side road that leads back to several horse farms. Normally I take this detour and drive back about a quarter mile before turning around and heading back to the main highway. This turn off always presents deer grazing in the thickets just off the road. Today was no exception as there was a doe grazing in the thicket not far from the road. As I turned my car around to head back to the main highway, I looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of this buck. He was grazing in an open area between two thickets. And to my surprise, he was sporting a full rack. I'd forgotten that it was late October and I should expect to find the bucks with full antlers in display. It was a pleasant surprise. Knowing the buck was too far away for a decent photo, I still snapped a few images with my 300mm. Before I purchased my 300mm I always kept my 200mm lens on my camera. Now my 300mm stays on my camera at all times. There's only a few instances where I have to downgrade to the 200mm. When you photograph wildlife and landscapes for the most part, as I do, the longer the lens the better. ENJOY!

Bucks & Bears, Cade's Cove

A classic Cade's Cove image of a rusted wire fence anchoring the motor route. In this image you're looking out across the meadow toward the Smoky Mountains. All of the meadows were laden with Daisies while Black Eyed Susans were growing along the fenceline throughout the route.

It wouldn't be a perfect Cade's Cove visit without seeing White Tailed Deer everywhere you turn. Several Bucks were seen munching on meadow grasses midway through the auto tour. As I stopped to snap this photo, I wondered, "Where were the girls?" And then as I drove down around a bend, my question was answered, as I found several Does busy grazing there.

Just as I was close to the end of the auto tour that winds its way throughout Cade's Cove, this Black Bear decided to create a stir by coming out of the woods for a few minutes and getting all of the park visitors along the motor route jumping out of their cars anxious to get an image. As it turned out, I had already parked my car and had walked in the direction of an old log home near this woods so I snapped this image fairly easily.

It was good to get away for a few days and take in this beautiful park. ENJOY!

Fall & Freshen Up

I'm no expert, but recently I read keeping your blog 'fresh' is a great idea when you've had a blog for some time and especially if you get to feeling lackluster about blogging in general. So here's what I did to change things up.

I started by giving my header a makeover. I downloaded 'copyright free' textures and graphics for the background, added two of my images to the foreground of the header and saved it as a collage. Then I switched to outlined fonts and changed the font colors. I also added a seasonal description at the top. I've noticed other bloggers do this too. Keeping to one of the important rules of blogging, if you care about that stuff, I sized my header to half the size of my screen so my content is visible. I'm guessing the header is the opening act and the real drama is your posts and sidebar.

A few other things you can do to freshen up your blog: Customizing your template background width and colors, switching to new fonts and colors and changing your layout format or columns are all great things you can do. Beware, Blogger recently closed the old dashboard only to discover the new dashboard won't allow you to customize template features. So they're working to fix it. Other things you can consider might be changing the flow of your sidebar components or repositioning the sidebar images. I did this on my blog and put what I consider my number one image at the top. Categorizing your Blogrolls is another option you can try and something I've chosen to feature on my blog. Design and decor bloggers do the best job of this I've noticed. It really aids your followers when they're blog surfing from your blog.

And the single most important thing you can do. Get outside, take your camera, shoot something different, look at things in a different light. You'd be amazed what you can create from images you don't think will serve your purpose. Drop them in your software, add textures, borders, labels, make a header, whatever. After freshening up my blog I've decided it was a good thing because it actually empowered me to get back into the blogworld more than what I had been recently. Like I said, I'm no expert. These post images were taken Sunday while on a short drive through the Bluegrass area of Kentucky. I wanted a sharper image of the young buck, but he moved on too fast for me to capture it. ENJOY!

Deer In Winter Snow, Louisville, Kentucky

Winter snow is always beautiful, but a deer in winter snow is more beautiful. Hope your week is going well. ENJOY!

Bluegrass Scenic Byway, Midway, Kentucky!

Just a quick post to share with you this lovely creature that unexpectedly was grazing by the side of the road along the Bluegrass Scenic Byway a few weeks ago during a Saturday afternoon drive. I had pulled off onto a lane and looked up to see him staring back at me. I think deer are one of the few animals that every time you see one, your heart skips a beat. Perhaps it's because most of the time seeing a deer can be fleeting. Most of the time, they take off the moment they spot you. Along the byway around Midway, however, they stay perfectly still staring back at you. I think it's because there's a lot of tourism in this area and they've adapted to the number of visitors. ENJOY!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Cade's Cove Wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Many times I have visited Cade's Cove in the Smokies always to find something interesting. I saw a bear up close there this year. Several years ago I shot this photograph right after I entered Cade's Cove. I have this affinity for breaking rules. It's one of those things I can't help. After I got about half a mile into the cove on this particular day, I spotted a herd of deer a slight distance away in a field. It was getting on toward dusk but I decided to chance it away. I hopped the fence (that's the rule breaking thing) and stood about 200 yards away for probably a half hour or longer photographing the deer and these two bucks who were playing around. I never once turned around in that entire time. When I finished I picked up my tripod and turned around and what do I see, a slew of other photographers with their cameras clicking away behind me. Apparently, they decided to jump the fence and get closer as well. I realize there isn't much detail in my background with the waning light, but I like the two bucks nudging each other just the same. Enjoy!

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cade's Cove is truly a gem basking in the midst of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cade's Cove features vast farmlands, historic buildings where the settlers of yesterday once thrived and various wildlife which you will encounter as you take the scenic motor tour through the valley. You can stop at any number of visitor stops and go inside many of the cabins and out buildings. You really get a feel for what the settlers lives were like when you venture out of your car.

Along this particular drive turkeys were grazing in various fields as I entered the cove. Just past the entrance, I spotted a black bear and her cubs making their way through a field to a nearby woods. Continuing on, I passed a huge valley floor with a large assortment of hay bales dotting the landscape. And then it happened, the unavoidable traffic jam. In the middle of Cade's Cove, there can only be one reason to encounter such a traffic jam, bears. I sat for probably 15 minutes and then finally decided to pull my car off to the shoulder, get out and walk up to the head of the traffic jam. Just as I walked closer to the head of the traffic, about six cars up what should come tromping across the road between two cars and disappearing into a field of tall grass, but quite a large black bear. WHOA! I'm pretty sure it was a Papa Bear too.

As the traffic jam dissipated, I get back in my vehicle to continue on the drive and what do I immediately encounter but a deer and her babies running at full romp across a pasture, hesitating at the fenceline, then jumping the fence, crossing the road, and disppearing into the adjacent woods. Something tells me a black bear just might have disrupted their leisurely afternoon. I hope you enjoy the picks as much as I enjoyed the drive through Cade's Cove. Needless to say, some of the animals were moving kind of fast that day while the vehicles were moving quite slow. Sounds about right to me.

Cades Cove Inhabitant

Several years ago on one of my many trips to Great Smoky Mountains National Park as I would enter Cade's Cove there would be deer grazing. This was just one of many.