Week 17 – #38. Serenity In Nature

Some fellow photographers and I recently found ourselves in a quiet little country community in Tennessee by the name of Sequatchie Valley, a place where neighbors take care of neighbors and barns and hay fields are plentiful.  This particular scene made me think of the many days I spent on my Grandpa Sparks’ little farm and playing in his barn. This one is very similar to his except for the fact that his had a hay loft. Can anyone remember playing in your Grandpa’s barn and jumping from the loft onto heaps of hay below?  If you didn’t grow up in the country like I did, you cannot truly appreciate the simple life and “serenity in nature” as shown in this photo.

 

Week 16 – #13. Eight

On a recent trip to North Carolina, I passed by this beautiful lake in the Ocoee, TN area with trees growing in its midst.  Upon close examination of my photo, I saw “eight” trees with varying stages of autumn color.

 

Week 6 – #36. Seasonal Showers/Inclement Weather

On this rainy/foggy day, I could’ve stepped out on my deck in Tennessee and taken a photograph of nothing but deck railing and heavy fog but instead I encouraged Mike to drive up to the top of Signal Mountain in “seasonal showers/inclement weather” where I found this charming little house partially covered with vines and draped in fog.  I was a bit concerned that the rain would damage my camera and lens so I hopped in the back seat and photographed it through the opened back window of the car figuring it best to get the back seat wet than my camera. Smart, eh? I am guessing the house was built in the early 1900’s and has been lovingly restored by its current owners. What a beauty with its gate, fence, front door and window trim all in a beautiful shade of red.  I would love to be invited inside.

 

Week 1 – #23. If Flowers Could Talk

Welcome to another year of blogging! I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoy photographing items which I think represent each of the 2017 – 2018 themes.  During Week 1 on August 1st, I am in Tennessee and as I walked the road where I live, I saw a planter with beautiful pink flowers and I asked myself, “If flowers could talk,” what would these say?  I stood there for several minutes admiring the flowers and started thinking about my buddies who I hold dear, who I enjoy spending time with, and who I can share good times and bad times with.  Then it became obvious to me that these beautiful flowers were a lot like me and would say, “I enjoy hanging out with my buds.”

 

 

Week 39 – #9. Drops of Water

Definition of Fog: (noun) many small drops of water floating in the air above the ground, the sea, etc.

I feel fortunate to be able to call both Florida and Tennessee home. When I depart Florida for my Tennessee home, I can’t help but feel somewhat sad to leave the beautiful beaches and weather behind. When I reach my home in Tennessee, however, I am always happy when I look out my window and see the beautiful mountains and river, no matter what the weather is like. On this particular day, I stood on the deck and watched the boats as they made their way up and down the river as the heavy fog dissipated and it made me realize how much beauty is in the world.

Week 39 – #22. In The Trees

On the little one-lane street where my Tennessee mountain home is located are many large pines and hardwoods. As I was strolling the street a few days ago, I noticed the Wisteria winding its way upward in the trees. Springtime in Tennessee is a beautiful time of year and it seemed to me that it was more beautiful this Spring than in years past. The large purple and white blossoms filled the air with their sweet fragrance and as I stood there, I looked around at the beautiful nature surrounding me and realized how blessed I am. Feeling more artistic than usual, I used a Topaz filter and a Faststone mask for the processing.

15. Decay (Week 41)

When I am at my home in Chattanooga, I always visit my parents’ gravesites located in a small historic area known as St. Elmo, Tennessee. St. Elmo was established in the 1800’s and incorporated into the city of Chattanooga in 1905, according to records. It was in 1907 that this railroad trestle was built and I pass underneath it as I enter into St. Elmo. Although it is in use today, it is in a state of decay and is in dire need of repair.

26. Fear

On a beautiful day last Fall, Mike and I were in Chattanooga and decided to drive to an area known as Fall Creek Falls. With tripod and camera gear in hand, we set out hiking up the side of the mountain. What a steep climb it was! Along the way, we passed several small waterfalls and being the tomboy I am, I elected to scoot down to the bottom of one of those smaller falls and photograph people as they were walking across a swinging bridge. Crossing that bridge seems pretty simple looking at it from the bottom up; however, when I began crossing it, I was in mortal fear. With each step I took, it would sway and bounce and with each step others took, it swayed and bounced even more. Once I reached the other side, the only thing I could think of was I had to cross it again coming back down. The hike up the mountain was brutal for both of us and we quickly realized how out of shape we were. When we actually arrived at the big Fall on top, we looked to our left only to see a large parking lot! Can you believe we hiked all the way up that mountain only to discover that we could have driven?