"Where Shadows Chases Light"

Where Shadow Chases Light

This is my delight,
thus to wait and watch at the wayside
where shadow chases light
and the rain comes in the wake of the summer.

Messengers, with tidings from unknown skies,
greet me and speed along the road.
My heart is glad within,
and the breath of the passing breeze is sweet.

From dawn till dusk I sit here before my door,
and I know that of a sudden
the happy moment will arrive when I shall see.

In the meanwhile I smile and I sing all alone.
In the meanwhile the air is filling with the perfume of promise.

By Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

"A Light Exist In Spring"

A Light Exists In Spring

By Emily Dickinson

A light exists in spring
Not present on the year
At any other period.
When March is scarcely here

A color stands abroad
On solitary hills
That science cannot overtake,
But human naturefeels.

It waits upon the lawn;
It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
It almost speaks to me.

Then, as horizons step,
Or noons report away,
Without the formula of sound,
It passes, and we stay:

A quality of loss
Affecting our content,
As trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a sacrament.                         

In The Morning Glow

          

Flower-Gathering

By Robert Frost

I left you in the morning,

And in the morning glow,
You walked a way beside me
To make me sad to go.
Do you know me in the gloaming,
Gaunt and dusty gray with roaming?
Are you dumb because you know me not,
Or dumb because you know?

All for me And not a question
For the faded flowers gay
That could take me from beside you
For the ages of a day?
They are yours, and be the measure
Of their worth for you to treasure,
The measure of the little while
That I've been long away

The Woods that Bring the Sunset

The Woods That Bring The Sunset Near

The wind from out the west is blowing.

The homeward-wandering cows are lowing;

Dark grow the pine-woods, dark and drear--

The woods that bring the sunset near.

 

When o'er wide seas the sun declines,

Far off its fading glory shines,--

Far off, sublime, and full of fear,--

The pine-woods bring the sunset near.

 

This house that looks to east, to west,

This, dear one, is our home, our rest;

Yonder the stormy sea, and here

The woods that bring the sunset near.

By Richard Watson Gilder (1844-1909)

One Misty, Moisty Morning

One misty, moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment, and I began to grin,
How do you do, and how do you do?
And how do you do again?


 "Mother Goose, the Original Volland Edition," (1915)

Mountain Creek Lake at Callaway Gardens

Early spring at the Discovery Center on Mountain Creek Lake at Callaway Gardens.  I took my mother there for a afternoon visit.  There were very few people there so we enjoyed a quiet and peaceful walk around the center.

A Pine Mountain Christmas

 

 

 

 

Christmas is over but the memories will linger of family time in front of the fireplace.  Grandma and granddaughters enjoying each others company with Peanut, grandma's beloved dog.  A southern Christmas without snow but cold enough for a nice warm fire throughout the evening.  A relax time with bare feet and PJ's, laughter and just the joy of being together. 

Southern Memories Pine Valley

These photos were taken in August across from Callaway Country Store when the weather was warm and sunny and flowering trees were still blooming.  Memories of summer to keep me warm in a chilly November day.

Pine Mountain Valley

 
It is not often I get  pictures of clouds at Pine Mountain Valley.  It is usually no clouds, hot and too bright and the landscape colors look faded.  Finally, glorious clouds floated in front of my camera.  The foliage is not fully turned into the autumn magnificent colors but I am happy for the clouds!

Christmas on Pine Mountain

 My family and I stayed in a cabin on Pine Mountain for the Christmas holidays.  It was wonderful for it to be cold enough to have a fire burning to beat off the chills. The warmth from the fireplace and beams of light from the sunset help to make it a special time for us; particularly having my mom and stepfather there to enjoy it with us.

Pine Mountain Valley - Early Spring

 

 

Early Spring

Once more the Heavenly Power
Makes all things new,
And domes the red-plowed hills
With loving blue;
The blackbirds have their wills,
The throstles too.

Opens a door in Heaven;
From skies of glass
A Jacob's ladder falls
On greening grass,
And o'er the mountain-walls
Young angels pass.

Before them fleets the shower,
And burst the buds,
And shine the level lands,
And flash the floods;
The stars are from their hands
Flung through the woods,

The woods with living airs
How softly fanned,
Light airs from where the deep,
All down the sand,
Is breathing in his sleep,
Heard by the land.

O, follow, leaping blood,
The season's lure!
O heart, look down and up,
Serene, secure,
Warm as the crocus cup,
Like snow-drops, pure!

Past, Future glimpse and fade
Through some slight spell,
A gleam from yonder vale,
Some far blue fell;
And sympathies, how frail,
In sound and smell!

Till at thy chuckled note,
Thou twinkling bird,
The fairy fancies range,
And, lightly stirred,
Ring little bells of change
From word to word.

For now the Heavenly Power
Makes all things new,
And thaws the cold, and fills
The flower with dew;
The blackbirds have their wills,
The poets too.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Dowdell's Knob Overlook

 

The panoramic view is from  Dowdell's Knob on top of Pine Mountain.  These images were taken in March when the trees were just starting to show new growth.  Dowdell's Know was a favorite place for Franklin D. Roosevelt to have picnics and think about world events.

Molly Hugger Hill - Rocks, Leaves, Bees and Shirtless

Molly Hugger Hill Trail is located on Pine Mountain.  This is the third time for me hiking on Pine Mountain which has 22 miles of trails.  On the Molly Hugger Hill trail there are a lot of tree stumps and rocks.  The rocks are covered by 7 inches of leaves and there are rocks around all the tree roots.  A portion of the trail is currently home to a band of bees, a couple of them tried to chase me down.  Even though, it was early spring the weather was 73F and it became very hot with no shade from the trees.  New leaves had not started growing so a person could see the slopes of the hills through the bare trees.  I became so hot that in order to cool down, I had to take off my sweat shirt and hike part of the way shirtless.  Thankfully, no other hikers were in sight to witness my partial stripe tease.

"From Dewy Dreams, My Soul, Arise"

From Dewy Dreams

From dewy dreams, my soul, arise,
From love's deep slumber and from death,
For lo! the treees are full of sighs
Whose leaves the morn admonisheth.

Eastward the gradual dawn prevails
Where softly-burning fires appear,
Making to tremble all those veils
Of grey and golden gossamer.

While sweetly, gently, secretly,
The flowery bells of morn are stirred
And the wise choirs of faery
Begin (innumerous!) to be heard.

By James Joyce

Hold My Hand In Remembrance

Hold My Hand at Dowdell's Knob

I came here often,
Sitting here alone,
I asked for no company,
Only quiet solitude,
Thinking about what to do.
The world was in chaos,
My power was great,
Decisions I had to make.
A heavy heart worn ed
From deciding men's fate.
My bones were weak,
My strength was fading
On a warm springs day,
Death came calling,
 And stopped at my gate.

Sitting here forever,
Smiling in quiet solitude.
As seasons change,
New generations are born,
They never knew me
or speak my name.
I have been waiting
For your company,
To share my history.
So young farm girl,
Who lived through the war,
Sit by me, hold my hand,
Share your memories,
Of days gone-by,
In remembrance of me.
On this pine mountain ridge.

(Dedicated to my mom)
By PL Fallin

Dowdells's Knob - The Last Visit

In 1945, a weary Roosevelt visited Dowdell's Knob and ask his secret service men to leave him alone in the car, walk up the road, and not come back until they heard the car horn.  He stay there alone for 2 hours enjoying his last visit with nature.  He died two days later.

Pine Mountain

Pine Mountain Lookout