Rich Mountain Road

 

We drove to Cade Cove and turned onto a dirt road that took us on an adventure that was more then what we had anticipated.  Rich Mountain Road is steep, winding, and rough with many a sharp turn and very risky for a car.  We crossed Indian Grave Gap Trail and one will have to be physically fit to hike that trail.  It was a 8 mile, one-way gravel road winding around Rich Mountain that leads to Tuckaleechee Cove and Townsend, TN.  The road has stunning views down into Cades Cove.  You can see Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church.  It is one of the most remote locations in the Smokies.

Clouds Came Down to Earth

"Clouds Came Down to Earth"

 

Clouds came down to Earth

And sit at my feet,

No place to wander

Not far the eye could see,

For thick and grey was the air,

The trees did not bend,

from the whisper of the wind

Nor did the birds whimper

As stillness fell on the earth

Covering her in blankets of grey...

By PL Fallin

August "Land of Blue Smoke" Gallery

Cloudy but hot August day in the Smoky Mountains.  The pictures speak for themselves. 

Fort Fremont at Saint Helena Island

Fort Fremont is located on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina.  The beach is not accessible except for a over grown trail and there needs to be cleanup from trash people have left on the beach.  The park is small and it only took us less then an hour to tour the fort. 

Among the Driftwood at Hunting Island Beach

Hunting Island Beach is covered in driftwood.  We visited the island in August and it was not very crowded since most people were interested in touring the Lighthouse and walking the trails.  Beaufort is part of the South Carolina low country famous for it's southern cooking, marshland, and beaches.

Lagoon Access and Marsh Boardwalk Trails, Hunting Island

The Lagoon Access Trail is 1.4 miles and winds along the lagoon.  It leads you through the maritime forest.  The Marsh Board Walk Trail and Crossover are easy hiking trails that connects the Lagoon Access Trail and the Maritime Forest.

Hunting Island State Park and Lighthouse

Hunting Island is South Carolina's most popular state park.  The island has 5 miles of beach, maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and thousands of acres of marsh and tidal creeks.  The lighthouse was built in 1859. 

A Scrooge Family Christmas: A Christmas Pageant

 

I have been directing a play for the Children's Express Theatre with a cast of 34 children, youth and adults.  It is a parody based on Charles Dickens' characters from "The Christmas Carol."   Instead of one Scrooge, we have a modern day Scrooge family.  There is the Spirit of Christmas Present; the Spirits of Christmas Future and the Spirit of Christmas Past who explains the real meaning of Christmas.  There will only be one performance but it will be video recorded for You Tube.

Coastal Wetlands of Lake Huron

 

 

I am always posting pictures of Florida marshes and wetlands but the great lakes also have beautiful wetlands.

"Ends of the Earth" Port Austin Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are posted in sequence of my walk.  I love the aqua waters of Lake Huron against a endless horizon.  Located at the tip of the thumb of Michigan, Port Austin is know for fishing i.e. lake trout, walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, brown trout, salmon and steelhead.  It was a quiet and rainy day with very few people at the pier.  One of the best walks for scenery if you enjoy walking to the "ends of the earth."

There is a band "Lord Huron" that named themselves after Lake Huron.  One of their songs is entitled "Ends of the Earth"

"Oh, there's a river that winds on forever
I'm gonna see where it leads
Oh, there's a mountain that no man has mounted
I'm gonna stand on the peak"

Shaconage "Blue, Like Smoke"

I set my camera to take black and white pictures of the cloudy mountain peaks.  The clouds were so thick you could not see the mountain range or even the steep cliffs.  It was a visual "smoke without fire" effect.  The Cherokees called the Smoky Mountains Shaconage meaning "Blue, Like smoke."