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Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Few Favorites

We are in the middle of a major heat wave, and my camera and I have been pretty much staying in the air conditioning. So, since I haven't been out to look for new photo opportunities, I decided to dig out a few old photos to share.

The tulip tree (also called tulip poplar or yellow poplar) is Indiana's state tree. They're not really a common "landscape" tree and are found mostly in woods. But a friend of ours had this tree in her yard, and we just happened to be there when it was in bloom. And then, as an added bonus, this butterfly appeared on the scene.


And this butterfly was on a gorgeous azalea bush at the Dairy Queen in Cherokee, North Carolina.


Mist hanging over a mountain stream in the Smoky Mountains.


A small, unnamed waterfall on the Middle Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.


An autumn view from a Gatlinburg overlook on the Gatlinburg Bypass in the Smokies.


A view of fall colors from Campbell Overlook, one of my favorite views in Smoky Mountain National Park.


This is one of my favorite photos. It was taken in the spring of the year at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Smokies, where there is a sort of replica of a farm as it might have existed before the area became a national park. I had seen this rooster under the forsythia bush, but the sunshine made it impossible to see anything on the LCD screen of my camera; and I would have had to get down in the dirt to frame the picture in the viewfinder. So I just held the camera low and clicked the shutter, having no idea whether I was getting anything at all. I was pleasantly surprised with the resulting image.


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24 comments:

  1. Betsy Banks AdamsJuly 23, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    Gorgeous pictures, Linda... Makes me yearn for FALL--and yearn to visit the Smokies again soon...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. Elizabeth GrimesJuly 23, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    Beautiful shots of the butterflies! I especially love the first one. And now I'm remembering the months Eddie spent in the Smokies at his National Park Ranger Training. Sooo gorgeous. Would love to go back someday.

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  3. Out on the prairieJuly 23, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    Lovely shots, I lie the one you fired hoping to catch the rooster. That is why i like the flip up viewer with my latest camera.

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  4. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 23, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    Thanks, Betsy. We're always watching the weather in the Smokies, ready to run down for a visit whenever the weather looks accommodating. :)

    Thank you, Elizabeth. I wonder if we ever met Eddie on a trail in the Smokies when he was doing his training.

    Thanks kindly, Steve. I do have a rotating viewer on my current camera. It's become an essential tool for me now.

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  5. Ruth HiebertJuly 23, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    Oh my,each of these pictures is gorgeous.I know that sometime I have to visit the Smokies in the fall.Ok,I'll be honest,I just want to visit that area at any time of year.I have never been there,but your pictures and those of others I see make me want to go.

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  6. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 23, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    Ruth - It's a beautiful area, for sure. It can be very hot and muggy during the summer, though. We try to go in Spring and Fall...usually April and October, but sometimes even March and early November. If you can go only once, the fall color season is a must. It's best if you can walk some of the trails, but there's a lot to see from a vehicle, too.

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  7. Deb from WhatsInMyAtticJuly 24, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    Of course, you know I love those mountains! The best photos are those that surprise me when I upload to my computer; your last photo is a prize.

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  8. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 24, 2011 at 2:09 PM

    Thanks so much, Deb. I know you love those mountains as much as we do. And that last photo has continued to be a favorite of mine. I'm glad you like it, too.

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  9. Cheryl KohanJuly 24, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    These are just beautiful photos, Linda! The colors are amazing...I do love the Smoky Mountains...haven't been on a trip your way for several years so you've got me thinking about it, again!

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  10. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 24, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Thanks for your kind remarks, Cheryl. You should definitely make the Smokies a vacation destination soon. :)

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  11. HilaryJuly 25, 2011 at 12:58 AM

    I can see why these are your favourites. They're wonderful. I do love that rooster the best. He makes me feel like eating corn flakes. ;)

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  12. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 25, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    Thank you kindly, Hilary. And thank you for continuing to visit my blog while on your "summer schedule." :)

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  13. Pat JeningsJuly 28, 2011 at 8:40 AM

    Linda...I remember when you took that first picture (yellow butterfly) at my house. I have saved it on my computer and enjoy seeing it quite often. And I remember when you took the rooster picture. I didn't have digital then, so my picture is "okay" but yours is beautiful. That trip convinced me to get a digital camera....which I did a couple months later.

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  14. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 28, 2011 at 11:31 AM

    Pat - I think of that tree every time I drive by your old house. I always want to stop and see if the tree is in bloom and if there might be another yellow butterfly just waiting to have its picture taken. I've never seen that forsythia bush blooming so gloriously again, either, nor a rooster like that one anywhere around the Visitor Center. Photos truly capture a moment in time that can't be duplicated.

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  15. ethelmaepotter!July 28, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    Oh, that rooster! It's my favorite because of the textures, the stark contrast of sunlight and shadow, and that magnificent old fence!

    The dairy Queen? Seriously? Wow, that's some landscaping for a Dairy Queen. Our closest DQ has...concrete.

    Our back yard is filled with tulip poplars. They're lovely, but I hate it when the branches fall and they have those horrid thorny spikes. My days of walking barefoot abruptly ended when I stepped on one of those!

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  16. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 28, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Ethelmae - Thank you for your lovely compliment on the rooster photo. It's my favorite, too, for all the reasons you mentioned.

    That Dairy Queen in Cherokee has moved to a new location, and the azalea is now adorning the old abandoned location. The new location is decorated with...concrete. :)

    I didn't know about the thorny spikes on tulip trees. I'll have to look for those. Meantime, keep your shoes on.

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  17. DeborahJuly 29, 2011 at 5:07 AM

    What wonderful, wonderful photo's ... you do your blog name justice! :o)

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  18. Linda at To Behold The BeautyJuly 29, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    Deborah - That's the nicest compliment you could give me. Thanks so much.

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  19. Misterio VidaAugust 1, 2011 at 4:56 AM

    breathtaking beauty...awesome pics :)

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  20. Linda at To Behold The BeautyAugust 1, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    Muhammad Israr - Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment.

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  21. GrayquillAugust 4, 2011 at 12:10 AM

    You chose some good ones from the archives.

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  22. Linda at To Behold The BeautyAugust 4, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    Thanks kindly, GQ.

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  23. holdingmomentsAugust 5, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Those landscapes are stunning. Beautiful.

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  24. Linda at To Behold The BeautyAugust 5, 2011 at 8:46 PM

    Thanks, Keith. You're very kind.

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