Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, March 25, 2019

SPRING has SPRUNG in TENNESSEE (maybe)

Some of the different varieties of Daffodils growing in our yard this year (3/18/19);   The cold, freezing weather  sends the blooms to the ground --so George picks them and I put them in a vase and enjoy them inside....  Works WELL!!!
Hello Friends and Family!   Welcome to a little Spring here in Tennessee  (WELL--so far!!! ha).    As many of you know,  I LOVE weather statistics and following the weather.  This past Fall and Winter  were totally CRAZY here.   We had a very late Fall with warm weather staying until November.

When we finally did get some colder weather,  the leaves turned and we did have a few days of pretty Fall Color here in November (VERY FEW)..   That caused us to be outside raking and blowing leaves  through Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!!!   We finally got some professional help getting the bulk of our leaves up--but that was in January!!!   NUTTY!

After such a weird Fall,   we kept wondering what our Winter would look like.   Guess what?  It was equally as crazy as Fall had been.  We had   NO SNOW at all (other than one teeny morning snow in December which disappeared in an hour) --and having no snow was a 'first' and a huge disappointment to a snow-lover like me, since we moved here in 2003....   SAD!

What we did get were warm temperatures and an over-abundance of RAIN and Flooding (all over East TN) in  January and February.  Luckily,  we live 2000 feet UP in elevation here on the Cumberland Plateau, so no flooding here.  BUT--it was sad to watch so many areas in Tennessee having HORRIBLE flooding and so much damage.

The poor Spring Flowers had no idea what was going on  --so they started coming up EARLY,  especially the Daffodils.    When March got here,   we finally did get some COLD weather.   It was not horribly cold the first 3 weeks of March --but cold enough (below freezing) to kill many of our pretty Daffodils this year....  That was a first for us too since we moved here and planted Daffodils.   They are usually very hardy flowers --but  couldn't get through our COLD MARCH without damage.

I heard last night that MARCH has been a colder month than FEBRUARY.....   It's no wonder our poor flowers don't know what to do!!!!!   As the old saying goes:  "Welcome to Tennessee.  IF you don't like the weather one day,  just wait --and it will change quickly"!!!!!! ha ha

NOW---back to Spring!!!!!!   Throughout the past month --we have been watching our flowers grow --and taking pictures throughout the month!   SO---believe it or not,  I do have some pretty pictures to share today thanks to the perseverance of these early spring beauties... I hope you enjoy them!!!!


Pretty Little  CROCUSES  (2/27/19);  These are usually the first to bloom--but the Daffodils beat them this year.



The first groups of Spring Flowers to bloom  EARLY this year were some of the DAFFODILS.   They were so pretty until the March Freezing Weather zapped them...  (2/17/19)



HYACINTHS  (3/12/19);   The cold March weather hurt our Hyacinths a lot this year --but I managed to get this one picture of this little patch. 



I love this little batch of CROCUSES  (3/12/19) 



First Tulip bloomed on 3/17/19



The little Tulip Bed (3/20/19);   NOTE:  There WERE some new Daffodils on either side of the Tulips  --but the freezing temperatures killed them this year!   You can see some of the older Daffodils in the bed above --that are now on the ground due to damage from the recent freezes.



A picture of the entire bed (3/20/19);   In the Summer,  this is our Rose and Day Lily and Iris bed --but in the Spring,  it is our Daffodil and Tulip Bed!!!!



Beautiful Red Tulip  (3/20/19)



Three little Tulips ---all in a row!!!!!!  (3/23/19)



Little Daffodils  3/20/19;   We always call these little guys "Dad Adams"  Daffodils since George's Daddy gave them to us many years ago.



A close-up of one of the different varieties of Daffodils we have  (3/20/19)



Another variety of Daffodils in our yard  (3/20/19)



Periwinkle is one of our Ground Covers.   In Spring we enjoy their pretty little blue flowers.  (3/20/19)



Anyone want some pretty PINK Tulips?????  This little bed through the years has given us some pretty flowers  (pansies,  petunias, vinca,  etc.).. Picture taken 3/23/19;



One of our newest set of Tulips (3/23/19);  Love the colors!!!



Another view of this pretty Tulip  (3/23/19)



Here's one more view of the Tulip Bed  (3/23/19)
WELL--compared with most years,  on this date, March 25,  Early Spring has been very different. BUT---after the crazy Fall and Winter ---we're happy just to have any spring much at all so far....  IF we can now get some warmer weather in April,  maybe everything will start to 'green' up a bit and the big trees will get some leaves on them!!!!!!!

Hope you are having a good March---and hopefully there will be a better April for  all of us.

Hugs,



Monday, March 18, 2019

Take a Ride with Us


On  February 25, 2019,  on one of the very FEW sunny  and non-rainy winter days in Tennessee this year,  George and I finally drove to the Smoky Mountains to check out the 'missing link' of the Foothills Parkway (between Townsend and Wears Valley, TN).   Most of us 'locals'  have read about and  watched  this 16 mile stretch of highway being built  --since 1966. FINALLY,  it's opened --and we had an awesome day.  Even though it was a cold day on that mountain,  we loved it since it was sunny and clear as a bell...

This stretch of road offers some incredible views of the Smoky Mountains.  There are NINE bridges along that road..   We stopped at all of the overlooks and of course,  took a ton of pictures.

Sit back and take a RIDE with US!!!!!


From an overlook, we looked down to the road we were on before turning onto the parkway,  looking toward  Townsend.  That is a great view of the Little Pigeon River below. 



Great views of the Smokies!!!



WOW---we are headed up-up-up there!!!!



We also managed to take a short hike --from one of the overlooks.






Big Bird (couldn't tell what it was)



I enjoyed zooming down at some of the mountain cabins and homes below.



Beautiful pine trees/beautiful mountains



WOW---look at how these bridges have been built!!!



At the 'top' overlook with views all around us!



Looking toward  Wears Valley --and all of the cabins in that area



Looking right back toward my favorite area of the Smokies,  beautiful Townsend,  Tennessee;   They call this area the 'sleepy side' of the Smokies since it is less crowded (when compared to Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg).



Another view from the overlook on 'top';   What a neat place to bring a picnic lunch and just sit and enjoy the views.



Look at this teeny tiny home in the mountains!!!!! ha ha   (Loved using the zoom lens on my Canon while up there)






Guess what????   We even stopped on the way back down the mountain to check out this little cascade!!!!!   



More and more beautiful pictures of the gorgeous Smoky Mountains  National Park



This old woman LOVED being on this new stretch of highway on such a gorgeous day!
If you get to the Smokies,  be sure and check out this road...  It will be a 16 mile JOY for you!!!!  You can get on it either from Wears Valley --or from Townsend.... ENJOY!!!!

Hope you have an awesome day and week ahead!!!!

Hugs,


Monday, March 11, 2019

Happy Birthday to the Love of My Life

George at an overlook at Beartooth Mountain,  Montana,  Sept. 2018
Dear Friends,   I apologize for not blogging for awhile.   Life sometimes just grabs me and sends me into a tailspin!!!!   BUT---- I just HAD to post this week to say Happy 77th to my YOUNG Husband,  George Emery Adams.   George was born on March 9, 1942 in Indiana.

George and I met in Hendersonville,  Tennessee in 2001.   Both of our jobs brought us to that area.  I moved from Texas and George moved from South Carolina.   Once we met ---life quickly changed for both of us.  We got married in June of 2001  and  have been inseparable ever since!!!!!

As the years pass and as we are getting older by the minute,  life has slowed us down a bit.  However,   we still enjoy being together and having fun ---even through the harder days.  I cannot imagine a day in my life without this wonderful man.   God has richly blessed me.

Today I honor George with some of my favorite pictures of him,  ALL taken on our West Trip this past September, 2018.


George at Sioux Falls,  Iowa,  Sept. 2018



Doing what he loves to do,  George is getting some good pictures at the BADLANDS,  Sept. 2018.



From  Beartooth Mountain,   George is getting up close and personal with one of the Glacial Lakes,  Sept. 2018.



Continuing our ongoing search for waterfalls,   I took this picture at Yellowstone,  Sept. 2018



Another of our favorite places,  the Grand Tetons National Park,  Sept. 2018



A Happy Hiker,   carrying all of his camera equipment --on the String Lake Trail in the Tetons,  Sept 2018;
I could go on and on about George and my love for him and our adventures together --but I will stop for now!!!!   George,   you are one awesome, amazing man ---and I love you with all of my heart and soul...

Hugs,