Oh How I love Autumn

Dear Blog Friends/Family,   2015 was one of the most gorgeous years we've had --when it comes to beautiful Fall Colors... Every year is different due to 'conditions'  ----but while looking for some pretty Fall pictures,  I think 2015 was one of the BEST!!!!

Hope you enjoy these photos today....  I wrote an explanation on EACH picture.  Just "Mouse Over" and you'll get more information.... Enjoy!!!!

I'm not sure what our colors will be this Fall here --but George and I are headed to the Smokies and to Cherohala Skyway soon hoping to see more of this beauty up there this year.....

Hope you have a great week!!!!  Get out and smell the air and take a walk.... I need to get away from the computer and NEVER listen to the news---and just enjoy the beauty all around me.... Life for many of us is so depressing... Covid will NEVER end here it seems,  and the upcoming election will be unfair and inaccurate NO matter who we vote for.  There's nothing but corruption going on in our Government and in our terrible media.  As my motto on here says:  Surround yourself with positive people!!!!   For me,  it's all about attitude.   I'm trying ---with God's help!!!!  Pray for our country!!!

Hugs, 

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 

Late October Colors In and Around our Yard and Area --2015

So many different colors here (10/27/15)

We had a gorgeous October here in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee... I already posted some pictures from the first part of the month ---so today,  I'll share some from the middle of the month to the end. 

I'll also show you some FLOWER surprises in addition to the pretty Fall Leaves/Colors.. We have had a warm Fall,  with only one/two nights with temperatures in the 30's  ---so our Roses and Daylilies and Irises have really enjoyed blooming this month and during September.   I love having RE-BLOOMING flowers ---and it's so special to see them bloom during these couple of months... Of course,  our fantastic ROSES will bloom until frost ---so they just continue putting on a show for us also.

We took a trip to West Virginia the week of October 19 ---so we missed the 'actual'  BEST week for colors here in our area  (the colors here were actually prettier than what we saw most of the time in West VA).   BUT---we still saw beauty in so many places off and on all month... Hope you enjoy today's COLORS.  Be sure to click on them for enlargements.

BURNING BUSH near our home--10/24/15;   We have LOTS of these in our area and the reds are so pretty this time of year.

BLATANT IRIS   (10/26/15)

In trying to capture the colors on our trees,  I also managed to get the flag AND an ABOUT FACE ROSE in full bloom.  (10/26/15)

Beautiful Fall Colors near our home  (10/28/15)

WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS IRIS  (10/26/15) ---I love this yellow and white color in this one.  The purple and yellow ones behind this one are Blatant Irises.

I took this one on a walk near one of the lakes here in Fairfield Glade on 10/14/15...

I love all of the Fall Colors ---but am partial to RED.. This tree is in our front yard.  (10/24/15)

DARING SPIRIT ROSE which George surprised me with one morning (10/27/15);  Most of you know that George brings me a rose inside to enjoy most every morning.  Right now there are 7 of them in the house blooming --just for me!!!!!   Isn't Daring Spirit gorgeous?

Our PINK DOGWOOD Leaves in Fall,  but they are definitely not PINK now!!!!! ha  (10/24/15)

LEMON REFLECTION IRIS  (10/31/15)

More beautiful Fall Colors near our house (10/25/15)

Another picture taken on our walk near the lake (10/14/15);  Don't you love the reflections in this one?

VETERAN'S HONOR ROSE  (10/24/15)

FLOOR SHOW IRIS (10/26/15)

WELL---since we walk twice a day now in our area,  I have LOTS more Fall pictures to share sometime from our walks including walks along the golf course.  SO---maybe (when I have time),  I'll share more of our gorgeous Fall pictures with you.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing not only the pretty leaf colors --but also the flowers still blooming in our yard... They will continue to bloom as long as there is not a freeze/frost... So far---so good!!!!!!

Have a fabulous week/month... Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite seasons --and I like to enjoy it before even thinking about Christmas... But --I love Christmas also,  so we have a couple of wonderful months ahead of us... ENJOY LIFE to its fullest.

Hugs,

West Virginia Trip with Good Friends 10/19-23/2015

Four Special Friends along the Highland Scenic Highway 150

George and I had a fantastic trip last week with good friends,  Neal and Patti from Indiana.  This is about the 6th trip we have taken together over the past several years.  The four of us have so much in common and always have a good time when we are together.  This year was no exception.....

George and I have been to West Virginia several times ---and suggested this trip this year because we wanted to see the Autumn Colors in West Virginia since we had never been there in Fall;  AND also because we wanted to take them on one of our favorite rides,  a ride UP UP UP the mountain on an old steam train at Cass,  WV (from Cass to Bald Knob)...  Always a JOY for me/us!

All of us took lots and lots of pictures all week long---so I'll just show a few of my favorite places with you today.  Be sure to click on the pictures for enlargements.

Honeycomb Rocks off of the Highland Scenic Highway 150;  Don't you think those rocks look a little like a honeycomb????  Neat, huh.

The Trail to Honeycomb Rocks:  The Fall Colors in this area were SO pretty and I loved hiking along this trail.   To me,  there's just nothing better than hiking through the rustling leaves in Autumn.... I love the colors AND I love the 'smells' of Fall... SO NEAT!

This is Grandview,  part of the New River Gorge National River area.  This was one of the first places we visited ---and all of us were disappointed that there weren't many Fall Colors all around the mountains.  BUT--we did see Autumn Colors many other places we visited. 

You knew that George and I would just HAVE to take Neal and Patti to visit some waterfalls while there!!!!   This was the day we did the most hiking (first at Grandview and then to see these 3 beautiful waterfalls)....  This waterfall is Lower Falls of Hills Creek.  We all enjoyed all of the steps down into that canyon, and then back UP.  Needless to say, I finished the day with over 18,000 steps on my FITBIT!!!!!! I was VERY TIRED that night.

This is Beartown State Park ---and it's definitely a place that one needs to visit in order to grasp the beauty.  Pictures just don't show the real beauty there. Someone had built a wonderful boardwalk throughout the area ---and from that boardwalk,  we saw some amazing rock formations, boulders,  ferns, moss and more... This turned out to be one of my favorite places --and George and I had NEVER been here...

We took two loop hikes at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center.  This was another favorite for me since again, I got to hike through the rustling leaves of Fall.  SO SPECIAL.  This picture was taken at the Stamping Creek Overlook along that trail.  The trees were gorgeous in this area.

We had some extra time one day so we checked out another beautiful state park,  Watoga State Park.  Here we are taking pictures of the Fall Colors and reflections at Lake Watoga. 

Neal took this picture of George and me at the T. M. Cheek Memorial Overlook at Watoga State Park.   Again--as you can see,  the colors there were awesome.

Cass Scenic Railroad:  Here's my FAVORITE part of the week (no surprise if you know me well)... I loved the ride WAY UP the mountain to Bald Knob from Cass, and back down,  on an old steam train...George and I have taken this ride 3 different times --but this was the first trip in Autumn.   LOVED it.....  (My Dad worked for the railroad --and as a child,  I got to ride on occasion in one of those engines.  Such fantastic memories.)

A View from the Train!!!!!   Going up that mountain on the train and also our time at Bald Knob gave us many opportunities to check out the views...Since the colors were so pretty and since we had a very clear and beautiful day,  we were able to get some great photos.

Finally,  on our way home (taking the back roads through West VA),  we just had to stop and take some pictures of this beautiful Covered Bridge... This bridge's name is the Indian Creek Covered Bridge.  Isn't it pretty?

AND --along that same road while on the way home,  we saw a little cemetery named BALLARD CEMETERY.   Of course,  we just had to stop and check it out.  I took pictures and also made some notes about some of the Ballards in that cemetery.  My mother was a Ballard and I have done quite a bit of Genealogy work on the Ballard side of my family.  However,  I'm not sure if any of my direct line of Ballards moved to West Virginia.   I didn't recognize any of the names --but will definitely do some research...

Well---that is just a tiny bit of all of the wonderful things we did last week with our friends.  It was a tremendous trip--and I highly recommend a trip to West Virginia during ANY season... We love it there --and I'm sure we will go back again --and again.

Have a wonderful week.

Hugs,

October Autumn Colors in our Neighborhood

I took all of these pictures with the iPhone on several of our walks in the neighborhood between October 4-8, 2015.    Amazing how much more color I see when I'm out WALKING and LOOKING.   Now that George and I aren't walking the golf course at nights (since it is getting dark SO early),  we are taking two daytime walks,  one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Our area had been extremely dry here until the week of September 28th- October 4th---when we had a very dreary/cloudy/foggy/rainy/drizzly week.   And until October 4th,  we didn't have too many Autumn Colors here yet...

BUT---after the 4th,  we saw more and more colors popping out on our trees.... We are still not nearly to 'peak' here yet ---but I did manage to find some great colors to share with you today.   I'll post another group at the end of the month --for comparison...

Hope you enjoy the Fall Colors today.  Be sure to click on the pictures for enlargements.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of our colors here in Fairfield Glade,  Tennessee... It has amazed me how much the leaves have changed as we progressed through the week....

Do you love Autumn????  It's definitely one of my favorite seasons --although Spring is almost a TIE.... I really enjoy all of the seasons --but Summer is my least favorite time of the year.

Have a great week.

Hugs,