2026

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to SEPTEMBER. My header photo this month shows a gorgeous picture showing the Great Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway. God's Blessings to YOU for an awesome month.
Showing posts with label FALL CREEK FALLS 2017. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FALL CREEK FALLS 2017. Show all posts

Monday, April 24, 2017

April 21st ---Special Day for George and me!!!!!!

Our Special Visits to Fall Creek Falls on APRIL 21st!!!   I picked out the past 5 years' visits for this collage.
Many of you remember,  if you have followed my blog for years,  that it was April 21, 2001 when George took me to Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee.   This is a memorable day for us and our relationship.  Our first dinner date together was March 29,  and we saw each other a few more times between the 29th and April 21... BUT---it was THIS DAY when we really expressed our love for each other... He held my hand for the first time,   and when we were at George Hole in the park,  I got my first KISS from this wonderful man...  Oh My Heart----it was beating hard when I got that kiss-- with so much love and excitement,  and still is today (16 years later)...

If you want some explanation about us,   George had lost his wife to cancer two years before we met. And I had been divorced for almost 20 years --and was married to my job (having NO interest at all in dating again).... Then I took a new job in Tennessee the end of 2000  (George moved there about the same time from South Carolina) and God brought the two of us together in January of 2001... If you want to read more about this,  click HERE  to read a couple of blog posts entitled "My Story"... Scroll down and read the 2nd post first and then go to the top and read the top post.... I think you'll enjoy this if you haven't read it before.

We fell head over heels in love with each other quickly ---and I remember saying to George on our way home from that special date, that I was falling in love with him....  We were married on June 23, 2001...

SO---each year on April 21st,  we go to Fall Creek Falls and re-live that glorious day from 2001.... This year was no exception.... Here are some of the pictures taken THIS YEAR... Hope you enjoy them.


Cane Creek in Fall Creek Falls State Park,  from the Cane Creek Falls Overlook



Saw a bunch of these pretty little wildflowers;  Anyone know what this one is?



Cane Creek Cascades;   LOTS of water coming over the falls on this day!



From the brink of the falls;  Love all of the whitecaps in the water;  SO much water and the sound was deafening;  



George loved taking pictures of all of this water!!!!!   See the swinging bridge above?????  Wanna cross it???? (I did it ONCE and that was enough for me!!!! ha)



Beautiful Fall Creek Falls State Park;  This is a huge park with lots of hiking, waterfalls, camping, fishing, etc. etc. etc...  This picture was taken when we were at the Fall Creek Falls Overlook.



Me and all of my 'hiking' garb!!!  We took a short hike before heading to the gorge area.



Coon Creek (along our hiking trail) usually doesn't have this much water!



More of gorgeous Fall Creek Falls State Park;  This was taken at the Buzzard Roost Overlook.  SO pretty!!



A HAPPY LADY enjoying the overlook at Buzzard's Roost!!!



Here's another collage showing some of our pictures together taken on April 21, 2017!!!!!  (You can see that I DID get my kiss at George Hole  this year too!!!!!  YEAH!)

Hope you enjoyed seeing THIS year's pictures from that special special day!!!!!  Here's another Blog Post  (click HERE)   which you may want to see (written in 2014) showing pictures of us taken in previous years on this day.  It has been a fantastic 16 years ---and I hope we will be celebrating for many, many more...

Have a wonderful week, my Friends.

Hugs,

Monday, January 16, 2017

Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee 01/03/17

Mark,  Debbie,  Mom --at the Cane Creek Falls Overlook 
George and I were SO privileged to have son, Mark, and his fiancee, Debbie come to our home to visit us from Jan. 2-4, 2017..  What a fabulous visit we had with these two lovers.  This is Mark's 2nd marriage --and I truly have never seen him so happy  (with the exception of the times his two gorgeous daughters were born).  You must know how happy that makes  this Mama feel!!!!!  He truly found his 'soulmate' when he met Debbie.  These two adults LOVE to laugh and have fun---and they  love life to its fullest ---constantly.  They are the type of people everyone loves to be around.  They certainly make me feel YOUNGER.   Their wedding will be in June...

After Mark and Debbie visited  us (with lots of other family members) for just a few hours a year ago,  I requested that he and Debbie come back and spend more time with us... Mark remembered my request --and honored it...  Even though I have known Debbie for over a year ---she and I had LOTS of time to really get to know each other.   All of us sat and talked/talked/talked for 2 days.... It was fantastic!!!

We stayed home and just chatted on their first day here .  BUT--on January 3rd,  we got out and had some fun.  First of all,  during the morning,  Debbie and I went shopping.. That was neat for me to do with this new 'daughter-to-be'....   We had a fun morning.   Then during the afternoon,  Mark,  Debbie and I went to Fall Creek Falls State Park,  about an hour south of our home here in Tennessee..   George volunteered to stay home so that he could make a great dinner for us (Chicken Cordon Bleu)...   We missed him that afternoon --but the dinner was definitely delicious and nice for us to enjoy when we got home!  Thanks,  Honey!!!

All of my pictures today are from our afternoon at Fall Creek Falls.  We got lucky since there was rain all around us --yet,  we didn't have any at all where we were!!!!!  YEAH!     We did some hiking,  saw SIX waterfalls,  and I LOVED taking tons of pictures of these 'kids'.... Hope you enjoy our pictures!!!



Cane Creek Falls --from an overlook;  Too bad the sun wasn't shining --since we love seeing rainbows at that waterfall.



The CREEK below us at the Cane Creek Falls overlook



Rock House Falls;   I was glad to see LOTS of water here (due to recent rains) --since this waterfall sometimes doesn't have much water... On this day,  it was beautiful.



Standing at the brink of the Cane Creek Cascades  (Mark always makes me LAUGH.)



Tons of water coming over Cane Creek Cascades  (We climbed down the rocks in order to get up close and personal with the waterfall!)



This DANGER sign  down the rocks to the bottom of the cascades kinda 'worried' these two kids.... NOT really.... Just being SILLY...  ha ha.



I took a lot of pictures of these two while we were at the cascades... Even though it didn't rain --we all did wet from the mist! ha



This is really UP CLOSE and PERSONAL for sure... My camera lens even got wet.. BUT--I love this shot...



" I made it!"   Debbie was happy to make is back up the rocks when we were leaving the Cascades...  (I think that the Cascades area was our favorite part of the day.  Amazing how powerful that water was!!!!)



Mark and Debbie on the 'not-so-safe'  wiggly SWINGING BRIDGE  which goes across the creek above the cascades.    Since I don't 'do' that bridge,  I volunteered to take photos!!!!  Wish you could see Mark wiggling the bridge  and scaring Debbie!!!!  He was having so much fun --but she made it!!!!!  BRAVE GIRL.



Mark being BRAVE on that  wiggly bridge.... Love this picture of my fun-loving son.



After we left the Cascades,  we visited the George Hole area  (which is very special to George and me --since I got my first kiss there)..  This picture was taken at the little dam in the George Hole area.



Next,  we visited Fall Creek Falls and Coon Creek Falls. 



Mark and Debbie at Fall Creek Falls  (probably the most photographed area in the park)



We then traveled along the GORGE area --and took this picture at Buzzard's Roost.  Can you see the RAIN in the background?



While Mark and Debbie hiked down to the edge of the gorge,  I took this picture of the rains around...



Here's another picture I love.  We (even I) crossed the not-so-wiggly Swinging Bridge in the Piney Falls area.   This is one of my favorite areas in the park.  There's a little hike down to the creek on the other side of the bridge.  What a great place to visit --especially on a hot summer day!   It would be a great place for a picnic lunch!!!



Debbie and I stood on the bridge while mark hiked down below to the water...  (I did not get a picture of Piney Falls on this trip.  We could hear it --and it is a huge waterfall.  BUT--we just couldn't get a good view from here.)

Mark and Debbie left for home (Texas) the next day... I miss them so much --and all of the energy they gave to us... Thanks for coming,  Sweethearts... We love you!


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Mark Edgar Wilhite  1/15/70
Finally,   I am including this picture of my adorable son-- since yesterday was his 47th birthday!!!!  Mercy Me---how time flies!!!!  I know that Debbie had big plans for them to have a fantastic weekend together...   I'm sure I will hear about all about that celebration soon.

Happy Birthday,  Mark, and thanks for your visit.   We will see you two in JUNE for another happy celebration.....

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Hope all of you Blog Friends and Facebook Friends enjoyed this visit as much as we did.

Have a wonderful week..

Hugs,