WATERFALLS---WATERFALLS---WATERFALLS

US at UNDINE FALLS, 9/10/18  (See picture below for a better picture of the falls.)

Dear Friends,   Gee Whiz ---where has September gone????   I know we were out west for 12 days --but that's less than half of a month...  I'm here to tell you that GOING on a trip is fabulous (and we go-go-go almost the entire time)...  Then when we COME HOME---we are hoping for some rest!!!!! HA HA---that just doesn't seem to happen...  There's so much to do here once we do get home --and never enough time!!!!!   Then we added another short trip to Biltmore after getting home.  And 'they' said that retirement was to be SIMPLE and EASY......  Well---we make these choices to go-go-go --and one thing is for sure:  we are never bored!!!!! ha

I haven't had much time to work on our pictures from our latest West Trip ---but have taken time to add one picture each day on Facebook.   SO--I hope you are seeing those!!!!!  It is fun picking out only one picture from each of the days we are there---but it's also fun putting together a blog post with more pictures and more explanations...

Our trip did not start out to be a "Waterfall Trip" ---but we did manage to see 16 different waterfalls/cascades along the way...  IF you love waterfalls  and have not been to Yellowstone,  then you MUST visit there to see these beauties... Yellowstone is a waterfall-lover's dream place!!!!  BUT--as you will see,  we saw other waterfalls along the way...

Hope you enjoy all of these pictures today.  It was fun searching through all of my many, many photos looking for the best pictures I had to share....The names of the waterfalls and the dates we were there are listed...   ENJOY!!!  

By the way,  you will note my wind-blown hair in the top picture.... Notice anything else????  At age 76,  I have finally quit coloring my hair.  I hope it turns  snow white --like my Mama's hair and my oldest son's hair.   BUT I have a feeling it is going to be ugly gray!!!! Oh Well!!!!  My hair as a young person was light brown.  When George married me,  I was a blonde...  Wonder if he'll keep me now that I'm GRAY and an OLD woman!!!!!!!!???????  Yipes.

Beautiful UNDINE FALLS in Yellowstone,  9/10/18

Outside of Cooke City,  Montana,  we stopped at the Clark's Fork Picnic Area --and just happened to see this pretty WATERFALL  on the BROADWATER RIVER,  9/12/18 

TOWER FALLS in Yellowstone,  9/10/18   (We had hoped to hike down to the bottom --but even after 6 years,  the trail is still NOT open!!!!)

LEWIS FALLS in Yellowstone,  9/12/18   (George has a better picture of this one I'm sure since he walked across the bridge and down on the other side to get a better view.)

BRIDAL VEIL FALLS,  Spearfish Canyon,  South Dakota, 9/9/18 

VIRGINIA CASCADES  in Yellowstone,  9/12/18

Another surprise--just off of Highway 212 near Cooke City, Montana;  This is LAKE CREEK FALLS,  taken on 9/10/18.

LOWER FALLS  of the Yellowstone,  9/11/18;   This is the most popular waterfall in Yellowstone --and one everyone needs to see in person!!!   NOTE:  We tried to visit the Upper Falls also --but construction had closed the area where we wanted to go!!!!   SO--we missed the Upper Falls this year.

SPEARFISH FALLS,   Spearfish Canyon,  South Dakota 9/9/18  (Love the Fall Colors in this one)

GIBBON FALLS,  Yellowstone,  9/12/18

KEPLER CASCADES, Yellowstone, 9/12/18

MOOSE FALLS,   Yellowstone,  9/12/18;   (A favorite of ours since this one is secluded  in a pretty area full of Autumn colors;)

ROUGHLOCK FALLS,   Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota,  9/9/18  (Note picture below)

ROUGHLOCK CASCADES,  South Dakota, 9/9/18;  NOTE:  This is listed as one waterfall --but I divided it into the falls --in the background,  and the cascades below at our overlook.   Such a beautiful area!

SIOUX FALLS at Falls Park,  Sioux Falls,  South Dakota,  9/7/18  (This park and the falls and many cascades not pictured  are beautiful...  IF you are ever in Sioux Falls,  be sure to visit this park... It is AMAZING!)

FIREHOLE FALLS,   Yellowstone.  9/12/18   (One of my favorite waterfalls plus cascades in Yellowstone..  We drove on the Firehole Canyon Drive  and got some awesome pictures throughout this canyon.)

Here's one of my favorite pictures of the two of us on this trip,  taken on the Firehole Canyon Drive as we checked out all of the gorgeous cascades,  9/12/18

Well----are you water-falled OUT?   I never ever get tired of seeing waterfalls...   Hope you enjoyed this post... I will do an entire post about Spearfish Canyon,  South Dakota,  soon --since we were SO impressed with that area... It ended up being one of the highlights of our trip....     AND---can you guess how  ROUGHLOCK Falls (in Spearfish Canyon) got its name?  You won't believe it....

Have an awesome week.....  

Hugs,

Emoticons

More Family Visits 5/20/18

George, me,  Diana and Mark at our home 

Dear Friends,   We had another marvelous Sunday  (5/20/18) with family.    Son Mark brought his good friend,  Diana,  from Texas to visit for the weekend.   Diana had never been to Tennessee ---so we all loved showing her a corner of 'our world'...  She LOVED it ---and I always find so much JOY when someone comes to visit for the first time and shows so much enthusiasm and appreciation...

Mark and Diana spent all day Saturday and Monday in the beautiful Smoky Mountains.   But on Sunday,   they came to our home for the day!!!!!!   After some chat time and snacks here at home,  we took them to the Cumberland Mountain State Park in our area for dinner...After filling our little tummies BIGTIME,  we took a walk around the lake before heading to Burgess Falls State Park  (near Cookeville, TN)...

Even Mark had never been to Cumberland Mountain State Park NOR to Burgess Falls State Park---so he enjoyed seeing these new-to-him areas not far from our home.   Burgess Falls is a series of waterfalls on the Falling Water River leading down to the BIG one,  Burgess Falls..,  We first enjoyed the Falling Water Cascades;  then it was the Little Falls followed by Middle Falls..   We continued down and finally got to the platform where we could see the BIG ONE,  Burgess Falls.   Burgess Falls is 136 feet high.  The trail on down to the bottom of the falls is closed now--so we just enjoyed that glorious waterfall from the overlook.  The loop trail is about 1.5 miles total.   We had a great day!!!

Here are some pictures from that awesome day!!!!

A Canada Geese Family at Cumberland Mountain State Park

Mark and Diana at Cumberland Mountain State Park

Mom had to get in the picture (Cumberland Mountain State Park)

I had to get a picture of Mark and Diana with the bridge in the background  at Cumberland Mountain State Park.  I think every member of our family has had their picture taken here at one time or another!!!!! The water level was low today --so the pretty reflections which we usually get can barely be seen.

Next we drove down near Cookeville and went to Burgess Falls State Park.  This is the Falling Water Cascades  on the Falling Water River...

Mark and Diana  near the Falling Water Cascades

I kept saying for them to step back ---back---back and that would make a better picture... ha ha ha

George got this great picture of  Diana and Mark along the trail.

This is Little Burgess Falls.  

Mark and Diana had to work really hard to hold that big rock up so that we could pass by on the trail!!!!!!!!   LOTS OF HARD WORK.. NOT!!!!! ha ha ha

Middle Burgess Falls

Look at this amazing tree;   Mark carried the umbrella to keep it from raining... It WORKED..... No Rain all day!

A beautiful RED CARDINAL  joined us on our hike.  Isn't he gorgeous????  Mark and Diana both said that the Cardinal was DEBBIE,  Mark's wife who died last August.  

Finally,  we made it to BURGESS FALLS...  We were all in awe while looking down at that amazing waterfall.

George's PHOTO of Burgess Falls;   Talk about amazing!!!!  Wow.

On more amazing picture George took of BURGESS FALLS!!!!

Diana and Mark at Burgess Falls

I cannot thank Diana enough for being there for Mark after Debbie died.   Diana was the best friend he could ever have during that time.   She is an amazing woman and I am so happy to meet her now.  I see many more trips for her to Tennessee ---since there's just SO much to see.

I have a IRISES post ready for publication --but FAMILY is much more important.... We have more family/friends coming to see us on the 26th and again on the 30th....   AND--we'll be going to NC for a reunion on the 27th....  SO--it's going to be a great upcoming week and more!!!!!

Hugs,

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