Autumn's Final Hoorah!!!!!!

Our lower side yard ---11/4/17

Hello my Friends,   After a crazy (and very warm) Autumn this year,  we finally got a little Fall color here at home and in the TN mountains...  At home,  after one little cold spell,   the trees all seemed to turn about the same time --and most of them showed colors of yellows/golds/rusts.... Then, after turning colors, we had some extremely heavy rain and LOTS of wind --and most all of the trees lost their leaves quickly... But I did manage to get a few pictures here at home.  NOW--it is "raking and blowing leaves" time for me!!!!!

However, we decided this past Friday (since it was a beautiful,  sunny, and brisk day)  to head to Knoxville for some errands and then take a "Day Trip"  to visit the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains  (near Townsend, TN).

Since it was November 10,   we knew that  it was almost the end of all of the Autumn Colors in that area. But we lucked up and did see some pretty colors.   Needless to say,  except for the COLD COLD WIND,  we really enjoyed our little day trip!!!!!

Today I'll share some photos from the Foothills Parkway and also a few from here at home!!!    There is something special about the 'end' of the Fall season ---and I enjoy being out in nature ---with the leaves crunching under my feet when I walk...  There is also a special briskness in the air during this time of the Fall season I think... When I lived in Texas for 12 years  (and in Jacksonville, FL and New Orleans, LA before that),  I REALLY missed the  four seasons,  especially Autumn.   NOW---I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this very special season!!!!!    Hope you enjoy the pictures today!

Colors in our yard,  11/4/17  (I love the colors of our Pink Dogwood in Autumn)

Our Street,  11/5/17

Our Back Yard,  11/5/17

Beautiful Smoky Mountains --from the Foothills Parkway 11/10/17

Even though it was SO COLD and WINDY,   this old woman loved being there!

Here's a picture I took using my long lens...   That high mountain in the distance is Mt. LeConte. (Sorry for the quality.. It was SO hazy in the distance!!!)

One lone RED tree here along the Foothills Parkway!!!!  BUT--I love the green pines against the blue blue sky!!!

My Cutie Pie enjoyed the overlooks along the Foothills Parkway,  even though that wind was COLD.   11/10/17

You can still see some color along those mountain ranges, especially when the sun shines down on those areas.

How would you like a little farm down there in that valley?????   Wouldn't that be gorgeous,  surrounded by all of the beauty?   (Picture taken from an overlook on the Foothills Parkway,  11/10/17)

Another pretty colored tree we saw along the Foothills Parkway,  11/10/17

I loved the background here --showing some of the left-over Fall Colors in the distance behind George... 

Some pretty colors at the Look Rock Overlook along the Foothills Parkway, 11/10/17

At the Look Rock Overlook,  Foothills Parkway,  11/10/17  (NOTE:  We did not hike to the top of the mountain at Look Rock due to the high winds,  and the fact that we didn't have hats/coats/gloves with us!  We'll take that short hike another day!)

Finally,  here is a neat picture showing one of the gorgeous MAPLES at  the Look Rock Overlook along the Foothills Parkway.   Maples are my favorite Autumn Leaves/Trees....

WELL-----how did you like seeing "Autumn's Final Hoorah"????   I will say though that we have another short trip coming up soon ---so who knows????? Maybe (just maybe) we will still see more colors!!!!!  I wouldn't complain a bit!!!!! Like I said,  I just enjoy being out in nature!!!

Have a wonderful November Week...

Hugs,

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah (9/11/17)

Our first view of the deep canyon below --from the East Rim Trail

Dear Friends,  This is my 5th post from our WEST TRIP  to Utah and Arizona from Sept 6-21,  2017.     If you missed any of the posts so far  (Overall Summary,   Antelope Canyon,  Arches,  and Zion),  you can find them by going to my labels on my sidebar and clicking on  WEST TRIP 2017.  (WEST TRIP 2017 is also listed on "My Favorites" on my right side bar.)

We visited 11 National Parks or Monuments,  5  Navajo Indian areas,  took many Scenic Drives and also visited 3 state parks on that trip...   TODAY ---I'm sharing one of our favorite State Parks from this trip...

DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK is located near Moab,  Utah  (and not far from Canyonlands,  Island in the Sky National Park).    You may wonder how this park got its name...  WELL--according to legend,  the point was once used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa.   The 'neck' where the horses entered was only 30 yards wide and was fenced off with branches and brush at one end,  with all of the other outlets being high cliffs.  The horses were trapped in there. The cowboys chose the horses they wanted and for unknown reasons,  they left the other horses in that corral.  The horses died of thirst --although the Colorado River was 'only' 2000 feet below!   (Sad story,  isn't it?)

Regardless of that sad story, this park is absolutely GORGEOUS.   Hope you enjoy seeing some of my pictures today from there.

Ten million years of erosion sculpted this land of canyons,  mesas and buttes

Did you see this from a distance in the first two pictures?  What do you think it is??????  We had no idea until we read the sign.  This is a Solar Evaporation Pond owned by Intrepid Potash, Inc.  The potash is used to make plant fertilizer.    (I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.)

Check out this sign for more details.

You can only imagine how happy I was being on top of the mountain with those views from Dead Horse Point State Park.

So much beauty all around

This is the sign telling how Dead Horse Point State Park got its name.

Now we are on the south side of the canyon--heading west to the Point Overlook.  That is the Colorado River.

Look at all of these little roads down there (and in several of these photos)....  Wouldn't it be neat to be down there,  up close and personal with the landscape????   There are roads all over that area  (out of the park) --so I don't know how one would even get to those areas.

Now I am looking toward the west  late in the afternoon.  This is the POINT ---and I am looking toward Canyonlands in the distance.

Beautiful Colorado River --as it carved its path deep into the ancient rock layers

We should have taken our picture together here --but since it was late and we were tired,  we didn't...  SO---you'll just have to enjoy seeing pictures of us individually!!!!!   

A map of the park;  You can see the narrow 'neck' (where they pinned up the horses) and also the 'point' where we had a great view of the Colorado River.  ALSO---you can see 9 miles of hiking trails here.   

Finally,   here is a close up of the Colorado River taken from the Point Overlook at Dead Horse Point State Park 

I hope these pictures have peaked your interest.   IF you get to Moab and/or Canyonlands,  PLEASE visit this state park.   AND --if you enjoy biking,  check out those trails.   ALSO---if you enjoy hiking,  there are LOTS of great hiking trails here....   For more information about this state park,  click HERE.

Have a great week.

Hugs,