Our Outside Lights

You may have noticed that we have been missing from Blog World and Facebook recently.. We took a quick 2-day trip to Gatlinburg, TN (Smokies) with our really good friends,  Judy and Charlie.   This was our Christmas trip together ---so that we could see the gorgeous Christmas lights,  eat at a wonderful restaurant,  and talk-talk-talk....

We had rooms at the Rocky Waters Inn (where we enjoyed a balcony --with the roaring river right behind us).  We also had a wood-burning fireplace in the room ----AND our room had a big jacuzzi in it.  What more could one want!!!!  Even though the time was short,  we had a wonderful trip--with terrific friends!  (Thanks, Judy and Charlie!)

We will blog about this trip ---but today,  I want to show you some of the pretty outside lights at our home this year.   I took these pictures on Saturday ---while trying to learn to take BETTER night pictures... I think the photos came out pretty good---so I'll share them with you today. Above is a street view of the front of the house... You can enlarge the pictures to 16x10 for better views.

This is our front porch.  I didn't hang lights this year around the door ---so am just leaving the porch light on instead... The  little tree is decorated with candy canes and red bows...

Here is my hanging basket ---and NO,  this Poinsettia is NOT real... It wouldn't stay alive  outside this time of year!!!

Here is a close-up of the little tree... You can't see much of it,  but we have a holly floor mat beside the door.

This is my favorite 'night picture'  I took that evening---showing one of our 3 lit wreaths.   Hope you enjoyed seeing a few more Christmas pictures from our home.  (Can't wait to show you some of the Christmas lights from Gatlinburg!!! They were fabulous!)

I will try to catch back up with your blogs this week....  It's a busy time of the year (I'm sure for ALL of us--you too I bet)...

Hugs,
Betsy

More ORCHIDS from Biltmore

If you missed the last post showing the gorgeous ORCHIDS at the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina,  click HERE.   Today I'll show you a few more photos of those beautiful orchids.   Above is a favorite of mine... Love that color!!!  Be sure to enlarge the photos for some bigger pictures.

This little white one is simple ---but oh, how gorgeous... Orchids are hard to grow --unless you live in a tropical area.   When I was younger,  a friend's mother used to grow orchids in her home.  She had a sun room ---and could keep it just the right temperature in order to grow them.  They were gorgeous!!!   In the Conservatory at the Biltmore---they grow them in one of their rooms in which the conditions are perfect for them...  Some of the plants at the Biltmore need a HOT room and some need a cool room.. They offer it all inside the Conservatory.

This purple color just jumped out at me... I love the color, purple,  anyhow ---and this one was beautiful.

Here is another beautiful orchid... I don't know how many different varieties of orchids there are,  but there must be MANY.

I love yellow flowers ---so this one called my name also... Isn't it pretty?

Here is another gorgeous color...  Is this magenta?  Whatever the color is,  these orchids are beautiful...

Hope you enjoyed seeing the orchids from the Biltmore Conservatory.   We are buying season's passes again this next year since we love that place so much.  We hope to do what we did this year and go there during all seasons....

Hope you have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy