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In May, 2009, we stopped at the Nantahala River on the way home from visiting friends. I took this picture of Betsy on a pedestrian bridge across the river at the Nantahala Outdoor Center

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In 1987 I was able to spend a few days at a beach-front resort on the island of Bali. As a farm boy from Indiana I was mesmerized by the palm trees, the ocean, and the waves breaking over the reef. It was a few days in a tropical paradise.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

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I've enjoyed getting photographs of the moon over the past week or so. It was interesting to watch the changes in the moon as it approached becoming a full moon.

Friday night was very cloudy and overcast and I had just about decided that I wasn't going to get a picture. But just before getting ready for bed I noticed that the clouds had thinned enough to get this picture. The picture is 'moody', but I like it.

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One of the nice things about Spring on the Plateau of Tennessee is the profusion of azaleas that we can enjoy. These pretty blossoms are from our yard.

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It's been so hot and humid for the past week or so that everyone is trying to find ways to cool off. This looks as if it might do the trick. I took this picture at the Nantahala River in North Carolina in May, 2009.

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Betsy and I have been to the area around Erwin, Tennessee, in northeastern Tennessee a couple of times to check out the waterfalls. Most of the waterfalls are small -- like Upper Big Branch Falls -- but they are pretty nonetheless.

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I'll try just about anything to beat the hot, humid weather we've been 'enjoying' for the past few weeks. I captured this tulip, Sun Gold, earlier this year in one of our flower beds on a very pleasant morning.

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One nice thing about living in East Tennessee is that it is still relatively easy to get away from 'civilization' and enjoy the beauties of Nature. The picture above was taken in a quiet part of the Smoky Mountains here in Tennessee.

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John F. Kennedy is a new rose in our yard this year. It is the most fragrant white rose that we've had. Of course, those big blossoms are pretty nice, too.

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One of the nice things about living in the mountains is the rhododendron that we find in many places. One nice thing about hiking to waterfalls in the Spring is that there are often blooming rhododendron in the same area. We're doubly fortunate because this beauty is in our own yard along the back deck.

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Each autumn Betsy and I plant pansies in the three small flower beds in our front yard. They provide color from autumn through the winter and into spring. This year the pansies survived a hard winter but bounced back in March. This picture was taken in April and the pansies lasted through the heat and humidity of June, but have finally given up the ghost.

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Skies in the mountains are always fascinating. This picture of the mountain evening sky was taken near Otto, North Carolina.

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The white water near the center of this picture is known as Nantahala Falls. It's really a Class IV rapids, but is one of the most popular 'waterfalls' in North Carolina. It's the last and biggest rapid encountered by whitewater enthusiasts on the extremely popular Nantahala River.

I have pictures of rafters going over these 'falls', but I decided to post a picture of the empty river so you can see how pretty this stretch of river actually is.

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We saw this pretty Magnolia blossom (complete with insects) at Westover Parish church in Virginia during our anniversary trip in June, 2007.

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When I went to China for the first time, our group left Ohio the day before Father's Day in 1987. It was a hot, humid day as can only happen in the Midwest when August arrives ahead of schedule.

Our flight was supposed to be a direct one from Detroit to Hong Kong, but contrary headwinds forced a stop n Juneau, Alaska, for refueling. It was quite a change to see snow-covered mountains through the plane's windows.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

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Our iris finished blooming a couple of months ago, but I had this picture of one of our favorites. Clarence is a reblooming iris, so hopefully we'll be seeing some more of these pretty blooms in another couple of months.

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It's been unusually hot here on the Plateau for the past couple of weeks. I was hoping a winter picture of our house would make me feel cooler, but I'm not sure it's working.

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I couldn't resist the temptation to post another picture from Fairfield Glade's Fourth of July fireworks display.

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Fairfield Glade had a fireworks display Sunday evening and I couldn't resist the temptation to experiment with my new camera. I got some pictures that I thought turned out pretty nice and I will probably share some more in the days ahead. I like the colors in this particular burst.

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For some reason Blogger is having problems with comments. Although no comments are showing here, I do get them by e-mail. I appreciate your visits.

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The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the entrance to the Forbidden City at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This picture was shot in 1987.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

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Early morning -- before the golfers get out -- is a tranquil, peaceful time on the golf courses here in Fairfield Glade. This picture was taken on the 14th hole of the Druid Hills course.