Footwear (Theme # 107)

Or what used to be footwear...
Someone lost their sole along the Appalachian Trail.

Rain, Rain, Go Away! (Theme # 249)

Our cat, Rainy, sits on the bench in our yard. Either go away Rain, or share the bench.

Wheels (Theme # 359)

Roan Mountain State Park Visitor's Center

I'm not sure if this water wheel is still used in the operation of the grist mill. Creek water is directed to the wheel on occasion causing it to rotate.

Adolescence (Theme # 8)

Mom and Dad are still closely guarding these teen-age Canada Geese.

Go Fish! (Theme # 123)

This young man was fishing from the top of Elk River Falls this past Saturday afternoon.
He was having success - we saw him land one as we walked by.

Red (Theme # 255)

Our church hosted a Valentine Banquet (social) in the fellowship hall this past February. The overhead lights were covered with red tissue paper, giving the room a red glow.

Feathered or Feathers (Theme # 96)

I love the spots on this Mourning Dove's feathers.

Who Put That There? (Theme # 360)

As I was walking along a remote road I saw a large white thing in the woods.

A bathtub was in the woods in the middle of nowhere and no homes were nearby.
Who put that there?!

Paws (Theme # 229)

Kodiak, a cinnamon colored black bear, lives in the bear habitat on Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina. He sits up, holds one paw, opens his mouth and waits for treats to be tossed in from the crowds looking down into his habitat. He is one of the favorites of visitors to the mountain and he really knows how to "work the crowd. "

Turkey or Fowl (Theme # 340)

This female Wild Turkey is a bit camera shy.

Things That Go (Theme # 325)

A friend rides this bike to work. Last summer when local gas prices were almost five dollars a gallon her bike used far less fuel to get to work than our Subaru did.

On The Road (Theme # 208)

Snow and ice are on the road that leads to our home.

Look Alikes (Theme # 176)

These Crocus flowers look alike.

Seeds (Theme # 273)

Two seeds, from last Fall, still cling to this milkweed pod.

Hands (Theme # 139)

Hands made these prints in the snow.

Trio (Theme # 339)

When I stopped to get the photo of the tree felled by beavers I disturbed these Canada Geese sunning nearby and they reluctantly went for a swim.

Teeth (Theme # 316)

This was one of the small trees planted in the campground at Watauga Lake. The local beavers used their teeth to fell this one. Now the pretty little trees by some of the campsites are but a memory.

Logs (Theme # 175)

These logs are ready for someone's fireplace.

Things With Wings (Theme # 326)

This uncommon wildflower, Gaywings, grew alongside the Appalachian Trail in early May. We were lucky enough to find and photograph it between rain showers. This photograph was taken not far down the trail from the Junco's nest in the previous post.

Holes (Theme # 150)

This small hole hidden under the dry grass in the center of the frame leads to the nest of a Slate-colored Junco. A small group of bird-watcher-wildflower seekers were walking along this section of the Appalachian Trail in search of a rather uncommon Spring flower called Gaywings, when the bird flew from the nest site. Likely we all would have passed right by without seeing this most interesting nest had the bird not panicked and flown.

Here is a close-up of the nest hole.

Shades of Gray Theme # 278)

During a snowstorm this Slate-colored Junco peers out at me from the safety of this tangle of branches while waiting it's turn at the bird feeder.

Purple (Theme # 246)

Crocus are one of my favorite Spring flowers.
Purple is one of my favorite colours.

Hobby (Theme # 149)

A hobby our whole family enjoys is Birding.
On this late January day we are looking for water birds that spend the winter on Wilbur Lake in Carter County, Tennessee. The usual suspects include Bufflehead, Mallards, and Canada Geese.
We have been lucky enough on occasion to see Black Ducks, Redheads, and three species of Scoter.

Baby It's Cold Outside (Theme # 18)

One way I can tell it's very cold outside is by looking at the Rhododendron bushes. The leaves curl and fold down tight to the stems during cold temperatures like the one in this picture has.

January 1, 2009

A Pair Of (Theme # 4)

Painted Trillium

Rest in Peace (Theme #260)

Tracy, the bobcat, enjoys an afternoon nap.