Fall Color in Tennessee

These are from my trip to Tennessee last year.







This one is actually at Hot Springs North Carolina when were hiking the Appalachian Trail along the French Broad River.

West Texas Autumn

Every year, I travel out to west Texas to visit with my in-laws. I look forward to the peace and quiet, and the clear skies at night. All the stars amaze me every time I go, and you can hear a car driving a mile away. On the drive home, I noticed how the clear crisp air disappeared as we drove east, and a grey haze settled in. What stars you are able to see here appear blurry. I suppose the humidity has something to do with it.


This first pic was taken where we spread my husband's ashes. It's a place called The Turkey Roost, but lately we just call it The Well, because the wild turkeys don't seem to roost there anymore.


Same place, looking from a different direction.


The old knotted live oak on the dirt road up to the house.


Just wandering through the pastures. The cows followed me around until I got back to the house. I guess they thought I had food. It was funny, though, they wouldn't get too close. They have over 600 acres on this ranch.


Mistletoe on a Texas Mesquite.

Thanks Mary for putting up the new monthly themes. Sorry I dropped the ball on that one. I just forgot. The Mistletoe is my winter evergreen for this month's theme, but I have to admit, I'm just now getting in the fall mood ;]

Not Much of a Fall This Year

So I photographed flowers instead.







These are the last of my pictures taken before my camera broke, again :[. It broke Thanksgiving, right before my drive west to the Texas Hill Country. I was so disappointed. I was really looking forward to photographing the fall color.

There wasn't much color to see, though. The trees that still had leaves on them, had brown leaves. No oranges, yellows, or reds. It's sad. I heard on the news that it was like that for most of the country. While driving, I thought about how when we are ill, we lose color in our complexion, and when were under extreme stress, our hair turns gray. I wondered if the same was true for this place where we live. Is this a sign that the earth is ill?

Like an auto-immune disorder, Earth's weather patterns seem to be on a path of self destruction. There seems to be a parallel between the way we pollute our environment and the way we pollute our own bodies. Saccharine, aspartame, acetaminophen, and MSG runs through our veins, like pesticides and heavy metals run through our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Toxic waste sites permeate through the layers of earth, like malignant tumors that contaminate our insides. Crime, violence, and hatred have affected every community, along with our planet's violent reaction to global warming. There's a profound connection between us and this place we call home. The sicker we get, the sicker our planet gets, and vice versa.

Herb Robert; Spring Wildflowers in Autumn

Herb Robert; Spring Wildflowers in Autumn, by Mary Stebbins Taitt.
Click image to view larger.

We're headed for Hamilton later today. Last time we were there we saw
spring wildflowers blooming in November! Maybe we will see some
again this year. Whatever we see, I hope to post it here at some
point. :-D Have agood weekend. :-D

We are leaving today and will be back Tuesday. I may be incommunicado
the whole time or I mapy be ble to get on briefly, but no commenting
for sure.

Flame tree on Nashua Creek

A sugar maple. Click image to view larger. See another view of this and one of Elmwood pond. Photos by Mary Stebbins Taitt.

Nashua Creek

Nashua Creek runs down through the center of Belle Isle and Biker Buddy and I often walk along its banks. It was rainy and windy and cold yesterday, but we went anyway, and were glad we did!

see 4 more of these shots here. (Photos by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click images to view larger.)

We love leaves

Yay Autumn! We love your gorgeous leaves!

This is a sycamore leaf.

see another here.

(photo by me.)

Along the Trail

Silk Creek Editor Scott Carter along the trail. (Click image to view larger).

The Times They Are a Changin'

It's August on Silk Creek, but already there are signs of fall.