"Red Barn"

A really nice red barn I found today. Near South Holston Lake, in Sullivan County, Tn.

"Female Wood Duck @ Sugar Hollow Park"

Here is a female Wood Duck at Sugar Hollow Park, in the wetlands section, this afternoon. In Bristol, Va.

"Ice Capades"

We have had temps in the 80's more than half the days of April 2016 here in the Mountain Empire, but on April 9th, I took a drive up to Roan Mtn. and here's what it looked like.

"The Carter Mansion"

 

 "The Carter Mansion" was built around 1775 by John Carter and his son Landon. John Carter was chairman of the Watauga Association, a court of men elected by settlers of Watauga County in May 1772, in what was probably North Carolina at the time. Carter County, Tn. is named for Landon Carter and the town of Elizabethton, Tn. is named for his wife Elizabeth MacLin. They are all buried in the cemetery to the east of the house shown here, in Elizabethton, Tn.

"Homestead in Tennessee"

Found this old memory off Anderson Rd. in Carter County, Tn. this past Sunday.

"Spring in the Smokies"

A little Spring beauty in the Smokies! At the Bud Ogle place on Cherokee Orchard Rd. near Gatlinburg, Tn.

"A Bridge in the Smokies"

A foot bridge crosses a mountain stream on one of the nature trails behind the Bud Ogle Place along Cherokee Orchard Rd. in the GSMNP near Gatlinburg.

"Cascade in Tremont"

Here's a little cascade on the West Prong Little River in the Tremont section of the Great Smoky Mountains taken last Saturday.

"If Walls Could Talk"

Found this rock wall about 100 -150 yards up into the forest off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail this past Sunday. It had an adjoining wall at 90 degrees and is around 2 1/2 feet tall. Feel sure it was part of the settlement that was here in the past before the National Park moved in, but no idea exactly what. If only walls could talk .....

"Wonderland Hotel Site"

The iconic steps to the Wonderland Hotel in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After many years of wanting to go here, I finally walked up these steps this past Saturday to see the annex of the hotel, which is all that was left as the hotel collapsed around 10 years ago.

 I guess it was meant to be, because three days later, on Tuesday, the annex burned to the ground. In the GSMNP.

 

"Dan Lawson Place"

The Dan Lawson Place on Cades Cove loop road, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Trillium"

 

A trillium blooming in the forest off Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains.

"Middle Prong of Little River"

This is a shot from our picnic spot on Middle Prong of Little River in the Tremont section of the GSMNP this past Saturday.

"Bud Ogle Barn"

Barn at the Bud Ogle Place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Snake in Tremont"

Not afraid of snakes. Not fond of them either. This one was watching us eat lunch from a rock in the river running through the Tremont section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this afternoon.

"Just a Bee"

A bee being a bee, along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"The Tree"

Standing in a field across the road from the Dan Lawson place in Cades Cove, "The Tree" . In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Buck in Cades Cove"

Caught this buck grazing in a field with 10-12 others on the way into Cades Cove a couple of weeks ago. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Tulips"

Spring is now in full bloom in the neighborhood! These tulips are in my neighbor's front yard, across the street. In Bristol, Va.

"Reflections on Gum Swamp"

Reflections on Gum Swamp in Cades Cove, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Bee on a Redbud"

A bee on a redbud bloom along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail last weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Roan Mountain"

Here's a couple of shots from our ride to Roan Mountain in Carter County, Tn. today.

"View Along Roaring Fork"

Looking across the Smokies from an overlook on Roaring Fork Nature Trail, near Gatlinburg, Tn.

"Hyatt Lane"

 

Looking down Hyatt Lane, one of the two roads that cut across Cades Cove, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Bud Ogle Cabin"

Bud Ogle cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Tree of Tomorrow"

Tree of tomorrow sprouting up along the banks of Abrams Creek at Abrams Falls trailhead in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Emert's Cove Covered Bridge"

Emert's Cove Covered Bridge in Pittman Center, Tn., just a few miles outside of Gatlinburg.

"Old Crow"

Standing his ground while giving me an earful, this old crow didn't much like my being in the neighborhood. Sparks Lane, Cades Cove, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Roaring Fork"

One of my favorite little cascading waterfalls along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.