» scenery

Marie’s Rose

Beth — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:51:01 +0000

My friends Marie and Spud have a beautiful yard. They’ve got a nice big pond with a wooden bridge that goes across to a little island Spud made; they have some beautiful trees that give wonderful shade when we sit and visit; and they have some of the most beautiful flowers.

Now neither Marie or Spud would consider themselves ‘gardeners’, I’m sure. Marie just loves flowers, like her Mama does; and she loves to plant things. So every time I go to their house, I get to see all these beautiful flowers. And Spud likes to put his own touch on things- he loves to build stuff, including an awesome treehouse that any kid would love. In fact, I would imagine lots of adults would enjoy this treehouse (including me)!

I love to go visit Marie and Spud- they always make visitors feel welcome. Of course, I don’t ever feel like a visitor, I feel like family.

And that’s one reason I like this rose so much- it reminds me of Marie herself. She’s a beautiful person, especially on the inside, where most folks can’t see. She’s a sweet loving person who would do anything for you. She will pray for you and with you when you need it (and even when you don’t think you need it); she’s one of the kindest people I know; she’s compassionate; and she’s got the most loving heart of anyone I’ve ever seen. I’m so proud to call her my friend.

The Bridge

Beth — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:54:45 +0000

I wonder why it is I’m so drawn to water- it’s one of my favorite things to shoot, especially moving water, or water and trees.

This is the Conecuh River Bridge, between Troy and Luverne – I’ve taken some beautiful shots there over the past couple of years. I hope I’m able to continue.

By the Lake

Beth — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:37:52 +0000

This little lake is one I pass by quite regularly – I’ve taken pictures of it before on a beautiful fall day when the leaves had started turning, so I was glad I happened by during this very overcast day.

Turns, Twists and Treasures

Beth — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:40:00 +0000

If you’re looking for some gorgeous scenery and nice roads to ride, a trip through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains is a great place to start.
On our recent trip, we took mostly state and county roads; riding the interstate can help you make good time, but it’s the most boring thing I can imagine. All those miles, with hardly anything of interest to see – just mileposts, billboards and gas stations. If I’ve got time to make up, I use the interstate; otherwise it’s the regular roads. To quote Daniel Meyer, “sometimes the journey is the destination”.
The final leg of the trip on the way up was from Townsend to Pigeon Forge on Highway 321. It’s about 18 miles, and there are some very nice twisties, plus one switchback, turning sharply to the right and climbing an incline at the same time; if you’ve got time to really look, you can see that the vehicles ahead of you are almost over your head. I always get my heart in my throat during that kind of switchback, so I really had the adrenaline going.
There were lots of long slow curves as well, which are just as much fun to ride, even if it’s not so exciting. Lots of other bikers have discovered this little piece of road, so we were meeting them regularly. Even as tired as I was (at that point we’d been on the road for most of 12 hours), it was enjoyable.
During Friday’s ride, we headed out from Pigeon Forge, planning on riding up towards Rutledge, TN. We had found a route on Motorcycle Roads and Trips that sounded great. The description was very good, and the directions were wonderful, but we made a few changes and ended up seeing some other lovely country. We rode about 70 miles on that ride, and saw some very nice curvy roads, hilly country and lots of beautiful water and trees.
Our last stop before heading back to PF was at a combination general store/deli/parts store/garage. We just meant to stop for a minute, take a bathroom break, get a drink and head back out, but as most bikers know, it hardly ever works out that way.
When we first pulled up, we noticed a beautiful old car sitting near the entrance to the garage. I got my Elph out and walked towards it to take a few pictures, and the mechanic came out of the shop and asked if we’d like to see the engine. Of course, we said yes, and he popped the hood. While we stood and talked, he told about buying the car from it’s original owner; it had less than 8,000 miles on it. He also had several other antique vehicles that he’d gotten from other local folks over the years – he maintains them and works to improve them, but he uses them as transportation too. These cars don’t just sit up somewhere to be admired- they were designed and created to carry people from one place to another, and they’re being used that way.
The owner and some of his buddies also told us about several other good rides to make, on another day; it’s always nice to have local folks tell you good places to ride and see things, so we’ll keep that in our ride idea list (getting longer all the time).
When we went inside the store to get a drink, we had some more pleasant surprises: I found a Sunkist Orange (one of my favorites) in a real glass bottle, not the plastic kind we usually get. The decor inside the store was one-of-a-kind: someone’s old toy trucks, cars and machinery had been set up along the counters in the deli area, and it brought back lots of childhood memories – I saw some of the same toys my brothers played with, as well as some that looked like the ones my sons played with.
There were also all kinds of “kids treasure” on the walls – some still in it’s packaging.
We finally dragged ourselves away and got back on the road – another 30 minutes or so and we were riding by Dollywood. Dolly Parton has really done a lot for the area – it’s grown up beautifully, with lots of nice businesses serving customers. The small-town kindness is still there, even in three and four-lane traffic- I don’t think I ever heard someone blow their horn in anger at another driver, and I never saw someone giving the one-finger salute. And southern courtesy was in evidence as well- several times when we were trying to get back on the road in heavy traffic, someone would motion for us to come on out, even though it held them up for a minute.
It was an enjoyable day all the way around; I’d suggest a trip to the area for anyone who wants to see beautiful country, ride some fun roads and get treated with some of the best southern hospitality you could ask for.

The road called today…

Beth — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:47:00 +0000

It’s been a long week or so, and between the weather and my stuffy head, I haven’t ridden like I wanted to.
But today, the road called and I had to roll with it. The weather was nice: mid-60s, with a light wind, and plenty of sun. I did a short run to the closest town with a Wal-Mart (I had to think of SOME excuse to ride, right?). The road has long slow curves and beautiful scenery, so it did my head and my heart good.
Doesn’t matter that I’m still sniffing and coughing- I’d be doing that either way, and at least I got to ride. Picked up some beautiful red thread and some crochet hooks to make myself a set of ‘gauntlets/fingerless gloves’ to keep the wind from running up my coat sleeve when I wear my light gloves. These will be handy, but they’re as much for looks as for warmth. I just love to wear red…
I ride quite a bit by myself; I prefer it most of the time, because I don’t have to worry about anybody but myself. It often works out that I’m riding alone anyway; I have worked things out so I can be ready in as little as 5 minutes – just slip on my boots and put my wallet in my back pocket. Then out the door with my leathers, strap on my helmet and I’m ready to ride.
And when the road calls, I don’t want to have wait for folks to gather or get ready.
I’m riding again tomorrow- apparently today only made the need to ride stronger; I’ve got an appointment in another town, so I’ll just strap on my backpack and pack my camera and stuff in it.