Peaking Colors of Fall

Today is the first of November and here in the southeast corner of Tennessee, our fall colors are peaking! A few weeks ago I didn’t have much hope for the vibrant colors we’ve had in the past. August was without any rain and temperatures were a bit unbearable for our region. Early September delivered much needed rain and October sweetened the deal with cooler temperatures.

After returning from a trip to Arizona the weekend of the 22nd, I noticed an impressive change. I took a few photos around our house and across the street. Early morning sunlight illuminates the gold leaves toward the tops of the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier in the week I drove around our mountain town a bit before sunset. The local golf course is always a great photo stop and it didn’t disappoint me this year either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was Signal Point. I arrived just in time for a splendid sunset. It was so peaceful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day Cupcake Girl and I walked up her neighborhood street and captured more beauty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend we will be taking a color cruise on the Tennessee River. The Captain and I are looking forward to this adventure and I hope to bring you more fall beauty around Tennessee!

Happy Halloween!!!

Beautiful Arizona Desert

Recently we made a quick weekend trip to attend a wedding just outside Tucson, Arizona. There are so many great pictures I decided to share them in little album sections (click on the slideshow to view the pictures).

The following album pictures were taken around the resort where the wedding was held, The Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain. There were beautiful saguaro cactus all around the property, ancient petroglyphs dating back to 300 BC and beautiful views from the resort patio. The gorgeous sunset pictures were captured from a moving bus.

The Resort VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We had time on Saturday morning to visit the Sonoran Desert Museum. While on the road to the museum we saw a hot air balloon in the distance and as we got closer we saw it landing in a field. What a beautiful sight!

The museum was awesome. They offer great information on the land, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert region. Volunteers were plentiful and provided a wealth of information on the plant and live animal exhibits.

The Museum VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Jessa and Damon’s wedding took place on one of the picturesque lawns of the resort. The ceremony was sprinkled with several personal touches which included a hupa that Jessa’s father built. Damon’s Uncle Charles performed the wedding and it was so touching and heart-warming. It was also lovely to spend the wedding weekend with extended family, especially those we haven’t seen in a while. Enjoy this little glimpse into the lovely day!

The Wedding VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

On our final day I took another little walk around the property and discovered some beautiful lime trees, a roadrunner and a Jessa’s family talking down the hupa.

More Resort VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

What a lovely weekend! I look forward to future visits to Tucson! Now I want to end with perhaps one of my favorite pictures from the trip. My sweet husband took this with his point and shoot. I just love it!

Hands of Love

The spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly. ~anonymous

When I look at this photo of their hands, I see so much love. Her soft hands that wipe away her little one’s tears. His strong hands that get dirty and stained as he provides for his family. Their hands, folded into each others, together, speaks volumes of their love.

I also love how she is looking at him, smiling ever so slightly. And him? He looks as though he is feeling the warmth of the sun on his face and the warmth of her hand in his.

The weekly challenge at iheartfaces this week is Raise Your Hands. Take a moment or two and visit iheartfaces to see some fabulous photographs and read some great stories about hands.

And There Was Light

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4

The light is good. The light is beautiful. Constantly changing. It casts a magical glow on each and everything around it, especially in the early morning hours and during that last little bit of daylight. Have you seen it? Go look. Really look.

Look in the crook of the tree. Move the leaves and watch them dance in the sunlight. Hold up the pinecone in the glowing sun as it is setting. Take a minute and slow down. Breath. See the light of our beautiful earth.