This was photographed at Craggy Pinnacle on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an epic sunset in every sense of the work … phenomenal skies, and directly behind me all the way to the 9 o’clock position was a bank of fog that God politely held back to allow this view.
His artistry never disappoints!
Sunset at Craggy Pinnacle, Blue Ridge Mountains
Art Academy, San Francisco
Commons near Market Street and Embarcadero, San Francisco
Happy Independence Day!
Old Glory at Peachtree Center
Walton County Courthouse – Monroe, GA
The epitome of the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains – hazy mountain tops and blah skies. This region definitely has it’s spectacular sunsets, for sure, but more often than not the volatile summer weather patterns and valleys yield a foggy mess for us photogs.
While curating and editing pictures from this trip, my inclination was to toss this image because of the haze. But on second thought, I decided to embrace it for what it is … while not an eye-popping sunset spectacular, it is nonetheless the quintissential reality of these mountain ranges in the summer.
As a counter punch, beautiful flame azaleas were in full bloom and spiced up the foreground as sunset wrapped the day.
Flame Azaleas at Dusk
Like generational families, waterfalls put front and center the harmony of youthful vibrance surrounded by the wisdom of the aged. Each is beautiful in its own right, but their coexistence is pure and elegant.
Generations @ Catawba Falls near Old Fort, NC
Thanks to my best bud Carl, I had a wonderful weekend packed with western North Carolina goodness! It was a confluence of friendship, hiking, camping, and photography, all of which exemplify and reinforced to me God’s blessings of nature. I often take for granted how much each means to me, not to mention their relatively easy access within only a few hours.
More to come, but this is one of my favorites from the trip. Eastatoe is all you see in the photo and so much more. This wide angle view does not reveal the enormity of these falls … a 60 foot high series of roaring cascades. It sits behind an old south residential property, and the owners are kind enough to share their gem with visitors at no charge. What a gift!
Eastatoe Falls – Brevard, NC
Complimentary Condiment
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo da Vinci
Corner Stones
Noontime Ride-A-Long
Today I launched out on a leisurely motorcycle ride before the 90F heat would hit. Something, I’m not sure what, led me in a different direction than I would typically go. Three quarters of an hour later I landed in Monroe, GA, the county seat of Walton County. It’s an old, charming 19th century southern town near Athens, GA (home of the University of Georgia).
Little did I know, Walton County (and therefore Monroe) has quite a history. Walton County was created on December 15, 1818. It is named for George Walton, one of the three men from Georgia who signed the United States Declaration of Independence. Another of the three, Button Gwinnett, is the namesake for the county I live in.
Like so many quaint, old southern towns, it has been successfully working to make a comeback the past few years. And being situated between two Georgia population centers (Atlanta and Athens), it is well positioned for tourism traffic, yet rural enough to maintain it’s smallness. I loved spending an hour or so walking Main Street and pondering the history of the old buildings and court house.
B&W just seemed period-appropriate. Usually I avoid mixing color and monochrome images in the same post, but I couldn’t help but share the colorful mural!
Monroe, GA
Walton County Courthouse – Monroe, GA
A Peek into Yesteryear – Monroe, GA
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. ~ Samuel Smiles
A couple more from the recent Midtown walk.
Inside the Lines
Almost Boxed In
Immediately fell in love with this storefront poster. 
Walkens Welcome
From a recent after-work photo walk to calm the brain and shift gears to shutter time.
Step it Up – Georgian Terrace Hotel
Higher Vision – Georgian Terrace Hotel
Way Finder – Georgian Terrace Hotell