Waterlilies

We had a great morning.  We started at the farmers' market, then stopped by the nursery to buy some plants, and ended up with a nice walk at Bass Lake.  Even though the morning light had grown fairly harsh by the time we got to the lake, I still enjoyed taking a few shots of the waterlilies that are creeping across the lake.  

Gorgeous women and a good cause

Three gorgeous friends all together to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  A good time for a good cause.

Eye to eye

I'm going through that usual bored (and boring) lull I have for a few days after I have a period where I take lots of photos, like this past weekend.  I have a hard time even picking up the camera, much less thinking of a good set up for a shot.  Even though it's boring, I always know I can rely on my macro lens and my cat Hobbes to at least get something in the camera.  Maybe I'll be more inspired tomorrow.....

George without a drink!

I had to do a quick shot today since we're heading out to dinner and a concert and I didn't have a photo.  So, here is George at the computer....

Japanese maple at dusk

This is a Japanese maple in our front yard.  The lighting in our yard had been out for a while and we just replaced the bulbs so recently we've been enjoying the uplight on this small tree.  I've always liked this tree for its sculptural quality and the lighting at night seems to accentuate the lines.  I took this at dusk and converted it to B&W.

Also, as of today, I've been posting a photograph every day for 5 months!

Foggy night

It's very foggy in Blowing Rock tonight so I decided to get out the tripod and see if I could capture the front of our house in the fog.  I tried to get the lights making rays through the fog, but the fog kept going in and out and it was hard to capture.  When we first got home from dinner, the fog was so thick that, from just one open window in the house, I could see the fog in our living room.  Of course, by the time I got the camera set up, the fog had dissipated somewhat, but such is life.  This is the best one I shot.  About 15 secs., f11, ISO800.

In honor of our Veterans

Today we were driving back from Chilhowie and took a scenic detour through Marion, VA.  As we were passing through this nice town, I was struck by the poignancy of this display honoring the town's fallen soldiers in front of the Smyth County Courthouse.  This was one of the most meaningful Memorial Day displays I've ever seen and so I wanted to share a couple of the images here.  With great respect and honor to all those who have served our country....

Hay bales

Tonight we are at a wonderful place in Chilhowie, VA.  It's a B&B called Riverstead and tonight we ate at it's fabulous sister restaurant called Townhouse.   This is one of the best places we've every stayed and our dinner was one of the top meals ever.  I've never experienced a more creative chef.  Instead of being in Chilhowie, we felt like we were in NYC or another large city.  It was just excellent!

In front of our B&B they have just finished baling hay.  I thought the scene was very picturesque.