Cades Cove in the heat of the summer

 We went to Cades Cove Sunday.  It was HOT, so not too many animals out and about.  The flowers were pretty.  First we saw some gladiolus in the edge of the woods.  The trees are growing up so that they don't bloom as well as they would out in the open.  This one looks so delicate.

 The Rosebay Rhododendron was in full bloom all along the highways especially next to the streams. 

 And there ARE bears in the cove too.

 This is the waterfall when you first leave the Townsend Y, headed toward Cades Cove.

It was nice that Jimmy could take a day off for us to just be together.

Cades Cove Turkey in the GSMNP

This turkey is safe from hunters because he is at Cades Cove,

in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

He did puff up a little for me, but not as much as I would have liked him to.

He finally decided he didn't want to show off for me at all.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!!

Morning Light at Cades Cove

Times like this is when I can feel God all around me.

These were taken within 5 minutes of each other in the picnic

area of Cades Cove, October 29, 2009.

I have already made them into greeting cards,

you can check the greeting cards out by clicking here and here.

Carter Shields cabin and deer at Cades Cove

As usual I stopped at the Carter Shields cabin. As we pulled in I told Jimmy to keep an eye for the deer.

I had photographed a buck and doe here on December 2, 2008.

I just wandered around and photographed various snow covered things.

Came back to the cabin, for one last photo, and then started to get back in the vehicle when Jimmy showed me the buck.

He was crossing at the exact spot that I had photographed him before.

Without any doubt it is the same buck, because his antlers still don't look real good. This time he had 2 doe with him. One crossed the road before him, and one after him.

Click here and here to see the 2 earlier post of this buck. It was exciting to see the same buck at the same exact spot. You can bet I will always keep a better eye for deer in this area on future visits.

Deer enjoying the snow at Cades Cove

There was not a lot of snow in Cades Cove Sunday,

but the deer seemed to be enjoying what was there.

Coming into Cades Cove Sunday

This is what we found when we arrived in Cades Cove.

Not a lot of snow, but enough to make it pretty.

The last photo is of the Methodist Church in Cades Cove.

White Tailed Deer in the snow at Cades Cove

These photographs were taken March 8, 2008 at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains National Park. I used the first photograph for January on the calendar I made for my mother this year.

The 2nd photograph is actually my favorite of the day.

There were several deer and I was quite close to them. The deer in Cades Cove are very tame. Think they would have stayed around for more great photos but off in the distance first a car door, then a dog barked. All the deer took off through the woods and that was the end of the photos for me. I am a firm believer dogs should not be allowed in the park, and this was just an example of why.

There probably is snow in Cades Cove this morning, but it is too cold for me. I am not going, plus my Blazer is in Rockwood, would not go up there with the possibility of snow without my 4X4. Getting it back this weekend. Might go next week, if it would just warm up just a little.

Snow on a spring day at Cades Cove

Last year when the brick plant Jimmy worked at in Knoxville first closed his company sent him to Marian, Virginia and had him working weekends. During that time I planned a trip to the Florida Birding FotoFest, and upgraded my camera to a D-SLR instead of a point and shoot. Had less than a month to get to know this camera, so weekends were spent with the camera in hand. On March 1 I went to Cades Cove and it was a beautiful spring like day. On March 8 I returned to Cades Cove to a beautiful snow covered cove. I have been posting some deer photos from that day and decided to post this one, it happens to be a favorite. Had it framed for a while on my desk at work, and have sold some cards with this photograph.

(Betsy, there is still hope for some snow!)

My Granny was born this day 109 years ago! I will be posting her daffodils when spring gets here this year. I have moved them all over East Tennessee as I have moved (yet again) in the 38 years I have been in Tennessee. Don't think I will be transplanting any to Rockwood, but who knows? If they need to be divided in the next several years I might put some there, but only if I am willing to leave them there in a few years.

Deer in the snow at Cades Cove one cold March day

These deer photographs were taken March 8, 2008 at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

One week earlier on March 1st I had been in Cades Cove

and it was a beautiful spring like day.

Deer in the snow at Cades Cove

These deer photographs were taken March 8, 2008 at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

For the last 2 years we have not had as much rain as we needed. We are trying to make up for it in 2 days. Not good! The rivers are cresting this morning. Centers are opening up for the people that have to leave their homes. Snow days I have heard of, but rain days? The schools are closed all over East Tennessee this morning.

Cades Cove berries

I am sure the birds love these berries. I found them in the woods at Cades Cove. I had been photographing the deer, just liked the way the berries looked.