Summer Photo Fun: Tennessee Vacation Beauty

August 1, 2013 by 8 Comments

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 How about continuing Summer Photo Fun with some more photos from our vacation? This time I’ll showcase the beauty of our destination—Tennessee—rather than the people I enjoyed it with.

Take a tip from me—if you’re going to plan a family reunion vacation, you might as well plan to meet in a beautiful place. That’s exactly what we did when we set our reunion destination for the Gatlinburg, TN and Great Smoky Mountains National Park area. Let me just say we were not disappointed.

If you know me, you know I love the majesty and beauty of the Rocky Mountains  and the Grand Teton and Yellowstone areas . Their beauty is hard to beat as far as I’m concerned. I found, though, that the Smoky Mountains have a beauty all their own—almost like a wonderland.

The woodland areas we hiked and drove through were lush and green and enchanting, and we discovered they call these smaller mountains the Smoky Mountains for a reason. Clouds and fog hovered over the peaks daily and added to the dream-like feel of the area (as you can see in the photo above).

These photos don’t do the beauty justice (they never do), but here’s a peek into God’s handiwork found in the Gatlinburg, TN and Great Smoky Mountains National Park area. Enjoy!

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The early morning view from the front door of our cabin.

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Our first morning there, a bear came strolling by our cabin drive. I was the only one awake and was so excited I ran up the drive to try to get his picture after he walked out of sight. I was in the midst of my insane escapade before it dawned on me how dangerous it was. Very thankful for the Lord’s mercy in keeping me safe. Good grief! :)

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Wildflowers near our cabin. A little safer than a bear, huh? Does anyone know which wildflower this is?

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One view from our cabin deck but zoomed in a little. We weren’t as close to those buildings as it appears.

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One of the beautiful sights we saw along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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Saw wild turkeys a couple of times in the national park.

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Loved spotting the Bee Balm wildflowers in the area.

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Believe it or not, I hardly saw any birds while there so was happy to get this little guy’s photo. I think this may be a type of flycatcher called an Eastern Phoebe but am not sure.

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One beautiful scene like this after another greets you in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you’ve never visited there before, add it to your must-travel-to list. In my next post, I’ll show you some of the historical touches in the area. I think you’ll enjoy those, too!

“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;” Psalm 98:8

*What displays of God’s handiwork do you most enjoy?

*Photos by me

*The newest issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out today. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: beauty, creation/creative/creator, memories, nature, photo fun, travel, Uncategorized

Photo Fun: Tetons and Yellowstone Wildlife

August 12, 2012 by 16 Comments

My husband Don and I took a walk on the wild side recently. But we didn’t go bar-hopping or get crazy and shake our groove-thangs. Instead, for the first time ever, we vacationed in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone wilderness area.

We were blown away by the vastness and variety of God’s creation—mountains, rivers, waterfalls, valleys, lakes, canyons, geysers, hot springs, wildflowers, sage brush, and the list goes on—but the opportunities God gave us to view wildlife were unparalleled for us thus far in our lives.

What a treat to head out each day with my trusty camera and see what wonders—and memories—I might get to capture through photos. During this last week of Summer Photo Fun, I’m thrilled to give you a taste of wild-side living like no other. Hope you enjoy!

About thirty minutes before we reached Jackson, we spotted our first wildlife of the trip. This pronghorn wasn’t alone, though. There was a small herd with him!

On one of our days in Yellowstone, we got to watch a herd of buffalo in Hayden Valley while we sat in our car and ate our lunch. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, huh?

Elk enjoying a rest in the early evening hours near the Madison River at Yellowstone.

We got to watch pelicans on the beautiful blue waters where the Yellowstone River empties into Yellowstone Lake. These three liked to hang out together :)

 

And there they go. The three buddies flying off to parts unknown. By the way, I discovered that pelicans fly fast! I was happy to capture a shot of them in flight.

 

Don was the first one to spot this buck (a mule deer). When passersby saw me snapping pictures, they stopped and hurried to take photos of their own. We caused quite a stir! :)

One night as we left the park, this Yellow-bellied Marmot stood at attention as we drove by. He must have been saying, “When will these people ever leave!” :)

Here’s an elk finding available food in a burned out section of the forest in Yellowstone. Along with the wildlife, I loved all the wildflowers throughout the Tetons and Yellowstone.

What fun seeing some of the babies of Yellowstone. As we drove through Hayden Valley again one evening, a buffalo herd was spread out across the road. This little guy was intrigued by our car :)

 

With just two days left of our time in the area, we finally saw what we’d been longing to see all week. Moose! This guy was huge!!

The next day (our last day) we saw a mother moose with twins! Another once-in-a-lifetime experience, I’m sure. They were feeding along the Gros Ventre River in Grand Teton National Park.

This nest of Osprey sat on top of what looked like an abandoned telephone pole not far from our condo. I didn’t even notice it until I saw another woman taking a photo.

And finally as we left the Jackson area and headed home, we spotted this momma and baby pronghorn and stopped one final time to take more photos. What a treat!

Hope you’ve enjoyed a peek at our wildlife adventures. I think they were my favorite part of the trip. Well, that and the mountains . . . and the wildflowers . . . and the lakes and the . . . Yes, I loved it all! :)

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1

What’s the most interesting wild animal you’ve ever seen?

*You can see more of my vacation photos on Facebook. If we aren’t FB friends yet, what are you waiting for? :) Connect with me at www.facebook.com/ckbarker — just be sure and tell me you’re one of my blog readers if I won’t recognize your name.

*Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: blessing, creation/creative/creator, memories, nature, photo fun, travel, variety

When God Changes Our Plans

June 13, 2012 by 11 Comments

We started planning it last summer, my sisters and I. A mother-daughter trip to be held this June for just Mom and us four girls. Our first ever. And if truth be told, probably the only one that will ever happen, given Mom’s age and the difficulty of coordinating everyone’s schedules.

When my sister Debbie from Phoenix was back home last July, the ideas started flying. All sorts of exciting locations were mentioned as possibilities, but the first thing to be decided was the time of year that would work best for everyone. After Debbie returned home, the discussion continued via email. The final consensus was June.

Next came selecting a location. After praying for God’s direction, we considered a number of factors, everything from the weather to distance to expense. I wanted to go big, to possibly go somewhere I’d never been before, but after taking everything into consideration, we decided on a location just a few hours away from the majority of us. Debbie would have to fly, of course.

With a location decided, finding accommodations then took center stage. We wanted a place where we could stay together and also have a living area to relax in. We checked the VRBO site (Vacation Rental By Owner—a wonderful way to find condos/homes for vacation) but ended up going with a hotel that had suites.

We also talked about activities, sights to see, and a few restaurants and had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do during our time together. We even made plans to have our own little Sunday morning share session like our “Church in a Condo” time that Don and I enjoyed with our kids on vacation last summer. We were all set.

But you know what? God changed our plans. He allowed a crisis to come up. Last week we had to cancel our trip at the last minute.

Were we disappointed? Of course. We had been planning it for a year—and we haven’t seen Debbie since last summer. But in the midst of the disappointment, we are at peace. God loves us and we can trust him. He has us all exactly where we need to be right now. And after all, resting in him—resting in his will—is the best place we can be.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

*When has God changed your plans?

*Flickr photo by the Italian voice

*Note: I changed the title of my blog to more accurately reflect my tagline and brand. If you have my link listed on your blogroll, would you please change it to read simply “Cheryl Barker”? Thanks!

Filed Under: change, disappointment, family, travel, trust

Adjusting Our Vision: Battling Dissatisfaction

May 20, 2012 by 11 Comments

It happens almost every time. Returning home after a few days away stirs up mixed emotions in me. Like most folks, I’m happy to get back to my own comfort zone, but I also struggle with some unwanted feelings. Feelings of dissatisfaction.

Here’s the problem (and I’m probably not the only one who experiences it): Many times when I go out of town, I get to enjoy nature’s beauty in more spectacular ways. Of course, this occurs during vacations, but I also sometimes experience it while visiting family for a few days.

Not long ago I spent some time in Arkansas with my oldest daughter Kristin while her husband was away on business. Their backyard is landscaped with flowers and several beautiful bushes and trees and is surrounded by a privacy fence. It feels like a garden oasis. Add the music and the beauty of the birds, and my heart sings as well. I experience the same soul satisfaction while soaking up the woodland beauty found at my parents’ home in Missouri.

When I return to my own home, it’s easy for me to focus on the things I don’t have. I don’t have a garden oasis or the beauty of the woodlands right outside my back door—and I miss them during those first few days back home. I long to experience that kind of beauty each day right here in my own surroundings.

The first morning back after my trip to Kristin’s, that old familiar ache surfaced again as I spent a few minutes outside. Within seconds, something else surfaced as well.

Dissatisfaction. Thoughts like why can’t we live somewhere beautiful, too . . .

The Lord immediately pricked my heart with a reminder that dissatisfaction is dangerous business. At his prompting, I adjusted my vision and rejoiced in the beauty I do have.

And what do I have? I have the sky. I may not have a private oasis or the magic of the woodlands outside my door, but since we have no trees in our front yard, I have the sky’s expanse to rejoice in each morning. Without trees to obstruct the view, it’s so easy to look up and imagine heaven and talk with the Lord, the Creator of all beauty. After all, he is where my real satisfaction lies.

Of course, I noticed the birds, the colors of spring, and other things, too, after my vision adjustment. I realize it’s only natural to relish the beauty of other places, but I need to remember to focus on the beauty right before me. As I do that, dissatisfaction has a harder time getting a foothold.

I wonder if any of us are struggling with dissatisfaction in other areas of our lives. Could focusing on and rejoicing in the beauty and blessings we do have make a difference in those areas as well? I think so. Let’s guard against the dangerous business of dissatisfaction. Let’s adjust our vision before it has a chance to do its damage.

“. . . be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5b

*How do you guard against dissatisfaction in your life?

*Flickr photo by seyed mostafa zamani

Filed Under: beauty, blessing, challenge, dissatisfaction, home, nature, travel, vision

So Much to See, So Little Time!

April 15, 2012 by 8 Comments

Anyone else longing to travel? The older I get the more I realize how far behind I am in seeing the world. And now? There’s just so much to see and so little time!

Summer’s already teasing me. We haven’t been in the habit of taking a real trip every year—after all, life has a way of eating up vacation funds. But now that college and wedding expenses are behind us, vacations are more of a possibility.

Since the best time for my husband to travel is in July, we have a tendency to pick Colorado mountain destinations where we can escape the Kansas heat. But there are so many other places I long to see as well. Maybe after retirement? Sadly, Don tells me he wants to teach until he’s seventy! Good grief, doesn’t he realize I’ve got traveling to do? :)

Here in the good ole USA, I’d love to someday visit Washington, D.C.; New York City and Boston, along with other East coast historic areas; Alaska and Hawaii; Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons; West coast cities and scenic destinations; historic areas in the deep South; Florida, Tennessee—I could go on and on. As you can tell, I want to see more of our country!

And if that’s not enough, I’d even like to get up the courage (and the money!) to brave international travel at some point. Like everyone else, I’d love to visit Rome, Paris, and London (and other points of interest in those cities’ respective countries), but other places intrigue me as well.

Since my family immigrated from Ireland and Scotland generations ago, those destinations hold a special appeal. (I’ve enjoyed getting a taste of Irish life over on Irish American Mom. I learn something new from Mairead [rhymes with parade] every time I visit.) Switzerland and Germany sound appealing, too, and visiting the Holy Land would be so meaningful—though travel there sounds a little more scary to me. I can be a chicken :) Given that fact, I’m not sure I’d be up to an African safari, but that also sounds amazing.

Like I said, so much to see, so little time. I realize I won’t see all of these places in my lifetime, but surely I can make it to some of them. And to be totally honest, traveling to and navigating around unfamiliar places does indeed make me a little nervous. You know, all those chances to get lost and/or make other mistakes :)

I don’t want to let my fears hold me back, though. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in over a half century of living, it’s that the Lord walks with me each step of the way. And even better than that, He goes before me and guides me if I’ll only look to Him.

So even though there’s so much to see and so little time, my heavenly Guide will help me make the best of it. How about you? Anyone else ready to travel?

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

*Is summer already teasing you? Where would you like to travel?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out the first week in May. Sign up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

Filed Under: America, international, new thing, summer, travel
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