Ocoee and Hiwassee

This last weekend, we went on two hikes that totaled about ten miles. Both hikes were flat walks along beautiful rivers, so the distance wasn't bad. Here are some of my favorite pictures. The first picture is the best result of experimentation with a new toy: a CPL filter. The golden rod and the lizard were interesting sights along the way. The last shot is of the Ocoee River. Its hard to see, but the water flow has been sculpted with cement and man-made boulders. The 1996 Atlanta Olympic whitewater events were held here. Apparently the natural river was not challenging enough!

Skylight Cave

Justin and I went to Cumberland Gap about two weekends ago. I work in the small town of Harrogate, which lies just below the gap, and I've been through the park briefly once before. But I got to do some more detailed investigation this time. One of the places we decided to hike, solely based on the name shown on the map, was Skylight Cave. It ended up being a really neat little cave with a large opening at ground level and a smaller opening higher up. It looked like the cave had a skylight. I took this picture from the back of the cave, looking up at the light in the ceiling. It doesn't do it justice; it was such an eerie light.

Hummingbirds and Home

One staple of visiting Mom's house in the right season is hummingbird-watching. This particularly bossy individual staked out a feeder right outside the kitchen window and chased any other hummers that dared to approach. The little female spent a long time grooming and contorting herself, allowing me to take pictures through the window. This picture is probably the best of the session.