Septembers Through the Years!

Dear Blog Friends,    It's been awhile since I wrote...If  you read my last post,  you'll know that we had a car accident on August 15.    I broke my right wrist and jammed some fingers in my right hand.  That has prevented me from doing much writing or typing... I've tried to use Siri but she doesn't understand my southern drawl!!!  ha...  

If you are on Facebook then you have kept up with my progress...  Overall,  I am NOW doing well except for some problems with my hearing (due to the airbags), and also some neuropathy problems.  My wrist is mending nicely.  I only had to wear the hard cast for 5 weeks and a velcro brace for 1-2 weeks.  I still wear it off and on --and am doing my exercises to strengthen that wrist.  

I will admit that I had a hard time for a couple of weeks,  mostly emotionally.   BUT--with the love, attention and help from God, George, Family and many Friends,  I pulled myself together and have been back to my old 'positive' self again.

The next step for me is to see an ENT doctor to check my ears/hearing...  I have that appointment now--scheduled finally for Oct. 14.... BABY STEPS!!!! PATIENCE, Betsy!!!!!! ha

I can now type again ---so I'M BACK!!!!!    Today's Post is one I had a great time working on.  I was looking back at past Septembers to see what we did!!!!  I had fun-fun-fun choosing some of our favorite trips/pictures to share with you today...   George and I have been blessed with quite a lot of traveling for the past 15+ years... I hope you enjoy seeing some of these great memories.. 

 

From the lodge at Pine Mountain State Park,  KENTUCKY  --September 2010

Train Ride at Cass Railroad,  WEST VIRGINIA -- September 2011

Mount Rushmore in SOUTH DAKOTA-- September 2012

                        A Ride on the Schooner Alliance,  Yorktown, VIRGINIA--  September 2013

We hiked to the top of Sharp Top Mountain,  Peaks of Otter,  VIRGINIA--September 2016

Beautiful ZION National Park,  UTAH  ---Sept.  2017

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone; Yellowstone National Park,  WYOMING --Sept. 2012

We drove over Beartooth Mountain,  MONTANA-- Sept 2018

Schwaubacher Landing, Grand Teton National Park,  WYOMING --Sept 2018

Looking toward Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs, COLORADO in the Rocky Mountains-- Sept 2012

Oh the memories!!!!   I tried to pull out pictures from several different states...  Someone asked me:  What are your favorite places on this list???   Well--that's hard since I loved them all.   However,  the places I would love to visit again (over and over) are:  the TETONS and Cass Railroad.   George would love to go on the Schooner Alliance in Yorktown since he LOVES "Tall Ships".....

My advice to all of you:  Get out now when you can and TRAVEL.... I'm so blessed to have been to all of these places --and many more!!!!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 

What we were Doing in 2009

Dear Blog Family/Friends,   As you know,  George and I have loved life to its fullest for almost 20 years now... We are so blessed to have been able to see so many gorgeous places since 2001 (when we got married). Today,  I just picked out a year in our lives together and will share some of my favorite pictures for you!   

Today's pictures were all taken during the year,  2009.  It is hard to keep the number down to 10,  but I have decided that 10 pictures per blog post is enough for most of us very busy people.... Since I cannot write a caption under the photos now,  I ask you to put your curser over each picture for an explanation. Don't click on it ---but just hold the curser there for a little bit --and the explanation should come up!!!!!

The picture above is special for several reasons:  1.  We were celebrating my Birthday in Ormond Beach, Florida that year;  2.  This was the sunrise I saw over the water on my Birthday (2009);  and 3. The fact that it reminded me of the gorgeous sunrise I saw this year (8/5/20) when we were on Skyline Drive in VA

A few months ago (June 22, 2020),  I published a Blog Post showing us walking behind this beautiful waterfall,  Dry Falls,  not too far from Franklin, North Carolina.  We certainly couldn't have walked behind this one in winter of that year (2009)....But--I enjoyed seeing all of the ice around Dry (Not-Dry) Falls.... 

To celebrate George's Birthday in March of 2009,  we visited one of our all-time favorite places,  MT. NEBO, Arkansas.  We always ask for Cabin 60 which sits right on the rim (with a view of the valley below) --and consider it "our" cabin!!! Oh how we love that little cabin!!!

I have been feeding our Backyard Birds here since about 2002...  I get so much joy of watching the birds year 'round!!!!!  This is a picture I took of a Male CARDINAL in Winter of 2009.

As you know,  I love all sunrises and sunsets... I also LOVE seeing the Moon shining down on the water! In May of 2009,  we were at another favorite place,  Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina  (north of Myrtle Beach,  SC).   When there each year (mostly in December instead of May, these days),  we seldom see the moon over the water... BUT in 2009,  we got lucky, don't you think?

In April of 2009,  we took a short trip to an adorable little cabin in Cosby,  Tennessee  (in the  Great Smoky Mountains) ---with this waterfall right next to our cabin.  We had a big picture window inside the cabin where we could see the waterfall... I loved not only seeing Serenity Falls --but also hearing the power of that water,  from our deck (over the creek).   

Besides chasing waterfalls all over the country  and taking care of my Backyard Birds,  another thing we do  (this is George's  hobby) is to grow beautiful ROSES in our yard... George loves his 'babies' --and takes good care of them.  I get to enjoy the roses when he brings one inside JUST for me almost every morning during the season.  This beautiful Rose is named,  APRICOT NECTAR--and she is one of many which have been with us for many years.... Oh how we love our Roses!!!! (I have six beautiful roses on my desk right now!)

For our anniversary,  June of 2009,  we made  a trip near Clayton GA --to visit TULLULAH GORGE  to see the beautiful waterfalls in that gorge.  There are 5 falls --and great trails all around the gorge and steps to go down into the gorge... I highly recommend this area to everyone!!!    This is one of the waterfalls,  Tempesta Falls!

Wonderful Autumn!!!!!! 2009 was a GREAT year to enjoy the Fall Colors in and around Tennessee and the mountains!!!!!  We traveled across the Cherohala Skyway (between Robbinsville, NC and Tellico Plains, TN) in October of 2009 --and saw so much absolutely fantastic beauty!!!! 

 I'll close this post with a picture taken from Mountain Air Resort in North Carolina (near Burnsville) when we visited George's son and family (who were vacationing there for a few days in July, 2009).  

This was our view from the deck of their condo... What a life!!!!!  Wow!

Hope you enjoyed today's pictures from just one year in our wonderful lives... As I have time,  I'll post more memories from different years!!!!  

As I told my Facebook Friends,  my ADVICE to everyone (especially those of you not getting closer to the 80's --as George and I are).... Get out NOW while you can, and travel and see the beauty all around you..  We don't travel far --and most of the time,  we stay in the USA!  BUT--we have traveled a lot --and have so many marvelous memories...  I am so glad that we had these past 20 years together to live life to its fullest... Now --even though we still travel some when we can (and hope to continue),  my biggest joy is traveling virtually with son,  Mark and his gal, Robin,  who are taking me with them on their travels.. I'm so excited for them as they love being out in nature --as much as I do!!!!

August is almost over ---so does that mean that some cooler Fall Weather could be on its way?????? I HOPE I HOPE I HOPE.....

Have a fabulous week!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 

What is Special about APRIL 21??????

Two people still in love after 18 years!!!!  (Photo taken on 4/22/19)

WELL--- for George and me,  April 21, 2001 at Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee was the date that we professed our love for each other.  We had only been dating less than a month but for us, we both knew that God had put us together since we both moved to Tennessee for new jobs in December of 2000.  On that special day,  I got my first kiss,   he held my hand for the first time,  and we both said that we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives...  Fall Creek Falls is also where our interest in searching for WATERFALLS began.

Almost every year, since 2001,  we make the short trip on (or near) April 21 ---and relive those special memories.... After our marriage in June of 2001,  we have truly been inseparable (except when George had to go to Ireland for several days on a business trip)....   That was a very long week for me since I missed him so much.

The greatest part of this special love between two people who were 59 years old,  is that our love has never wavered ---and continues to grow more and more with each passing year.... Thanks be to God.

If you would like to read a couple of blog posts I wrote about our love,  how it all began,  etc. --CLICK  here for Post I   and then CLICK here for Part II.... Many of you have read these since you have followed me for a long time!!!!!   THANK YOU....

This year,  we went to Fall Creek Falls on April 22  (since April 21 was Easter Sunday).   Again,  as we always have done,  we retraced our steps taking pictures along the way... SO--today I'll share some of the pictures from that awesome day at Fall Creek Falls... Hope you enjoy reliving that special day with us today 18 years later!!

Looking down at Cane Creek Falls on 4/22/19  from the new overlook they built this year;  
I love the RAINBOW... See it?

My Sweetheart at the new overlook at Cane Creek Falls --4/22/19

Rockhouse Falls,  at Fall Creek Falls State Park, 4/22/19

Such a gorgeous place just to sit and relive the past 18 years with my Sweetheart  (taken on 4/22/19)

Beautiful Fall Creek Falls State Park on a gorgeous Spring day (4/22/19)

Beautiful Cane Creek Cascades,  4/22/19

Here she is --sitting again!!!!! ha ha!!! I love sitting on the rocks near Cane Creek Cascades.  (4/22/19)

My view of the creek and the Swinging Bridge,  taken on 4/22/19,  from the rocks near Cane Creek Cascades;

Walking toward the overlook at Fall Creek Falls, 4/22/19;  We picked a fantastic day to go there.  It was the day after Easter and there weren't many people in the park,  even though we had a gorgeous, sunny day....  NOTE: I'm not sure we have ever  been to this (the main) overlook in the park without lots of people around.  Amazing!

My Honey-Pie standing at the overlook with views of Fall Creek Falls,  4/22/19;

A view of Fall Creek Falls (left) and Coon Creek Falls  (right) on 4/22/19

He caught me SITTING again... BUT--what an awesome place to enjoy nature...

On April 22--we had almost NO new leaves on our big trees at home yet (we do now).   SO---I was so excited at seeing leaves on the trees at Fall Creek Falls that day, that I just HAD to take a picture of the sun coming through the trees... Isn't that just SO beautiful?

George's favorite area of the park,  named after HIM of course!!!!!! ha;   This is where we were on April 21, 2001--sitting on a blanket in the grass,  when I got my first KISS.....   WOW!!!!   (taken on 4/22/19)

At the George Hole area--where I enjoy searching for birds that live in the rocks along the creek  (4/22/19)

One more picture of a very happy couple,  4/22/19

Hope you enjoyed today's memories..   As you can tell,   this place is so very important to us ---and gets more special with each passing year.

Have an awesome week, my Friends.

Hugs,

Emoticons