White Water

Roaring Forks Falls The Smoky Mountains NP has over 2,900 miles of clear mountain streams, which are fed from over 85" of annual rainfall in the higher elevations. The steep mountain sides create roaring streams with hundreds of water falls. Books are written about the top 50 falls, most scenic, tallest, etc. Roaring Forks Falls …

Seawall

St. Augustine , FL This beautiful seawall protects the Old Town area of St. Augustine, FL from high tides and storms along the Matanza River. It makes you feel safe, however, the seawall is no match for a hurricane. The recent flooding in eastern Nebraska, exacerbated by breached levees and failed dams, made me think …

Tallin, Estonia

I loved Tallin's old town, teeming with history and Old World charm, even in the rain. The city first showed up on maps in 1154, but early settlements date back 5,000 years.  It is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Although it is Estonia's largest …

Half Dome at Sunset

Standing above the clouds is weird, I mean standing on solid ground, not in an airplane, and looking down to the clouds below.  It is surreal! Thick clouds came in about an hour before sunset, and I was peeved, as that was the whole reason I spent 12 hours on Glacier Point; i.e. to photograph …

Bavarian Inn

Taking the mountain road north out of Arroyo Seco, NM the scenery changes dramatically.  A sign read, "Entering Carson National Forest", the road became steeper, my ears popped, and I thought I was in the Colorado Rockies. Climbing steadily and winding around the mountain for eight miles, we reached Taos Ski Valley Resort.  Any further up the …

Two Ladies and a Rose

I like flowers.  I like all plants, especially those you can eat, and not-so-much those that make you itch or sneeze.  Like this yellow rose, e.g; beautiful, gorgeous, a sight to behold. But there is a limit to how long I can stare at one plant.  Not so with the "plant ladies", who stood in one …

Too Much Water

One extreme to the next.  Either there is too much water, like the Colorado rains of Biblical proportions, or never enough water, like in Death Valley, California. It's been raining along the eastern slope of the Rockies, from Boulder to Colorado Springs, for the last 7-10 days.  Heavy rains, like gully washers on steroids.  Half …