Come On In /  by Dave Hileman

Welcome to Fort Jefferson. You got here by boat or float plane as it is seventy miles off the coast of Key West, Florida. Built over a thirty year period ending in 1874 the fort was never attacked, never completed and never fully armed. Yet it did protect vital shipping interests in the Gulf and was the final fueling stop for the naval forces during the attack on Cuba. It is now a National Park, The Dry Tortugas. Rusty Harman and I visited here in a float place from Key West, an adventure all by itself. Interestingly I was here the same year I was at the Arctic Circle in Alaska almost 6000 miles apart and still in the US.

I Never Thought.... /  by Dave Hileman

… about how the statues at the North Carolina Museum of Art shined each time I walked that part of the path. Apparently they are washed and waxed weekly. Someone always does a job I did not know existed.

Ready for a Close-up /  by Dave Hileman

The two gardens Jill and I visited were visually delightful. There were landscapes, small gardens, fountains, stately trees and flowers of every hue of color. I enjoyed photographing them and found that going in close to some of them revealed intricate patterns and colors.

Ever Changing Color /  by Dave Hileman

At Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in addition to amazing and vast gardens they also have a light show several times a week. It is set to music from the Beetles to Back depending on the night and it is spectacular. The water can soar into the air or dance across the sky in twists and turns. There are many smaller fountains and occasionally they are topped with fire. It is constantly changing, these two shots are seconds apart. Very neat if you are in the area, recommend it for the day but I would come after lunch. You cannot leave the park and return and the food is fine but one meal was enough! .

And they are??? /  by Dave Hileman

This little creatures are about the size of a quarter, or perhaps a tiny bit smaller. They seemed to stay still on the ground and hard to see among a bit of leaves and stones. The color in the photo does not show clearly with the sun shining on them, then they are more translucent or white. When you would get close they boiled up and darted in every direction but would soon land and congregate again. Jill discovered them while I was off taking a photo of the falls at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. The best guess from some sources seems to be the Spring Azure.

Wildflowers /  by Dave Hileman

I shot this photo in the parking lot edge of a lake near my house. Not another “Garden Week” but insert beautiful flowers into your day. According to my ID app, it is a Sulpher Cosmos.

The Other Falls /  by Dave Hileman

This shot is back at Frozen Head State Park for the second waterfall we hiked to that beautiful spring day. This one, Emory Gap Falls, was appropriately found at the end of Emory Gap Trail. It was a bit of a disappointment. It was touted at twice the size of the first falls, and it was if the whole cascade was included but the first drop was similar with less water than Debord Falls and to even reach it you had to scramble up a rock face that seemed to have no path. The hike was pretty but the falls less than advertised. Still, I would go again on another day with more water flowing over the rock face, well, even better.

Flag Day /  by Dave Hileman

Oh, say can you see,
By the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
O, say, does that
Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?

Portrait Project #30 & 31 /  by Dave Hileman

I am a bit embarrassed with this couple because I have forgotten their names. I really need to make notes! But what I do recall is that she lives in Memphis and was in Knoxville for a film project and on the way back to western Tennessee they stopped at the Cumberland Mountain State Park where Jill and I were on a hike around a lake. We were standing on a large flat rock just looking at the scenery and they arrived. We chatted a bit, learned some of their story and they posed for a quick photo. I will do better on the names and stories. Or at least try to do better.

Driving the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau /  by Dave Hileman

Getting off the interstate in this region of the country is rewarding for the scenery and the old Americana you will discover. This sign is from the Pure Oil and Gas Company that operated from 1895 originating in Butler Pennsylvania. They began gas stations in the late 1920’s and soon used the motto “Be Sure With Pure.” Operations ended in about 1960 when they were bought out and most stations closed or converted to Union 76. So this sign, Ricks was not open, would be at least 60 years old.

Frozen Head State Park /  by Dave Hileman

About an hour drive Northwest of Knoxville, Tennessee, in the Cumberland Mountains. is Frozen Head State Park. It is named for the dew that often freezes across the peaks, several over 3000 feet, in the region. The park is rustic and the forest full of lush growth and streams. Jill and I had a lovely picnic and then hiked a trail to two falls, this is the first, Debord Falls on the Panther Branch Trail. It was a nice day, warm but not hot and still lots of wildflowers along the trail. This is but one of lots of options at the park.