Dog days

The hot days of summer are upon us and the sun, of course, setting 'way to the north... 

It's our first summer in the house, so my first attempts at planting flowers are starting to show some promise... 

Dahlia. 

Cosmos. 

Sunflower. 

There'll be blueberry pancakes this weekend... 

...and blackberry cobbler.... 

No new photos

Sorry, but every time I went out this week it either rained or was so hazy I couldn't get anything good.
But I recommend stopping by Fletch's No Direction Home blog where he's been posting photos from a trip down the Hiwassee River last Sunday. Actually, he launched his rented inflatable canoe from the same place -- near the Apalachia Powerhouse -- I took a photo from that day, probably within an hour or so. The photos have been posted all week, one or two a day, so go back into the archive to get the first ones. What a beautiful river.

I'll try to get a good photo to post soon.

It's hydrangea season, and the colors are really spectacular this year.... 

Apalachia powerhouse, in Tennessee. The water from Apalachia Lake/Dam in North Carolina is moved through a huge pipe about 10 miles along the Hiwassee River gorge and produces power here. This is where the Hiawassee River regains its full strength for its run down to the Tennessee River. 

The swinging footbridge. 

Drift boat on the Hiwassee. 

Lots of folks putting in to ride down to Reliance, I suppose... 

Not the mountains...

Back from a trip up north, visiting both sides of Lake Ontario. This is the south shore, at Sodus Point, NY. The rest of the following photos are from the road back through the mountains. 

Smoky Mountain Railroad and kayakers on the Nantahala River, NC. 

Going down the river. 

Roadside wildflowers with a view of the Black Mountains, I-26 overlook in Madison County, NC. 

The New River, West Virginia. 

Rt. 19 bridge over the New River. No one bungee jumping or parachuting today. 

Rainy days

Rain clouds over the Blue Ridge near Blairsville, Ga.